Thankfulness

Greetings from Nicaragua! 
 This week I've been reminded a lot about how thankful I am to have amazing people in my life. Ever since Caleb and I started this Journey, our families and best friends have stuck beside us, even though their fleshly desires didn't want us to go, they still supported us and support us to this day. God is sooo good. 

As I sit here typing this, I'm thinking about all the preparation that's happening right now for Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure my mom, aunts and grandma's houses smell amazing with pumpkin pies, mashpotatoes, oyster stuffing (my favorite), cranberry sauce (not my favorite), and so much more. Growing up I would always be in the kitchen as grandpa was pulling the turkey out, I'd be first in line to eat the gizzards and heart, some of my favorite memories growing up. 

I'm going to be honest, it's hard for me, missing out on Thanksgiving with our families. I love love love being around my family and just listening to everyone talking, playing games, just hanging out and enjoying each other <3 It's not easy, but I know that Nicaragua is where God wants us right now, and being in His Will is the best place to be. Next weekend we leave for the States for a couple weeks to be with family for Christmas and hang out with our friends, we are SOOO excited about that. 

Just a few things I'm thankful for....

#1. Jesus Christ, without Him, we are nothing. I can't imagine life without God, He has been so good to us, through the hard times and good times. 

#2. Family & friends that support us, make an effort to stay in contact with us, I love when God uses them to speak words of encouragement right when we need it, it's amazing and I am so thankful for each one.

#3. Our SI family

#4. Sunshine (sorry to all you MICHIGAN\INDIANA family & friends, I know your just loving the snow & cold). 

#5. Technology, wow. I can't imagine not being able to talk to our friends and family, soooo thankful for it. 

There's sooo much more, but I will spare you :) 

Just some prayer requests:

*For our semester students who are here right now, they've been here for over 3 months now and next weekend they fly back to the States, this week they are saying a lot of goodbyes to the people they've built relationships with in the communities they've been in. Pray for their hearts, and that it will be an easy transition back home. Next week they go to San Juan del Sur with Austin and Jill for debrief, pray that it's a relaxing time for everyone and that God will speak through Austin & Jill. 

*For us and the rest of the SI staff who are traveling back to the States for Christmas, for traveling mercies and that everyone will have a fabulous time.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!!!!!!!! 

 THANK YOU all for your prayers & support. We are looking forward to seeing some of you shortly :)

A year & half.....

Greetings from Nicaragua. I realized that I missed an update for September, oops!! 

Some exciting things happened in August, Caleb and I were able to go to the States for a short visit, surprised a lot of family and friends. There was a couple people that generously paid for us to come back, we're so grateful for that, it was an amazing time of just spending time with family and friends, people we didn't think we'd be able to see we saw. My whole family, all 27 of us (minus one) went up north to Houghton Lake *camping*. We stayed in a really big cabin, had lots of fun, made lots of memories, caught up with a lot of my cousins on their lives, it was amazing. Ate a lot of YUMMY food (maybe to much). We also got to spend some time with Caleb's side of the family a couple days, they camped at Potato Creek the following week and that was a lot of fun too. We surprised Caleb's brother Andrew and his wife Charlene, priceless!!!! 

We left Chicago around noon on a Thursday, well we were suppose to leave Chicago around noon, buut we wound up being almost 3 hours late to Miami, needless to say, a lot of people missed their connecting flight (including us) so they put a lot of people up in Hotels and we got a free dinner & breakfast, it was nice to just be able to spend time together and relax before arriving in Nicaragua again, God knew we needed that time together =) He's cool like that. So the next morning we arrived at the airport and everything was on time and we landed in Nicaragua around 12ish Friday. 

Back to reality again we go. Caleb's been super busy with projects, he just finished a pool project, painted the whole thing plus some, it looks really nice now. Building different things for staff members, making sure vehicles are up to date on everything, lots of odd & end things.

