Where to begin...Let's start with God is faithful...

For those that follow us on Facebook, as you know our precious daughter Taellor relocated to heaven a couple of months ago.....This has been some of the hardest, most difficult, yet real and incredible times of our journey thus far....

I wish in hindsight I would have posted here what I was posting daily on Facebook but...I was posting as God was leading....so I am going to move those posts to here for those who are not on Facebook.  I will start with today's and work my way backwards...

Taellor made a journal for her best friend Annie a year ago...I remember buying the journal but didn't realize that Tae had wrote scripture references for Annie to look up and read.... Annie didn't look at them until the night that Taellor died.  We are currently in 1 Peter.... God has been so faithful that over a year ago...He was preparing Taellor and was laying the foundation to what would encourage us in our faith.

Thank you for your prayers and support....encouragement.  We have been surrounded by God's people...literally bathed in Truth and for that we are grateful.  I post daily...sometimes hourly on Facebook as God walks us through this journey of faith.... Tammy Conner Stearns. If you aren't on Facebook, I will post the daily Bible study here also.

For those that have asked on on how to honor Taellor...donations and such....

Donations can be made to Project H.O.P.E. in memory of Taellor Stearns
1419 South Enterprise, Springfield, MO 65804 and either attention women's ministry or Tae's House  (The money will used used to continue doing ministry to those children that Tae was ministering to).

or for those who have asked about donating specifically to our family:

Project H.O.P.E. attention Stearns Family
1419 South Enterprise, Springfield, MO 65804 (The money will be used to continue our service here in Nicaragua)

100% of all money goes towards the ministry designated and tax forms will be sent at the end of the year. 


July 18th

1 Peter 1:10-12

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

They searched intently and with greatest care..... Oh Lord, I pray that when I study Your word that I would search intently and with greatest care. I pray that discernment would be sharpened....that the gravity of the Truth would never fail to pierce my heart...

Yet, too many times I have read quickly through Your Truth without searching, listening without the reverence of those who have come before us.

I remember seeking one time....for God's Truth. It was several years before I finally accepted Christ but I remember it vividly. I asked a friend about her Christ....specific questions to which she had no response other than it was better to believe and it not be true than not believe and burn in hell. I have a difficult time accepting that one....I just do. And yet, during what I call my "activity seeking phase", I would ask the same questions to those who would come to our house representing different religions....and they knew the answers....they could quickly turn in their references and show me.... I found this to be true time and time again.

Even today, we serve in some relatively dangerous areas....areas that I would not go into if I didn't have a relationship with those we are going to serve....and daily I meet those of other beliefs boldly encountering the danger. Walking at nighttime....bringing their beliefs to those who will listen.... And I have the greatest Power of all behind me when we go in and we are cautious to the point of sometimes almost being nonengaging....

Satan has encouraged us to fill our lives with things and events we "need", has encouraged us to fill our homes with Bibles that are rarely opened...much less searched intently and with greatest care... and with this, comes the loss of intimately knowing Our Father....of having woven into our hearts the Truth that will truly set us free.

The world may call us Christians because we go to church, carry a Bible, walked down an aisle, give freely to the poor.....but the world doesn't get to decide. In fact, the world will placate our souls into believing that we are solid....when we really know that we are not.

This is not a game based on attendance and there literally is not a second place....with those stakes....how can we not keep from pouring God's words into our hearts....searching intently and carefully...So that we might be called a Christian by the only Voice that matters.

July 17


1 Peter 1:8-9

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Inexpressible and glorious joy. There is a peace that comes with knowing.....really knowing whose you are.....through that comes freedom through which joy simply overflows.

As we walk this path of faith, we find moments in our lives....in our day to day life that we have the opportunity to practice obedience and discipline within our faith. Maybe it is not only choosing not to gossip at work but not even listen, maybe it is choosing to extend grace to the driver that is driving too slow or cuts your off, maybe it is choosing demonstrating unconditional love to your family....the ones who experience your life between closed doors...., or maybe it is choosing to give back the excess the change that you were mistakenly given. Each one of these comes with the requirement of action on our part....how do we choose to respond? The other parties can stomp on our lives, create the biggest chaos...but when our turn comes...how do we respond? Over time as we choose to respond as Christ would respond....we find that our very souls are filled with uncontainable joy.... We were created for good. We were. A choice put sin in this world and choice either puts sin in our lives or pushes it away.

Quite awhile ago the idea of WWJD came out....What Would Jesus Do....and that's it....what would He do. I can tell you that hate inside your mind and soul grows.....it's flame fanned by satan. And I know....but he...but she....but they.... I know. But the only person I can control is me, my thoughts, my actions. When we stand before Christ, we stand alone. Alone. No excuses....no jury trial.....

Have we taken the gifts that we have been given and used them for His kingdom.....for others' souls? Have we taken the free will that we have been given and used it to exercise mercy and grace so that others might see Christ through us?

I say over and over again that what I miss most in Tae was serving beside her....and friends, it wasn't just our scheduled ministry times it was anywhere she saw opportunity to extend love.... Her God wasn't in a box to pull out at our ministry stops or on Sunday....He was full on all the time.

