Another Matagalpa Bi-Monthly for you.

Hello and greetings to everyone!

It’s been a busy two months since we last wrote. Hope y’all are doing fine. Everyone is well on this end. Even with all that happens, I seemingly still do not know what to write about…=D You’d never believe how quiet life can be in a family of thirteen! Please enjoy…

As a family, we’ve done a fair bit of traveling since our last letter. We took a trip to El Rama to see Pastor Sam and his family and be with the church for their very first missions conference. What a blessing! Also, on our way down to El Rama we stopped in to see another pastor that we support, Pastor Richard, in a little town called Muelles de los Bueyes (please, don’t try to pronounce it). We were there for two days, working alongside him at the church. After, we went on to El Rama where we were with Pastor Sam&Co. for their mission’s conference. It was an enjoyable and productive trip! The reason it deserves a mention in this letter is because it was the first “missions” trip we have taken as a family. Normally, it’s just my dad and one or two or even three of us kids, but this time the whole tribe went! Truly “the more the merrier!” (except when riding in a van for 4+ hours)

One thing that has taken up a lot of our time since the last letter has been the cleaning and fixing up of our house. We moved out of our house (of 3 years) on the 1^st of February.  There was a lot of work to do to make sure the house was in the same condition we received it in – in order to receive our deposit back from the landlord. Nicaraguan landlords are notorious for finding “reasons” (many times illegitimate ones) to not return your deposit. Example: you replaced the sink without my permission, a tile is broken, etc. Anyways, we painted the house inside and out, replaced a boatload of tiles, switched lights, and fixed doors, amongst other things. If I must say so, the house looked quite nice when we were done with it and our landlord was very happy. He gave us back our deposit! Gratefully, no one was hurt or seriously injured in all the work and repairs we did on the house. There was a close shave or two, though. Jacky, our most graceful sister, was painting on top of a tall bar stool when she suddenly toppled over. She had been sternly warned by our painting instructor, Mr. Elliot (more on him later), to not stand on stools, chairs, high chairs, or any of the related species. “Strictly ladders” he said, “up to the third rung and heaven forbid that you dare stand on top.” She came out a little bruised, but okay. Then she climbed right back up and almost fell again. Moral of the story: Learn from your mistakes.

A little more on the aforementioned personage, Mr. Elliot. Mr. Elliot or Tio Elliot as we’ve dubbed him, is the perfect example of a Southern gentleman. Tio Elliot looks like a walking replica of Colonel Sanders, gray beard and all. A literal walking library stuffed with information about anything one would want to know, if there is anything we need to know about nuclear reactors or fossil fuel refining processes or intricate farming methods or large-scale business matters or Napoleon Bonaparte or economics or current politics or literature or music or even painting houses, as seen in the previous paragraph, or stocks. Whatever you want to know, Tio Elliot is your go-to guy. We met Mr. Elliot roughly a year and a half ago. He had recently retired and moved to Nicaragua to live. Over time he informally became our “uncle” and regularly attended the English Sunday School class my dad taught. He often would stop by to visit or have lunch or dinner with us and almost always brought ice cream or jello! Thus his popularity.

Walking down the mountain one fine Sunday morning on their way to church, Jessin, Joy, James, and Jonathan encountered a cow on the side of the road. The cow was wearing a special kind of “brace” to keep it from poking its head through the fence to taste that greener grass on the other side. Joy saw the cow in this predicament and felt sorry for it. “It looked so sad.” she said. So, Joy waved to it and said, “Adios!” (to the cow). That’s ok, right? You’re with family on a (supposedly) deserted mountain road. No one cares; it’s good. But then she turned her head and found that on the other side of the road she had a small audience of smirking campesinos (country folk) watching her talk to the cow. They were probably thinking, “Esa gringa esta loca.” (That white girl is crazy!) All we do to try and maintain a respectable reputation, and then our older sister goes and talks to a cow and blows it…

 

One of our top priorities, being back in the States, was getting driver’s licenses for Joy, Josh, and myself. At 20, 18, and 19 respectively, we were still without any kind of license or driving permit. To say the least, we were a little anxious to get on with it. We wanted to get them while we were still in Florida because a FL license is so much easier to obtain than a WV license. Our plan of action was to take the 4-hour drug and alcohol course, then head to the DMV and take our written test. After passing, we were going to return home and practice for a few days and then go take our driving test, get our license, and get out onto the roads to terrorize the local populace. We took the drug and alcohol course, studied up for the written exam, took it, passed it, and were all set to go home and get some practice before attempting the driving test when the lady at the desk said, “You should just go ahead and take the driving test; it’s easy.” Her famous last words. Just kidding! That brave soul, allowing Josh and I to drive her around. Josh and I were game. Joy, on the other hand, was hesitant and decided to wait. Dad was feeling pretty optimistic and told Joy they could go out and practice a little in the parking lot, and then she would be ready to take the driving test. They went out to the car and got in and Joy’s first question to my dad was, “Now which one is the brake and which one is the accelerator?” Dad decided then that it probably wasn’t a good idea to practice in the parking lot and that she could take her test another day. Wise man. Being the older brother and the guinea pig, I went first for the driving test. I ran the very first stop sign. The instructor asked me, “You don’t normally do that, do you?” “No ma’am, first time,” I assured her. Thankfully, I had a very merciful and understanding instructor and she allowed me to pass! I’ve improved much since then, don’t worry. Josh was next, and he did better than I did. He at least came to a rolling stop at the first sign. She asked Josh (we had told her that we were just in from Nicaragua), “Do they stop at stop signs in Nicaragua?” In spite of our “greenness”, we both were able to get our licenses! Joy waited about a week or so and after much practice went back, took her test, and passed! She is still a work in progress, though.