I have been trying to keep myself busy, when I don't have anything going, my mind wonders and I think a lot about home and how much I miss it, God reminds me that this is *home* for right now and He's called me here to serve. Doesn't make it easier, but I know this is where God wants us and being in His Will is the best place to be, doesn't mean it's an easy place to be, but it's all good =) I have a few projects that I'll be working on these next couple weeks, so I know that will keep me pretty busy. I started going to the different ministry sites this week as well, taking pictures of our semester students. It's been fun getting to know them, they are each so different and it's so fun watching them interact with the people in the communities. Please pray that God would do amazing things in their hearts, I know it's a life changing experience when we go on short term mission trips for one or two weeks, these girls are here for 4 months, it's definitely going to change their lives. One of them is actually sick right now, so please pray for healing for her and a quick recovery, it's one thing to be sick but being sick in another Country, you have the language barrier, and it's HOT. 

Another prayer request, a young missionary couple, Bart & Ellie, they arrived in May, she's due tomorrow and she's have no signs of labor, her mother arrived yesterday and everyone is eager to meet little Barty. So just pray that God would give her peace during this period of waiting, and strength during labor. 

Caleb and I are super excited about coming back in 65 days for a visit. Hoping to see a lot more people and have lots of fun =) 

Last Friday Ellie and I went to Jocote for Mirna's baby shower. She's due in two weeks and so ready to have this baby, here's a few pictures from our time there...

Play a fun game of guessing how big her belly is with some string.

It was a fun baby shower, the rain ruined some of the deco, but it was still pretty.

Giving Mirna a baby blanket that Angela Lawrence from my church made her. She was working on a piece during her time at Micro Fiance, and Mirna was just loving it, so Angela decided to make a baby blanket and I was able to get it to her at her baby shower :) she loved it. 

 

 

 

My family at Houghton Lake

I waited 8 months for this hug. <3

Jagger is such a sweet kid. While up at Houghton Lake him and I were hanging out and building sand castles, we were just talking and I glanced over and noticed that he was thinking about something, he looked at me and asked me why I was gone and so far away. I told him that Jesus called Caleb and I to Nicaragua to be missionaries, he asked some questions about what a missionary is and different things, he was so interested and wanted to know about everything. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grows up, I said maybe a policeman, fireman, farmer, ect.....He said "Whatever Jesus wants me to be". I told him that it was super important that we do what Jesus says and some other things, I know that he understands, he's so smart and such a good kid. A couple weeks later, my grandma texted me and told me that I left an impression on Jagger because she overheard him asking his older brother what he wanted to be when he grew up, his brother just kinda ignored him because he was busy with something, and Jagger said that he was going to be whatever Jesus wanted him to be, he asked his brother if he was going to be what Jesus wanted him to be and his brother said "yeah, probably". My prayer is that Jagger would grow up to be a man of God and have a heart to share the Gospel with so many people. I am so grateful for our relationship, he's always been so dear to my heart and I love him so much. 

Caleb with his younger siblings at Potato Creek Campground.

Miss Emily and I. She's 18 now and thinks she's the boss =) She's got a mind of her own and she isn't afraid to let ya know that. She's great!!

We just want to say thank you for all your prayers, support, financial support, we appreciate it so much and are forever grateful for each and every one of you. Please continue to pray us, that God would use us for His glory. 


                                                     God Bless
                                                   Caleb & Krista

*August Update*

Well, another summer has come and gone. It's insane to even think about it being the end of the summer. It was a great busy summer, full of wonderful teams from all over. It was so awesome to see peoples lives changed right in front of our eyes. God moved!!!!

I was blessed to have Morgan Johnson here to help me this summer. She did soooo much for SI Nicaragua, designed t shirts, hats, flyers, brochures, she blessed families in Jocote with family pictures and had them framed. The faces of the ladies were priceless. 

Lady receiving her Family Photo <3

  Morgan not only blessed others around her, but she's blessed me and been such an encouragement to me. 


Caleb is staying busy with scheduling schedules for the base guards and doing repairs. Things will slow down now that there aren't teams, he won't have to go to the market everyday. He's currently working on trying to raise funds to purchase a van for the SI Base. If you'd like info on how you can donate to that fund, email me or message me on facebook (kristafletcher88@yahoo.com) 

Morgan & I

Ice cream break before Ryan left :)

Oh Baby! Love me some babies. A community we work in called Valle del Volcan. This precious little girl lives there along with her large family. She's so sweet and just wanted some snuggles <3

Our amazing interns and Austin & Jill :)

 Please continue to pray for us as we seek God for His Direction these next coming weeks\months. We can't say thank you enough to all the people who have been praying for us, supporting us, financially, THANK YOU!!!!!! God Bless you <3 

                                                                     With Love
                                                                  The Fletchers
 

July Update 2014

Greetings from Nicaragua. 