Life is too short.....too short to live miserable, stressed, hateful, jaded, disappointed, depressed....too short. Starting today, choose Christ....choose joy. Choose to respond out of love even while tears flow down your face. Live as we were created to be.


July 16

1 Peter 1:5-7

....who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proven genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

About a year ago, Slaton was playing with some friends nearby....close enough to be in earshot. Trav and I heard him tell the boy he was playing with (who was older and bigger) to take his best shot. He proceeded to explain that he had his force field surrounding him and he couldn't be hurt. As we watched, the boy clarified twice with Slate and each time he was confident that he couldn't be hurt. He stood tall as the other boy hit him in the stomach as hard as he could. Slate took a deep breath and walked away.... As I came to his side I could hear him talking to himself....he really thought he had a force shield that could not be penetrated just like the Power Rangers.

Through faith.... We are shielded by God's power. This doesn't mean that we won't experience hardships or even unbelievable daunting circumstances...for we are told we will in the next verse that we will and our faith will be made stronger for it. Yet, our souls can not be harmed, touched, challenged once we have salvation in Jesus Christ. Can't be.

Yet, I think sometimes we just glean the surface of our world....Our perspective starts to take on very "worldy" overtones. It is when we face true hardships and we stop and take an account of what truly matters that we see how quickly the impurities of our lives rise to the surface and are skimmed away....many times without our knowledge that they are even gone.

The day that Tae died.....I can tell you exactly what I was worried about before I got the phone call....I was on my way to pick up the attorney to perform a double wedding in the dump. I was concerned about whether or not the right paperwork would be there...whether or not I had bought enough cake.... All valid concerns....but the souls of those present at the wedding was not one of my concerns.... I was caught up in the busyness of what we were doing that day.. I know, details are important and it is all part of the mission of what we are doing so maybe their souls were a given.... Yet, these are some of the very ploys that satan uses against us.

I don't consider Tae's death a trial upon us. We are all going to die....we just are. We look at Tae's death as a job well finished and her just basically relocating to heaven....the trial comes in our response to her absence in this world.....the trial comes in carrying on or allowing satan to rob us of finishing our race well....the trial comes in allowing the impurities to be skimmed off or fighting to hold on to them because to let them go would change our lives.

And the prize....is the greatest freedom imaginable.

July 15





One of the many blessings that we have seen..... the love between these two boys. A fear of mine was that we would have two different families...that Dev wouldn't know Antonio.... I so loved the relationship between all three of our kids and so wanted that for Antonio.. the instant bond was amazing! Just amazing!!! Makes a mamma's heart happy:)

1st Peter 1:1-4

To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithunia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.

Now with the hindsight of Tae's death, it doesn't surprise me that she would write down 1st Peter in her journal for Annie....the word hope interwoven throughout its tapestry of words. Hope.

There came a time.....before we moved here that we realized that we would not be able to "save the world"... That no matter all the work we do in the village, the food we distribute, the the feet we are able to put shoes on, the houses we build, the wells we drill, the gardens we plant.... We will not fix this. God tells us in the Bible that we will always have poverty....until He fixes it, and only He that can, we will not.

But our purpose is to share Christ's love by doing each of those actions above.....build relationships....disciple....and then when they ask....we can share the hope that can only be found in Christ.....a hope that doesn't tarnish, fade, spoil or perish....eternal hope.

And that is why we are here. Obedience doesn't come easy....the world will tell you that you are crazy....fellow Christians may tell you that you've suffered too much already....but obedience to Jesus Christ comes with a price. The letting go of things of this world, the believing that His word holds true, the courage to stand when all others step aside....

Belief for us is easy.....sometimes it even comes with "perks"...where you go to church....who you know...but there are Christians around the world today that are burned alive for their faith....Would your faith stand when encountering blazing fire? Would mine? And since we aren't encountering blazing fire, what are we doing with the freedom of expression that we have been given? Are we bold?

Eternal hope....that's the prize.

July 14

I find that today.....a month in feels exactly like a month...no more, no less. The day started like any other....filled with the promise of good ministry and the girls (Tae and Annie) hanging out with the boys. We had just completed probably some of our best three weeks here in Nicaragua. Tae served, loved and spoke bolder than we had ever seen...to the point that we were asking ourselves earlier in the week what was going on? Where did the change come from...she was always good but this was radically good. I loved it.

For those that have been concerned and asked....(and for those who were concerned but out of concern of us didn't ask...), she died instantly. I love how Annie put it... she was sitting in a hammock one moment and in the next she was in heaven....it was almost as if her spirit was gone before her head hit the ground. When I got to her body, physical evidence pointed towards this possibility also.... God takes care of His children.

We have grown so much in this last month....time and time again, God has demonstrated His faithfulness, His power, His comfort... We have been asked if we would have moved to Nicaragua if we would have known Tae would die here....and without hesitation, yes. Tae was going to die on that day regardless where she was....and, oh the glory, to finish your days doing exactly what God created you to do....

