Ticuantepe

Living here at this time is an incredible privilege! I have been typing and erasing this post over and over again, just trying do the feelings and facts of the past weekend justice - The sucursal (branch) closes the end of this month. The branch has been in operation for 20 years and in it's lifetime, the number of publishers in Nicaragua has tripled.
The English convention is a truly spiritual paradise. Brother Ian Hunter put it very aptly in the concluding talk, where he said that because the majority of us have come from lands far away, have left houses and mothers and brothers and sisters and friends, and all for the ministry, we share a very special bond. It doesn't matter if you know no one when you arrive, because when you leave, you leave with the love and cariño (deep affection) of more than 600 very special people.
I think you know it is a really special group and a really special time when although the sessions are done, its getting late and buses are leaving, groups in the audience have pulled out their songbooks and are singing kingdom songs together, just to hold onto that perfect spiritual paradise for a few more moments.
With this incredible atmosphere, I didn't take very many photos - but here are some of the friends that did wind up on film.

Jessica, Emily and I

Emily, Bianca and Jessica

Kids working hard

Lovelies

Beautiful Chloe

San Juan del Sur

Playa Coco is a beautiful beach on the southernmost Pacific corner of Nicaragua. It seems to me that the season of Survivor that is premiering right now (not that I watch survivor very often, but this is Survivor Nicaragua, so I thought I would give it a shot) was filmed very near to where we were, as well as the season that is being filmed right now I know for certain is being filmed very close to San Juan del Sur and Playa Coco.

Playa Yankee

Beautiful Adina

rawr

The beach was always alive with life, but much more at nighttime. Turtles came into lay eggs (but photos are very difficult because flash is harmful to them and will scare them back into the ocean before they lay their eggs) and brightly coloured crabs skittered in and out of our flashlight beams

Bethel

Bethel is, without a doubt, the most beautiful place in all of Nicaragua. It is very sad that it is soon closing, but we were very appreciative that we could spend some time there in its final days.

Spokane Gardens

We spent our last afternoon in North America in the gorgeous sun in the most beautiful gardens I have seen so far.

Nicaragua

Its been  more than nine years in the making and last night we finally arrived at our assignment here in Esteli, Nicaragua. The last week has been exhausting and so packed full of different events and steps that I don't know where to begin. I will  just let the photos speak for themselves.
On our way to the airport we stopped by some beautiful gardens in Spokane, Washington with Jeanelle's parents. Then airports, airports and airports, until we made our way more than 4000 miles to the soon-to-be-closed Nicaraguan bethel in Ticuantepe. From there it was San Marcos for night to prepare for our San Juan beach holiday, and from San Juan a rugged and nearly washed out drive to Playa Coco.