 

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything. Till next time!

 

The Stalnaker Bunch

December/January Prayer Letter

 

Greetings,

We are happy to report as a family on the months of December and January from beautiful Matagalpa. For Nicaragua, December and January would be the same as our summer months in the States except that each year employees are required to give a double paycheck to all their employees for the month of December. This seems to fund the intensified schedule of travel, shopping, and sinful activity. The churches are diligent in filling these months with valid alternatives for their time and travel, attempting to make it a productive ministry time. This year we were “in-step” with the Nicaraguan calendar for the kids finished school in November. Therefore we had more time to schedule and participate in a host of alternative activities for productive business.

We held our ladies conference the middle of December. We are very thankful for Project 14 once again allowing us to use their property in Diaramba. We had a wonderful turnout for this 3-day event. The decision was made to take Jo off of kitchen duty so she could one of the speakers. She did a wonderful job. She was practical, pointed, and funny. However, the ladies bemoaned the fact that she was not cooking.  There were a couple times they chanted for her to cook. We were joined by another missionary couple who assisted in the teaching: the Wises. What a blessing this couple has been to us and the young ladies. Together we taught group and split classes with the theme of “success”.  We all believe it was the best conference to date and you certainly could feel the ladies growing together as a family. It was during this conference that we publicly announced the Ladies Bible Institute which is starting in February. There was great interest and excitement. To our knowledge, this is a first here in Nicaragua for these sister churches. This is a great need to which the Lord has made several of us aware.  We have labored to bring together a practical, biblical, and relevant Bible institute for these ladies who desire training for marriage, motherhood, and ministry.

Once the ladies conference was over we were able to relax just a little and enjoy Christmas. I spent much time thinking and studying about the greatest miracle of the Bible, the incarnation of Christ. Though we should remember this special event every day, I’m thankful there is a time once a year when we give it special attention even though the world is active in redefining the meaning of this special day. We had a wonderful Christmas time filled with really enjoyable activities aimed to strengthen our family.

In December we finished training a few people to oversee the finances at Calvary. It sounds like a small feat, but it was more involved than I can explain. The financial team is up and running and doing a perfect job. They have a budget, a counting team, and procedures to guide them. This was a great step towards the church’s autonomy. We also have a great lead on a property for Calvary. For some time we have been praying for our own property. There is a great degree of difficulty in obtaining property in Matagalpa due to the incredible growth of the city. Please pray with us concerning this. If we could make a purchase, we would be able to reduce the expenses by 50% and the church would be able to financially care for itself.

Calvary’s space has been an issue with its present building. However, in January they started extension Sunday School classes in two different barrios of Matagalpa. In short, we don’t have space to have classes at church so they are having classes in the neighborhoods. Between children and adults they have an average attendance of about 60.  We look forward to a time when we can all be back together again, but this has brought great joy to all of us.

Bible Baptist Church in Lucidia celebrated their 2^nd year anniversary on Christmas Day.  They had a very big event in the morning with the children and a special service at night for the teens and adults. It was a full house for both services! This ministry has been a well spring of encouragement. I am so very thankful for Bible Baptist in Fernandina Beach, Florida and the wonderful example they have been as a “mother church”. We have often noted the difficulty in planting a church in this area but grace has abounded!

Our church plant in Nueva Guinea is going through some trials. The pastor has resigned and we request your prayer for him and his family as they work through some tremendous difficulties. He will continue through the month of February while a search is made for a man to take this ministry. Pastor Sam in El Rama will be going over and helping until a pastor is located. I am very burdened for this church and this family. This is a setback, but we trust that God will use this to His glory.

Later in January Bro. Tony, a friend we’ve mentioned in previous letters, returned to Nicaragua, and along with my family we traveled back to the Atlantic coast area. We stopped in Muelle de los Bueyes and helped one of the national missionaries that Calvary supports for a couple days. We went soul winning and held services at night.  It was a blessing to watch Bro Tony teach the men and boys, Joy teach the ladies and young girls, and Joshua teach the children. After the first hour we would all come together and I would preach a closing message each night.  Next we traveled on to El Rama with Pastor Sam to be a part of his first anniversary service. He also scheduled his first missions conference during this time. What a time we had!  Great singing, great fellowship, and great liberty with the preaching. On Sunday we rejoiced as they took their first faith promise. They committed to give C$5000 a month which is more than $200. This is monumental for a new church and unusual for most churches here.  What a blessing.

 

service in Muelle de los Bueyes

 

Joy, Jessin, and Jacklyn held their last “coffee and conversation” with the young ladies in Matagalpa between the two churches. Each week they do discipleship with a group of young ladies and once a month they come together for a special activity. They asked Jo and I to speak on the subject of “beauty” and had a wonderful schedule of food, games, and etc. This has proven to be a most fruitful ministry and will leave a giant hole in our girls’ life once we leave.