I find it fitting, and no coincidence, that as we embark on the first month mark...it is our first day back into normal ministry schedule (although, I think you will see a few radical changes:)) and is also the place in Tae's journal where she left Annie with 1st and 2nd Peter.....or better yet, how to carry on....how we should live....what we should do.

It is a drastic change. I find myself thinking of the rich young ruler....and I know most of us think that we aren't rich so it doesn't apply to us.......but if your are reading this on your own personal iphone, iPad,computer with your own internet....you probably do fit in the category of the world's rich....(found in Matthew 19:16-30...also Mark and Luke). He wasn't willing to give up the one thing that God asked him to give up.... He would do anything but that.

Who would God ask you to be? What would He tell you? I think most of us already know but yet it isn't a response that we want to hear....so instead we wait and anticipate another response....one that won't be forthcoming.

The world will tell you that it is your right to be happy here....you've worked hard, you deserve it all....and yet Christ warns us that as believers our citizenship is in heaven.....not here where many live as enemies of the cross of Christ with their destiny of destruction, their god their stomach and their glory in their shame. (Phillippians 3:18-19)

Say yes....and do whatever it is His is asking of you....whatever it is. The first step is the hardest....satan will tell you it is impossible and ridiculous..that you aren't worthy...... Funny how when it is something not good for us, satan says we deserve it and we are more than worthy and yet, when we try to step out in obedience to Christ....he tells us opposite lies.

"Send me out to the darkness, I'll hold the flame." And that, I love.....give me a torch.

July 13

I love how God listens and responds.....Yesterday and last night as I was preparing to "jump back in the saddle" so to speak....(Up until this time, we have had ministry focused on Tae or the soccer team or real encounter so our weekly ministries have been different....All God's timing for provision of rest and healing for us. But this week marks coming back to normal schedule) and it has been difficult..sad actually thinking of serving without her nearby loving on the kids.... I know it is okay to be sad.... I know. But God really spoke to me in this one today.....

This afternoon, God took me to the back of the book of Jonah.... Remember, Jonah was upset with God because He was going to give the people of Nineveh mercy instead of instant destruction...so he walks angrily out to a place outside of the city and waits to see what God will do. God provided a vine over Jonah to provide shade....to which Jonah was happy...until God sent a worm to eat the vine... And this made Jonah angry. God questioned if Jonah had the right to be angry over something that he didn't make grow....a simple vine and yet not concerned about the many people of Nineveh.....

Wow...what a reminder. Should my sadness over not being able to do ministry with Taellor on this earth be more than the sadness I should feel for those who do not know Him....for the very people that we have been called to serve. Tae's eternity has already been decided....that portion of the game over and played... But what about those soul's that have not chosen....those that haven't heard... Does my heart ache as much for them?

The words of the song says "break my heart for what breaks yours...." God's heart isn't broken over Tae....He's rejoicing with her today. And we are, too. He reminded me today of what breaks His heart....the orphans, starving children from both food and love, souls undecided....and that is what we should cry over..

 July 13

1 Peter: 3-4

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment , such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

We hear it said over and over that true beauty is what is found on the inside....now it has been said so much that it is almost taken as a joke....and that is so unfortunate....because that truly is where is is found.

Tae had her own sense of style. She loved to take old clothes, tear them apart and sew them back together into something new....and somehow, someway she could pull it off....looking back I think that came from who she was inside....she was confident in whose she was and that was beautiful.

We saw her transform from a very strong-willed child into a fearless young woman....that transformation was made through Christ. Totally sold out, here I am, use me however you want...every single day. She had lice so many times that it was pretty much a weekly treatment....she never flinch or shied away from where He was leading her. So many people asked us how our teenage daughter was doing down here.....She flourished in a way that only God can provide.

God isn't telling us not to be beautiful here....He'a telling us not to try find our beauty in worldly adornments but rather let His beauty shine through our lives..... Go shine today.

July 12                                                                                  James 2:26... Each one more poignant that the one before it as we poured over scripture laid out by our daughter over a year prior.... Reminding us, pointing towards Christ....then reminding us again of how to continue.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

She hadn't danced in years. She was a good dancer...the type that could evoke emotion...that could make your feel the choreography. She did a piece on suicide once that left a full auditorium completely silent....almost disturbing but so incredible real as she portrayed a bullied girl driven to desperation. She stopped dancing in order to, in her own words, devote her whole body to Christ.

But I remember this afternoon, for whatever reason she started free dancing under the cabana...just for fun. After that she started dancing with the ladies at the cancer shelter and kids at the dump. It was her desire to bring arts to the kids she encountered so that they too might learn to express themselves.

This verse is true... the body without the spirit is dead. Only a shell left behind of the spirit that was once in it. ...a beautiful shell but none the less a shell.

A lot of people have asked how this has changed how I look upon life. I think my thoughts can be summed up in the second part of this verse... Faith without deeds is dead.... We only have so much time here on this earth, only much time to do the work that we've been given to do...each of us. Tae's death has increased the urgency in me to go and do...go and love...go and be the hands and feet of Christ. I do not know when my time on earth will end but what I do know is that until that day comes I will serve Him to my fullest....and that is the greatest privilege of all.

Stearns Update....Can it REALLY be March 2014??????

