NICARAGUA!!!!

To my dear loved ones,

When my former family of 5 returned home from Nicaragua as a family of 9 on Jan. 14, 2013, someone (a few someones) asked if I would ever return. I said, "I imagine I will, but it will be a LONG time from now!" God keeps His plans a secret at times; I'm on a "need to know" basis with God and he knew I "couldn't handle the truth" in that moment!
I am so EXCITED to BE excited that I am returning to Nicaragua and serving alongside ladies with whom I study the Bible and live out the gospel daily. These were many of the people who held me up and held me before God's throne through my entire adoption process. I am pinching myself that these 6 dear friends and three teenage daughters are coming to Nicaragua with me.
We will be serving at the Emmanuel House of Protection in Diriamba Nicaragua (20 minutes from where I lived). This ministry serves at risk girls providing lodging, educational aid, spiritual discipleship, and transitional support. Some of these young girls are mother themselves, some are orphaned, some go home on weekends, and even one is not a girl at all but an orphaned handicapped boy. The director's family is someone I met while living in Nicaragua and they were a great support to my family. They are guiding us through our team leader, Tina Williams, to make sure not one penny or one minute is wasted!
While there, we will be teaching a week long Bible study to the girls as well as spending time with them as they are available, and hopefully even teaching them skills such as crocheting or hand sewing.  We will be surprising them with a "group birthday party" complete with presents. Also, and we are so excited about this, we engaging the girls' help to put on an appreciation dinner for the staff of the Protection Center. These folks have very little money to support their own families. When others come to bless the residents, these dear ones look on and go home not being able to provide the same for their own families. We're turning the tables on this trip and making sure the blessings are spread ALL around. We hope to send each one home from our dinner with at least a basket of food and a family Bible (Would you believe the cost of a Bible is a week's salary for many working folks in Nicaragua?).
Would you join me in praying for God's complete provision for this trip? Each team member will need to raise a minimum of $1000-$1200 for trip expenses and this does not include the supplies and items I mentioned above. Every penny raised above our support will go to the people we serve. Would you pray that those God calls to give will be obedient to that call? Would you pray for our team, that we would be sensitive and obedient to our call and all it entails to go and serve and share the gospel? Pray that we would be unified as a team, loving with God's love, and bold in sharing the hope of the gospel with everyone we meet. Would you pray for our families who we leave behind for the week, especially for those husbands taking off work time to stand in our place?
If God has called you to help financially for this trip you can make your check out to Lakeside Community Church. Please mail your check to Lakeside Community Church, P.O. Box 386, N. Waterboro, ME 04061.  Extra funds will go to my other 9 team members and the gifts, Bibles and food we are providing. If you would like to use Paypal, please contact me at Karen.Twombly@gmail.com and I will make that available to you. Thank you!!
“Isn’t the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood? Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard.  At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, He will say, ‘Here I am.’ ~Isaiah 58:6-9
Lovingly in Christ
Karen Twombly