We just finished with our second outreach of the summer. Taking some time today to relax and preparing for our next outreach, they come tomorrow night. It's a high school group, and a couple adults. It's going to be such a giant change from our last outreach because there was only 6 people =) So y'all can be praying for us, that we'll have LOTS of patients =) 

It was an amazing past couple weeks with Cornerstone, a couple Jeff & Denise Ertl came again, they've been here before, so it was so nice to see them again and spend time with them :) 

It was an amazing time with our church, a group of 10 came and it was just wonderful. I loved seeing them in their ministry sites, just loving on the Nicaraguan people, building relationships with them and of course our staff. It was an emotional "see you later" for me, I wasn't expecting the tears to flow like they did, but it's different when your sending a team off when it's your *family*. It was wonderful to get to know some of them on a deeper level. They had their re entry night at our house and that was great, we loved that they were able to see our house.

 

 

This was at Bucanero. Great night with Great Friends.

 Caleb and I have been loving our new house. God has blessed us so much and we're so thankful for everything. 

Finally, a few pictures of our house....

Our bedroom. The picture is *high* yes, but that's where the air conditioning unit was and the picture frame covers the ugliness up :) So it works out :)

Where the cookin happens :)

The livingroom\dining room. It's soooo breezy during the day, keeps things nice and cooled off :) 

 We just want to say THANK YOU again for all the new people that joined our team, we're sooooo GRATEFUL. Many Blessings to you all. Please continue to pray for us, that God would show us what He has for us, and that we would walk through the right doors that He opens <3

Next month is going to be a GOOD one, why? Because my mom and dad and 4 younger sisters, Kelsey, Kylie, Kiana & Kendra are coming for ONE WEEK!!!!!!! =) 

Thank you all for your prayers, your support, your kindness, we are looking forward to seeing family and friends again this Christmas <3 
  
                                                                             God Bless
                                                                      Caleb & Krista
 

June 2014

Greetings from Nicaragua y'all. I can't believe it's JUNE already. I was telling Caleb the other day that we're already half way into this year already, crazy how fast this year is going.

Caleb's been staying super busy, doing different small projects and stuff like that. He took his last Spanish class 2 weeks ago, he feels like he learned A LOT these past couple weeks, he'd only go a couple times a week, when he could fit it into his schedule. He really loved his teacher, he speaks *really good* English. Caleb's role  will pretty much stay the same, even with us living off base, he'll still be in charge of the things he's been in charge of and taking care of different things around the base. 

We got the keys to our house 2 weeks ago and we've slowly moved things into the house the past couple weeks and we officially moved in June 5th. It's been really *weird* living off base and having a house of our own. We love it, we love everything about this house God's blessed us with and we can't say thank you enough to the people who joined our support team and gave a one time donation to help make this move possible. The past couple months, God has just been blowing our minds with amazing miracles and just showing us how much He really cares about us and how the small things in life, He cares about those things too.

Two weeks ago, some of our sites Celebrated Mother's Day *Here in Nicaragua, it's always May 30th* and Micro finance Celebrated their second Anniversary, which I was able to be apart of and help set up, it was a lot of fun. All the communities were here for that day, not everyone was able to show up but there was a BIG turn out. 

 

Micro finance ladies from Jocote, Nindiri, and Valle de Volcan

 
ABC Education Site had a Mother's Day party in both the Communities, it was so sweet to have the mommies of the kids there and Celebrate them, it was all about the moms and the kids LOVE their mommies. Social Work also Celebrated Mother's Day, in Peirda Quemada *which is one of my favorite communities* of little girls, I was helping take care of the kids were aren't a part of the Social Work, and then Miriam told me that Maria Jose wanted me to come over to where they were having the party, and the little girls had a surprise for me. A couple of them shared somethings about me, and their moms bought me a beautiful pink top. I felt so special and never imagined I'd fall in love with so many kids, I wish I could keep them all for myself. 

