tedd and emily

New Partnership in Guatemala

2011-12-28T10:00:00.003-06:00

Emily here! I apologize, because I should have posted this a month ago and to be honest, I completely forgot. However, better late than never, and the following is an account of our trip to Guatemala in November from Tedd.

Tedd writes:

Over the past 8 years, we've made half a dozen trips to Guatemala. This last trip, though, was perhaps the most significant of them all. I'm excited to announce that we formed a new strategic partnership with a local organization called LAMP.

LAMP is short for Lámpara a Mis Pies which means "Light to my feet" and shares the same vision and mission as LEI (Literacy & Evangelism International) -- to teach people to read so that they can read God's written revelation and have a better life.

Byron Feliciano at the Guatemala RLTI in 2009

LAMP was started by Wycliffe missionaries Karen and Andy Vaters. As it grew, they trained nationals to lead and operate the organization. We met the current national director of LAMP, Byron Feliciano Temaj, in 2009 when we hosted a literacy institute in Guatemala. Since that time we've been in contact with each other, praying for and encouraging one another, and brainstorming how we might be able to work together in Guatemala.

Many times in ministry you see duplication rather than coordination of efforts to build God's Kingdom...so we're hoping that this partnership will bring glory to God as we unite together under the same vision. We're all looking forward to seeing what God will accomplish through our new friendship with LAMP. Please pray He'll give us wisdom and vision.

Hanging out in the kitchen at Byron's family's home.

(Some of) Byron's family.

Byron with his wife and daughter

Tedd, Ian, and I were pushed that week in Guatemala as well, battling some nasty colds and spending far more hours than we would have liked on crowded buses. But despite our discomforts, we had a great adventure staying with the Mam people and getting to look in on the literacy classes; and with that, we give you photos:

At the well

Practicing the typical Mam baby carrier. Ian likes it!

Ian playing in the grass with a Mam baby, Abigail.

Mary, a LAMP worker, carries Ian around in typical Mam fashion.

The turkey wants to sit in on the literacy lesson?

Literacy class in Mam.

Mam child practicing her writing.

Literacy class in Mam.

Byron teaching a literacy class in Mam.

Neighbors want a photo with Ian.

Mam Literacy Class

Back in Nicaragua (Ian's First International Trip)

2011-11-04T21:51:00.001-05:00

Our time back in Nicaragua has been a total blessing. Our only regret is that we can't stay longer!

We went back to Rio Blanco to visit our literacy students, accompanied by LEI's media director Kenyon Gerbrandt, to film their testimonies of what it was like to be non-readers and now what it's like to be literate. It was exciting to see that several are still reading, and well enough to be reading their Bibles and participate in church.

We were received so warmly; we were touched immensely by our friends' love for us, despite our one-year absence.

It took me about 3 hours before we were on the bus, looking out at the gorgeous Nicaraguan landscape, when it hit me like a ton of bricks that I really truly love this country. I've missed it.

And, all thanks to our wonderful God, Ian has been healthy and very happy here. It's been a challenge wrestling with an active little baby in this heat and with limited places to put him down to let him move around, and culturally speaking, it's taking some getting-used-to when it comes to strangers grabbing Ian without permission and taking pictures of him on their phones....BUT, he's been a total trooper and we've been so blessed to be here as a family of three!

Now for a few pics...


Ian taking a bath out in Likia

Kenyon filming a literacy student

Road Trip - August 2011

2011-09-13T12:19:00.000-05:00

We recently returned from a long road trip up to New Jersey with baby Ian. He handled it like a trooper, but it sure wasn't the same as traveling with just the two of us!

The trip was full of silly songs, peek-a-boos, and chewy toys - all to keep Ian preoccupied as we trekked the 24-hour roadtrip. Even an unopened bag of chips proved to be entertaining...whatever it took!

The trip back was a little easier because we stopped to visit ministry partners and friends along the way.

With Mike & Chris Lenz

First stop, West Virginia. We had a nice dinner with John & Chelsea Smith, the kids of Mike & Chris Lenz. Then we spent a couple days with the Lenzes and visited the church they pastor, which supports us through LEI, and we were able to share a bit and sing, as well as fellowship with the believers there. We always feel encouraged and spiritually uplifted when we visit!

We also made some new friends during our stay...

After leaving West Virginia, we stopped in Kentucky to visit Ian's great Aunt Karen. I'm disappointed I forgot to take a picture, but it was a really nice visit.

Then, next stop, Nashville. We stayed the night with the Dysons, friends of LEI and missionaries to Africa for several decades, who have a wealth of amazing stories to share. Tedd and Kenyon worked together to film a few of the Dysons' stories about literacy work in Africa to tag on to the literacy training videos that are in the works for LEI. We really enjoyed our time there with them!

And last stop before home...Uncle Evan! My brother Evan (no pic again, bummer) is also getting involved with a ministry in Conway, Arkansas, called Young Life. He's prayerfully decided to go on staff, a position that is funded by donations and gifts from fellow believers, and I'm so excited for him...Young Life is certainly a passion of his!

moving into our bedroom in our new (old) home

And then, finally, home. Where's home now? Well, just after getting back to Arkansas, we packed all our belongings and moved into "the Queen." A very big event in our lives, for sure! Now we're trying to work on as many projects on our old home as we possibly can before we go back to Nicaragua for a short visit in the Fall.

Visiting Nicaragua again will be very different than ever before now that we're with our little one.

For those of you who pray for us, we ask your prayers for:

Wisdom for Tedd and me as we travel with the baby, and as we seek out more literacy training opportunities.
Health and safety for Ian (and that his passport will arrive in time)!
For closeness to the Lord and discipline to daily read His Word and spend time in prayer.

Thank you all for your love and prayers. We will check in again soon!

ILTI 2011

2011-07-20T13:30:00.000-05:00

The International Literacy Training Institute (ILTI) this year was no disappointment to these ILTI fans! Each year, friendships are formed and partnerships are developed, and we're happy to say that, despite the small group this year, many of the participants are going to be working full-time with Literacy & Evangelism International (LEI)!

Here are some pics of our time spent teaching and "fellowshipping" at the ILTI 2011:

tedd works w Pastor Phil Truesdale

Jacinda holds Ian during naptime

I taught the writing section

An owl drops in to chill for awhile at the LEI campus

I snuck up to it until I got really close! I was so excited!!

Sila from the Congo practice-teaches the "What is Reading?" chapter

Ian was very flexible and hung out with us in the classroom while we taught & observed.

Ladies praying for Emily W. after she gave her testimony during chapel time

"M.K." from India teaches the Hindi primer lesson

Amy & I pretend to be students so the participants can practice-teach

Christa practice-teaches

Jacinda explains the Bible story lessons

Ian spends the evening outside in his diaper while his mommy & daddy play volleyball!!

We love the baby!!

The participants (& the Lodi)

Tedd works w/ Emily W.


Sila & Alexis (Congo) work together on teaching a primer lesson in their native tongue

We're so excited about each participant and their passion to work in ministry. We anticipate that God will do many great things in and through their lives, and we await opportunities to see them again in the future (maybe even in their countries)!!

FAQs

2011-07-07T00:26:00.001-05:00

The following questions are those that we get asked quite a bit, and then our answers which seek to be open and transparent:

Our family! Father's Day '11

When will you travel again?

We're planning another trip for the Fall. We hope to go to Nicaragua and Guatemala to talk about the possibility of another Literacy Leader Training, to interview some of our former students, and to pursue a potential LEI partnership with a literacy organization in Guatemala.

Will Ian go with you?

The plan is yes. We're working on getting the vaccines he will need. I (Emily) have already traveled by plane with Ian once to PA (when he was 3 months) and he did very very well. Based on other experiences as well (in a car for several hours, on a train, waiting in the airport), he's a good little traveler.

There is some anxiety, of course, that comes with taking your children to third-world countries. I'm sure all missionaries struggle with this to some degree or another. We are trusting that God will keep Ian safe and healthy; we're also depending on God to build our courage and create a deeper trust in Him as we step out into the "big bad world" with our baby.

Tedd working at "The Queen"

What are you doing now while you're in the States?

Right now Tedd is working a lot. He stays very busy working on "The Queen" (an old house we're renovating) and he's also putting in many hours a week doing e-mail correspondence for his LEI role. He attends meetings, skypes with missionaries overseas, and networks literacy workers.

While I'm here, I'm a full-time momma, and that is a hard job! I can't believe how much time is consumed just attending to the baby, and a happy easy baby at that. But when the baby is sleeping, or during short bursts of "free time," I'm trying to keep our house clean, cook meals, and do some graphic design work for LEI. I also manage to get out of the house with Ian some and that's always fun, plus I try to make some time for blogging, a hobby of mine. :)

Tedd teaching at the ILTI

Together, Tedd & I will teach a literacy class at the International Literacy Training Institute (ILTI) in Tulsa this summer. We love attending the ILTIs; each year we experience heart-warming fellowship and spiritual growth.

Will you be living overseas again?

It's likely that we will spend significant time overseas again someday in the future, but beyond this Fall, we don't have definitive plans for another long stint overseas. We lived in Nicaragua for awhile last year to experience what it's like to actually live & work overseas, but we're taking that experience now and using it to train others. So, for now, we're training and promoting, which requires that we take trips back and forth from the U.S. to different Latin American countries.

There's still a part of us that is drawn to Asia, so who knows what will become of that.

How do you guys get money for what you do?

We're a "faith-based" non-profit organization, which means that everything we do through LEI is funded by the donations and regular giving of individuals (and churches) who are passionate about the work we're a part of. These donations go toward our living expenses, plane tickets, travel overseas, etc.

We've also invested in our own "tent-making" business by buying (with our savings) and renovating a handful of apartments in AR and renting them out for some extra income. This helps us to work on our home renovation project ("The Queen") and to pay for extra things outside of ministry expenses.

We try to live, financially speaking, in a way that is mindful of the hard work others are doing in order to sacrificially give toward our cause. We try to live frugally and resourcefully.....we keep the thermostat at 85 in the summer and 63 in the winter : )

So about "The Queen:" what will you do if you live overseas again?

The Queen is meant to be our "home-base," a place to keep our stuff, a place to live whenever we're in the States, a place to use our gifts of hospitality, a place for our kids to identify as "home" regardless of where we are in the world, a place for me (Em) to "nest," and so on.

There is a rental house that came with the Queen's property, so we spent time in 2009 renovating that and it rents out now to pay for our expenses on that property. So regardless of where we are in the world: a) we have some people on our property watching out for our house, and b) the expenses are paid whether we live there or not, as long as the rental is occupied.

Have any other questions for us??
These are the questions that we're commonly asked, but if you've got another, ask away! Thanks for being interested!

