April 2019 Conchshell Chronicles

We Have Over 1700 Students!

This is our 33^rd school year in Miskitia, with eights schools along the Coco River in northeastern Nicaragua.

Photo: Some of our students a few years ago- Moselle, Arielle, and friends

Despite the  violent summer and fall on the Pacific side of Nicaragua, things have remained relatively peaceful along the Caribbean coast. We started our school year in February, and due to the remoteness of our school district, and the movement of family members to different villages, as well as cultural confusion on the use of last names, it usually takes us a month to get an exact  enrollment.

Photo: The curves of the Coco River, at Urang

This year we have 1769 students attending classes in Klampa, Boon, Sawa, Urang, Sih, Living Creek, Utlamatha, and Plankira. They attend grades first through sixth in all communities, and secondary school in Living Creek. Many of our students from Sawa, Urang, Sih, and Utlamatha walk a few hours each day to get the high school in Living Creek. Since it is the dry season, travel by foot is possible.

Photo: Flooding during the Rainy Season (June-October)

During the rainy season, they have to paddle back and forth, which is a very   strenuous effort, and as a result, attendance drops.

Photo: Paddling near our school in Sih

We have a plan to purchase a 25 hp motor and have our  supervisor Guido drive the kids to Living Creek, and pick them up each day. If this is something that seems right, you may get involved by joining the Coco River Transit, online at https://www.seekthelamb.com/pages/giving

We employ 54 teachers and supervisors who teach classes and travel to spend time with our teachers downriver, helping them with training, and record keeping. We like to track the  progress of each student every month. We know that we are training potential teachers, pastors, farmers, builders, fathers and mothers. All of our current teachers, and all the pastors and community leaders are our former students from the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s. All of these teachers in Sawa are our former students.

Photo: Our teachers in Sawa, all of whom I met  and photographed when they were in the First Grade in our Sawa school.

Perhaps you might like to get involved helping this project along. Our new Seek The Lamb website has many opportunities to give. Here is a good starting place: https://www.seekthelamb.com/pages/give

I spoke with Augusto Vicente a few weeks ago after his had his left leg amputated above the knee, after a severe infection threatened his life. Augusto was very discouraged, as loosing a leg for a Miskito man is very disheartening.

But God is already arranging things so that Augusto can get fitted with a very modern, fully functional prothesis, through our former Rio Coco Bean coffee roaster, Luke Broadhurst, who is now a prothesis technician working in California. By “coincidence” Luke has traveled to Costa Rica to serve at a clinic fitting many amputees so they can walk. He is already gathering the parts to make Augusto a new leg! Please pray for this process, so that Augusto, who have been our Project Ezra Superintendent since we began in 1986, can get back downriver to work.

Photo: Truman, Michael, Onofre, & Augusto in  Jerusalem 1997

I also spoke with Onofre Zamora about his translation work on the Miskito New Testament that he began a few years ago. We all saw the need for a modern Miskito language Bible. Onofre completed the entire New Testament translation last fall, and now is going through with the final reading, corrections, and revisions. He just finished 1 Corinthians last week.

We are so excited about this project! Having a modern Miskito language Bible will be very helpful with all our students on our Project Ezra schools, as well as the entire Miskito population in Nicaragua and Honduras. In it helps another of our goals- promoting the Miskito language in a Latino country that often insists that indigenous people groups speak only their language- Spanish. Onofre is one of the most well educated men on the Coco River. He formerly headed the Ministry of Education on the river, and traveled to Israel in 1997 for a course with Dr Randy Smith on Biblical culture. In addition, he attended a course on discipleship at the Haggai Institute on Maui. This will be the life work that Onofre will be remembered for, and it will have a major impact on the culture well beyond his life time.

I hope you will take the opportunity to browse the new Seek The Lamb website. We have made it very user friendly, and it is filled with photos, maps, and significant info that will equip and encourage you.  www.seekthelamb.com                    Michael

 

 Lamb Bleatings

In the beginning of each year, I try to assess where I am at, need to be, what I will be working on and I decide a key Word that will help direct my steps more specifically for the days that follow. In 2019, I began with a couple words and as time has gone on in this fourth month of the year, I have since modified and came up with the word:

 REFINE; Remove impurities or unwanted elements from (a substance) typically as part of an industrial process.