Some of you may have heard about this little boy, named Wesley, he was hit on the road last fall, and no one expected him to live because he was in such rough shape, with many prayers and Miracle after Miracle, Wesley is still with us, they were told he'd never talk, walk or be normal again. BUT GOD HEALED this child. Today, Wesley is TALKING, WALKING and acting like a normal kid, he's playing with the other kids, it's amazing. 

 

This is Wesley, praying. I love his Faith

 Please continue to pray for his health, and that God would move in Mighty ways in this Community that he lives in (Valle de Volcán). 

June 5th, we had 6 interns arrive to help us out during the summer, Micah, Ryan, Andrew, Shelly, Jenna & Morgan. Jamie arrived 2 weeks earlier and it was a total God thing because she's been able to really help Celia get organized before the summer teams start and just getting to know Celia better. 

I will have an intern helping me this summer as well, in the media. It's not a site, but I've been super busy with going around to each Ministry Site and taking videos and shooting lots of pictures. I love it so much, not only do I take pictures, but I get to go around to all of our 6 sites and see the amazing things that God is doing, build relationships with the people we're working with and of course play with the kids, that's my favorite part. I have A LOT of favorites and I am excited to be sharing these experiences with my intern Morgan, I've gotten to know her a little bit since she's been here and I'm so excited to be working with her this summer, we're going to have a blast and I know God is going to just blow us out of the water with media this summer :) Can't wait!!!!!! We have an SI Nicaragua facebook page, you can check it out for daily updates and find out what's going on here in Nicaragua.

Again, we want to say THANK YOU to everyone who joined our team for monthly support and  gave a one time donation, we were just blown away at how God provided. 

Today, June 9th, our first summer team arrives. Then Friday, June 13th, from our very own home church in Centreville Michigan, Firm Foundation Ministries, a group is making their way to Nicaragua for a week, and Caleb & I are super excited to see people we know and to have them experience Nicaragua and all that God is doing here. So please be praying for their team, that God would give them peace, safety as they travel & that all their luggage would arrive. 

God Bless
The Fletchers in Nicaragua. 

Update on Support.

We want to give a BIG THANK YOU to everyone that’s been praying and that’s joined our team in helping us spread the Gospel here in Nicaragua. We are completely astounded at what God has done thus far. We can’t say thank you enough to the people that are praying for us and giving to us financially. We needed $200 a month extra in our budget and God promoted people to meet that need. We just wanted to say THANK YOU. We also had more need that we didn’t share, but God also met that need just through prayer. It’s amazing how when we ask for things God goes above and beyond our expectations, so everyone that is praying for us and giving financially, we want to say THANK YOU! We just ask that you continue to pray for us specifically to be able to share the Gospel how God wants us to share and to share the love of Jesus to everyone around us. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL
The Fletchers

New Opportunity 2014

God is GOOD!!!!! 


We are so excited about this new opportunity. God has been so Faithful and opening some doors for us and totally making it clear to us about moving off base. So we're hoping to move out first part of June. Caleb put down the deposit for the house and the owner is so kind to save the house for us for the whole month of May, there's some things that need some touching up and stuff like that, so it gives them time to do that. The house is located about 5 minutes towards Managua. We love the community it's in and we're so excited to see how God will use us there. 

The house God has Blessed us with!!!!

 Our busy summer season is getting closer. I'm excited to see what all God is going to do this summer, we have some wonderful interns lined up to help out this summer, a couple of them are from outreaches from last year, so it'll be awesome to see them again!!!! 

Caleb started going to Spanish school again to learn more. He's been going in the mornings for about 2 hours. I continue to work in my work books and that's been helping a lot. I need to get over the fear of just speaking and not worry if I mess up, we learned at MTI that you'll make a million mistakes when learning a new language, so when you mess up, just laugh and move on.....I need to remember that!!!!!!!!!! =) 

Caleb has been busy, making things for our staff. He built a desk *out of scraps* for a guy for his photography business he's starting. It looks really good. He's such a handy man and can build just about anything. I told him I'd like some bookshelves for our new house, so we'll see ;) Haha!!!! He's built a vanity, frames, ect. He loves using his hands and he's amazing at everything he does. 

I've been busy with the media, even when teams aren't here. Right now I'm working on a promo video for some staff and that's been fun. I really enjoy what I'm doing, and I'm so blessed to have a job that I love. It's amazing how God works things out. Never in a million years did I ever think I'd be a missionary doing photography and media :) WOAH!!!!! 