I could very easily be the worst, yes, the worst blogger EVER!  Every day so much happens..every day here that by the time....well, those are just excuses..so I will try to do better again:-)  I am so much better on Facebook....quick easy and in spurts...Also means, I don't have to process much...

We are almost a fourth of the way through our second year following God's adventure in Nicaragua.  Our cups are overflowing...our hearts are full.   This doesn't mean that there haven't been some trials, bumps, hiccups, "opportunities" for growth, or whatever you prefer to call them but through it all it comes down to..... We get to spend everyday here where God has called being obedient and that, my friends, is priceless. 

I've learned  alot about myself this year...alot about God...and alot about living in a different culture....and when I reflect on what all I have learned, I realize that I really have alot to learn.  I've learned that God is ever so faithful...but in order to be able to experience His faithfulness, I have to wait expectantly for His provision...preferably in a patient manner.  I've learned that what He provides really is the best and is worth waiting for...even if that means waiting past the point that I feel I can wait.  I have found through those moments of waiting on the other side..I see His mighty Hand. 

The past year, God opened doors into the women's ministry  at Project H.O.P.E. that He would have me follow.  He showed me through the opportunities that He granted and through my own desires to seek out women that the least sought after by the world.  The ones that the world might deem worthless... Seek those.  So, I found myself in outreaches for prostitutes and their daughters, in brothels in the Oriental Market, in the city dump community, in the poorest of hospitals and, beginning this year, in the prison system.  Seeking those who needed to be reminded who they are..... Children of God...for we were all created by Him, yes?  This year, I will continue serving as He directs. 

While doing my own ministry, I have had the priviledge to serve with my daughter, Taellor...to see her simply flourish.  She started a children's Bible study in the city dump while we have our women's Bible study and another at the outreach for the prostitues.  She continues to serve at the Special Needs Orphange and along side teams with Project H.O.P.E.  And while all of this is incredible, the most incredible thing is her spirit as she serves....  No matter where I go, the children quickly say Hola and then look around me for Tae.  She loves unconditionally..and I love that. 

Travis continues to help with teams as they come to Nicaragua with Project H.O.P.E. Again, I have seen the man of my life flourish as He serves Our Father.  While I've always loved and respected him....there is a newfound "aweness" of simply watching him serve and knowing that he is right where he is to be....  He also continues to work with the men at Furia Santa helping with block making and the garden ministry.  Who would have thought he was so relational?????  I have learned that of the two of us....he is the most compassionate and relational.  This has been incredible to watch.

Slaton continues to do well in school. He has recently decided he wants to learn to play guitar so many songs are going through our home.  He loves going into the communities that Project H.O.P.E. has built and play with the kids and going to the orphanage...but mostly he loves to simply play...doesn't matter where he is or who he is with...play.  I love watching his faith grow here.  He ends each day with us reading the Bible.  That is his book that he always grabs to read.  The faith of a child....wish we could all be so foundational sound. God is God because He is...end of story.

Through each of these ministries, we are seeing lives changed and decisions made for Christ...and that is incredible.

God has recently brought a new boy into our world.  His name is Antonio.  He has opened my eyes to the plight of orphans.  While we weren't seeking for another child for our world, God was and I have literally seen miracles before my eyes.  Our joke around the house is that this young boy wants a family so bad that he would take ours!  Crazy, I know!!! I could find him a hundred better suited families!!! I can tell you though, never underestimate the value of family...the power of family...even a family as crazy as ours.  I have seen transformation before my eyes.  A child prone to tantrums, with a very uneven gait, with little hope or worldy love has blossomed.  I can't tell you the last time he had a tantrum, he now goes up and down stairs, runs and hops on one leg, can wink, smiles and laughs.....and, again, we are nothing special.  But he wanted a family, and out of that he, with God's Hand, has change dramatically.  It reminds me a bit of when we saw Slaton defy odds being a preemie....God's hand at work.

I saw our last post was about our Community... Our community is recently changing. We will be moving on April 15th...(Tax day for US and Holy Week for Nicaragua) to another home. It is a tad bit closer to Slate's school (no curvy, hilly dirt road:-)), it has quite a bit of yard that is entirely fenced and is better suited for Slaton's dog Buster with the bonus of being cheaper than our rent here.  We weren't looking to move and then God literally showed us the sign and we took a look and there you go!  And our lease is up here!!  How cool is that timing???   So, Travis and Slaton will have chickens (and our own eggs!!), can raise our own turkey and garden. 

Thank you for your constant prayers and support.  Each day that we are here, we know that we are walking this path with many others and for that we are eternally grateful.  Thank you to those who financially share this journey with us.

Our Community......

It dawned on me the other day that we have slowly formed a community of people here...God has provided us with those who are encourages, helpers and friends that are slowly forming a foundation of community for us.  We are transitioning from the craziness of the transition to settling...transitioning from everything is new to living....transitioning from where do we fit to this is our home.  There are so many "characters" in our world that I thought I'd introduce you to those who help shape our world here.....