Coming up next on our blog, we'll fill you in on all the fun we had at the ILTI 2011. I'll also show you some of the latest graphic design stuff I've been working on. I'm getting excited about a new one in the works!

Getting Psyched about the ILTI

2011-06-22T13:41:00.000-05:00

We love attending the ILTI each year. It's hard work for all involved, but the time of fellowship is sweet and we always experience spiritual growth when we're there.

For a few years now, we've been teaching a segment called the "Overseas Method." We're getting excited about teaching this summer! In fact, so excited, that we took a really quick trip to Tulsa one evening just to meet the participants. We played volleyball (yes!!) and got to see our friends, The Banguras, who work as LEI missionaries in West Africa.

Ian w/ the Banguras from Ivory Coast

Just a little while longer and we're there!

Newsletters!

2011-05-29T11:15:00.001-05:00

We've got a Spring 2011 Newsletter in the works, but until then, I'm happy to say that we have our older newsletters archived right here on the blog. If you'd like to look them over, just click on the title of the newsletter you'd like to read there in the far right column.

In the meantime, what kinds of things do you look for in a newsletter?

I like lots of pictures, because, honestly speaking, my fast-paced, too-busy-for-reading (American) self likes to skim things over and get the gist; long wordy newsletters sort of scare me away. I like bullet points and well-organized, to-the-point paragraphs.

Do you write a newsletter? I think a newsletter is a fabulous way to let family & friends know what's going on in your life. I usually see them once a year, at Christmas, for most families. What makes you choose (or choose not) to write a newsletter?

Alright...up next: FAQs. We'll answer questions like "Where are you going next?" "How long will you be in the States?" and "Will Ian travel with you?" next week!

Time To Catch Up!

2011-05-27T13:24:00.000-05:00

Hey there! Emily here, and I think it's about time we catch up on things over here!

As some of you may know, I have a personal blog where I write about a whole slew of things like cooking, crafting, baby stuff, and traveling from my perspective. Here on this blog, however, Tedd & I take turns writing more specifically about the work we do with Literacy & Evangelism International (LEI).

Since returning from Nicaragua in November, we haven't had as much to post about around here...not because we're not working on LEI stuff anymore, but because it's not as interesting I suppose. Tedd's main responsibilities are to keep correspondence with LEI's Latin America missionaries and potential ministry partners. I'm a full-time mommy now (yippee!), but I've had the opportunity to work on a few graphic design projects with LEI during our time here in the States. We've also been to a couple meetings since November.

However, I did miss a couple of good opportunities to post, for example, about our LEI Christmas gathering back in December:

some LEI gals

from left: Jacinda, me, Christa, Laura, & Amy

We also neglected to formally announce the birth of our son, Ian Walsh, on this blog!

Ian Lodes, 1 week old

Now he's 11 weeks old and weighing 15 pounds! We are absolutely smitten!

Here are some pics from Mother's Day (my very first Mother's Day!!)

We got a chance to visit the LEI staff again at the end of April and we brought along our little bambino. The ladies were all over him!

and they threw us a shower - so so nice!

So that's playing a bit of catch-up. I'll be posting a couple more times this coming week to let you know what's coming up next, to answer some frequently asked questions, and to hopefully archive our newsletters! See you around!

Howdy from San Antone!

2011-02-02T15:55:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, we hopped in the car and drove down to San Antonio to visit Covenant Presbyterian Church for their "Missions Sunday."

They were kind enough to give us an entire hour to share about the vision of literacy ministry during their Sunday School hour (they even cancelled all the Sunday School classes so people could attend). Hopefully some seeds were planted and there will be a growing interest/awareness of literacy missions at Covenant, as well as a growing relationship between us and them.

Our hosts were Bill & Laura Lucks, and we hit it off very well as we got to stay in their home and get to know them better. Very cool people.

We are thankful for Covenant Presbyterian and their support of LEI, and thankful to the Lucks for their care for us. Albeit short, we really enjoyed our visit!

Literacy Opens Doors

2011-01-05T11:43:00.000-06:00

This is Rosibel. She spends six days a week walking the streets of Rio Blanco, selling food to help provide for her family. She's 13 years old and has never been to school.

When we started a literacy class in Paiwa, a small poor neighborhood outside of the city, Rosibel was the most eager student we had from the very start. She rarely missed class and always came with her homework. Once she caught on to the method, she began reading ahead in the book in her spare time. By the time we were 1/2 way through the second book, Rosibel told me she'd already read the whole thing at home. She was on fire to read!

The week of our graduation ceremony, I (Emily) was waiting for the bus in the city to take me out to Paiwa so I could meet up with Tedd for class. Rosibel had stopped by our house earlier that day to sell food, and there we agreed to meet at the bus stop and ride to Paiwa together. As we sat on the bus, she told me something that made my heart leap for joy - now that she could read, she was going to sign up for school!!

Reading opens doors for young ladies like Rosibel. She has a chance to step out of the cycle of poverty and to educate herself and pass on knowledge to the generations after her.

On the night of their graduation, the students were given easy-to-read New Testament Bibles, and Tedd shared a heart-felt message about the importance of reading God's Word. Before Rosibel even left for home, she was already eagerly flipping through the pages and moving her mouth as she read from the Bible. She's so hungry for learning and I feel certain that the Lord will bless her as she digs into His Word.

The "Blind" Will "See"...

2010-11-28T23:57:00.002-06:00

When we met them 8 months ago, none of them could read...the majority didn't even know the alphabet. They were blind to written words. We agreed to meet twice a week to learn to read & write; a few weeks later they were writing their names for the first time, a few months later, they were reading simplified Bible stories. Then the day finally arrived for 10 new readers to graduate. They were presented with certificates and recognized before their church - a very proud day for everyone. A day to celebrate!

Josefa reads a Bible verse for the congregation for the first time!

Darlila reads in front of the congregation.

Tedd explains how each student is receiving a certificate for completing the literacy course.

Kiddos :-)

Presenting Certificates...

Tedd's very close friend, Bernardo, graduates successfully! Once illiterate, and now a reader!

Josefa

Marina with a guest pastor who preached about coming out of ignorance and learning to read the Bible.

Bernardo plays with Annabelle.

Hiking to Bernardo's house after the ceremony to eat chicken soup (fresh chicken soup, of course)

While it was a joyous day, it was a pass-the-kleenex kind of day too. Tedd & I had finished our work and now the readers and other trained teachers would be responsible for passing the baton. We fell in love with these precious humble people over the last 8 months. They truly are like family to us; we'll never forget them and we're eternally grateful for the experiences we've shared with them and for all they've taught us.

Cooking for a Cause Continued

2010-10-21T01:27:00.000-05:00

Emily here.

Last night was such a success! I was really nervous because I normally make the rice by eyeing the ingredients and adding whatever's lacking at the end. I was also nervous about teaching a recipe in Spanish, since I'm not very familiar with kitchen vocabulary, but everything went so well!

Here are some pictures of our "class"

Walter & his wife (not sure how to spell her name : ) Notepad ready to go!

Pausing between bites to smile for the camera...

mmmm...the final result! Want to try it out? I posted the recipe over on my personal blog!

I really hope this will help them out a bit. Next week Walter's wife is going to show me how to make flour tortillas from scratch, and the week after that Tedd plans to teach them how to make a good ole hamburger! Should be lots of fun!

a day in the life

2010-10-20T20:28:00.007-05:00

Tedd here. Going out to literacy class is always a learning experience. Last class was no exception. The ride out was nice because it hasn't rained in several days and so the dirt road was nice and dry as opposed to the typical soupy and slippery.

the moto on the way to class

A new fruit growing along the path to the church

I parked the bike and started hiking in to the church. The first house I get to is Bernardo's. He's one of our favorite literacy students and perhaps our favorite Nicaraguans....if Moses were still alive it would be a toss up for "most humble man". I walked in the house and Bernardo says, "God bless you brother. Sit down for a second because the dogs got an armadillo and we fried some for you." I was running behind schedule (for the first time ever : ) and eager to get to the church to start the literacy class but, culturally speaking, I had only one option - sit and eat armadillo. It was quite tasty - kinda like a cross between venison and chicken.

Bernardo

While I eat as quickly as possible, I enjoyed the conversation between Bernado and our most elderly student (86), Modesto, who had just gotten back after having a benign tumor removed from his back. It went like this:

Modesto: You know the doctor told me I could work again but that it wasn't good to get wet.
Tedd: So you're not taking any baths?
Modesto: (laughing) Of course I am, I take baths all day long....the doctor meant getting wet from the rain. He said that the rain-kind-of-wet can cause cysts and tumors.
Bernardo: You know what else is really bad about causing tumors is when, for example, you fall off a horse and hit some part of your body on the ground. The blood in that part of your body gets bruised and later on it can grow into a tumor.
Modesto: Oh well that's probably it then because one time I got thrown off my mule and landed on my back.
Bernardo: Then that must be it - bruised blood.

Modesto

I finished the armadillo and we went to class. Modesto did super, despite having missed 3 weeks of class because of the tumor. Bernardo did extra well too, as did the other students. We read the story of Christ's resurrection and how we can live with God for eternity because he defeated death and offers us life. It was a good day. 12 more lessons to go!

Some pictures from the class:

Cooking for a Cause

2010-10-19T18:02:00.004-05:00

I am so super psyched about this opportunity! Let me preface...

When we meet people who have needs, we try our best to enable them, rather than just handing them money. That's another part of literacy ministry that's so great - it enables people to educate themselves and have more opportunities.

Ya know that great saying:
"Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime."

It's so true!
That's why I'm so excited. Last week, our friend Walter started asking us about business ideas to help him provide for his family. Their livelihood right now is selling tortillas, bringing less than $25 a week. Tedd volunteered us to teach Walter & his wife how to make fried rice (my specialty ;-) and/or hamburgers so they could have something unique to sell out of their home. We could help them invest in ingredients to get them going, and they could take the recipes and run with it from there!

So I made fried rice for Walter and he said he really liked it and we set a date to do a cooking class - that's tonight!!

I'm nervous. I really want to help them. I hope they'll like it, and others will like it, and maybe they can get a little money to help provide for their family. It doesn't take much to start a little diner here; you just put up a sign outside your door and build interest - no papers, no permits, no inspectors, just sell good food and you make money.

We think hamburgers would be a big hit here among the locals, too, since no one is selling them. Tedd makes a mean hamburger! So maybe we'll be having hamburgers next week?

I hope to post pictures of our "cooking class" soon. Wish me luck! This is like a dream come true for me - cooking for a cause!

Baby Lodes is a...

2010-10-19T16:18:00.000-05:00

Something To Celebrate!

