Thursday, September 29, 2011

Same age, but very different....

No, I'm not talking about me. :)

I'm talking about the children here. I just took my 8 kids to Pizza Hut for a treat since Judy and Angelica were celebrating their Anniversary.

It is amazing how you can see the difference in their upbringing when you go places. They aren't used to nice things like going to restaurants. So I have 8 year olds trying to stand on tables.

My role here in the house is definitely the affection giver. The two house parents are not the affectionate type. I am always hugging, holding, tickling, and telling these kids how much I love them. But that is a problem sometimes. Because when I get them alone without the house parents, they feel like they can do whatever they want because the "Disciplinarians" are not there. Don't get me wrong. I feel that the parents love the kids. It's just that a) they aren't their real children, and b) the culture down here is a little different.

So..... I am the good guy that they come to for love. So it's very hard to admonish them. So when one turned off the tv tonight in Pizza Hut by standing on the booth, When one of the boys opened the door to the girls bathroom while someone was in there, and when one was shooting spitballs across the table, they didnt understand why the loving teddy bear Tom was angry. I know some of you are probably laughing at that and thinking..... that sounds like the perfect kids for me! They are perfect in their own ways. As I am typing this we are watching Star Wars III. And Kenner just ran past me out the front door. I yelled at him and said "where do you think you are going". He said he was going outside to pee. LOL!!!! This is what I am dealing with. I said... um, no.... go use the bathroom! That's what they are used to in their homes though. So I can't blame them completely. It's a different culture.

As I am writing this I have a lot of things on my mind. I am really excited about Saturday. Josh Garland is coming down here to visit. I have such a week planned for him! Since it's only the two of us, that means we are doing to do some amazing things. I was thinking Volcano Surf, Relax in some hot springs, Camp out, and much more. We will do all of our Ministry work in the morning like visit the Dump, but we need to get in some fun too. The best buddies are back together, and we are gonna have a blast!

I am also thinking about coming home to Murray in a couple of weeks. I am PUMPED. I will be "Tom Arnett" for the week. Being adopted by the Arnetts for the week is such a blessing. It will be great to be home, especially out in the country and enjoy some nature.

I am sure my week will fill up FAST!!! I have a handful of important lunch meetings with some people already. Not to sound arrogant, but if you want to hang out, please let me know asap so I can make sure I don't forget someone!

I will be at church for 2 weeks. It will be different being there for the first time as a "member". I'll enjoy sitting in both services and worshipping instead of "worryshipping". Cause as a church staff member, Sundays have a lot of responsibilities and stress along with the wonderful worship. It will be nice to not have to worry about different things. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of people. And I am looking forward to seeing what's different. I am sure the Holy Spirit is working. I know they found 3 people to cover my previous responsibilities. I am sure they will do a fine job as long as they are focused on the Lord and His will for the church. That is the hardest part of ministry. It has been for over 10 years I've been serving. I still struggle even here in Nica to decipher what is His will versus mine. And I know from experience.... no one wants mine! (Well, maybe except me sometimes! :)

So it will be a fun 10 days in Murray. I am sure I will hunt, play Basketball. Hold my Goddaughter, go to a Skillet concert, watch some football, eat fattening food, and laugh a TON!

Well..... I think this about wraps it up for me. I have one thought for you. How is your faith??? Is your faith in Jesus unquestionable? When you lay down on your bed do you wonder if it will hold you. Or when you sit in that pew on Sunday morning, do you question if it will break? Of course you don't. You have faith in those things that they will hold you and never let you down. In the same way, your faith in Jesus should be the same. Jesus should be that secure spot in your life that you never question. Just like that chair.....

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You!
In Him,
Tom Seipel

Monday, September 26, 2011

Groundhog's Day

I love the movie Groundhog's Day. Every morning Bill Murray wakes up to the same song, does the same stuff. He lives the same day over and over!

Well, sometimes my life looks like that! :) It's not a bad thing. But that's why I haven't been updating my blog as often as I said I would. It's because I don't have anything exciting to say.

Well this is exciting news.... I bought a little motorcycle. Driving a 15 passenger bus around is expensive with gas and it is also a lot of wear and tear on the bus with these horrible roads. So I bought a motorcycle that is an on/off road bike. It will be cheaper in the long run. I am excited about riding it.