Our neighbors- Between all of us, there are 12, yes TWELVE kids that range in age from 2-18.  We live in a small community called "La Veranera" that consists of four houses in a circle and lots of space for the kids to play.  It is a safe haven, if you will.  A place that we can let Slaton be Slaton.  The kids rise early in the morning sometimes getting in playtime before school starts at 7:25!  The rule is the door has to be open before you can play!  I know our neighbor has opened her door to Slaton's face starting at it many a Saturday.  All of the school-age kids go to school at Slaton's school which makes wonderful for carpooling and daily planning!  Each of the families are involved in different ministries in Nicaragua yet share common ground of being here to serve God.

The Kratovils-Jason, Nadia, Katie, Hudson, Hunter and Harrison-  I had been praying that God  would send us some mentors.  Someone that has been here with a family, passionate serving and is real...and God sent us the Kratovils.  They have been in country for 8 years with children now ranging in age from 7th grade to kindergarten. They freely give us advice, suggestions and encouragement...never once seeming to mind.  I am daily  amazed by their gift of just sharing knowledge with others....this isn't the norm sometimes. In addition to being mentors and friends, their boys provide almost constant playmates with Slaton.  Harrison and Slaton are in the same class at school and pretty much inseparable while at home!  I can truly say that their door (or windows!) are always open!!!  They are church planters that have a church in Managua that has been turned over to the Nicaraguans and have started another in Mateare. 

 The Normans- They have three children that are absolutely precious!  Their girls bring me flowers to buy that smell absolutely beautiful (for 5-10 cords a piece and sweet smiles, who can resist!) and their son is the cutest thing ever!  Karel works at Slate's school as the sports director and Myra ministers at House of Hope teaching the ladies how to bake.

The Ipples- Newest to our neighborhood, Andrew teaches next door to Slaton's classroom at the             school and Ruth ministers as a nurse.  Their three children have nicely rounded out the "playing company" as Slaton calls it!  They have a daughter May that is a year younger than Slaton.  He loves to play with her!   Their house (being the newest at the moment) is the "hot" house on the block with a new stock of legos and toys.....

 On any given day, the kids might be running around playing with home-made arrows and bows, or building a massive city out of all the legos in the community, swimming or just hanging out.  A blessing of a place.

Fatima- Slaton's babysitter- Fatima came into our life by way of David Patterson who wanted to introduce me to a nice, hard-working lady.  Oh my goodness, she has been a God-send.  She doesn't speak English and, of course, Slaton is learning but knows LITTLE spanish and, yet, they communicate unbelievable.  She has been one of his babysitters since we moved here and now exclusively watches him usually about four days a week when teams aren't here and more when they are.  She literally loves on him, dotes on him, worries about him and treats him like a king!  When she watches him, she is always within two feet of where he is...our neighbors have humored us and she literally follows Slaton wherever he goes.  I can honestly say I couldn't do the ministry work that God has allowed me to do without His provision of Fatima.  She has such a sweet disposition that brightens a room....ALWAYS.

Susie-our Housekeeper- I didn't ever think I would want, need, have a housekeeper...I'm pretty independent...but Susie quite literally came with the house that we are renting.  She knows the house better than I do...she's cleaned it for years.  She does our laundry, mops the floors (which constantly get dusty and muddy), cleans as needed, makes incredible chicken tacitos and loves on our family.  She comes three days a week at $7.00 a day....another God-send in my world.  She doesn't read or write so this has made me appreciate being able to read and also the need to recognize literacy or lack thereof while ministering.  Again, would not be able to minister in full abandonment without Ms. Susie. 

Slaton's school- Mr. Avery, Ms. Katie, Mrs Randall, Mrs. Mejia, Liam, Ms Andrea, his Spanish teacher, his PE teacher...the list goes on and on...the gardners, the guards....  They have created a place where children's hearts are encouraged with such lovingkindness that it is almost unbelievable.  During Slaton's transition last year, we had a difficult time...and not one time did they say, this is too much. Not one time, did they hesitate...instead, they prayed.  They simply prayed.  This year, Slaton is doing incredible. He is ahead in his Spanish work, has gotten happy faces stamps EVERY DAY and in his progress report got great marks on all of the places he had issues last year...and he is HAPPY at school!  He loves learning there, loves Spanish (which he hated last year) LOVES PE which he wouldn't even participate in last year!!!!  He LOVES it!  He also has discovered the wonderful world of books which completely excites me!!!  Thanking God that instead of obstacles, they saw potential.

The lady at the intersection-Every morning when we go to H.O.P.E. Central at Siete Sur, there is an old beggar woman that stands between the two lanes and will literally stare a driver down until they either drive away or give her money.  We still don't know her name...but someday we might.  When you give her money or food (my preference) she says "God Bless You in Spanish in the deepest voice imaginable... But she encourages us every day...her presence reminds us to why we are here...every day.