We recently posted on Facebook that we're moving out of the base, and with that come some new things for us....


Some of the changes are: My specific role will be doing media, going around and taking pictures in the different ministry sites, putting together a video at the end of each outreach, updating and posting on the SI Nicaragua facebook\instagram pages, when there aren't teams here, I'm helping our National staff with projects, ect. Caleb’s role will continue in maintenance etc. In order to make this happen we need to raise $200 a month more to help cover expenses that we don’t have living on base. So if there are 10 people that would be willing to partner with us and support us monthly for $20 a month, we would meet our goal.

Here’s our goal

We’d like to meet our goal by May 9th. That’s *one weeks* for 10 people to sign up and partner with the Fletchers to help make it possible for us to share the Gospel in Nicaragua. Please keep us in your prayers as we get ready for this exciting transition!!
God Bless

There are 3 ways you can support us.
#1 by sending in checks every month.
#2 automatic withdraw.
#3 donating online each month.

 Click on this link: (https://www.stint.com/donate.php?id=s75027)
*Sending checks, you send to: ((In memo, write Fletchers in Nicaragua))
 
Students International
PO Box 2733
Visalia, CA 93279-2733

If you have any questions regarding how to give you can contact our office at: (559) 627-8923 or by email at: students@stint.com

Since posting this, we've had 2 families sign up to partner with us. One family that gave a one time donation. We can't say THANK YOU ENOUGH!!!!!! Thank you for all your prayers & support. GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!  


*Prayer Requests*

• Energy for all the staff for this summer of outreaches
• Wisdom & guidance for the future
• Our marriage, that God would continue to bring us closer to Him and together
• For the summer outreaches
• That God would continue to open doors here in Nicaragua for SI to Minister to the people of Nicaragua.

Exciting News!!!!!

We’d like to share some exciting news with you all!! We’re planning on moving off base and into our own little house. Some of the changes are: Krista’s specific role will be doing media (we’ll share more on this later), but Caleb’s role will continue in maintenance etc. In order to make this happen we need to raise $200 a month more to help cover expenses that we don’t have living on base. So if there are 10 people that would be willing to partner with us and support us monthly for $20 a month, we would meet our goal.

Here’s our goal
We’d like to meet our goal by May 9th. That’s *two weeks* for 10 people to sign up and partner with the Fletchers to help make it possible for us to share the Gospel in Nicaragua. Please keep us in your prayers as we get ready for this exciting transition!!
God Bless

There are 3 ways you can support us.
#1 by sending in checks every month.
#2 automatic withdraw.
#3 donating online each month.
Click on this link (https://www.stint.com/donate.php?id=s75027).
If you have any questions regarding how to give you can contact our office at: (559) 627-8923 or by email at: students@stint.com
*Sending checks, you send to:
Students International
PO Box 2733
Visalia, CA 93279-2733

*HAPPY 1 YEAR*

Happy 1 year living in Nicaragua!!!!!! It doesn’t seem possible. I remember the first day like it was yesterday. I remember pulling into the base the first night with all kinds of emotions, excitement, being nervous to start studying Spanish, meeting new people, everything. It feels like it was yesterday. I remember back when I first started writing blogs every month on the 1st and wondering what it would be like at our *one year mark* well, we are HERE!!!! And it feels so crazy and unreal.

So much has happened during this past year. We found out in May that Caleb has had Lyme’s Disease basically his whole life, since a real young age, he’s grown up with muscle, joint, pains, he’s suffered from migraines, he still has them from time to time, but with the treatment he’s on for his Lyme’s, it’s helping A LOT with the headaches, PRAISE GOD!!!!! He got tested in January, a couple weeks after we got back from the States, and the guy told him he’s got one little bug left and by the end of the treatment it should be taken care of, PRAISE GOD FOR HEALING!!!!!! I also got tested the same time Caleb did, just to see if I actually had Lyme’s, it showed I have all the same bugs Caleb did, he said I need to finish the treatment and my bugs should be gone by the end of it.  