2010-10-06T01:29:00.001-05:00

Hi. Emily here.

We're really excited because the literacy students in Liquia are in Book 2 (of the two-book series) and have entered the final lessons, which are the simplified Bible stories!

It's truly amazing to think that none of them knew how to read when we began over 6 months ago. Some are still struggling, but the majority are making wonderful progress. (We ask for your prayers for those who are still struggling to learn, specifically for one of our oldest students, Marina).

To encourage them to finish strong, we worked together with their pastor to hold a special service and present to them their very own New Testament Bibles (donated by the Kirk of the Hills).

Pastor Marlon (such a dear friend) preached for a good 45 minutes on the importance of reading the Bible (to a largely illiterate congregation), how it's never too late to learn, and how ignorance can hinder our spiritual growth. He spoke with such passion! He's a fireball at the pulpit for such a small, humble, and soft-spoken man.

Pastor Marlon

Unfortunately, out of about 10 faithful students, only a few were present at the service that day, due to a variety of reasons, but the others will receive their Bibles at the final ceremony.

Tedd, presenting Bernardo (a founder & elder of the church) with his Bible

Presenting Omar (one of the few teens in the church and the "co-pastor") with his Bible

P.S. His photo pose is completely normal for Nicaraguans in these parts. I promise he's not upset, just painfully shy.

And this is Iris, Bernardo's daughter, who has substitute-taught for us when we've been away or when the creeks are too high to cross getting out there.

the church body praying for the students

(notice: men & women sit on separate sides of the church. I accidentally walked right in and plopped myself down on the men's side).

This particular weekend was a special one, actually, because Tedd & I were invited to spend the night at Bernardo's house that night. While the lifestyle there is very quaint, and it's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience spending the night out in Liquia, it's also a challenge for me personally, because of the roughing-it aspect, and other discomforts.

For example:

The majority of the folks aren't big talkers, just big stare-ers, so that's always a little awkward when trying to converse with people. I tried to do the socially correct thing and spend time with the ladies in the kitchen, but I felt like I was the only one there with a mouth, because if I hadn't talked, we'd pretty much just be staring at each other.

The same day of the service, before spending the night at Bernardo's, Tedd & I had a great adventure hiking into the jungly countryside to visit another brother's home. We hiked with Bernardo about 30 minutes up and down hills, through creeks and mud, and finally wound up at the quaintest little wooden home out in the middle of nowhere (and would you believe they have a solar panel and a DVD player!?). The ladies immediately killed a chicken for us and got to work at plucking, gutting, prepping, and grilling. It took about 5 hours. In the meantime, we talked with the family about the origins of the church, and what life was like for them during the war (back in the 80's). After dark, we hiked back to Bernardo's with our headlamps (compliments of Tedd) and we were so ready for a good night's sleep.

There are only two bedrooms in the house, and we were 2 of about 10 people sleeping at Bernardo's that night...sooo....Tedd & I shared a room with about 4 other people.
No indoor toilets, so being pregnant, I was making frequent visits to the "outhouse" (aka the back yard) to squat. No. Fun. And poor Teddy came down with a fever, so he had a hard night as well.
I forget how quiet things are out in the country. I heard every snore and every creak, but I enjoyed the sounds of the frogs and I could even the rain coming from a distance it was so quiet. And the pitch black...what darkness! There wasn't a lightbulb or a candle lit for miles, just those millions of little twinkles in the sky.
I didn't sleep much that night, and at the crack of dawn (about 5 am), everyone in the house was wide awake and talking and moving around as casually as if it were 3 in the afternoon. Whew! I don't think I'm cut out for this kind of life!
BUT, the food was fresh and amazing, the scenery, breath-taking, the cool morning air was invigorating, and the people are just so so nice.

Yelba (Bernardo's wife) and me...again, totally normal pose

Tedd & Flavio (another literacy student who works with Bernardo) posing for a pic in the morning

It wasn't an easy comfortable time, but it was still an awesome memory-maker kind of weekend with some good bonding, so I'm so glad we stayed the night, and I know it meant a lot to Bernardo & his family.

Funny Things Our Students Said

2010-09-16T12:41:00.006-05:00

Hi everybody....this is tedd. this is my "come-back-post," marking my first writing on the blog since i happily handed over the blogging reigns to my more talented other half. Emily's pregnancy + heavier rains + deeper mud on the trails has made it so that I'm often out teaching solo in Likia. I've gathered a few interesting and funny dialogues that I thought worthy of sharing:

Bernardo: "Brother, when you fly in a plane, what happens with the clouds?

Me: "The plane just flies right through them.....they're just made of water vapor that collects together."

Bernardo: (laughing) "Oh, see I always thought that they were firm and that you would bounce off them if you hit them"

Bernardo & I

Me: (talking to literacy class in Likia the day we taught them the numbers/math lesson) "How many of you know how to add and subtract?" (they all look around shyly)

literacy student finally says: "Nobody here knows how to add or subtract." (and they all start laughing)

Me: (pulling a bunch of leaves off a nearby tree) "Don't worry, it's simple. For example let's say Omar has 2 leaves, and Darling has 3 leaves. If Omar gives 2 leaves to Darling, how many does Darling now have?"

Almost in unison they say: "Five"

(I do 5 or 6 more difficult addition and subtraction scenarios and they answer correctly each time)

Me: "Guess what, you guys already knew how to add and subtract"

Literacy student: "It's just that we didn't know that we knew!"

Me: "Brother Bernardo, can you ask your daughter to come to the church so I can show her how to teach these new Bible story lessons?"

Bernardo: (yelling across the valley where his house is) "Tell Iris to come to the church because the brother wants to explain something to her!"

Bernardo's wife: "She's ironing clothes right now..."

Bernardo: "Brother Tedd, she's not going to be able to come because she's ironing clothes, and you know how the woman's body heats up when she's ironing clothes.....then if she goes outside right after, a cool wind could catch her and she could get sick.." (keep in mind it's like 90 degrees out right now)

Me: (puzzled) "Oh, ok."

Modesto pronouncing the word "los"

Me: "This word is Uruguay....what is this word?"

Modesto: (slowly) "U-r-u-guay.....is that a little animal or the name of a person?

Me: "No, Uruguay is the name of a country in South America"

The Best Missionary...

2010-08-04T10:22:00.003-05:00

"The best missionary is the Bible in the mother tongue..."

- Cameron Townsend (Wycliffe founder) -

   We moved English Class C from a Mon/Tues/Wed schedule to a Mon/Wed/Fri schedule, but he didn't get the memo. I was looking forward to having the night off last night (Tuesday), but as I approached the house after taking the dogs for a walk, there he was, leaning against the door and knocking.

   I took a deep bummed-out breath when I saw him from a distance (no class tonight, I thought, we should be having this night off, but since he didn't know, I'll go ahead and teach him).

   Surprisingly, I didn't have such a bad attitude about a change-of-plans like I normally would (thank You, Holy Spirit), so despite my bummed-outed-ness, I was in a pretty cheerful mood. I put the dogs in the back of the house and let him in.

"There class...um...yesterday? Um...in the night?"
"Yes, we had class last night," I responded.
"Oh," he smiled awkwardly, "I could not come...problems...in my home." "My mother no understand me."

   We talked some more (he insisted on keeping the conversation in English, but it was a bit of a Spanglish dialogue). He told me how he's never felt so lonely before. He's sad, he's depressed, he's confused, and no one understands him. He actually expressed very clearly in English that his "heart is empty."

   Are you kidding me? You mean this guy's gonna walk right in here and hand me an opportunity to talk about Jesus, just like that? This is what English Language Ministry is all about, and how exciting to see its purpose taking form in such a practical, wonderful way...but you know what? I'm not very good at this stuff! (Ironic, huh?)

   I told him that Jesus has given me peace, joy, and comfort when I've been sad, and that I have a relationship with Him and He's changed my life. I suggested that he talk to God and read the Bible, because the Bible can bring light to his heart, because it has truth. "Really?" he asked. "Yes! The Bible is alive, active, and can bring light to your heart."

"Oh, I no have," he said.
"You don't have a Bible?"
"No."

   Well, I got up from my chair and grabbed a Spanish NIV New Testament Bible that a short term team had donated (THANKS GUYS!!), and handed it to him. "But if I give it to you, please read some of it." He was delighted!

"Really?!? I can not accept."
"Yes you can! See," I wrote his name on the front page, "it has your name in it, so it's yours."
He was all smiles. "I will read tomorrow," he said, "I promise."

   We talked some more and when he left I told him we would pray for him. Please pray with me, those of you who feel lead. He has an empty heart that's searching desperately for purpose and peace, and the only One who can satisfy his heart is Jesus Christ. The first time we met him, he was drunk; I think it's because he's depressed and looking for comfort. Please pray that he'll read the Bible and that the Holy Spirit will reveal Christ to him as he reads the holy Scripture.

ILTI 2010

2010-07-30T00:14:00.005-05:00

Tedd & I love being a part of the International Literacy Training Institute (ILTI) each year.

Tedd attended as a participant in 2003; I attended in 2007 (less than a month after our wedding!), and now, for the past few years, we've been teaching a segment together!

As always, the participants were amazing and we loved the fellowship with brothers & sisters from all over the world. This year, Africa was most-represented!

We heard all kinds of incredible testimonies, including that of a Rwandan brother who escaped the infamous Rwandan Genocide when he was 13. He ran away and hid in the swamps for many months after a band of Hutus raided his village and killed several of his family members. A close friend of the family was responsible for the murder of his aunt, grandmother, and uncle & after the conflict had passed, his mother had the opportunity to accuse the man of murder, but she publicly forgave him b/c she was a Christian. The former murderer became a follower of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness he had received!

Tedd & I also had a time to share our testimonies. (I cried, like always, sheesh)...

Our teaching segment this year was "The Overseas Method" - basically, teaching with LEI's primers overseas. Our good friend Brent, from Purdue, came to help out as a mock-teacher so the participants could do a mock-training. Here he's practicing the writing...

(above: Jerry, from Nigeria, practicing the primer lesson)

the participants

The ILTI is an intense 6 weeks of training for those who want to be able to not only teach someone to read and write, but to also train literacy teachers. ILTI participants are also trained to teach English to speakers of other languages and they get a taste of overseas primer construction as well. It's a lot of learning, but a blessed time of amazing fellowship, (good food :-), and meeting new friends from around the globe! Wanna come next year????

The Kirk Team

2010-07-19T20:47:00.002-05:00

After Purdue flew out, we had about a week to recover and prep for the next team, coming from Tulsa, Oklahoma - LEI's home turf!

