Dec 2009

Nicaraguan Touchstone December 2009

Come, you who are blessed by my Father: take your inheritance, the Kingdom. Prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew 25: 34—36

Feliz Navidad, in this December issue of our newsletter we have expanded to several pages to encompass all that God is doing here in Nicaragua. We will cover several different topics and introduce new types of articles. We have interviews with a Nicaraguan pastor, a copy of a report by Sierra for her Awana project and vital mission information. I hope you enjoy our December issue of the Speigle’s adventure. In the November issue I told about working on construction of a church. Later in this newsletter I will write on the finishing of the project (see article on page 4). The sports camps continue to be well attended and the kids seem to enjoy it. On Thursday November 26th the team from Southside Church participated in the camp with Hitting and Fielding instruction. Afterward Caleb commented to me that the hitting instruction helped him a lot. In the next few weeks we will continue to transcend from chaotic group ball to a more disciplined game with drills and controlled scrimmages. The goal of fielding a competitive team in the new year will be our focus. On November 6th German and I met with Pastor Sammy Garcia, from a church in Texas. He was in Nicaragua to oversee a construction project that his church is sponsoring. He is also part of the Chet Haney crusade that will take place in Las Mercedes at the end of December. He was invited to attend a river baptism by one of the local pastors and German and I tagged along. Pastor Garcia gave an invitation and several came forward with the desire of Baptism including an elderly lady whose story I will attempt to retell. This lady, forgive me for I do not remember her name, is over 80 years old. Her son was a pastor in Managua, he traveled to the homestead and preached the gospel to his entire family. No one in the family accepted. Some time later her son was killed in an accident. This lady then called one of her son’s friend who is also a pastor to come and talk to her. In that visit she gave her heart to the Lord. In appreciation she donated a parcel of land for a church to be built. This is a picture of her baptism to the right. On November 15th I was invited to preach in a church at Santa Pancha, some 30 km off the main road. The community has several points of interest. The community was formed to supply labor for a gold mine, and the water that comes from the community well is too hot to use. So hot in fact that it is steaming as it comes from the tap, so they have to have water piped in every 8 to 10 days. (continued on page 2) We have had our ups and downs this month along with the fact that it flew by. The beginning of the month included teaching the children about volleyball and some basic skills. Some of them are returning each week which is encouraging and they are improving on their abilities. Music class started this month as well. There were about 20 kids and one adult that wanted to come and learn about music. The difference between our music in the states and their music here is the fact that they really don’t use music sheets and read music. It is a challenge to figure out how to teach in a culture that is so different from what I am accustomed to using and seeing. We have only had one class of music and then the team from North America came so we will see how many return at the next meeting. Thanksgiving came and went with little celebration but we are even more thankful than usual because of all the blessings God is pouring down on us. Many people from our church sent gifts and words of encouragement through Beth and Colleen which was unexpected and thoroughly enjoyed.(Cont on page 2

Contact info. Email: [email protected] Blog: speigle6onmissions.blogspot.com Skype:

jdspeigle john.speigle vkspeigle Facebook : John Speigle :Vanessa Speigle Address: Not really known Do you want to partner with the Speigles in their mission work? Contributions can be sent via: Voice of Hope Ministries, Attn. Katie Hulsey P.O. Box 1780 Rogers, AR 72757. Re: John & Vanessa Speigle

Kyle & Sydney getting into the construction too.

From The Kids From Sierra I like it here, it is fun. We bought a hammock in Grenada that we like to read in. I made a mailbox for our bedroom and we purchased two parakeets. One is named Chirpy and the other is Lime. From Kyle, It’s nice here in Nicaragua. Even though it is hot it is still fun to play. We made friends at Compassion and they teach us Spanish and we teach them English. It is fun and I like it.

From Caleb. Hi, we bought two parakeets. They fight some but they are fun to watch. We have to train them though to play with them. The group came down and it was fun playing with them. One of them got sick on the car ride. We went to the beach with them where they stayed. From Sydney. It’s fun here in Nicaragua. We are making new friends. Claudia is one of my friends and Gaby and Valentina.

