Hola Nicaragua!
Do you have a minute? This post may be a little longer than ususal.
We arrived safely in Nicaragua yesterday afternoon. Our day started at 2am as we departed Delaware (thank you Bruce, Debbi and Curtis for your help in getting us to BWI!). Despite the Delta Airline Representative telling us we couldn't leave the country because we didn't have a round trip ticket....and after an hour of redtape...we did finally receive our boarding passes! An adrenaline rush at 4:30am wakes one up better than a cup of strong coffee!
The pilot flew extra fast to Atlanta which gave us an extra thirty minutes to make it from Terminal A to Terminal E at the Atlanta airport...our 10 footlockers got to the plane before we did! We boarded the plane headed to Nicaragua. A surreal moment in time. We flew over the blue waters of the Carribean and the mountains in Honduras and saw a few volcanoes as we flew over our new home.
Getting our "el gato" into the country proved more difficult than we thought...mostly because we don't speak Spanish...yet. As we waited with all of our belongings around the baggage carousel...Noah stretched out on his carseat booster on the floor and rested peacefully for a while as travelers and Nicaraguans walked around him. Noah was the only one chillin'....the remaining four Bracht's felt tired, overwhelmed, shocked and weary. After some standing around looking quite confused, we proceeded to the customs area. We do praise God for the customs agent that took a look at our 10 footlockers piled high on a cart, our 10 carry-ons, our three tired kids and waved us through the checkpoint.
Thanks to a friend of a friend who picked us up from the airport...we made it to our "new temporary home". The ride was interesting. While we had traveled some of these roads the last time we were here, it is different knowing that we live here now. It made the reality of life here in Nicaragua seem profound. It's called culture shock for a reason.
The decompression from a day of travel, hot and humid weather and hungry bellies was rough. We were all (except Noah) wondering why we moved here. Tears were shed. Prayers were uttered. Yet, we were engulfed by sleepiness and we all slept soundly.
It is our first morning in Nicaragua as we write this post. The sun rises here at 5am. Combine the sun rise with a time change and it was an early morning for the Bracht family! However, a new day that doesn't involve plane travel feels hopeful! We are thanking God for His Love, His Strength, His Perfect Peace, His Word (we read Isaiah 26 this morning...great encouragement!) and His Provision of a warm shower!
HE does keep in perfect peace those whose hearts and minds are fixed on HIM! (Isaiah 26:3) [Thanks Shawna for the awesome necklace that reminded us of this promise!]
We will continue to write and share this journey with you. Thank you for all the encouragement we've received on email and facebook...it is a gift! We greatly appreciate all the prayers that were lifted up to our Heavenly Father on our behalf yesterday!
Buenos Dias!!!
posted by bethany and jeff
We arrived safely in Nicaragua yesterday afternoon. Our day started at 2am as we departed Delaware (thank you Bruce, Debbi and Curtis for your help in getting us to BWI!). Despite the Delta Airline Representative telling us we couldn't leave the country because we didn't have a round trip ticket....and after an hour of redtape...we did finally receive our boarding passes! An adrenaline rush at 4:30am wakes one up better than a cup of strong coffee!
The pilot flew extra fast to Atlanta which gave us an extra thirty minutes to make it from Terminal A to Terminal E at the Atlanta airport...our 10 footlockers got to the plane before we did! We boarded the plane headed to Nicaragua. A surreal moment in time. We flew over the blue waters of the Carribean and the mountains in Honduras and saw a few volcanoes as we flew over our new home.
Getting our "el gato" into the country proved more difficult than we thought...mostly because we don't speak Spanish...yet. As we waited with all of our belongings around the baggage carousel...Noah stretched out on his carseat booster on the floor and rested peacefully for a while as travelers and Nicaraguans walked around him. Noah was the only one chillin'....the remaining four Bracht's felt tired, overwhelmed, shocked and weary. After some standing around looking quite confused, we proceeded to the customs area. We do praise God for the customs agent that took a look at our 10 footlockers piled high on a cart, our 10 carry-ons, our three tired kids and waved us through the checkpoint.
Thanks to a friend of a friend who picked us up from the airport...we made it to our "new temporary home". The ride was interesting. While we had traveled some of these roads the last time we were here, it is different knowing that we live here now. It made the reality of life here in Nicaragua seem profound. It's called culture shock for a reason.
The decompression from a day of travel, hot and humid weather and hungry bellies was rough. We were all (except Noah) wondering why we moved here. Tears were shed. Prayers were uttered. Yet, we were engulfed by sleepiness and we all slept soundly.
It is our first morning in Nicaragua as we write this post. The sun rises here at 5am. Combine the sun rise with a time change and it was an early morning for the Bracht family! However, a new day that doesn't involve plane travel feels hopeful! We are thanking God for His Love, His Strength, His Perfect Peace, His Word (we read Isaiah 26 this morning...great encouragement!) and His Provision of a warm shower!
HE does keep in perfect peace those whose hearts and minds are fixed on HIM! (Isaiah 26:3) [Thanks Shawna for the awesome necklace that reminded us of this promise!]
We will continue to write and share this journey with you. Thank you for all the encouragement we've received on email and facebook...it is a gift! We greatly appreciate all the prayers that were lifted up to our Heavenly Father on our behalf yesterday!
Buenos Dias!!!
posted by bethany and jeff