This team was a college group from Kirk of the Hills and they did a great job utilizing their gifts to bless the people here in Rio Blanco. Here are a few of the things they shared:

1. A really great drama!! They did so well! The drama depicts God's creating a young woman and the fellowship they have together until distractions begin to pull the girl away. The distractions become barriers between the girl and God until, at the point of life or death, she decides to run after God again. However, the "evils" try to keep her down - but then God saves her! (To see the drama they used, follow this link). We had a neat opportunity to invite one of our English classes to one of the services so they could watch their gringo friends' drama and listen to Pastor Scott preach in English.

2. Pastor Scott shared some very encouraging sermons that really moved the local believers. "Let what you do in here, fill the streets out there!" He has a very powerful testimony as well that really struck one of the English students. (Here Tedd is translating - he did an excellent job :-)

3. The church that hosted them here, Cordero de Dios (Lamb of God), loved their gringos! The group was split into pairs and threes and they lived with local Nicaraguan families from the church. I was so so impressed by the connections the team made with their host families in such a short amount of time. For their final night in Rio Blanco, the church held a special service to honor each member and then held a delicious banquet afterward. During the dinner, family members stood up to share some special memories from their week together. The final day, there were tears. I was amazed by the connections. The Kirk team is still writing letters back and forth to their host families.

4. Children's Ministry. Both in Liquia and in Paiwa, the team brought all kinds of goodies for the kids to play with and then lots of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap to give away after we did a fun health presentation. The team members acted out different scenarios where they were spreading germs and making everyone sick - boy, did it get hilarious!! The kids were in an uproar when one of the skit characters had a bad case of diarrhea! It was a great way to let the kids know that washing their hands is very important. We also played with jump ropes, bubbles, and water balloons, and each kid walked away with a handful of candy - I'm pretty sure they had a great time.

5. Testimonies from some of the team members were a great way for the locals to connect and relate to their foreign visitors. Maggie, below on the left (standing with LEI's Amy Means), shared an intimate story about her being unwanted by her biological mother when she was very young. A few days later, a church member told me how much Maggie's testimony meant to him, because he had been abandoned by his mother when he was a little boy. His eyes were full of emotion as he shared with me his story of how God has led him to a loving family and comfort in knowing God as his Father.

6. Construction. Cordero de Dios, the host church in Rio Blanco, has a church plant taking place right outside of town and they needed some extra hands to lay the foundation. It was a lot of shoveling, cement mixing, rock-hauling, and sweating, but the team rose to the challenge and the locals were most definitely encouraged.

...and of course, so much more, but that would take another couple of blog posts! We're thankful for the Kirk team and their servant hearts - they were a true blessing to us and the locals here in Rio Blanco. God certainly allowed them to make a lasting impression. Some of them even want to come back!

The Purdue Team

2010-06-18T01:27:00.003-05:00

May was the month for teams. It was our first time to receive teams and to help lead, and boy was it hard work, but a total blast!

First came Purdue {May 9-20}
For those who are interested, here's what their trip looked like:

~ ~ ~ Sunday, Day 1 ~ ~ ~

Team arrives in the evening

Subway dinner

Worship & Bedtime

~ ~ ~ Monday, Day 2 ~ ~ ~

Orientation (culture, history, rules, etc)

Packed PB&J lunches and on the bus to Rio Blanco

4 hour bus ride took 6 hours because of bus issues

Arrived just in time for English class - team jumped right in!

~ ~ ~ Tuesday, Day 3 ~ ~ ~

Early AM "group time" at our house

Liquia Adventure Day: The whole team piled in a milk truck to go to Liquia (we followed behind on the motorcycle)

We got as far as we could by truck and then hiked in to get to the church.

The brothers in Liquia came with their "beasts" (horses/donkeys/mules) to carry in the heavy stuff.

Tedd hopped on a horse as well.

Upon arrival, we did a crash course in teaching a literacy lesson and then started the literacy class...

After the literacy class, the festivities began!
The fattened calf was slaughtered (literally) and the women got to cooking.

Meanwhile, the locals showed us how to cut grass with a machete, ride horses, and plant beans & yucca. We had watermelon, played baseball, rode horses, took pictures, braided hair, and just had a grand ole time of fellowship!

Flavio enjoys some refreshing watermelon

Tiffany goes for a ride

kids gather around to see Ian's photos

they loved Sally's french-braids

The team also put on a children's program and it seemed as though the entire village showed up! The church was packed that night!

After a long afternoon of playing, the roosters were calling it a night...

But we were just getting started! We ate dinner (beef ribs - a little tough, but delicious), and

the church took advantage of all the visitors, turned on the generator, and held a big booming service!

What a day!
After the church service, the men helped us tie up 21 hammocks inside the church building so we could crash...

Once the generator went out, there were only the faint sounds of dogs barking in the distance. The fireflies went on display and just before settling down, we went to ooh and ahh at the stars. They had no competition that night. Not a single city light could be seen as far as the eye could reach; it was just us, the pitch black, and the glittery stars, and our hearts glorified their Creator.

~ ~ ~ Wednesday, Day 4 ~ ~ ~

Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!

Rise & shine! It's 5AM in the countryside, and time to milk the cows.

Bernardo invited us to his home. He showed the team how to milk cows, and his wife Yelba let them make fresh tortillas. This little calf can't wait to have his turn!

Ian jumps in to try while the Pastor, Bernardo's son, Tedd, & Kelsey watch

GiJey gave it a shot, too. It was his first time and he was a little grossed out.

Peter shows off the tortilla he made

The parrot enjoys some tortilla as well!

After spending time with Bernardo & his family, we hiked back to the church to have breakfast. Rice & beans, fried yucca, fresh cabbage salad, and...cow heart.

Everyone really liked it!

After breakfast, we said our goodbyes, took some group pics, and hiked back out to the dirt road to hop back on the milk truck.

When we got back to Rio Blanco, everyone was reeeeeally ready for showers and a nap (sleeping in hammocks isn't very comfortable), so the pairs headed back to their host families' homes and had the afternoon to rest.

Afternoon: group time & English class prep
Evening: English classes & Dinner with host families

~ ~ ~ Thursday, Day 5 ~ ~ ~

First day of construction.

In the morning, after group time, we all walked together across town to "La Verbo" church to help with their new church construction.

Rainy season really hit us hard while Purdue was with us - boots were a must & we came home just about every day soaked to the bone.

While several stayed to work, a small group of us went back to Liquia again (this time in a pickup truck) to do another literacy class. Classes in Liquia are held every Tues & Thurs.

we had guirilas for lunch on the way there (my favorite!!)

This literacy day was a really really special one. We taught Lesson 12, where the name of Jesus is introduced.

Stephen became an expert with the word cards

The students were very excited that they would now recognize "Jesus" whenever his name appears in the Bible.

In the afternoon, those who were in Liquia & those who were at the construction site all met together again in the village of Paiwa to do a children's program. We all got soaked!

That evening: dinner, family time, and night night.

~ ~ ~ Friday, Day 6 ~ ~ ~

Early AM group time.

Hike to the construction site. Still lots of rain, which means lots of mud!

After working at the construction site, we headed home for lunch and then met back together in the afternoon to visit the local bakery and eat bread, hot out of the oven!
and then there was English class prepping...

and then English classes.

While the team led our English classes, I spent the weeknights working with these gals on their English homework from the local school. They had to sing an English song in front of their class for the assignment. They chose "We Are the World." Their pronunciation needed lots of work!

~ ~ ~ Saturday, Day 7 ~ ~ ~

Early AM Group Time

Back to the construction site...

The team leaders - Ken L. & Charlotte M.

Later that afternoon, the team went to do a children's program in the park. About 80+ kids arrived!
They taught about forgiveness.

Meanwhile, Tedd & Brad were doing a literacy class in Paiwa, and Amy & I were prepping for a surprise birthday party for 3 of the team members!

SURPRISE!!

Charlotte - I love this girl!

The birthday kids

It was such a fun party! There was a mariachi, dancing, Indian food :-), pinata, birthday crowns, balloons, streamers, and presents!

~ ~ ~ Sunday, Day 8 ~ ~ ~

Picnic Day!

Sunday we hiked to the waterfalls as one big group with the host families. It wasn't an easy hike! Everything was sooo muddy and we were slipping and sliding all over the trails, ducking under and through barbed wire fences (with permission), and crossing several creeks before we finally arrived, but it was worth it! It was a wonderful day of fellowship.

After the picnic at the waterfalls and some share time, we headed home, rested, cleaned up for church, and attended the evening service at the Verbo church (where most of the host families are members).

~ ~ ~ Monday, Day 9 ~ ~ ~

Early AM Group Time

Final day of construction

Walking home in the rain

soaked.

In the evening, the team led their last English classes

Group pic w/ a couple students

~ ~ ~ Tuesday, Day 10 ~ ~ ~

AM - team leaves Rio Blanc

Afternoon - arrived at Crater's Edge (lodging on a volcano's crater-lake) for "debrief"

Debrief - a scheduled time to reflect on the week & how God worked

the crater lake

~ ~ ~ Wednesday, Day 11 ~ ~ ~

Wednesday we finished up debrief at Crater's Edge & went to Masaya for some souvenir shopping.

That night we stayed at the Baptist House in Managua and the team left the following day...

the end...

but not truly the end.

We made great friends and hope to see these guys again someday!

We were really blessed by their enthusiasm and focus. They really reached out to people and inspired me to examine my own passion to serve the Lord and love others "recklessly." I'm thankful for them and I know that there were seeds planted through their time here!

PS - These pictures were taken by the team members

Likia in Pictures

2010-04-21T04:18:00.008-05:00

We finished Lesson 5 today and we still have an average of 12 students per class!!

This village is out in the "campo" (the countryside - a.k.a. "the boonies"). There was a prophesy in the church a couple years ago that gringos would come visit them one day, and they said they thought that it would never happen because they live out in the middle of nowhere, but apparently...um...we're it (the day my brother came with us and shared a devotional). You mean us kids, Lord?Perhaps they take the class more seriously because of the prophesy, we don't know. We also get the impression that it must be one of the most exciting things going on out there right now (they're really isolated and it's a break from the mundane - some sort of activity for them to be a part of), but we're thrilled to know that the majority are eager to read the Bible!

Brother "Modesto" is 86 years old and sharp as a tack.

He's learning to read using the materials and God's help! Incredible!

working on the writing section

Our best student, "Josefa," reads aloud for the class.

We're so excited to finally share with you some of these precious photos of the class God has given us in Likia. We truly sense His presence with us and His providence with this class. We're learning so much from them and are incredibly blessed to be a part of this experience.

and for next week's post (perhaps sooner)...