The staff at H.O.P.E. Central-During the past 8 months, we have transitioned into our positions...me in women's ministry and Travis as team liason and community development.  I minister alongside a most wonderful young lady, Claudia.  Whose heart and spirit is so contagious, that you want to bottle it up and serve it to the world!  When I met her family, I realized why she was how she was...they are all like that.  She always tells me that people are different in the country.... She is right beside me serving with abandonment.   Deanna, a young lady from Alaska who fell in love with Nicaragua, goes to college here and translates for us...again, love her serving sweet heart... (Taellor has found friendship in both of them...they all have in common their serving hearts without thought to what others might think or do.  They encourage each other to follow where God is leading them!) Jorge, our maintenance guy, who never flinches at going to the brothels with me to minister or going to the dump with us and instead of just watching and protecting actively ministers alongside.  Travis works primarily with Michel..whose heart is so incredibly big! I love how he knows who is who in the community and loves on all of them.  And then I love the others that we serve with...each one comes with their own sweet spirit and gifts...Dr. Melba, who I love doing medical missions with...who lights up most when serving those who need her most...who I love doing ultrasound with to help with diagnosis.... The guards (Geral, Eddy, Donnie (who always tells Slaton that "Jesus loves you!") and Darion who always greet us so sweetly and never tire of my constant movement in and out of the base:-)  Ana, Scarlet, Mercedes, Janet...sweet, sweet ladies that brighten my day, always.  Angelica, Jerson and Marvin...which are three that have been with Project H.O.P.E. for a long time and come with a wealth of knowledge from the history of the organization. Javier, whose smile and gentle spirit I love to be around.  Eddy (Fast Eddy)...who encourages us daily.  Eduardo, who never hesitates to help us (whether translating or last minute movie nights) Jose, our newest addition to the staff, but who sings beautifully and has such a servant's spirit.  Alejandro, who will always hold a special place in my heart since we walked Yancy (a young sick girl) home in the dark of the night through a banana field so many years ago...he never hesitated to go with me.  And of course, all of our translators that make communication and ministry doable for all of us who are learning the language...servant hearts, they have.  If I missed anyone, it wasn't on purpose...as a group, we minister to serve Christ.

Josimar-our Spanish teacher-poor guy!  He has been so encouraging to us even on the days when I'm sure he thinks we are pretty crazy...He doesn't get Travis' jokes at all but I think is also learning alot of additional words along with them... Example: Clear as crystal.  That one threw him for quite the loop!  We will learn Spanish if poor Josimar has anything to do with it!

Geraldo-our Sign Language teacher- This has got to be the funniest guy EVER! He would win hands-down at the game of Gestures!!!  He is deaf and teaches us Nicaraguan sign language in such an amazing way. The missionaries at the deaf school Matt and Eva Barlow have also been and encouragement to us...guiding us and encouraging us.

Bombaros-the homeless man at Cuidad Sandino-
Loreina in the dump at Cuidad Sandino

Silva and Pastor Horacio in Cuidad Sandino dump-They have welcomed us from the beginning as family into their home and their community. I love the gentle spirits that they have alongwith their desire to serve as partners-man and wife.  A true inspiration...day in and day out.

Martha at the Women's Shelter-She encourages me to serve in wild abandonment...to literally just serve...to not be afraid to just laugh...and to love above all else love.

Other missionaries- April Havlin at House of Hope, Angela-House of Hope, Laura, House of Hope, and the list goes on...but there have been many that have freely shared and given us encouragement that can only come from obedience to God.  We have met so many that have a kind word, or suggestion or just a seemingly vague comment that reminds/directs us.

We have been blessed by so many in our world...there are many more here that ebb and flow in our lives...these are the ones that are consistently in mine...that make up our community in Nicaragua. 

Wow! Time has Literally Flown By........

While I intend to be more diligent in blogging...... (I am going to try once again! I do better on Facebook so if you want daily updates (short) go to Tammy Conner Stearns), time has simply flown by...well, not really flown by...time has intentionally moved forward with so many memories that sometimes I have difficulty putting them into words.  Some days, I wonder if God isn't thinking, "Seriously, Tammy, when will you stop being amazed at what I can do!"  These past 8 months, I have been amazed beyond words, amazed being reason and humbled by the provisions of our heavenly Father.  Provisions that demonstrate that He is a God of details... the Great I Am.

 We have finished the team season.  I believe there were a few bets before we came down here on how long we would last.  I kept waiting for the sinking... "Oh my gosh, what have we just done" feeling to come.  I was thinking about mid-June.  However, with each team, we actually became excited to see the next.  With each team, God worked amazing wonders...not just in the village but in the very short-term missionaries that He had sent.  My eyes still tear up at the thoughts of seeing the village new every week through someone who had come for the first time, of hearing someone respond with excitement when they realized why God had sent them here and at the love that Christ has for all of us that He would care enough to involve us in His plan.  We excitedly look forward to next year's team season as we settle in with our year round ministries. 