In our last letter we mentioned our visa difficulties. We have had a couple meetings with immigration. In short, they have given us until the middle of February. At that point we must travel back to our country of origin and from there apply for visas in order to return. We are not looking at our visa situation as an excuse, but as God’s timing and are seeking His clear direction. We have believed that at the very least we should relocate away from Matagalpa for the sake of the church here to “spread their wings.” There is a degree of uncertainty, but we are confident that we are on His time table and path. Having this understanding we have labored much in preparation for our departure. There was much repair and painting to our house, projects with the churches, and meetings with the pastors. It has been quite overwhelming. Thankfully our family team made this process run pretty smoothly.

 

As always we desire you to know our gratitude to our Father and you for your love and support. These past 7 years have been a wonderful journey which has enriched us spiritually. May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.

 

The STALNAKERS

Church Planters

Stationed in Nicaragua

443-801-6296

The Matagalpa Bi-Monthly

Hello and a very happy New Year to everyone! This is the first family letter of the year. We hope y’all are doing well. 2016 is gone forever and we have a brand new 2017 stretching before us. We are all excited about what this year holds! Enjoy the read.

Thanksgiving was not quite as crazy as last year, but it was still fun. Everything was very low-key. Last year we invited somewhere around 50 people over for Thanksgiving dinner. This year it was just 5 and much more relaxing. Mom and the girls made some wonderful food which we all enjoyed very much! We ate with our guests and spent time laughing and talking with them before they left, then we pulled out the leftovers and ate again. I think one of the greatest things about Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Looking over this past year we have so much to be thankful for. One thing for sure that we are thankful for is that the price of turkeys here in Nicaragua has gone down over the years. From a whopping $80 our first Thanksgiving here it’s now a much more reasonable $30. Hopefully, the prices continue to go down.

Jordan wears glasses. Jordan likes food. Jordan was standing in the food line on Thanksgiving Day eagerly awaiting his turn to serve his plate. We all got a laugh when he pointed at the corn casserole and called out to Josh who was ahead of him already scooping out his food, “Hey, save me some of that mac n’ cheese!” Side note: He wasn’t wearing his glasses. Further down the line after he had started piling his plate high with food, he saw Josh who was still ahead of him helping himself to the stuffing and said, “Ooh, I want some of that beef!” Obviously, there’s a reason why he wears glasses.

Christmas is the family’s favorite time of the year (I think I’ve mentioned that several times in previous letters!) and this year was no exception. We did things a little differently this year, though. Instead of drawing names and buying gifts for each other, we split up into teams of two and drew the names of different pastors and their families and other friends and bought gifts for them. Each of the different teams was in charge of looking for, buying, wrapping, and giving the gift to the person or family that they had chosen. Another new thing that we did this year for Christmas – we had the big kids draw a little kid’s name and then take the person whose name they drew out for dinner and conversation. Quite enjoyable! I drew Jelly’s name and took her out. We had a very interesting conversation…

We also held our annual Christmas cookie competition with our neighbors the Perrys. The “big boy” team, needless to say, defended their title and once again took first place or “best overall.” It was stiff competition this year! Each team made their cookies and then had to come up with a creative way to present them to the judges. There were songs, poems, stories, etc. that were used to introduce the cookies. The judges all got a big laugh out of the presentations! Christmas Day we attended church in the morning and in the afternoon and then came home and enjoyed a wonderful Christmas dinner and exchanged presents!

 

the cookie contest

 

 

Christmas baking for friends + neighbors

 

 

reenactment of the Christmas story 

 

Chess is a very popular game in our house. All of the kids, except for Jinger, enjoy playing. Whether they all play correctly or not is another story. I have always liked playing chess and I’ve gotten to be pretty decent at it, or so I thought. The other day Josh, Greyson (a neighbor friend), and I ran an errand at a shoe repair shop. While we were there I spied a chess board and struck up a conversation with the owner, asking if he played chess, etc. He told us that he played and then challenged us to a game. Greyson went first, Joshua second, and I played last. He beat all three of us in under 3 minutes. It was bad. We all left kind of sheepishly.

We had a recent visit from a family of possums. I was up early one morning when I saw something running around the house. Upon further inspection, I discovered that it was a little baby possum. I chased it around but couldn’t catch it so I left the back door open so it could get out. A day or two later we began to smell something funny and discovered the rotting carcass of the mother possum in our rain gutter. She had tried to go down a drain pipe but had gotten stuck and died from lack of food and water. The little boys dutifully removed her and threw her away but what a smell. We never found the little guy though, maybe he’s still inside.

One more story about Jordan to close this letter. Every morning after breakfast we have family devotions. We usually pick a chapter and all read a verse until we finish it. Then my dad teaches us a truth or principle from what we’ve read. This particular morning we were reading out of 1 Peter 2. When it came around to Jordan he began to read verse 12: Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good “looks” which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. He didn’t realize what he had said until we all started laughing. Poor Jordan.

Thank y’all for your prayers. God bless.

 

the Stalnaker bunch

October/November Prayer Lettter | 2016

 

We just finished up another season of Thanksgiving, however, gratitude should be a feast all year long. Years ago I remember a message by Pastor Jack Trieber, “Think Before You Can Thank.” For us, it seems to take little thought to provoke thankfulness for we have an abundance of blessings. Daily my gratitude is expressed to God for you!  Thank you.