Today, I helped the pastor's wife make this chicken dish...from scratch...

...starting with a live chicken.

And she wants me to do it again so I can get more practice! YIKES!

More about that "adventure" to come.

Much love in Christ our Lord,

T & E

Conversation with a 5-yr-old boy

2010-04-18T12:52:00.002-05:00

boy: how old you?
tedd: guess.
boy: 30
tedd: no, less than that.
boy: 10.
tedd: no, much more than that!
boy: ummmm.....11!

Picture Update

2010-04-13T22:22:00.005-05:00

English classes are still going strong. In fact, we're up to 35 students! We've got some more pictures to give you a glimpse:

Tedd works with the boys in Class A to act out: "Some friends don't help, but a true friend is closer than your own family." (a simplified version of Proverbs 18:24)

They're a little ornery & rambunctious, but they're precious and we hope they'll know how much we love them!

To add to the fun, each student gets to pick an English name.
The two boys above are "Skip" and "Ben"

Chain drill:
"Hi, Jessica! Do you have a phone?" "Yes, I do. Do you have a phone?" "No, I don't."

Teens from Class B (our very favorite class!) act out the proverb.

Tedd helps them break down the meaning of the verse.

On another note, Tedd is giving Pastor Marlon from Likia (where we do Spanish Literacy classes) piano lessons. This pastor is a very gentle-spirited, hard-working, and humble man - we really hope to serve him as much as we can while we're here. He's also attending the English classes three times a week (he comes into town by horse - a 3hour trip!)

and here's a random one for you...I would like to title this post "Laundry Day."

And in other news...

You may see the motorcycle there in the picture above - it was borrowed so we could go to literacy class the next day. We were praying about what to do about transportation, because we have to travel to literacy classes, quite a distance away, three times a week.

We felt like horseback and walking would only have us sunburned, sore, and wasting hundreds of hours by the time it's all over, so we decided to try borrowing a motorcycle.

People were generous to lend us their motorcycles for the day, but three times a week, it was a run-around to find one available for borrowing, and then two out of three motorcycles that we borrowed broke down on us along the way to class. SO...all that to say: we bought a motorcycle.

We were hesitant for a couple reasons, but after taking her out to Likia today (a 1 1/2 hour drive on the moto), we quickly felt that we had made the very right decision. No more wild-goose-chases all week, no more missing parts or break-downs, no more stalling out on hills...(Lord willing!) (And for all those concerned: we're driving slowly on dirt roads and wearing really good helmets).

Tedd went out last night after the big purchase to rub mud all over the bike so that it wouldn't draw attention, being so new. We're weird, I know. We just don't want to look like rich gringos. Afterwards, he went to the gas station to fill up and the attendant kindly wiped all the mud off the bike. "Don't worry about it," Tedd said (thinking "Hey man, I just spend a lot of time getting this thing dirty.") But the kind worker just said "No, no, it's fine!" How nice. We got a good laugh out of that one.

Sooo...tonight, now that it's late and the whole town is in bed, I (Emily) am going to get my first driving lesson. Wish me well!!

The Joy of Teaching!

2010-04-04T02:31:00.005-05:00

the church in Likia where literacy classes are held

First Spanish literacy class scheduled for Thursday in "Likia."

Likia is fairly far away, so we borrowed a motorcycle.

Made it to Likia.

Motorcycle stopped working...a part fell off.

Looked for it; didn't find it.

"You should stay the night here. There's no way back into town tonight" - Pastor

"We would, but we have to let our dog out" - T & E

(What's up with these people and their dog? - they must be thinking)

Students arrived for the first class.

We do the pre-reading lesson. So far so good.

Elderly man (with a great personality) needs reading glasses.

We give him the last pair.

He can see!

Tedd makes phone calls so we can get back home.

I'm left alone to start the class - deep breath.

Start with prayer. Lord, please help us to learn to read Your Word.

Step 1, step 2, step 3...

Step 4, test their comprehension with word cards one-on-one...

They could read the words!!!

on to step 5 until we reach the end of the lesson...

The Lord gave me the desire to encourage...

I told them that the Bible is illegal in some countries

The Bible is a treasure!

They can learn to read God's Word - it has wisdom, and promises, and shows us how to live...

They said "Amen!"

We end in prayer.

The elderly man stands up to return the reading glasses.

I tell him they're his, "it's a gift."

He pauses, surprised, gives me a big smile, and says "May the Lord bless you, sister!"

Everyone starts to clap as the man takes his seat.

I left with great joy in my heart!!

How did we leave Likia, you wonder?

On horseback :-)

Our butts are really sore.

The end.

And Along Comes the Learning Experience...

2010-03-28T12:08:00.009-05:00

We’re all sitting around inside of a little wooden house, the doors are open and there are slats between the wooden planks to let in the light, and we have six students ready to learn to read.

After all these years of training others to teach someone to read, we’d finally set out to do it ourselves and get the experience so we can be better trainers. The day had finally come, like a dream come true, and our non-reading students were gathered there waiting to be taught, and we were ready! (at least we thought so).

“Well, do you wanna start, Emily?” – T

“Uhh…sure…with step one?” – E

Tedd smiles, “I guess so,” and sort of giggled, knowing that this was a big moment for us…

“Okay…step one then…” – E

We've been in Nicaragua 4 weeks today...

We came to gain experience in two distinct areas 1. Spanish Literacy Classes & 2. English Classes

Thanks to God, we now have 25 students who meet in our home three times a week in three different classes for English classes. The English books have spiritual discussion topics and Bible stories, and we hope to make friends and build trust to share more about the Lord while we're here.

Tedd practices pronunciation one-on-one

Demonstrating a typical greeting. Go team!

One English class is 80% kiddos - they're so fun!

Ev (my brother) helped out with the first two classes! He did great!

We also have a Spanish literacy class going in a nearby village with two more classes pending. (Note: this is completely separate from the English classes).

Wow. I never fathomed how exciting it is to teach someone to read for the first time!!!

Here, Ev helps me teach step two.

Seriously folks, yesterday I had the honor of teaching three adult women how to write their names for the first time ever. Can you imagine?? They didn't know how their names even looked in written form. As I wrote "Inez," "Zocorro," and "Mirian," they started copying the letters into their notebooks...the letters that formed their names!

what a thrill!

These ladies started from nothing three classes ago, some knew the alphabet and that's it, others knew zero. Now, all thanks to God, they're reading syllables like "da, la, lana, ana, de, le, lola, nena..."

Some were having major issues the first week. We asked, "What is this?" (holding up the word "lana,") and the student would guess something like "a." We gently corrected as we'd been taught, "This is 'lana,' please repeat 'lana.'" "Lana," she repeated. "Good. So what is this?" (reviewing the same "lana" card...) "na," they would guess. Oh no!

Tedd and I laughed with bewilderment on the bus home..."what are we going to do with the ones who aren't getting it at all?" We felt discouraged, confused, and dependent on God. We prayed. We wrote emails to the pros for advice. We brainstormed.

Whaddaya know. Class 2. They'd been practicing at home, the smart ones with the clueless ones, and there was MAJOR improvement! It was almost supernatural how much better they did.

Tedd told them "this letter," (pointing to the d) "is pregnant." "And this one," (pointing to the l) "is not." They all giggled like little children...and it clicked.

(sorry I don't have more pictures to add at this point. We've tried to be careful not to whip out the camera since we're working in a poor church, plus they may feel embarrassed that we're taking pictures of them learning to read...when there's more trust we'll take lots of pics, Lord willing!)

Wow! Praise the Lord! He's the One who gives them the intelligence and the motivation they need to learn to read His precious Word!

Class #3 they were reading and writing small phrases...we're totally pumped! One is still slow, but we're praying that neither we nor she will give up and that the Lord will give her the ability to read the Bible...I believe He will.

So the learning experience so far:

Traveling to classes by foot and by bus takes time, wastes time, and saps your energy. We're praying about other options. We're also relating to literacy workers around the world who don't have good means of transportation and have jobs to do outside of literacy ministry (in our case, English classes and domestic tasks).
Students show up late. Some don't show. Some get Dengue.
Rainy season is nearing and we're expecting many new obstacles.
The Pre-Reading exercise in the primer is super important.
When the pastor gets behind you, the students stay motivated!
You have to pray that God will help your students learn. It's encouraging to know that it's God's will for us to read His Word, so we can pray according to His will on behalf of our students.
Some students have never been in a formal learning environment ever in their lives.
Teaching someone to read and write in their heart language is AMAZING!!
Teaching someone English is fun and a great way to make friends.
Some literacy students have to walk for an hour to class.
It's hard to find others who are willing to teach reading/writing & volunteer their time.
Scheduling is tough. They want to wait 'til evening because they work during the day, but they won't come in the evening because "it's too dark and late." Hmmm....

Hello, from the End of the Earth!

2010-03-15T22:32:00.001-05:00

Charlie the dentist came by to see about English classes this weekend.

“What are you doing here at the end of the Earth?” asked Charlie, with his witty humor.

We laughed. “Well…” Tedd went on to explain that we’re here to do social work – offering English classes and Spanish literacy classes so people can benefit from learning to read…

“and so they can read the Bible, which helps the soul.”

“Ahh..okay. And what do you get?” “What’s in it for you?”

Hmmm…these are good questions to ask yourself when you’re sweating buckets, squashing monster roaches, and doing laundry by hand…

What am I doing here, and what’s in it for me?

The two weeks we’ve been here, we’ve already met believers who love God’s Word but can’t read it…and so many eager youth who want to learn English and are searching for a better life…and when I think about these questions, I remember our God and how much we want to please Him, and how redeeming is His love, and how precious is His Word, and how mighty is His name in all the Earth!

We’re here to glorify God, to love people, to be patient, to get over ourselves, to share what we have, to teach what we know, to bring good news to rich and poor, to encourage the churches, to learn and grow, to open the eyes of those who are blind to written words, to be out of our comfort zone, to see how ugly our hearts can be, and to see how God can transform us and others, and I’m sure so much more.

…and there’s something about the love of God that makes it all so worth it.

Aqui Estamos!

2010-03-07T09:05:00.005-06:00

Here we are!

Wow! We have seriously felt your prayers being answered! I mean, wow! We haven´t even been here a whole week and we literally came here knowing one person and nothing else, and now we´ve met pastors, visited two villages, rented a home, gotten tons of interest in English and Spanish-literacy classes, and we´ve been loaned a dog, a bed, and a stove! Wow!

As much as we´ve seen already, I have lots of great pictures in my memory, but not on my camera. There´s a lot of sensitivity here about rich vs. poor, so we´re trying to build relationships before we whip out the camera. But I can show you pictures of our new place:

Our pink house!