Slaton has started school again.  Kindergarten!  He is doing absolutely amazing.  All of the teachers have stopped us....even those who don't have him in his class and have commented on his improvement.  He loves PE and Spanish which were two absolute hates last year.  We can only attribute his change to lots of answered prayers.  Thank you to all who pray for him daily.  I know when he walks down the hallway to his class that he is walking covered in prayer.  He continues to struggle with recognizing letters but he desires to learn them which is a blessing.  We continued to be blessed with our new home.  Nestled down a crazy rock and paved road, it has literally become our sanctuary.  A place we can we go and just be family.  A safe place that Slaton can play with the other 10 children that live in the houses surrounding ours.  They start early! (5:30 AM!)   On Saturday morning, the rule is the door must be open before you can walk in.  Many a mornings, our neighbor has opened her door to Slaton on the other side as we have heard "loud" whisperings of Slaton out our windows.  If it is a "stay home day", they spend the day running around in shorts (no shirt or shoes) with makeshift bow and arrows literally playing until dark only stopping to forage food from any one of the four houses.  
 



Taellor has decided to wait until Spring to begin at OTC for online classes.  We struggled with that one but learning Spanish here is one of our top priorities so she'll begin in the Spring and focus here on language and continuing to minister in the areas that God calls her to be.  She is incredible with the children. 

I love watching her at House of Hope just loving on kids. 
She has her Bible study there for the little ones along with Wednesday dance therapy at Blue Bird orphanage.  She has recently started on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons helping teach gymnastics at Slaton's school.  Who would have thought all of those gymnastics lessons would have led her to serving in Nicaragua through gymnastics? She literally blends right in here...our neighbor, who is starting the new church in Mateare, saw a lady from the village seemingly taking something out of his van a couple of Sundays ago.....  Yep, it was Taellor!  It seems as she was created for here.



Travis has continued to enjoy working with the teams in the field...especially with his boys.  There are about 10 young boys in the village (10-14 years in age) that have worked with him all season.  I love watching him mentor them even without the language...side by side.  Working with them, remembering their name and just talking with them.  I can go in the village and if he's there, they are with him....if he's not, they want to know where he is and when will he be there.  He's working with one boy to try to get him back in school after he missed most of this semester to stay home and working with his mom.  He's in 5th grade and his dad is in prison.  No one seems to care that he's not in school....I love that Travis does.  I have found him to be more outgoing here especially with team members.  For those who know him only back home, you know him as someone who doesn't talk much until he knows you and then only so much...well, here, he is totally different.  I have seen him sit with a team member for over an hour discussing and processing the experience.  I KNOW!  This is not Travis...this is God working through Travis...there is no other explanation:-)  He continues to work with Furia Santa assisting Marvin as needed. Again, I love watching this growth in him as he allows God to use him in any manner.

I continue to do our Bible studies at House of Hope, the Cuidad Sandino dump and the woman's cancer shelter along with Pan de la Vida visits.  We also work at the feeding station in the dump on Wednesdays.  Every day, well actually, every place as I leave I tell Claudia..this is my favorite....I don't know which is my favorite...they all are because in each of them, God is closest...  It is those moments when you can just stop for a second and say, "Wow, this is it."  My number of ultrasounds have increased...along with variety of ultrasound exams.  I have now done every (and for my ultrasound colleagues, I mean every) ultrasound exam type.  I love being able to scan here...love being able to bring comfort to a mother who is fearful something is wrong with her unborn child, love being able to "see" what is or isn't the matter.  Something not serious back home can be very serious here....  Dr. Melba is a blessing to work with...this is one of those places where I say "This is my favorite.."  Can there be a favorite?  I liken it maybe a little to heaven.....  What will we like best there?  That's kind of how I feel ministering here. 
 

Not to say that it has all been a walk in the park...sometimes a literal walk in the dark but just knowing that we are obediently following the call of our Father has righted us when our ship would tend to tip.  Carl Rees during our commissioning service at Ridgecrest said, "Remember your call because some days that is the only thing that will keep you there."  That is why we are here.  In the early months, we were jokingly saying we needed a slogan... a motto of sorts... and over time we heard ourselves saying the same six words over and over without realizing it...
" We are here to serve God."  and that is what it has summed up to be.  In the craziness of the city (Never would have thought we would live in a capital city of over 2 million people) to the only thing that is reliable is that nothing really is reliable, we have learned that our foundation is God and God alone.  We are grateful for a home church that is intimately involved in this mission as members offer daily encouragement and prayer.  This, we are learning, isn't something that is common on the mission field.

Team from our home church-Ridgecrest Baptist Springfield, MO

Our family from Pontiac, MO.

Project H.O.P.E. continues, in our mind, to be an organization that is second to none in short-term missions to Nicaragua.  It has been incredible to watch/observe as we serve along side most of the Directors this season.  I have been happy to see confirmation again and again that the purpose of Project H.O.P.E. is Christ.  Team upon team has demonstrated that the relationships created are much more important than the houses that are being built.  Time and time again, I loved watching as team leaders modeled this for their team members.  When you are considering coming into an organization that you have observed from the close proximity but still on the outside, you also wonder what the core portrays.... the core here portrays hard work, solid faith with extreme obedience to God. 

Again, I end with the desire to be more faithful in blogging.  Thank you for your prayers and continued encouragement in this adventure.

June Update

Family and Friends,

As we continue our journey serving in Nicaragua, I am daily reminded of how blessed we are to have those back home who are praying daily.  As I meet those who have no one, I give praise of thanksgiving on your behalf.  We wanted to send an update on our ministry within Project H.O.P.E.  As the season for short-term mission teams kicks into high-gear, we are given the opportunity to not only minister to the Nicaraguan people, but also to Americans who come here to serve.  