For the month of October, after teaching my Sunday school class at Calvary each Sunday morning, Jo and I would run down a taxi and go to another church. Pastor Kevin, who worked with us as our youth pastor for nearly a year in the beginning, has a new church plant on the other side of town. He asked me to teach and preach each week for a month on Christian growth. It was such a joy to see his growth, his family, and his growing church. Though we have had some involvement in this plant, we were not directly responsible; but we rejoice all the same. We presently have five sister churches here in Matagalpa which is a wonderful change from when we first came. Later in the month I was invited to preach a missions conference in the capital city at one of the “old timers” church.  For some time I have desired to write a series of missions messages on the book of Jonah.  This was the perfect opportunity.  Jared and I enjoyed ourselves very much and God greatly blessed the conference. During this conference Jared turned 19. Oh where has the time gone!  He, as all of our children, has been such a help and blessing to God’s work.

Bro Tony G. from Michigan returned for another visit. He is a ministry work horse and a welcome guest. During his stay we planned an evangelistic trip to the coastal area.  On the first day we drove to the city of Juigalpa. This was our fifth trip to this city and we are prayerful that God will raise up a church there. We held a Bible study that night and one made a profession of faith. The next morning we went out soul winning and held another Bible study. The ground seems to be fertile and receptive. Please pray with us that God would burden a man about the city of Juigalpa whom we can train and support.

From Juigalpa we drove to Nueva Guinea. Each day we door-knocked, made visits, and held services. Joy, Jared, Josh, and Jessin as well as Bro Tony, were all with me. We covered a lot of ground, but not without obstacles. The rain and red clay mud proved to be overwhelming. Walking back and forth to church was a filthy chore. During the rainy season it is not unusual for it to rain for a solid week. Pastor Marlon was telling us that he commonly goes weeks without seeing the sun. Thank the Lord they get to see the Son! We had a good time and made notes for the future on ways to help strengthen this work. God willing, we plan to make a return trip in January.

After the service on Sunday morning we decided to return to El Rama for the Sunday evening services. We made it just as they were starting and had a wonderful service. I preached a message on Satan’s lies and a young man raised his hand for salvation.  During the invitation, Jared dealt with him and he made a profession of faith. In addition, we learned of some other good decisions made. The next day, I gave time to work with Pastor Sam on some training. Bro Tony and Joshua hit the streets to make some follow up visits from our previous trip and go soul winning. We certainly believed that we were an encouragement to them and we, likewise, were encouraged to be used.

On our way home we stopped off in Juigalpa once more for another Bible study. We did a lesson on the rich young ruler. It appears that some of those attending the Bible study are almost lost. That is exciting because if they get lost then they will probably get saved!  2 Cor. 4:4. 

November is the time of two great events for us. The first is Thanksgiving. This year we scaled back from the wild shindig we had last year. Several guests were invited but the list was much less (the only thing that was less!). I truly miss the States during this sentimental time of the year. Though we were not home, nor with family, God provided for us a wonderful substitute. November is also missions conference time at Calvary. All of our supported missionaries from Calvary plus a new one were present for the conference. We had an exciting time fortifying our faith concerning the Great Commission and with greater resolve to give to faith promise. 

We have an addition to our team here in Matagalpa: a young Nicaraguan man named Warren. He has graduated from a Bible institute and will be with us for an internship.  His desire is to start a church in the future which is music to my ears!  Pray with us about this young man and his future.

The kids are wrapping up school. This year we decided to work off of the Nicaraguan school schedule for multiple reasons. It seems that I am the only one who has had enthusiasm for this change. However, I’m sure that my “villain” status will be turned to “hero” before too long. To help my campaign out, Jo and I treated the children to a celebration at Subway here in Matagalpa. It was 2 x 1 day. What a deal! Yes, I would definitely say that I’m on track to hero status.

Much planning has gone into our next young ladies conference. It will be held the middle of December and is the last one for a whole year. The next big event for this project is the start of a ladies Bible institute for the purpose of teaching Marriage, Motherhood, and Ministry. This is slated to begin in February. We have a lot of interest, including some ladies from our churches here in Matagalpa. They are very excited and making plans to attend. There is much work to do, but we feel confident about a great start.

Prior to the election the government enforced a regulation that was specifically directed towards families such as ourselves. Within a couple of weeks the regulation was overturned, due to protesting from the religious community. However, we were one of the lucky ones who were caught during those couple weeks. This has caused some complications in regards to our visa. In the first place, we will need to return back to our country of origin (United States) in order to apply for another visa. Thankfully, we were able to negotiate an extension until the middle of February.  Please pray with us about His leading in and through all this.

Merry Christmas!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 

 

Thankful for the gift of family.

Thankful for the gift of friends.

Thankful for the gift of forgiveness.

Thankful for the gift of the future.

Merry Christmas! 