(The one on the right is not part of our house, in case you were curious)

This is the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, water tank, and washing machine :-)
This is the classroom for English classes (and guest bedroom on left)

Cooking our first home-cooked meal!
Our dog ¨Bellozo¨ loaned to us for the 6 months by a local pastor to be a companion and guard dog.
I don´t have a lot of time at the moment for writing more info, but I´ll try to make it back to the cyber café soon so we can keep blogging with all the good news.

Thank you for your prayers!!!! We feel safe, are in good health, and have been provided for above and beyond!

Witches, Alcohol, & Jesus...

2010-01-11T02:42:00.004-06:00

During the Regional Literacy Training Institute (RLTI) in Nicaragua last year, we met Josue.

Josue (posing with a sucker in his mouth)

Josue kept every one laughing. He was giggly, funny, and tender-hearted. Each day before lunch, a participant would share his or her testimony and Josue kept saying "I can't wait to tell you all my testimony." We couldn't imagine what he wanted to tell so badly. We had no idea that our cheerful, carefree friend had so much darkness and despair in his past...

When his day came to tell his testimony, we all listened in amazement. By the end, we were all praising God with tears for bringing Josue out of darkness and into His light and joy through the Lord, Jesus Christ!

Josue giving his testimony

praying for Josue

We asked Josue to tell it again to the camera, and he's happy to share his testimony with you now...

Josue's Testimony from Emily Lodes on Vimeo.

KooKoo for Coconuts!

2009-12-27T14:00:00.003-06:00

While we were in Mexico, we feasted on fresh coconuts - one of Tedd's favorite foods. He was so thrilled!

I'm pleased to let our Literacy blog readers know about my new personal blog - "Emily Shares." That's just it; it's an outlet for me to share. No sugar coating; just the real, plain, honest me. To debut this little blog experiment, I've posted about our coconut adventure in Mexico.

Regional Literacy Training in Mexico!

2009-12-27T02:00:00.002-06:00

Tedd & I were in Mexico for 2 weeks earlier this month.

We went to teach and serve at a literacy training. The training's purpose was to train trainers, who can train teachers, who can teach people to read and write in their native tongue. In this case, the native tongue is Spanish. Still with me? I understand if you're not...

The two literacy leaders that were trained (smallest group we've ever had by far, but two quality people!)

Carlos practice teaching the Spanish primer - lesson 1

Asking questions

Memorization activity

Carlos practice teaching again...

Quick Update

2009-10-30T13:26:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone!

Wow! Has it really been 2 months since we last posted?! Time seriously flies...

Since we got back from Guatemala in August, we've had some pretty exciting things going on, including:

Buying a new house!! We'll tell you all about it very soon!
Working on the new house...it was very affordable and consequently, we've got a lot of fixing up to do!
Making plans to go to an RLTI in Mexico this December
Promoting LEI in Indiana at Starry Night event with Greyhouse Coffee & Campus House at Purdue University
Making plans to live in Rio Blanco, Nicaragua for 5+ months during the spring and early summer (more details about this coming up soon too!)
Doing some music ministry!! (Singing at St. Luke's -for youth group- in Little Rock, & joining the worship team a few Sundays at River Valley Community in Fort Smith)
I (Emily) have been baking up a storm (trying to feed "Bottomless-Pit" Tedd) :-) Just kidding, it's really something I want to get good at, so I'm practicing a lot while we're in the States.
Having wonderful, and much-needed, fellowship with friends and family - including newest LEI missionaries, and great friends, Brad & Amy Means

So there ya go - that's the quick update. We'll be putting out a newsletter soon as well to give more detail about ministry that's been going on. Please let us know if you want to get on (or off) of the newsletter list - it goes out about 3-4 times a year via e-mail (or normal mail if desired). Thank you for your love and support. May the Lord bless you with greater love and passion for Him! In Jesus' name!

Love,

Tedd & Em

I should be in bed...

2009-08-11T02:31:00.007-05:00

It's very late. I'm such a night owl, but how can I resist this great wi-fi signal?? I must write a new post!

Well we're in Nicaragua moseying around, trying to meet up with as many people as possible from the training we did back in November. But I'm really writing to tell you about the training we just had the honor of hosting in Guatemala!

Getting Straight to the Points: ('cause we really just wanna see pictures!)

God answered our (and your) prayers and brought a spectacular group to the training. We had such a diverse group: Mexico/Laos/the US/Guatemala/Panama/and Peru were all represented, they went from 16 years to 70-something, from Mennonite to Pentecostal - and the best part is, we all got along GREAT as the body of Christ (PTL!!)
We went from only having 4 confirmed participants a week before the training, to having 11 by the time the training took place!
All participants graduated from the training and will go back to their respective areas to ignite literacy ministries (Lord willing!!) - some are even planning to work as native missionaries in indigenous villages. Another Guatemalan lady is planning to be a missionary to Sudan - she leaves this January!!
The Mennonite Retreat Center, where we hosted the training, was sooo beautiful, peaceful, and charming, as you can hopefully gather from some of the pictures below:

The most important lesson - introducing the name of Jesus!

Participant practice-teaching (how literacy is relevant in Scripture)

Tedd demonstrates a Spanish literacy lesson written in Hindi script to give students an idea of how it feels to learn to read for the first time!

playing a game to memorize the famous 5 steps

students practice-teaching

A 3-month old calf I grew fond of

chowin' down

Tedd tries to milk the cow - not as easy as it looks!

making tortillas to go along with supper

To see more pictures of this training and center, click here!

Thanks for stopping by! Leave a message!

w/ love, T&E

Back in Guatemala

2009-07-25T17:46:00.003-05:00

"Hi! How are you?" - "Fine, thanks, and you?" - "Fine, thanks."

This is ELM - English Language Ministry

Today we just completed the final day of training for 11 participants to become English teachers using LEI's curriculum "Using Everyday English." This curriculum contains solid methods for learning English while including Bible content, like Bible verses or simplified Bible stories. This group of believers wants to use their English skills to teach others (volunteering) and share their faith at the same time. It's been a successful training and a fantastic group!

(Pictures above: participants laugh during a fun game of "Left/Right," 2nd picture - participants break into groups to practice the reading section of the lesson, 3rd picture - Tedd announces the literacy training coming up!)

We have a number of activities planned for the next few days and then we plan to start the Regional Literacy Training Institute

on Tuesday next week. Thank you so much for your prayers, because just this week we've had several more sign up for the training at the last minute!

Health-wise, Tedd & I are doing wonderful. I have lots of energy and we haven't had any signs of tummy-troubles! (Hooray!) We reeeeeally love the family that we're staying with here. They have three little bitty tikes and they are such a loving and kind family - we love watching them interact.

Thanks for tuning in! Until next time...

prayer points 4 upcoming trip

2009-07-14T18:49:00.003-05:00

on july 20th we'll be heading to Guatemala again for a 3 day English Workshop (july 23-25) followed by a 2 week literacy leader's training (july 27 - aug 7). here are some prayer points:

that God would call the RIGHT people for the training and open doors for them to go.
that the people God's moving to go would all send in their applications
for strength and wisdom to train the future literacy leaders of Guatemala
for good fellowship and unity as we live in community (eat, sleep, & study together) for two weeks straight.
for our physical, spiritual and emotional strength during this next trip

Three Amigos

2009-06-26T13:26:00.013-05:00

Here we are, the Three Amigos, out looking for adventure and spectacular sights, good fellowship, and literacy training promotional meetings...

It's Tedd the tall, Emily blue-eyes, and Shoko "la chinita" ("the little chinese"). That's what the people in Guatemala called out to her at least; "ah, look at the chinita." "She's Japanese," we'd explain, "her name is Shoko." "Tzchoko" they would repeat, "SHoko" we'd say, "Tzchoko..."

(Oh well)

Yes, our Japanese friend, Shoko, joined us on our trip to Guatemala and boy, was she a huge blessing to us! We had lots of great prayer times together, she supported us at our meetings, encouraged us tremendously, and provided great company!

Here are some pictures of our three-week excursion.

This is what we actually came to do - meetings. Here's Tedd with Jessica Miron, working out details for recruiting training participants and planning for an English Ministry training...just so you know that we did do some work ;-) It's kind of awkward taking pictures of meetings...(but in this case, Jessica's really laid-back and cool like that)

In between meetings, we were really excited to give Shoko a taste of Guatemala (both figuratively and literally):

"Marimba" is the name of this xylophone-looking instrument. This father/son band was in Antigua, playing to get tips from tourists. The small guy on the far left is playing turtle shells!

Ah yes, the mounds of delicious, exotic, colorful, and inexpensive fruits and veggies!

baby on board for real!

"TT" and I

Tikal for Tedd's 27th Birthday - we had a blast!

Another meeting with a family living on a Bible Institute campus. This is a candid shot I thought was interesting....

That's better!

Shoko and I got to go to church one Sunday in the village "Nuevo Cesaltul."

(If you're into anthropology, this picture is a great representation of how our cultures unintentionally 'teach' us to pose for pictures...cameras aren't very common in Nuevo Cesaltul)

Tedd did an hour-long interview on a local Christian TV station to talk about prayer and then to give a quick "commercial" about the literacy training we're planning for July. He did an excellent job (especially for the pressure of being on TV and interviewing in your second language!) He encouraged people to pray using Scripture and to start making realistic efforts to pray each day, like for 2 minutes a day and so on...it was very relevant and down-to-earth. (That's something I really love about him!)

I was sick for a week (booo), but I really wanted to come to the studio to listen to Tedd and I was really glad I did!

So that's a quick glimpse of our trip to Guatemala! Thanks for tuning in!

Pakistan

2009-04-14T17:26:00.007-05:00

For more pictures of Pakistan, visit our facebook album

carrying mud to make a house

amused villagers watch to see if Tedd has any slingshot skills

small village school

missionary (who grew up in Pakistan) participates in Christian song & dance

Em (standing second from left) poses with Christian village women

We're Home!

2009-04-14T16:21:00.005-05:00

We're back in the USA - we like it here! The guy at the immigration desk checked our passports and our forms, gave us a big warm smile and said "Welcome home." That felt great.

So we were in India and Pakistan and it was an amazing experience. Particularly for me, (Emily speaking here) because I've never been to Asia before. We spent four long weeks in India working with a team to construct a "primer" (a reading/writing book) in the Sadri language. We were up early, down late, and wading through the typical challenges that come with a cross-cultural and multi-lingual setting. It's like working out a big puzzle as a team and I loved the challenge and fast-paced environment. Now we've got a Sadri primer being corrected and revised before we print a field-test copy.

team at work

lunch break - yum!