I have hit a spiritual bump recently. Nothing to worry about, but as you all know.... I like being transparent with all of my friends. But when I got down here I was on fire for the Lord. I was preparing my heart for Nica. The first couple of months were the best spiritual months of my life. This last month has been rough though. Some stuff is starting to get on my nerves. I almost got out of my car to kill a guy who was walking through the cars at a red light and punched my car. I opened the door and he started running and i thought... "what am I doing? That's not what Jesus would do!"

I have been busy and have put God on the back burner sometimes. I missed a couple quiet times and I knew I need to get my butt in gear. God wants all of me, not most of me.

So I am looking forward to being home in Murray in a couple of weeks and recharging my batteries. It will be nice to sit out at the Arnett's house and meditate and pray in the country. It will be great to just be home.

But in the meantime.... Please keep me in your prayers. Satan wants nothing more than to see me get complacent and to stop worshiping our God. But that will never happen. The battle belongs to the Lord. I am just a soldier in Him mighty army!

Keep trusting, keep living..... for Jesus

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Fresa y ArĂ¡ndano

That means Strawberry and Blueberry....

Yesterday I bought some strawberries and blueberries at the closest thing to a Sam's club we have here in Nica.

It is amazing. Can you believe that most of the kids in BOTH houses have NEVER had a strawberry of Blueberry?!?!?!

So I went to the girls house and let them try some and they were in love. Yes, they have had strawberry flavored stuff. But these fruits are VERY expensive. I paid about $15 for a thing of strawberries here. But it was worth it to see the kids faces after they had them. It was fun introducing them to a little food I eat back home.

The boys weren't as impressed. They loved the flavor. But they didn't understand why having them was such a big deal. The girls realized that's a treat that they won't get very often. Sad how eating a strawberry is a blessing that they might not have for another 15 years.

That's how simple but at the same time different life is here. Just thought I would share that with you.

God Bless all...

Every Day.... In Nica....

Every day I wake up in a sweaty bed.
Every day I take a cold shower (not by choice)
Every day I eat Gallo Pinto (Rice and beans)
Every day I see a salamander in my bedroom.
Every day I give change to the boy at the street corner who wants to wash my windows at the red light.
Every day I pray that God will use me.
Every day I see that happen.
Every day the children make me laugh.
Every day I don't understand a lot of what people say to me.
Every day I can tell what people mean through their love and actions.
Every day I see a volcano.
Every day I see flowers.
Every day I see coconuts.
Every day I turn on the fan to keep me cool.
Every day I constantly watch my back because I am a foreigner.
Every day I speak Spanish.
Every day I sin.
Every day I ask for forgiveness.
Every day I am forgiven.
Every day when it rains I watch water leak in our house.
Every day I kill a cockroach.
Every day I am soaking wet with sweat.
Every day I see hungry people begging for food.
Every day I see children begging to be loved.
Every day I see kids playing soccer in the streets.
Every day I see people drive through red lights.
Every day I am happy.
Every day I wonder what I am going to do the next day.
Every day I wonder if I am going to be alone forever.
Every day I thank God for the people I do have in my life.
Every day I drink filtered bottle water.
Every day it is hot.
Every day I see dogs walking in the street.
Every day I see people selling grills made out of tire rims.
Every day I get mad at how taxi's will just slam on their brakes and stop for people in front of you.
Every day I realize how lucky I am for even having a car.
Every day I see a cow, horse, chicken, dog, bull, or donkey walking down the middle of the road.
Every day I miss my friends and family.
Every day I wear clean clothes while a lot of people are covered in dirt.
Every day I wear flip-flops
Every day I talk on the phone.
Every day I get on my computer.
Every day I read.
Every day I sing.
Every day I pray.
Every day I eat.
Every day I sleep.


But Every day I look at the poor, lost, and needy people of Nicaragua, and wish that I could give them what I get..... Every day.

I am blessed to be able to serve, to love, and to live.
I will worship Jesus with all my heart.
Every day....

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

It´s the little things

Ok.... first off, Im on a spanish keyboard right now and I cant find the apostrophe button. So deal with my bad English!

