Nicaragua Campaign--Days 1 and 2

We spent last week in Nicaragua for a campaign with our two church sites in Managua.  Unfortunately, the Internet at the hotel was wolefully lacking so I wasn't able to keep the blog updated.  I managed my daily upload of pictures but only if I did it after midnight or before 6:00 a.m.  The delay might have been due to the fact that there were 37 team members at the hotel and every one of them had at least one device (some had a phone and a computer) they wanted to connect.  

We flew over on Saturday morning--the flight is only 45 minutes!  Pastor Felix and his son were there to pick us up.  They took us to the hotel and our room was ready!  Our friend, Misha, rode the bus over with the Salvadorans, but stayed in the hotel.  The three of us walked to the mall for lunch.

Before the Saturday evening campaign in the Villa Venezuela neighborhood we paired up the translators and the team from North Carolina.  The rest of the team did not arrive until after the campaign.  Even with only 18 people, the team was able to go out and talk to many people in the neighborhood, share the gospel at the door and invite them to the family festival.

  
One of the new things we have added to our family festival is a group dance activity.  This holds everyone's attention after the kid's games are over and the second time through, people from the crowd are invited to join us.  Right on the heels of the dance is the drama and then the gospel presentation.  There were 35 professions of faith on Saturday evening.

Sunday morning we all worshipped together with the Bolonia church, at their new location.  They were able to rent the auditorium in the Chamber of Commerce building; there's also a large parking lot.

Half of the team, 14 from First Baptist, Van Buren, Arkansas, were "newbies," there were 12 high school/college kids and two adults.  Even though they were new, they were excited about sharing the gospel so on Sunday night the entire team of 37 shared one-on-one before the family festival.  

 Another 30 people asked Jesus to save them!  Pastor Felix and Pastor Rodrigo are excited about the response to the gospel!  Follow-up started the next day!