A couple weeks after we found out about Caleb’s Lyme’s, I found some bumps on my breasts. I can’t even begin to describe the emotions that I felt that morning. At that time, Jill Hofsommer’s mother was here visiting Austin & Jill and she was taking some Spanish Classes with us, at that morning we went to school and I was a little *a lot* emotional and Caleb said I should talk to Carol *Jill’s mom* because she’s a Doctor and it just seemed like a good idea, so that’s what I did, and she really put my mind to ease, telling me different things, probably wasn’t cancer and it might be cysts, it really made me feel better and I was less scared, it was such a God thing she was there during this time. We decided that I should get checked out just to be on the safe side. So I did and I have 5 B9 cysts in my right breast. The Dr told me it’s nothing to worry about and if I find more in the months to come, that I can get them checked out for peace of mind and just to keep an eye on them.

These two things we both have learned a lot from. Trusting God, relying on each other, so many different things. Knowing that we have family & friends praying for us, makes such a huge difference, we can feel the love & support from them, and that means so much to us!!!!

We have been staying busy since we got back from the States. January was a crazy month, February was slower, my sister Kelsey & mutual friend Galen was here for two weeks, and that was a lot of fun, spending time with them. Although it was a rather difficult time for us both, and they probably seen us not getting along with each other more than normal :| We went through a period of not knowing how to deal with different emotions we were going through, I was dealing with homesickness and not knowing it until after they left. We just didn’t really communicate with each other like we should have. After Galen & Kelsey left, we were able to spend some alone time together and get our feelings and emotions out on the table and just say how we felt about certain things, and that really helped us both learn to deal with our emotions and everything, praying for each other. We both feel tons better and feel like we’re back to being normal again and can work together as a *team*.

Since March started, everyone has been running like mad dogs. March is a crazy month, we call it *March madness* and it has nothing to do with basketball. Haha!!!! It’s one week outreaches, plans can change one day and you have everything figured out and ready to go and the next day, something changes and you have to reschedule what you just finished, it’s crazy! My brain hurts thinking of all the little details a lot of our staff have to remember and change. They are gifted that’s for sure.

We had a wonderful team called JMU, they are from Virginia. A great great great group of college kids. I connected with each one of them, they loved helping in any area they could, they did excellent in their Ministry Sites they worked in, loving on the kids & adults, showing them Christ’s Love. It was such an awesome experience to capture and watch. You could see Jesus in their lives, they came to Serve and that’s what they did. I really enjoyed them being here and I know everyone else did too. I hope they all come back again :)

Some of my experiences being in Ministry Sites - apart of my job is, going around to the different sites, taking fotos of the students\adults working along side their site leaders. Seeing these students lives changed before your eyes is such a cool experience. Just watching them interact with the Nicaraguan people we work with is so beautiful, building relationships that will last forever. They might never see them again, but these people will remember <3 I’ve experienced a young 13 year old girl who’s name is Milena, give her life to the Lord, with a team we had last summer, it was beautiful. She’s been through a lot in her life and to see her ask God into her heart was amazing. The more I visit the different sites we work in, the more I fall in love with them all, one of my favorite communities we work in is called Jocote, a lot of them are related, so it’s like a small family community =) A couple of the ladies love talking to me and I try so hard to understand them and try and communicate back with them, I might not understand everything their saying, but I sure try :)

This past week March 30th to April 6th our home church youth group, along with the leaders, Tim & Lynette, Ryan and also Pastor Don and Lisa were here for one week. It was an incredible time, seeing these kids lives changed in front of your eyes, it’s a beautiful thing. I’m so excited to see what God is going to do in their lives…Caleb and I got to spend some time with Don & Lisa one night and just talk about the future, share our thoughts & feelings, it was a wonderful time. We’re so blessed with an amazing Pastor and his amazing wife!!!! We miss our home church soooo much, so having some of them here was just peachy :) There is another group coming in June for one week, so we’re looking forward to that too!!!!!

My parents and 4 younger sisters are coming here for one week in August, they are super excited and so are we. It’s going to be a great experience for my younger sisters.


We can’t say THANK YOU enough to all the people who have been supporting us, financially, through prayer, it means so much to us. We are so BLESSED!!!! Please continue to lift us up in your prayers, pray that God would reveal to us what His plans are for us, that He would Direct us in the right path and that we will ALWAYS be in His Will!!!!!!!!


God Bless you all, with love
             The Fletchers <3

March 2014 Update!!!!