But I was walking the girls to school today and there is a tree (I believe it´s a red Azalea bush) that over hangs the sidewalk. I is almost low enough to hit my head on, but the girls cant reach it. Every day we walk under it and they always want a red flower to put in their hair on the way to school. It is the perfect climate here for this bush, because it flowers year long. So there are always enough flowers to take a couple. But it is so cute. They beg me to grab a flower off they bush and of course I give in to the precious smiles. After they put it in their hair, they are beaming from ear to ear.

Its the little things down here that are so special. I am sitting in the preschool at Los Brasiles and I am waiting on the kids to show up. I know that one little girl will drop everything when she sees me and give me a huge hug. Her name is Haydi. I think she has some mental problems. She is always staring off into the sky. It is sad, but Im pretty sure she isnt all there. But one thing she loves is being loved. So when she walks in, most kids would take off their backpack, say hi to the teachers, and sit down. But she will drop her bag the second she sees me, runs over to me and hugs my leg, and has to be peeled off of me. That makes my day. This little girl that lives in a 12x12 shack around the corner from the school, walks around barefoot on the muddy floor of her house, and is always dirty has the most amazing little smile in the world. She can break the hearts of the most hardened.

I have been told a lot that ¨you can hug little children in America, you dont need to be in Nica¨. I love my little kids in Murray. But the difference is that in Murray I might be one of many special people in my kids lives. But here in Nicaragua there is a good chance I am the only person, ESPECIALLY only male that loves them and gives them hugs.

One of the kids has a 14 year old sister. She was so excited her 14 year old sister was having a baby last week. I couldnt believe it. Thats whats sad here. It is normal for most girls to have children between the ages of 16-18 here. Its because when a guys shows them attention and love, its normally the first time they had attention from a guy so they fall for them. I hope to change that with these little kids. I hope to set the bar high for what a good guy is. I hope they look at me and compare guys to me and realize that these guys that show them attention arent worth it.

I am not the perfect guy by all means. I wouldnt be single if that was the case. But I would like to think I can set a good example to children boy boys and girls of the man they want to become and the man they would like to marry. There are a lot of scum men in Nicaragua. I met a guy a couple days ago that has 8 children all with different women. Thats not uncommon here.

I started off by talking about the simple things.... and I am preaching now about something totally different. I guess the Holy Spirit had a word for me to share.

But I love life here. I am working on many things. I want to be here forever. I know thats a big statement, but I do. I am always blown away at the happiness i get to experience with kids here. There is no whinning about stuff. They dont need an xbox. They need you to hold their hand. That is what makes their day special. And that is what makes my day special. Its the little things.

Lord,
Please let these children see Jesus through my actions. Let me be a mirror that reflects the Holy Spirit. I pray that you lift them up and let them know that they matter and are a perfect masterpiece. Let that mirror be a reflecting glass in a lighthouse that shows them there is a better way and a safe way to live. That safe way is with you. That your kingdom is here right now. Let me help show them that kingdom here on earth. Eternal life starts now. Not when we die. Lord.... thank you for the gift of love and laughter. Two gifts I could not live without. I love you Lord. Thank you.
Amen!

Friday, September 9, 2011

It's been a while.....

So I know it has been a while since I blogged. The main reason is I haven't had much to talk about. I got back to Managua after finishing my spanish school and I have taken the last week to chill and relax a bit. We had a couple birthday parties for kids and those pictures will be on Facebook soon. I just finished my newsletter and that will be going out next week.

Today I went surfing with Chachi, Brinson, and Michael. It was fun. My whole body hurts. I am not used to paddling on a surfboard that's for sure! We had a fun time. I enjoy hanging with the guys every once in a while.

I have been working in Los Brasiles a few times each week. The pre-schoolers and totally warming up to me. The are so cute!

I see a lot of stuff happening out there. God is good.

I am really excited about October. I bought a plane ticket and will be home in Murray Oct. 14th for about 10 days! I have a lot of people to see, equipment to buy, clothes to bring back. I am excited about coming home. Plus, I get to go to a Skillet concert!!!! SOOOO pumped for that!

Well I am about to take a nap. Been a sore day. I know, it's a tough life sometimes. One day you are playing with poverty stricken children, the next you are surfing. God is good! All the time!