Improve (something) by making small changes, in particular make (an idea, theory, or method) more subtle and accurate.

Synonyms: improve, perfect, polish (up), hone, temper, fine-tune, elaborate, touch up, revise, edit, copyedit, complete, finish, finish off, put the final/finishing touches to, crown, consummate; informal tweak

The opposite of Refine is to ADULTERATE, LOSE

I like to feel like I am “winning” over all the parts of my life that hinder, adulterate, distract, prevent freedom, peace, and joy.  I love to be on a playing field that fosters the winning side of my faith, gifts, talents and the ever-needed peace of God that surpasses all comprehension guarding my heart and mind in Christ.   When I am in this place of peace and feel the security of being where I need to be & doing what I need to be doing, I feel this sense of pleasure and peace that is an undeniable source of strength and joy unto my soul. 

When I was growing up especially in elementary school, my favorite subjects in school were Recess and Lunch.  I didn’t like school all that much.  As an adult….those two “subjects” are still my favorite…Currently, Recess is when I get to operate in any Gift or talent God has given to me I get to create and eat the creation of my hands (eating another gift) …and this too is playtime and I get to enjoy it all with my family, ohana team mates ,friends and whoever else may come around our table.  I get to design hair and dance with people I enjoy.  I get to do Life with those who thrill my soul and inspire me toward even greater refinement.

In between all the playing, I get to actively REFINE that which God has given.  The Bible says, We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  God has always been very detailed and refining when it comes to the work on and in His Temple.  He pays close attention to every detail, every nook and cranny and all the skilled labor He gave to complete the temple was very exacting and specific. 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law.”                                  Gal 5:22-23

I think the outcome of the first 6 fruits of the Spirit operating in a healthy manner make it possible for the next two to come into play …One of my friends asked, “do you think Self control was the last on that list of fruit because perhaps it’s the       hardest?”  Good point.  Getting a hold of my self, countless   issues, areas of improvement and overall sinfulness is quite the challenge and I find that I must decide to purposefully and intentionally subdue my losing adulterated self and actively focus in on my refinement in Christ exuding that fruit which is of His Holy powerful Spirit that changes a life from despair to hope…from being lost to being found, from a place of unrest or confusion to that place of peace and security. 

Photo: The Travelling Bagby Fam

The decision I make to focus on being refined comes with the price of taking the time out to hear the Spirit of God in order to relate best and most to the world around me.  What, When, Where, How and Why are my frequent go to questions I have with my Creative Maker and Source for all inspiration in my Life.  The closer I stick to That Refining Power the better my decisions and results pan out.  The farther away I get from it the more losing, distracted and adulterated I become. 

Photo: All the Uyeda Family on Oahu, with one haole boy.....

We were all in Hawaii during Spring Break reconnecting with family and friends on Maui and Oahu. We are so blessed to have a family that does enjoy our work, our ministry, and our families.                                                Laura

 

How Can You Help This Month?

1) Pray for us!

2) Support one of our missionaries;

3) Help us sponsor a school for the 2019 academic year.

You may use the donate online at seekthelamb.com/pages/give       Thanks!

Spiritual Arrows:

Please pray that God will:

1) Protect our team in Nicaragua during this political unrest.

2) Bring many into the Rio Coco Cafes this month.

3) Pray for guidance in a new café opportunity in Hawaii.

Thanks for your prayers!

 

 Rio Coco Beans

Spring Coffee Sale!

We hope that you have been able to browse our new  Rio Coco Beans coffee store at www.riococobeans.com.

For the next few weeks, we would like to offer you a 10% discount for your order as a "Welcome to Rio Coco Beans" .

Simply click on this link:

Rio Coco Beans

and type in "Spring Coffee Coupon" to receive your discount.

Thanks and Aloha from us.

 Photo: Our Project Ezra school in Klampa

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o: Our project Ezra school at Sawa