Prayer Needs of the Speigles : *Upcoming children Sponsor Program *Language development *Need of a vehicle and the funds to purchase. **God’s continued guidance

**Planning for spring stateside fundraising trip for John continued from page 1. So they have to collect the water in troughs for their supply for the next 2 weeks. The service went well and I John. That we may find many locations to share preached about Jesus of course and I used the story of the Rag Man and combined it with my own meeting with the Rag Man. It seemed to go well since our interpreter, Michael said that he really enjoyed it. I enjoyed about what we are doing the return trip to town since I was able to ride in the back of the truck with the kids. We had some tremendous and for the support to increase so we can stay longer views of the volcanos and was able to share them with the kids. Kyle also learned a valuable lesson. Do not than July. blow bubble gum bubbles into the wind in the back of the truck. You can imagine the results. The next week brought the opportunity to do some foot work on a future project. German and I traveled to a community called La Union, (no not the local supermarket). The community and neighboring communities have a need for a well to be drilled. The population of about 3000 has an existing well that is contaminated with arsenic, which would be deadly to any one who drank from it. It was refreshing to see the local leaders have a heart of working together because they have such a tremendous need. It is not always the case, some times the leaders have a “what’s in it for me” attitude. Many times that attitude stymies any efforts to help, but not in this case. They are prepared to have the water piped from a central location to the barrios. Community in action. On November 21st a team of 26 North Americans came on a mission week. Including 2 friends from our home church of Westside. The week included Fiestas, Bible School, Construction, and a campaign for Pastor Miguel’s new church. It was also a first for our family to interact with other North Americans on a mission team. The team was very gracious and opened up to our family and the kids really enjoyed participating in the week. We look forward to their return trip in November 2010. I am looking forward to the month of December, not only celebrating the 38th anniversary of my being, but I really enjoy the Christmas season, and I look forward to celebrating it with new family traditions we will create. La Union, Nicaragua Vanessa Continued. The team really welcomed us to the group and allowed us to minister with them throughout the week. We are currently without help in the house and so ministering outside of the house, plus homeschooling the kids, plus cleaning and cooking everyday is sometimes overwhelming. Most days I spend time praying to our Heavenly Father that He will provide the strength I need to get everything done. I ask God to help me open my eyes to the needs around me so that I don’t miss where God wants me to serve. We have struggled this month with internet problems and are hoping it will be resolved soon. Keeping in touch daily is important to us and without the internet that communication is removed. We pray God will continue to keep us on the hearts of those He wants to know about us even without the internet. Our hearts continue to long to stay down here for many years and so we pray that God will raise up more people to support us and pray for us on our journey down here. We have been blessed to meet many other missionaries in the area and are able to help them as they need it and support them while we wait on the Lord to clarify what it is He wants us to do down here with the children. Upcoming Events: Dec 6th. I was invited to preach in a mission church in Las Panitas December 7th: Immaculate Conception-celebrated in Leon (let’s pray that God will open the eyes of many who celebrate Catholism) December 18th: School year ends December 25th Feliz Navidad (Christmas) December 26th Team from Parkside Church in Texas arrives for Crusade December 31st: End of year/beginning of New Year

Up Coming opportunity for Children’s Ministry, may it grow abundantly for God: We will be starting a sponsorship program for the children down here. Their information will be available through our newsletter. We are planning to start with 15 children. You will have the opportunity to sponsor a child at the cost of $150.00 per year. This cost will cover the child’s school tuition, uniform, school supplies, shoes, food at school, a backpack and a few new clothes. Keep watching to find out more about this new and exciting opportunity to minister to these children. More to come…..

An Interview with Pastor Felix Calderone

My Precious Sierra is growing up so fast. Family Picture at foggy Caterina with Mike Hulsey

Kyle taking his turn behind the camera.

This is a series of interviews that I want to include in our newsletters. These are the real heroes of Nicaragua. The Pastors who serve at great cost to their families. I want to tell their stories with the utmost of respect for their dedication. This interview was interpreted by Michael Silva.

Pastor Felix Calderone is the Pastor of Ingelesia Tercera Bautista—Jerico. His church serves the barrios of Walter Ferreti, BelleVista and Guadeloupe. He has served as the pastor of Jerico church for 10 years plus an additional 7 years as a mission church. Here is his story. How did you feel called as a pastor? 1st when I was elected as Pastor I was “hit”. Even though I had been the pastor of the mission church for 7 years I was surprised that they elected me as Pastor of the church. As a Pastor, there are many pressures. I am the “head of the church”. It is my job to say what to do but I have to do it without judging. I have to learn to discipline in love. I need to be strict and strong or the people will take advantage. First I was “living in the world——believer——servant of God” Sometimes I feel alone because there is very little support, especially in difficult situations. What Is Your Testimony? I was born and raised Catholic. My family worshipped many idols, especially St. Mary. I remember wanting to participate in the Catholic celebrations on the streets when they have parades. At 12, I went to a Cathedral with my mom to be confirmed. The Cathedral was closed so we had to find another. I was accepted there and began to participate and get involved. I remember them singing Psalm 121. After awhile, the church began to look like a mirror with hypocrites and sometimes I felt rejected by the church. I noticed it was just in name that they served the Lord and not in life. Once when I was smoking and reading the Bible with my brother in Christ, he asked if I wanted to know more about this God. I was baptized in 1993 at 22 years of age. Six months later I began to backslide and started to drink again. That same brother in Christ came to me and encouraged me to stay on track and I did. Later I started a Bible study in people’s homes and it grew. That was the beginning of the mission church.. I was elected as Pastor in 1999, it was a very big step, very important and there is no turning back. What is your Community Outreach? This year we hope to reach people by teaching reading and writing in the community. We hope to start in the next 3 months. We will then also talk about the Gospel with the people we teach to read and write. We would like to open more mission churches. Currently, we have the Compassion Project as outreach, the feeding at the dump, El Audante, Voice of Hope and we work with Mark Hargrove at TipiTapa with evangelism, digging wells for the community and we are fixing up a building to make into a church and school. What would you like people in the United States to know about the church? As a pastor I have many visions. I know the needs for the community and I would like to focus on preparing leaders to serve God. I know it won’t happen in one day and I need time and resources and tools to reach the people. I want the people in the U.S. to know we are here serving God. I want people here to know how to serve God correctly and the right way, but I need tools to help with this focus. As a pastor I am an instrument to serve God and I love to serve. However, I also have a family and we are in a poor neighborhood. The people give what they can but it is not enough. I have a child who wants to go to college and the financial situation is an issue. The church people put pressure on me to use the money given for the church and my wife puts pressure on me to use the money for our family. I do have other jobs but is not enough. It is a struggle. However, I will continue to do His will not mine.