Travis continues to work with the men at Furia Santa (means “Holy Furia”). With the addition of short-term mission teams, Travis started a “block-making” activity that involves Gringos and the Furia Santa men working side-by-side making blocks.  They begin at 5:30 am every Tuesday and Thursday and make approximately 200 blocks.  This time of shared work is then followed by a devotion and testimonies.  By combining work, fellowship and discipleship, God breaks down boundaries and provides an avenue for the men involved to be real in their common struggles and successes.  In addition to working with the Furia Santa men, Travis serves as in the field as a team liason between the short-term mission team and the Nicca staff.  God continues to open doors for Travis to minister to men who tend to work hard…by coming alongside them and working with them, Travis is able to build a relationship first.  

To see God work through Taellor here is simply amazing….A couple of months ago, she was able to come with me to House of Hope for my Tuesday morning Bible study.  She kept noticing the children that were running about that no one was ministering to…and the next thing I know, she has gotten the extra supplies that I had in my tub and is holding an “impromptu children’s Bible study” under a tree.  This impromptu Bible study has continued and continues to grow as she (just her and God) reaches the younger children of the women in prostitution that come to the Tuesday morning outreach.  She typically has about 20 kids ten and younger.  She continues to serve at the Special Needs Orphanage assisting in their dance therapy.  God has gifted her with the ability to just simply love…  In the village that we are building, her time is mostly spent with the children.  They take her to their homes where we often find her assisting them with their chores, carrying water from the wells and building relationships.

 

 

Slaton has finished his PreK class at his school (Nicaraguan Christian Academy).  He will be promoted to Kindergarten next year.  For all of the struggle and difficulty in the beginning, he finished strong in the end.  

 He has made some wonderful friends here and is quickly picking up Spanish phrases.  He, currently, is in the States visiting his grandparents.  One of the ladies from the village gave him a bird that is extremely tame.  He walks around with the bird on his shoulder!   

(When he first heard that we were moving to Nicargua, this was one of the very first things that he asked for!!!)  He is slowly becoming more accustomed to the poverty that he encounters here.  The poverty in the village was difficult for him to comprehend at first.  He still wonders why they make houses out of trash and why they don’t have shoes….

 

My women’s Bible study in the Cuidad Sandino dump continues to evolve! We have anywhere from 50-70 children and that many women…with always a few men. We have added  a small children’s time with a Bible Story and craft before our women’s study.  We recently celebrated Mother’s Day with music (our very own Furia Santa band), cake, games and gifts.  It was an amazing evening to hear laughter and giggles as we tried to determine who had the most kids, who had the most girls and who had the most boys.  I enjoy seeing God work within these group of ladies as He works on me…showing me joy and hope in places of such desperation. 

 

 My Bible study on Tuesday mornings with the young girls involved with prostitution has continued to be such a blessing.  We are currently studying the Beatitudes…taking each one and discussing how it applies to our own lives.  They live in such a dark world…and, yet, Light is apparent.   

On Tuesday afternoons, I have began to spend time (also taking teams) to the Women’s Cancer Shelter.  Here, women await cancer treatment at the hospital nearby.  They are far from their families and typically have very little support emotionally.  Our desire is to remind them that Christ is there for them no matter where they are… 

 

 I have also recently added “Pan de la Vida” visits on Thursday morning! These are quickly becoming such a treasure in my world! (Granted, I think I say this about all of the ministry opportunities that God has allowed!!!) Each Thursday morning, Claudia (my translator), Taellor and I set out to visit 5 homes within the village that we are currently building.  We have began with the very first homes that were built two years ago.  We are simply coming to remind each home that Christ is the “bread of life” and asking how we can pray with them as we present to them a loaf of bread.  We have had times of sweet fellowship…woman to woman.  One of my favorite experiences was a couple of weeks ago.  Typically, we end up with several children following us….the also hear several times the message of Christ as we make our way through the village.  On this day, there was one boy about 9 years old who had been with us for several weeks on Thursdays.  When we came to our final loaf of bread that day and started to walk up to our last home for that day, I noticed there were tears streaming down his face.  This was  his home.  Today was his family’s day.  His mother was at work and he was alone, yet, he clung to that loaf of bread and asked us to pray for his family…for his mother’s health so she could continue to work.  As we prayed and the tears continued to stream down his face, I was reminded again and again of the faith of a child….for it wasn’t the bread that he was crying for….it was the prayers that were being said on his family’s behalf.

The faithfulness of God continues to leave us speechless….  Thank you for your prayers and encouragement as the journey continues.  We realize that there is so much that we have to learn…the language and the culture.  We are currently studying both Spanish and Nicaraguan Sign Language as God directs our path to those He wishes us to serve.   Please continue to pray for the language to take hold, for the health and safety of our family and for the people to whom we serve.

If we wish to follow us on Facebook, we are under (Tammy Conner Stearns) or our blog at stearnsfamilyinnicaragua@blogspot.com  

In His Hands,

The Stearns