The Stalnakers  2016

the last Matagalpa (bi) Monthly of 2016

Hello to all! It’s writing time again here in Matagalpa. We hope this letter finds you well. Life is busy and everyone is doing fine on this end! Thank you for taking the time to read this letter! Hope you enjoy 🙂

Matagalpa is an interesting city with lots of interesting (or maybe strange?) people. There are a number of people who roam around the city that have different issues. Several of them are pretty well known and have become a part of the whole “folklore” of the city. Probably the most well-known is a little guy they call “Eloi.” Short, stooped, with a wrinkled face and gravelly voice, Eloi is a campesino (someone from the country). He’s probably in his early to mid-fifties, though it’s hard to guess. He is always seen around town with a sack over his shoulder, a stick in his hand, and a sombrero on his head. Eloi’s temper is short and when he loses it, he really loses it… If someone makes him mad, he’ll go off on a rant, literally for hours, and say a bunch of crazy stuff. He shakes his stick at people and yells at them with his gravelly voice.  When he is not mad, though, he’s a fun person to talk to. On rare occasions when he is happy, he procures a small harmonica and plays it and dances to the music. He also has a mischievous side. Once Joy was sitting in the park with a friend and Eloi walked up behind them and tapped the friend on the shoulder and said, “Hey, when do you plan on taking a bath?” Quite the character. There is another guy, not quite as famous as Eloi, but interesting just the same. He’s probably in his mid-twenties, also with some sort of problem. Whenever this guy sees you (a gringo) will come up to you, smile real big, and then give you a big bear hug and ask for money. He doesn’t let go either until you give something to him. A couple weeks back, Josh and I were talking with Dad outside a local restaurant when this fellow came up. Josh and I knew who he was so we edged out of the way. Poor Dad just kept talking, completely unaware… He walked right up to Dad and gave him the biggest bear hug and held on. Dad was laughing so hard that he didn’t know what to do. Rather a funny sight, people passing on either side and staring at this big, tall gringo being bear-hugged by this guy. Dad was finally able to convince him that he didn’t have any money to give him so he smiled real big, let go, and walked away.

A man stopped by our house the other day and Joy answered the door. He asked her if she spoke English and she said that yes she did. He then asked if he could talk to her for a moment and commenced trying to sell her a course for learning English. She kept trying to tell him that she already spoke English but it didn’t seem to register with him…

 A common joke in our family is that whenever any of us do something silly we say, “You’re such a homeschooler!” There’s some kind of strange delight in making fun of yourself. Though sometimes we do things that make me stop and think, “No wonder people poke fun at homeschoolers…” Example A: We asked James the other day how many months are in a year. His answer: 33.4 ????? Example B: Johnny asked the other day if San Francisco was in New York… ????? Maybe we do deserve all those homeschooler jokes. =)

Jessin is quite the writer. She often will go to her room, shut the door, and write for hours on end. She’s written several books but is a little reserved about letting other people read her work. November of every year is National Novel Writing Month. Also, NaNoWriMo hosts a novel writing contest for amateur writers every November. The main requirement: the novel has to be at least 50,000 words long. 50,000 words in only one month of writing. After a little encouragement from my dad, Jessin signed up to participate. Though the contest has no prize, other than a certificate recognizing your achievement, it is a great, challenging exercise for aspiring writers. Jessin worked very hard this past month and reached the 50,000 word goal! She put in at least one all-nighter in order to make it happen before the deadline. So as a prize for reaching the goal, I’m going to turn over the responsibility of writing these letters to her. Just kidding. =P

Recently Dad asked most of us older kids to accompany him on one of his evangelistic trips. However, the only transportation he could come up with was a Ford Ranger pickup truck. He threw an old mattress in the back and said, “You all will be all right.” (it’s at times like these that his West Virginia roots really show 😉 Now, riding in the back of the truck is actually quite enjoyable.. around town. But not on a 6 hour road trip during rainy season. Dad, however, had no sympathy. His only words? “Here’s a tarp. Just cover yourself somehow.” The whole trip, I think the only thing Josh and I did was work on the tarp. Taking it off, putting it back on, readjusting, etc. We used everything from tape to rope to foam pieces to you name it, just to keep the tarp from flying off or flapping too loudly in the wind. While the trip as a whole was enjoyable, we definitely were glad to get home and end the tarp saga 🙂 Somehow I think Dad enjoyed the whole debacle.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Please keep us in your prayers! Till next year…

 

the Stalnaker bunch

 

 

Jessin + Jacklyn with girls from our church

 

Sunday School!

 

 

August + September | prayer letter

August and September made for a different kind of busy as we had visitors from the States.  It is always nice to spend time with visitors, and especially under the context of these visits. Each group was enjoyable, special, productive, and memory making. Thank you to each of the groups who honored us with their visits: the Shannon Scott family, Pastor Bill Davis and the Cornerstone Baptist Church, Pastor Mark Stalnaker and Robert Stanley, and Bro. Tony Galufaro and the Bob Niemi family. I assure you that it was a highlight and an encouragement. For the rest, there is always an open door for you to come down!

 

On our way to minister with the group from Cornerstone

 

Bro. Tony preaching evangelistic service in El Rama

 

One of the visiting groups was utilized in our El Rama church plant. There was great anxiousness to return and see the progress. Pastor Sam was waiting for us with food, a schedule, and a plan for an evangelistic campaign.  We “hit the ground running” and had an exciting time. There were many professions of faith and many more contacts to follow up on. Each night we held a service to encourage the Christians and to call the unsaved to make a decision. Many good things happened. Among them were the men that came to Christ and visited the church. Needless to say, men are fewer in our churches and difficult to reach, but the Lord has blessed this church with a good base of men along with some very faithful ladies. On Sunday we traveled to the river for the baptism of converts from previous evangelistic efforts of Pastor Sam and his family. We held a small service, baptized, picnicked, and played. We left the service a little early so we could return to Matagalpa in time for the Sunday P.M. service. Oh, by the way, for those following our Suburban soap opera, it is out of the hospital and has been given a clean bill of health. This was its first trip since being repaired. Many thanks to Bro. Tony and Bro. Bob and his sons from Michigan who assisted in making this a very productive trip.