Every time I have to write a blog update I can *never* think of a title?!?!?!?!?! So maybe I'll just start leaving the title blank, haha!!

This past month n half has been rather difficult and fun, is that even possible?! Well, it's how I felt :) My sister Kelsey and Caleb's best friend came to Nicaragua for two weeks, and that was the FUN part :) The difficult part, well that wasn't so fun. The week before they came to Nicaragua, I felt homesick for the first time since we've been living here. I didn't really realize it though until *after* Galen & Kelsey left. I really really really missed being back in the States, and started really really really missing my family and friends and just hanging out with everyone on the weekends, family get togethers, friends coming over, ALL OF IT!!!!!!!!! I just wanted to be around familiar faces and talk to people who understood me and I understood them. When Kelsey & Galen came for those two weeks, those feelings were all fulfilled and I loved it, I loved having devotions with my little sister in the hammocks in the mornings, I loved having her cook beside me in the kitchen, and she was always so willing to wash dishes and help clean up. I loved watching her experience a little bit of what I experience when working in the communities, I loved watching her build relationships with the little kids and also the SI Staff. Everyone loved her and she loved them too. She's coming back with her youth group end of this month for a one week outreach. We're pretty stoked about that :) 

So after we dropped Galen & Kelsey off at the airport and got back to the base, it was like reality hit me straight across the face, and a ton of emotions came over me. I didn't want to cry, because I figured if I start now, I wouldn't be able to stop and I felt that if I cried I would than be weak. So I just kinda held it together and proceeded with my day. I decided I would take the sheets off their beds they slept in......and that's when it hit me, they were gone.....The base was empty and it was just us again. And than water stuff started flowing down my face.....And whenever I'd walk past their rooms, it was empty, their stuff wasn't laying on the bed, and I didn't hear anyone else talking, it was rough. And than Caleb asked me if I was ok and than more water started flowing.......So I just shared with him how I was feeling and after I got it all out, I felt much better. So it's been a crazy emotional past couple weeks, but thank God I have a wonderful husband who's been here for me <3

Monday, February 24th the Mattson family arrived in Nicaragua. They are here on a family vision trip. Scoping things out to see if SI Nicaragua is where they are suppose to be, so they've been doing a lot of visiting different places and stuff like that. They have been living here at the base and it's been a lot of fun getting to know them better. Spencer and Michelle have been here before, Michelle once by herself when we first were getting started and than last year together as a couple they came, and now their whole family is here checking things out. I've gotten to know their kids pretty good, we've talked about a lot of funny things and laughed until we cried. Their two younger kids, Madi and Micah remind me soooo much of my little sister Kendra and my cousin Jagger. Madi is sooo funny and goofy and she giggles so much like Kendra, it's like having her here <3 I've been loving it and it's the perfect medicine I needed during this rough time of feeling homesick, God is so AWESOME like that and it just blows my mind how He loves us so much and takes care of the little things in life. He has showed me so much this past year, it's just awesome :) 

Tonight we are welcoming the SI Costa Rica Semester students for a one week outreach. So it'll be fun having more people here, along with the Mattson family, their kids will get to experience what it's like when teams are here!!!!! 

We are getting ready for a busy Spring full of teams, it's just one week outreaches, but it's back to back, so it's going to be busy. I'm looking forward to it and can't wait until the summer outreaches start, we're going to have an awesome group of interns, a few from last years outreaches and this years Semester outreach back in January. Bring it on :) 

Caleb's been dealing with some nasty parasites still :\ He's trying to change a few different things and wash his hands more. Hopefully he gets to feeling better, because ever since we've been back from the States he's been sick....Miserable, headaches, stomachaches, just not feeling good, he's been on some strong medicines that make him feel worse than the parasite, it's not been fun watching him be in pain like this. So y'all can be praying for him, that he would be completely healed from this nasty bug. As a lot of you may know, back in May of 2013, we found out that Caleb has Lyme's Disease. So we both started on this program called NutraMedix. The guy told us that it's transmittable and that's why he wanted me to go on it right away without being tested, so that's what we did. Well last month, Caleb and I both got tested, just to see where we're at, and we found out that Caleb basically has NO more bugs, there's just this one little one left and that should be completely gone by the end of this one year program we are doing. We also found out that I in fact do have all the bugs Caleb had, so he wants me to continue the program and hopefully by the end, all my bugs will be gone too. He said I have a really good immune system to not have any symptoms or anything, so I'm blessed with that. Praising God for the healing He's doing in Caleb's life.....