For more pictures from India, visit our facebook album

India - life around here

2009-03-21T07:04:00.003-05:00

most of the group at local tea plantation

washing dishes, feet, etc.

a cool little nepali house

em and her new friend discussing life

me and color dude, during their color festival

emily and sanju

street scene

when the backseat gets full...

sadri woman picking tea leaves - earning $1/day

Christian nepali tea garden worker giving the typical believer greeting

India

2009-03-21T06:42:00.003-05:00

books and blogs couldn’t contain all the good things God has done and allowed us to see even in the short time we’ve been in India.

We arrived in Delhi on March 6th, got cheated by some taxi drivers, flew the following day to West Bengal in North East India. We’ve been working with Gyan, LEI’s first national missionary who’s been serving faithfully for the past 8 years.

We started work straightaway. The Sadri primer construction has gone great. Gyan is leading the team and another LEI missionary, Chrystella is helping as well. In the last two weeks we’ve completed 90 lessons. Today we’ll spend some time revising it before doing the initial field test printing. Emily wowed me again and learned to type in the Hindi script (400+) characters in just these two weeks. This has enabled us to leave the team with a ready-to-use copy of the primer so that there’s no loss of momentum in the literacy ministry.

The team is excited because this primer will be the first printed book EVER in the Sadri language. The New Testament in Sadri is due to come out in 2010 or 2011 so hopefully many will be reading by then.

We have a very serious situation here and would appreciate your prayers. Just yesterday, Gyan’s mother-in-law had a stroke and fell. She’s unable to speak and can’t move most of her body. Pray for healing and holy spirit comfort. Thanks.

some pictures:

emily typing the lessons into the mac

the sadri primer construction team

chow time - rice, lentils, bitter greens, and goat curry

the artist

checking the stories they wrote on the board

"the village"

2009-01-22T08:15:00.016-06:00

Wow! Time sure flies and suddenly our blog is two or three weeks overdue...

Tedd & I:

We're doing great! Things are busy as always, but we're healthy, the Lord is protecting us, and we're still the best of friends! We're praying a lot about all the crossroads we face in the next year or so when it comes to topics like where we'd live, when we'd start a family, how we could expand our "tent-making" business, etc. We're approaching two full years of marriage this May (!!!) and we just happen to be in a season of life where there are SO many options and decisions to be made (or not made). It's actually very exciting

to have so many options and so many things to dream and think about, but we're praying for wisdom and that the Lord would make us like clay in His hands. So that's our personal life in a nutshell :-)

Lancaster Bible College Missions Conference:

The conference went so well (thank you for praying)! Since we're only a couple years out of college, we seem to blend into the college scene very quickly and the Lord lead us to many new friends and we met up with old friends too (from last year's conference) and deepened our friendships with them. Lots and lots of students are interested in teaching English overseas as a ministry, so we hope that we'll be able to help them find contacts overseas to pursue the interests that God has planted in them! We had a great time and we pray that God will bring forth some fruit from the seeds that were planted.

Guatemala:

Wow, good 'ole Guatemala...boy do I have some memories here! I lived with a family here 3 years ago for 5 weeks and it was one of the most significant breaking points in my entire life - I had a reeeeally tough time, but it was such a blessing b/c it was for the refining of my soul!

Anyway, so here we are again and we've been working on several different things since we've been here:

* we found a place to do a regional literacy institute later this year & decided on prices and dates (a big one on the to-do list!)

* it wasn't really an original goal, but b/c of the way things are in Latin America, we had an extra 5 days, so we went to Antigua & I studied for 5 days in a Spanish school to improve my Spanish. I think it helped a lot!

* we had lots of time to work on the music ministry

website that we hope to share with you soon!

Now for some great pics! After picking up John at the airport last week, we took a full-day bus ride to the Peten and then joined Calvary International to go out to the village "La Nueva Cesaltul" (I may have spelled that wrong) I have to say, I felt very intrusive with all of our camera equipment, but we have high hopes for the outcome! We're doing a video project with the villagers to capture their testimonies of how the literacy class in their village led some of them to Christ!! Here are some pictures of our stay in the village (we camped overnight!) and we can't wait to share the video with you when it's completed:

(above: inside a typical Ketchi home. It's a one-room house & I'm guessing at least 5 people sleep here, but probably more. Notice the rooster? The animals roam freely through the house. We have a lot to be grateful for)

(above: the Ketchi women's LITERACY class!!)

(above: reading the Bible in Ketchi)

(below: fascinated and giggling, kids gather around John's camera to watch the video screen)

(above: the kids follow the jungle trail to find sticks for roasting hot dogs later on with the gringos!)

It's been a great experience, as always, and I'm so thankful to God for softening my heart and humbling me time and time again by allowing me the privilege to see how other people live and think...my world-view is so small and limited. I pray that we can see the world the way the Lord does!

Until next time!

Catching Up

2009-01-12T14:44:00.011-06:00

After getting back from Nicaragua back in November, it's been a whirlwind of holiday activities. We spent Thanksgiving with Tedd's family in PA, and Christmas with my family in AR. Included in the events were three of our dear friends' weddings: Tedd was a groomsman in one of 'em, I was a bridesmaid, Tedd played piano & guitar in 2 of them, and I sang in all three! They were busy and fun weekends!

Congratulations, Zach & Becki Hall, Chris & Arlene Cross, and Hunter & Alexis White! We love y'all.

On our way back from Pennsylvania to Arkansas, Tedd surprised me with a stop at the Whitestone Inn - a gorgeous B&B in Tennessee, and a convenient half-way point between destinations. I cried; it was incredibly thoughtful of him. The owners are Christians and offer their luxurious rooms for almost nothing to missionaries; we were so touched by their generosity.

There's a CD coming...no really, we mean it this time! How's mid February sound? Here's a sneak peak of the CD cover:

In other news, I had a funny cramping feeling on my lower right side last Monday. It didn't hurt too bad, but it didn't seem right, so I went to the hospital with Tedd to see if I might have appendicitis. Bingo. Two hospitalizations in less than two months. Anyway, after the diagnosis, I stayed that night, had a laparoscopic appendectomy the next day, and stayed another night to recover. I was blessed to be near my family and in-country. God is so awesome! I'm feeling much better now and I'm incredibly thankful to be living in a time when I can simply have my appendix removed.

Edit: Yesterday Tedd & I went to the surgeon for a follow-up visit. He told me I was "lucky," because I had a 7mm carcinoid tumor inside of the appendix I had removed. If the tumor had been 3mm larger, I would've had to have more surgery and half of my colon removed. If the tumor had not been placed right where it was in my appendix, I may not have had appendicitis, and therefore the appendix not removed, and therefore the tumor undiscovered. If the tumor had remained undiscovered, according to the doc., there was a possibility that it could have spread and caused severe complications. Wow - that kind of news is sobering for a 22-yr-old. (Yet because the tumor was less than 10mm, it's considered a done deal once it's removed....doc said we don't have to worry about it now)

BUT, we know there is really no "if." God had it all under control - He allowed the tumor to be discovered and removed. It's only one more story to add to my mental list titled "Remember When God..."

Be encouraged that He loves you, brothers and sisters, and that we are more vulnerable than we realize, but in our vulnerability, He's faithfully taking care of the things that are out of our control.

I'm so thankful for God's watch over me.

Thanks so much to those of you who sent me get-well e-mails and for your prayers.

Coming Up

January

Lancaster Bible College Missions Conference (19th-23rd)
***pray for students to catch the fire!

Leave for Guatemala (Jan. 25th)

February

Guatemala for Leader's Training promo. and Video project w/ J. Schultz (Jan. 25th - Feb. 15th)

March

India for Sadri Primer Construction (March 6th-April 4th)

I often say "your prayers are priceless" and they really are. This realization came during a time when I was desperately lonely, spiritually weak, and afraid. Knowing that righteous people were praying for me made me feel "not-forgotten" in my time of trouble and it was one of the greatest gifts that anyone could have given me.

I still feel that way - there are no words to express how valuable your prayers are, not only on Tedd's and my behalf, but on behalf of the weak and hopeless, the voiceless and the broken, and just any plain ole joe, really! Keep on prayin' - it's a genuine expression of love for humanity.
-em

Nicaragua ILTI

2008-11-24T09:48:00.010-06:00

Part II

The training has come to an end and we had thirteen participants "graduate" on Friday. Before the certificate ceremony, we all got together and played a great game of baseball, the national sport here in Nicaragua. It was a blast (but unfortunately I don't have any pictures b/c my battery died). On the way home the next day, we sang songs together on the bus all the way to the capital (Tedd even had his guitar out!), and then we all said goodbye, though it was very difficult. We became like family within a couple weeks, which makes perfect sense, because weare family in Christ, huh? It's been a great 2 months here in Nicaragua and we hope to return in the future to encourage and do follow-up with our new (and old) dear friends who are doing literacy ministry in their beloved country.

One of our participants, Marlene, had to leave at the beginning of the training because her son, Rene, had a fatal case of dengue. We've been praying for him a lot, and if you could pray with us, I know it would be a blessing to Marlene! Rene is still alive and has been improving, so we are just asking God to have His way, and to heal Rene as a miraculous testimony to the people living in their community. She and another participant who came to the training (Josue) live in a part of Nicaragua where there is a strong evil presence because of witchcraft that is prevalent among the people. Josue has an incredible testimony that I felt led to film so that others can hear - I hope to post it soon. Please pray for Marlene and her son Rene.

Here are some pictures of the end of our trip:

We're now at the airport heading back to the United States of America! (a country that we are most fond of ) We'll be spending some time in Oreland (near Philadelphia) with Tedd's family and then heading to Arkansas. We had a wonderful experience in Nica., but we're so excited to come home!

Nicaragua ILTI

2008-11-20T08:08:00.005-06:00

Part I

We've completed the first week and 1/2 of the ILTI training here in San Marcos, Nicaragua and I am personally so touched by each of the participants. When we first arrived, we were surprised to see so many youth that had come to be leaders. Unlike any training I've attended before, I feel the Holy Spirit working in my heart for each of the youth and adults that are here participating -- I feel such a deep love for them! Many of them have caught the vision of literacy as a ministry and even a few are feeling God's calling to do this ministry full-time in Nicaragua. As we are isolated from our home towns and living together, eating together, working together, playing together, PRAYing together, we have already experienced the closeness and unity of the Body of Christ. -- Em

Nicaragua has a special place in our hearts.

Here are some photos from the training:

2008-11-09T18:05:00.016-06:00

The first week of training has ended and it went really well!

Above: these are some of the participants who completed the trainings.

The first two and a half days was the literacy training, followed by two and .half days of English Language Ministry training. All of the participants are missionaries to Nicaragua who were adding "tools their tool-belts" to use in their ministries.