 

Pastor Sam + family with Bob Niemi + sons

 

One of the biggest things we have to report is Maria’s baptism. Maria was our first convert here in Nicaragua. Over these four and half years we have enjoyed ministering to her and with her. However, she would not get baptized nor did she have a good reason as to why. In August, after a message preached out of the book of Ezra, she came forward. She explained what has kept her from being baptized and surrendered to obey the Lord! My heart was full.  I’m thankful that we have God’s Spirit working on our behalf for His purpose.

 

Maria getting baptized along with her youngest daughter, Elis

 

In September, we held another conference for young ladies. At the last minute we lost our reservation at the facility where we had been planning to hold the conference. I am so thankful for my friend, Theron Crawford, and Global University who made their property available for us to use on short notice. The conference was outstanding! The teaching, done by several pastors and faithful ladies, was relevant and beneficial; and the singing, uplifting. Jo was in charge of all the cooking which was a blessing. It was just like being at home in her kitchen. We have had good reports of ladies who have made life-changing decisions, were baptized, and surrendered. We anticipate growth and greater synergy amongst the churches for the next conference, scheduled in December. Many of us believe that these ladies are a vital need and perhaps a missing link in the movement of Nicaragua. Pray with us that God will give us good success for His glory.

 

game time!

 

 

Nicaragua is nearing their Presidential Election, which will take place days after the election in the United States. Even though much labor is given to be a good student of such things, it is still difficult to understand everything that is going on. I find that with every answer received, more questions are generated. In relation to foreigners, and specifically missionaries, the government has made some changes and there is a promise of more to come. During our last renewal at the border, we ran into a little bit of trouble which resulted in an additional visit to Immigration in the capital. Again, all of this seemed to provide more questions than answers. We are unsure of exactly how all this will affect us or the churches. Regardless, our purpose is to stay focused. This election has potential for problems due to growing unrest and we would covet your prayers. Such matters have the great purpose of distracting Christians and hindering churches. Needless to say, the same is happening in the States right now, and I am likewise praying for all of you! This world needs strong churches and focused Christians!

The family is doing well. We are settled with a pretty good schedule and everyone has found their place. The younger kids have a heavier load this year in school. When in town, I help out with school in the morning time, which seems to be a fair trade for a great home-cooked lunch and some clean clothes :). In addition to their other activities, Joy and Jared are still plugging away to finish their first year of college. In these last two months, several of us have managed to “age.” Jessin turned sweet 16, Jinger turned 5, and I turned *cough*  We have been blessed with good health with the exception of Jo, who came down with Chikungunya while one of our groups was here. Thankfully, she recovered without any lingering effects.

Until next reporting time we will remember you in prayer and trust that you are doing the same for us. Thank you!  May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His sufferings.

 

the Stalnaker family

 

 

another Matagalpa bi-monthly.

Hello everyone! It always seems like the two months between these letters go way faster than they should…=D Hard to believe we’re in September already! The family is doing well! August 30^th was Jessin’s birthday; she is now sweet 16! That makes me feel old. We’ve had several bouts with sickness lately, but thankfully everyone is doing ok. We’ve been busy (I think that’s the story of our life). =D Hope y’all enjoy the letter!

So we’ve started a new family tradition, watching the sunset while drinking hot chocolate. On the highway that goes north, there’s a spot where you can pull over and get a very pretty view of the surrounding mountains, and, if you arrive in time, the sunset. It’s about a 25 minute scenic drive to our little spot. Upon arrival, we all pile out of the car, and sit on the side of the road and talk and laugh and play while Dad makes us hot chocolate (the weather is always chilly up there!). It is very enjoyable and relaxing! We’ve gone several times, but still have not been able to “catch” the sunset. Every time we go it’s either too cloudy or we get there right after the sun has set. So if you think about it, pray we can get some sunset with our hot chocolate! =D

 

August was a busy, busy month for us. Did I mention that we’ve been busy? We hosted visitors/groups through August and into the first week of September, one right after another. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun! Here’s a quick run-thru of it all:

Group #1, the Scott family, arrived on August 1^st. The Scotts have been very good friends of ours for a long, long time so it was extra special having them with us. They are a family of six and their kids’ ages fit right in with ours so we have a lot of fun! We went to the beach, a waterfall, coffee plantation, made some special meals, ate a lot of food, ate a lot of food, and ate a lot of food. Bro. Scott also preached at Calvary during the services they were with us and it was a great blessing! The time spent together was profitable for both our families. They flew back to Texas on the 9^th.

Group #2 was scheduled to arrive on the 9^th but actually got in on the 11^th, courtesy of Delta Airlines. They came from the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Greenville, NC with Pastor Bill Davis. Total of 9 in all. In order to cut back on costs, the group stayed with us at our house. It was great. They brought air mattresses so those who didn’t fit into the rooms slept in the living room and school room. Our house was a jungle of air mattresses, suitcases, muddy shoes, etc. for that whole week!=D While they were here we did a feeding activity at the local dump, lots of door knocking, a teen conference at Calvary, and Gospel presentations at several schools amongst other things. A lot of crazy people came in that group so we all got along just fine. We did our best to teach them different “Nica” things like gradeando (sitting on random steps + hanging out with your friends). They caught on pretty good. The group flew out early in the morning of the 17^th and we were sad to see them go.