A few photos from this past month.....

Galen helping A.T

Jared watching videos on my phone :)

Galen feeding the monkey on Monkey Island.

Kelsey & I got to help Celia in the Medical site.

Kelsey at Volcán Masaya

Galen & Caleb by the Volcano

So Blessed by them...

We even baked cookies :)

Memories that last forever

Meeting Natlia

One of Kelsey's high lights was feeding a monkey :)

 

*Prayer Requests*
*Good health for Caleb.
*That God would continue to show us what He has for us in the future. 
*Spanish, that we will continue to learn and be able to understand.  
*Strength & Energy for this Spring time of outreaches and also for the summer that's just around the corner....

Today marks 11 months in Nicaragua.  

*Blog update - Feb 2014*

SI Nicaragua is off to a great start this year.......
We've finished up a 3 week outreach of students from Greenville College in Illinois a week ago. It was a lot of fun, Caleb and I got to go with them on an outing up in Masatepa, we went to a coffee plantation and chocolate factory. Than we all hiked this really pretty mountain, and got VERY muddy & wet, but it was worth it =) 

Caleb & I got to build some life long friendships on this team. Living here at the base, you spend basically all your time with teams that come in and out, so you build relationships with them and it's awesome, we really enjoy that part of it :) 

We got to see some peoples lives changed just from being here for 3 weeks. The 1st week they were here, they did more of a history learning week, and than the second and third week they worked in Ministry Sites, and that's when you can really see them blossom and see their lives being changed :) It's awesome, love love love this part of our job =) 

It was a little different for me this outreach, normally I go around and take pictures of the different sites of the students & leaders and than at the end of the outreach I put together a video to show at the Remember & Celebrate Banquet.......But we had a professor from Greenville who is a graphic designer and she had two students with her, so they did all the media and everything, I drove them around and got to build relationships with them, it was fun. They did a wonderful job on the video. Kat and Fallyn made prayer cards and supporting brochures for our American & Nicaraguan staff, so Blessed by everything they did, they put a lot of work into it.......so THANK YOU AGAIN for all your hard work!!!!!

Right now we have two interns.....Ben Miller & Micah Miller, I actually grew up going to the same church as their parents for like *years*....So I've known these guys since they were little. So it's been a lot of fun having them here, they were such a huge help when we had the Greenville team here. Caleb's been loving it too, they spend a lot of time together, actually tonight they are coming over and we're having movie night and some American style food aka Hamburgers :) :) YUMMY!!!!!! They moved out of the base Sunday and into their host home, started Spanish school Monday, so we don't see them as much, but we're looking forward to hanging out with them tonight....

We're looking forward to the Spring teams that are coming, our home sending church is sending the youth group down for one week, so we're excited for that :) A week from today, my little sister Kelsey ((OK, she isn't so little anymore)) and Caleb's best friend Galen are coming....We are excited for them to come :):) 

Today we're at month 10 of living in Nicaragua......So crazy to think we've been here for almost a year. Wow!!!!!! We've been processing a lot about what the *future* looks like, only God knows what's happening, so we've just been praying that He will make it super clear to us what we're suppose to do. We always desire and want to be in the Center of His Will, it's the best place to be :) 


*Prayer Requests* 
*Health. (Caleb has a really bad case of parasites right now, he's on a medicine that he's suppose to be on for one week, so hopefully that clears it up)
*Nicaraguan people would see God through us. 
*We can minister to the teams of people that come down. 
*That we will be super confident in the decision making of committing more years or heading back to the States after our two year commitment. 

Jared & I in Jocote :) He's such a fun little guy :)

Greenville at the Chocolate Factory

Greenville at the Volcán Masaya

Caleb and a few other students *testing* the chocolate :)

Jill, Jessa & myself. I had a lot of fun getting to know Jessa, she's the professor in graphic designing at Greenville college.

Jimmy & Joseph with Alvaro Mena who won the trophy for Best Goalie. 

 

 

 

THANKS to all our supporters & people who have been praying for us. We can't say THANK YOU enough!!!!!!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL. 

                                        Fletchers in Nicaragua