Above:

LEI's Don Edic came to Nicaragua to head up the English Ministry training with his updated curriculum "Building a Firm Foundation."

Don uses highly-interactive methods to help students jump right into useful English conversations.

The Nicaraguan ladies in this picture showed up as students, or English learners, to be our "guinea pigs." They came to help all of us practice our English-teaching skills!

Above: the students showing off their newly-earned literacy certificates. There were a few in particular who

were very excited to take what they've learned and immediately apply it to their areas of ministry!

Below: Sandra Arellanes, another LEI missionary from Mexico, also came to assist with the literacy training. She will also be a teacher at the two-week training coming up. She's good!

Above: I (Em) helped teach several parts of the literacy training and it was a really great experience for me. Here we are demonstrating how to teach a basic literacy lesson.

I also had a little scare the night after the training ended. I had severe vomiting and diarrhea to the point of dangerous dehydration. Tedd took me to the hospital to get an emergency I.V. Turns out I had parasites AND a bacterial infection...a combination that had me very ill. I'm doing much better now - I'm already eating solid foods and my energy levels are almost back to normal, all thanks to God! His overriding peace and His protection proved faithful through the suffering and I'm pretty sure I'll be back to normal in a few days. Thank you for your prayers that cover us as we travel.

The second phase of our trip is approaching! The training will start in a couple days. Please pray that the participants will arrive safely and that they would have hearts prepared to catch the vision for literacy ministry in their country for the sake of the Gospel!

2008-10-29T21:32:00.009-05:00

It’s been a whole month now since we first arrived in Nicaragua. This half of the trip has been a successful one. We’ve visited different cities all over the country to talk with pastors and church leaders about sending a literacy leader to the training coming up in November and we’ve done a lot of planning in between.

There are two trainings coming up in November:

1. 1. English Language Ministry Training –

This training will take place from November 3– 7. The trainees, many of whom are English-speaking missionaries to Nicaragua, will learn how to use LEI’s English materials. These materials contain Bible content and spiritual topics that create an environment for evangelism to naturally and casually take place in the “classroom.”

Among the trainees is a church planter who hopes to use LEI’s English classes as a way of drawing people, developing relationships, and evangelizing in his community. He believes that offering an English class will be an effective tool for a new church plant in his area.

2. 2. Literacy Ministry Institute –

The literacy institute is a more intensive training for Christian leaders who want to use literacy as a mode of evangelism and discipleship in Nicaragua. This training will be November 10 – 22 in Managua. It is very similar to the ILTI training that is held each summer at the LEI headquarters in Tulsa, OK (only the time is significantly reduced for the convenience of the locals who cannot afford to leave work for more than two weeks). The entire training will be given in Spanish.

Trainees will not only learn how to teach reading and writing through the LEI primers, but will also be trained to teach others how to use the primers as well (much like what Tedd & I do). They will be the “literacy leaders” who train local church volunteers in different communities how to use the primers so that the ministry can multiply exponentially!

If you are supporting us in prayer, we ask that you would please pray for the different aspects of the trainings ahead: that Tedd and I would be well-prepared to teach, that the trainees would arrive safely and with God-prepped hearts to receive a passion for the ministry, and for everyone’s health and unity throughout the trainings (we will all be living together at a retreat center).

We thank you immensely for your prayers and for your interest in what’s happening with us here, and we hope to get in touch with you when we return to the States.

Here are a few pictures from the past month here in Nicaragua:

Our friends (Gilda & Ricardo) with their grandson (Josiah) in Sebaco

We visited several pastors in Matagalpa, one of whom showed us his church and school where they were hosting a heritage festival. These children were doing a traditional dance to honor their roots.

This is the Rutledge Family - we stayed with them in Jinotega while we made contacts. They are Earl & Beverly with their 7 children (from young adult to toddler), who are involved in church-planting throughout Nicaragua. They were a very hospitable and inspiring family to be with!

This is the Anderson Family in Costa Rica - we had a great time seeing them and their ministry there! They're such a fun family!

Fall 2008

2008-10-23T17:54:00.008-05:00

Fall is definitely my favorite season. When I found out we would leave Arkansas on September 29th and return December 9th, I felt a little sad we'd miss out on the majority of the fall season. However, the Lord blessed us with some beautiful fall days just before we left. The trees hadn't turned yet, but we experienced some cool weather and opened all the windows, took a walk in our jackets under a full moon, and made it out to the cabin for a few days...it was such a treat! - Em

This is the cabin. We love the cabin - out in the middle of nowhere in the woods of Arkansas. It's a great respite for tired hunters and a cozy setting for Thanksgiving feasts.

This is Ruie (and Tedd :-) - she's the doggy we "puppysat" for a whole week! We LOVED having her around!!

A praying mantis we found on our fence. It's so alien-like!

Try not to let this picture alarm you :-) It's just chocolate. Our friends Risa & Kevin came over the weekend before we left for Nicaragua and we made homemade butterfingers! They were delicious and we had a lot of fun making a mess of the dipping chocolate.

Who We Are

2008-10-14T20:00:00.005-05:00

we're Tedd & Emily. we've got great families that love & support us like crazy. we've also got an incredible heavenly father who adopted us into His family before the beginning of the world. we were both rescued from the bottomless pit of our own sin and selfishness by God's grace through Jesus Christ. we're going on our 2nd year of marriage-merriment and serving with Literacy & Evangelism International in Latin America & the US. most of the world has the Bible, but billions can't read it. most of the world is poor and desolate, and illiteracy is a heavy weight that keeps them down. from time to time the Holy Spirit puts a song in our souls and we work it out of us, sing it, play it, sometimes record it.....it's a neat process....we're almost done recording our first album (Emily's 2nd). and we love indian food....and garlic.

Nicaragua

2008-10-08T10:49:00.006-05:00

All is well in Nicaragua and we've had lots of open doors to meet with pastors, Bible colleges, and other believers who are interested in developing a literacy ministry in their area. Please pray that God would speak to those people that he's ordained to take the big leader's training in Nov. and become part of the ministry team here. some pics are below:

pastor alfredo - please pray for him and the believers in the Petén.

Gallo pinto - tasty rice n beans is the standard meal here in Nicaragua

visiting with P. Victor and his Creole speaking church in Pearl Lagoon. lots of illiteracy in and around his area. hoping to have a representative from his church start a literacy min. there.

Visiting the Oasis of Love church; they will also be sending a rep. to the Leader's training in Nov.

most transportation in the Atlantic Coast river communities is by boat

ya llegamos

2008-09-29T19:55:00.003-05:00

we just arrived in Managua . . . now their airport has free wifi! amazing. thanks for those who prayed. God ALREADY began answering our (and your) direct prayers to open doors for contacts in new areas where we don't yet have any contacts. We met a catholic believer who sat next to us and told us about the town where she grew up that has a lot of literacy needs. So we instantly got a bunch of contacts for that city and another city that we had already planned on visiting to meet new church contacts. I know it doesn't sound like much, but as the conversation was unfolding, God's fingerprints were all over it. He's real good. - Tedd

Nicaragua 9/29 -11/24

2008-09-29T02:04:00.000-05:00

please pray:

That we will be able to connect with the RIGHT people who we can invite to the training and that God will already be working on their hearts and giving them a burden for this ministry.
That these RIGHT people will have the faith and courage to step out for God, come to the training, and go back to fervently implement what they’ve learned about literacy ministry
That Emily and I will be filled with and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Many of the cities we’ll go to in order to promote the training are ones in which we don’t yet have contacts…so we’re utterly dependent on God’s leading here.
That one of the instructors we’ve invited, Augusto Pecho, would be able to raise all the support he needs to cover his airfare from Dallas to Managua.
That we could keep “first seek the Kingdom of God” as our daily prime directive.

As Fall Rolls In

2008-09-16T17:23:00.013-05:00

Hi everyone! We've been in Fort Smith for the majority of the summer, visiting with lots of friends (old & new) and family, doing LEI work, and planning for the year ahead. Here are some glimpses of our life over the past month or so.

*Hosting an indian food/cranium party at our house with local friends*

*A tri-stand banner display I designed for LEI to use at missions conferences.*

*Painted murals in the kids' church room @ River Valley Community Church with my mom*

*Painted scripture on the wall in our bathroom :-) It's Tedd's favorite from Deuteronomy where the king is instructed to study and copy the law so he won't turn from it and won't look down on others.*

*shucking and freezing home-grown corn with my Grammy*

* Spending a day with the Biederman's kids @ the zoo in Tulsa, OK *

These are just a few pictures from our summer - it's been a good one! After a long summer at home, we have some plans ahead for traveling and doing more LEI work:

1. Philadelphia for some family time & then flying out to...

2. Nicaragua/Guatemala (Sept. 29th - Nov. 24th)

3. Thanksgiving in Philly (Nov. 24th-Dec.9th)

4. Three Weddings & Christmas Break (Dec. 10th-Jan.)

5. Guatemala (Jan.)

6. India?? (Spring)

7. Colombia?? (Summer)

2008 International Literacy Training Institute - TULSA, USA

2008-06-28T22:41:00.004-05:00

We have the privilege to teach again at LEI's International Literacy Training Institute.....there are people from several different nations represented here and we are learning so much from them and their diverse cultures. enjoy the pics:

Peter's graduation II

2008-06-28T22:20:00.002-05:00

Peter's graduation

2008-06-28T20:53:00.003-05:00

Above: We're with the Lenz family (genuinely amazing people) and our new friends, Simon and Adriana - they're so inspiring to us. Then we were off to see Peter graduate. He's the man and we're so proud of him!

La Sachavaca (poser cow)

2008-06-28T00:55:00.003-05:00

a truly exotic specimen of the jungle....the sachavaca

more scenes from Peru/Colombia

2008-06-28T00:19:00.002-05:00

walking the hills of Bogotá . . . a section of the city where many kids don't receive good education and lack functional literacy skills.
Riding on a moto-carro (motorcycle-car) with bro. Cesar, one of the graduates from the Literacy Institute we did in Peru.
Emily at work.
We met many cool brothers and sisters in the faith. Saidy said that we looked like a staircase.

Aguaruna primer construction

2008-05-24T04:44:00.001-05:00

there aren't many things as fun and rewarding as making a new literacy primer so that people can read the Bible...

fotos de Peru

2008-05-20T06:57:00.003-05:00

the primer construction team at work - Carey Jo (LEI's director of primer construction) and Sandra Arellanes are leading the group in lesson writingPablo and Riquilda doing a tradition aguaruna dance
Mary and Isaias swapping english lessons for spanish lessons
learning some quechua guitar licks