Group #3, consisted of my Uncle Mark and a good friend from our home church, Robert. They arrived midday on the 17^th. My uncle’s church sponsors the church in Lucidia Mantilla, so he was coming to check up on the work and also hold an evangelistic campaign there. Everything went well, but my Uncle got pretty sick with a parasite ¾ of the way into the trip. This was Robert’s first time ever being out of the States so we tried to mess with him a little. =D I think it kinda surprised him that we didn’t live in a grass hut on stilts. We taught him some “Nica” things, too, (like walking on the side of the street that’s in the shade, giving the traditional Nicaraguan greeting – a kiss on the cheek, etc.) We enjoyed our time with both Robert and my Uncle. They flew out on the 24^th.

 

Group #4 flew in from Michigan and arrived very late the night of the 30^th. The group consisted of Bro. Tony, a good friend of ours who has visited us several times in the past, and a good friend of his, Bro. Bob Niemi, who brought two of his sons, Ethan and Silas. Bro. Tony and Bro. Bob have both been pretty involved in supporting the church in El Rama. The first day they were here we did a feeding activity at the dump and were also able to get into one of the schools and go from classroom to classroom sharing the Gospel with the students. It was a blessing! The next day, Thursday, we headed off to El Rama and spent the rest of the week helping Pastor Sam and the church there. Sunday afternoon we returned home to Matagalpa and arrived in time to participate in the evening service. Monday was a free day. The men rented motorcycles and went riding most of the day, even though it rained torrentially half the time. They got a little wet…=D Tuesday, the 6^th, they flew back home to Michigan. It was awesome working with them and we very much appreciated their zeal and desire to see souls saved!

So that’s basically what our month of August was like. I feel tired just writing about it. It was a lot of work but also a big blessing!

 

It’s funny to think that English is my mom’s second language. She grew up in the Philippines speaking Tagalog and learned, or rather perfected, her English when she moved to the States at age 17. Mom has a long and funny history of mixing up English slang and sayings. It’s rather cute actually…=D Lately, she’s had some funny ones so we thought we’d share a couple of them with you:

• “You’re running around like a head with your chicken cut off!”
• “If you go out this late, they’re gonna pulp you!” (I think she meant they were going to “pound us to a pulp.”)
• “You’re lying to your face!”
• “Your stomach is bigger than your eyes!”
• “I’m going to blow up some money.” (she meant to say “blow some money”)

There are some others but they’re the kind that you tell only to close, personal friends, not publish on public family newsletters. =D

 

Thank for your prayers and support! Hasta luego,

 

The Stalnaker Bunch

 

June-July Prayer Letter

 

It is a joy to report to all of our family, friends, and supporters. With growing understanding, we rejoice in the sustaining and empowering hand of our Father.  The counsel of Ps 62:5 has been on my mind lately.

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. Ps 62:5

We are reporting for the months of June and July. Our schedule was not as intense as it had been or will be, especially in August and September. Therefore, Jo and I thought it wise to get a little jump on the kid’s schooling. I need not write what their response was to this glorious revelation. Oh the pain of using your brain. We introduced a 2-1/2 days per week of summer school. It has actually worked very well and they all have at least finished their first quarter. We are getting better at homeschooling every year and feel that by the time Jinger graduates we will be very good!  Jared and Joy are giving a little time each day, which helps everything to run smoother and keeps anyone from being COMPLETELY overwhelmed.

I began the month of June with another evangelism trip with my team. We are still praying and working in Juigalpa. During our last letter, I reported about some unusual events that were encouraging. While on the trip we were able to deal with two young adults, who were brother and sister. For a couple of hours we communed around God’s Word, working to open their eyes to salvation.  At the conclusion of the study, they both expressed their brokenness and a desire to confess Christ. It was a sweet time. We left that meeting so encouraged, planning to bring all our contacts together for a joint bible study. The next day we made visits and calls, along with doing some more door knocking. However, we were greatly disappointed at the response. Those ones who were so eager and excited all expressed that they had changed their mind and were no longer interested. It was a splash in the face experience. I have had similar things like this happen, especially in smaller communities where word can spread fast. We retired to our room to counsel and pray. At this point we are earnestly seeking the Lord’s direction and would covet your prayers – Acts 16:7-15.

In past letters I have spoken about a special prayer request.  It was in reference to the “Handmaiden of the Lord” project. We have bonded together with several national pastors and other missionaries to meet a great need.  It would be too lengthy to explain how this has all come about, but by God’s leading we have joined together to address a weakness in our churches here in Nicaragua: the young ladies.  Though we have greater plans for the future, at this time, we are holding regional conferences for the ladies to attend that is focused on clear Bible instruction and healthy fellowship. In June we held our first RC.  The conferences are based on Luke 1:38 and our theme is “The handmaid of the Lord.” Ladies from good churches traveled up to Matagalpa to be a part of the conference.  In just our home alone, we had over 30, including my girls.  Needless to say, the boys and I “got out of Dodge.” Jo and another lady from our church handled all the cooking and did a superb job as always.  We rented our old church building to use for the services. We had a mixture of teaching from godly ladies and preaching from some pastors. We also held a testimony time and were very encouraged to hear the hearts of the ladies speak. This was the first of many, and we are confident it will yield wonderful results. Please pray with us about this endeavor.

God was gracious to us. In June we were carpooling to Managua. I was in the front vehicle, and the pastor of the Lucida Church was behind me in our truck. He was hit from behind by a speeding semi-truck. It turned him sideways, while the semi broadsided him and caused the truck to roll multiple times. Dennis, one of our preacher boys, was riding with him. Our hearts sunk as we witnessed it, and were so afraid that it was fatal. How the accident bypassed us, as well as the other cars on the road, and how the two men walked away from the truck unharmed, though disoriented, is a testimony of God’s care. The truck was a total loss, but all the important things were sustained. After the accident, we had to wait for the police to give a verdict concerning who was at fault and would pay damages, etc.  The semi driver had apparently told a convincing story, and it seemed as though we would be left to make payment. However, the police ruled in our favor and we are now in the process of replacing the vehicle. I am agreeing more and more with my Joshua’s words of wisdom when he was a little boy. He told me, “Dad, cars are too much trouble. I’m just gonna have a horse when I grow up.”

I just completed a study I’ve been teaching on the church each Sunday night at Calvary. This was in preparation for its organization. Calvary has slimmed down a little, mostly due to the separation of Lucidia; however, the spirit is wonderful and we are seeing visitors each week and salvations. As true more often than not, nothing every progresses quite at the rate you desire, but we certainly see God’s hand in how He is “building His church.” The church is set now to adopt its own constitution, statement of faith, and governing system. Pray for wisdom in all of this. This is the church my family attends and is involved in, but we are carefully and gradually laying the burden upon the people of the church.  As mentioned earlier in this letter, we are working toward a transition that would free us up to travel. It is our desire to encourage the other churches we were involved in starting.

We are so very thankful to be on your team! Thank you for your faithfulness where you are. May God accomplish His will and the nations hear of His glory.

May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.

 

 

The Stalnakers

 

 

 

the Matagalpa Bi.

 

Hello and greetings to everyone once again! Hopefully, this letter finds y’all well and enjoying life! The family is doing excelente! We had an awesome trip to the States; it was a blast! We’re kind of getting back into the routine of things. Summer school is in full swing and the kids are all hard at work. Joy and I are still taking college classes by correspondence and they are going well!  Dad and mom are doing fine. Mom had a birthday this month and their anniversary was on the 31^st! 24 years! Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Rainy season is back here in Matagalpa and we are enjoying it to the fullest! For several weeks or so we’ve been having the most delightful weather imaginable! It has been cloudy and overcast just about every day with lots of rain and cool temperatures. It’s been a nice change as the last part of the dry season was unbearably hot. We don’t like hot weather. Coffee consumption has also increased steadily due to the nice weather. Seems like we’re always looking for an excuse to drink more coffee…=D

 

 

Along the subject of rain, the three oldest girls were over at a friend’s house, who lives only a couple blocks away, babysitting till late. They finished up at around 10:30 and then called Josh and myself to come and walk them home. The things we brothers suffer to take care of our sisters =P The problem was that we were right in the middle of one of those torrential downpours that the rainy season often brings… All the streets were turning into miniature rivers, and huge puddles were forming everywhere. We brought an umbrella to stay dry, but that didn’t end up working very well. The girls were all excited about “walking home in the rain” and getting soaked and having fun. Off we went, half walking, half running in the downpour the four blocks to our house. The very first corner that we came to was covered by a huge puddle (it always floods in that area when it rains). Since it was so big and covered the street and sidewalk, one could not discern where the sidewalk ended and the street started. Joy, was walking and talking very loudly, obviously enjoying getting wet, when all of a sudden she stepped off the sidewalk and into the street without realizing it, tripped, and fell right into all the water! She was soaked! It was quite funny and we laughed at her the rest of the way home, though by that time we were all soaked, too.

8 carrots, that’s all, just 8 carrots. Joy sent James down to the grocery store the other day to pick up 8 carrots that she needed for lunch. Sounds simple, right? So James went off to the store and came back a little while later with 8 of the biggest carrots you could imagine. They were about the size of a woman’s size 9 shoe in length, and about as wide around as a bottle of water. Needless to say, it was a lot more than what we needed for lunch. I think they lasted like two weeks. James + his oversized carrots quickly became the joke of the family. Poor James earned a new nickname that day; we call him the big carrot =P

About a month ago, God provided a music teacher for us. Bro. Wise is an American missionary who lives close to the capital city. He has started traveling up here to Matagalpa every week with his wife to provide music classes for our church. It has been a huge blessing! Bro. Wise was a music pastor in the States for almost 20 years before moving here to Nicaragua as a missionary. He is giving lessons on the guitar, piano, and violin and will also give voice lessons sometime in the future. From Joy down to Jordan are all taking lessons. Jordan, Josh, and I are all learning the guitar, Joy and Jacklyn the piano, and Jessin the violin. Maybe the next time y’all see us we’ll have some kind of band put together…=P

Next month is shaping up to be a busy month for us. We were going over our calendar for August the other day and found out that every day of August we will be either be hosting a church team or a group of friends! We are looking forward to it! Thank you for the prayers. Till next time…

the Stalnaker Bunch