Caleb teaching the locals how to throw a football.

A carving I chiseled for the Gethsemane church. The rock came out of the foundation

Sierra holding one of the babies at Bible School.

“At the foot of Telica.” This phrase has been going through my mind. For the past several weeks I have been riding on the back of Pastor Miguel’s motorcycle traveling to and from his church construction site. I see the Telica volcano during the trip. I often use this time to pray for whatever is on my mind, protection, guidance, abilities to do what God is calling me to do and for strength and courage. I believe that this phrase has new meaning to me. It tells me to be humble and willing to serve at the feet of the Master. For Jesus has called me to do His will and He will equip me to do what He asks, whether it be building with my hands or building with my words. Do all with a servants heart and to God’s glory. In the November issue I wrote about the foundation work of the church being on solid rock. In this issue I will continue with the construction and completion of the roof. Working with Pastor Miguel is always an adventure. The language barrier is always a challenge, but we seem to know what each other is saying. The work is hard but fruitful. At the end of each day you can see what you have accomplished. It feels good toughening up the hands and shaking the rust off the muscles. The building was prepared for the Southside Baptist Church to come and complete. On Thursday November 26th, Thanksgiving Day, the roof was installed. That evening a campaign was held. The team members took time to share their testimony and preach. Many in the group went door to door doing evangelism which resulted in professions for Jesus including young people from the community. I feel that God has great plans for the Gethsemane Church and Pastor Miguel. (For a complete photo journey of the church construction go to http://picasaweb.google.com/speigle6/ChurchConstructionOctNov2009# Volcano Telica

Oct 27 2009

Nov 6 2009

Nov 25 2009

Nov 26 2009

Money, the world runs on it, many covet it, and to put it simply everyone needs it to live. We are no exception. I have struggled with aspect of fund raising how to approach it. I have never liked asking for help, I always relied on my own skills and abilities. I can no longer do that. God has called me to a place that I need outside support. So that is why I am writing this article. Someone once told me that people want to give and if I do not tell them of a need I deprive them of an opportunity to serve God. I never thought of it like that. I realize that God will provide the support for our mission but I need to do my part. So here it goes. Vanessa and I debated for many months about who to go on missions with. We interviewed with International Mission Board (IMB) and I felt that it was not for us. The security and benefits that IMB provided were attractive but they were not working in Nicaragua, where I felt strongly called to serve. So we decided to join up with Voice of Hope (VOH) out of Rogers Arkansas. Vanessa and I have served on mission trips with VOH and liked the evangelical focus and their vision of working with children. So we climbed on board. While there are many benefits to this arrangement there are a few challenges. We have to be self supported which meant there are no mission boards with deep pockets to provide for us. So we need to raise our own support. I like this setup because it give me the chance to talk with a wide variety of people that God puts in my path. I am a people person and I love getting to know new people. But I have to overcome the challenges of my dislike of asking for help financially. This is especially challenging in an economy that is less than strong. But God laid it on my heart to put this in our newsletter. I am including in this article our monthly budget. It is cheap to live in Nicaragua like a Nicaraguan, buy it is very expensive to live like and American in Nicaragua. We strive to live in the middle. We have always lived simply and will continue to do so while were are serving God. Below are the Monthly expenses that we incur. Current Budget in dollars/month: Current Budget in dollars/month: Rent: 400.00 Interpreters: 350.00 Household Help 250.00 Water: 40.00 Electric: 100.00 Propane: 20.00 Food: 400.00 Phone: 50.00 Sewer/Trash: 25.00 Transportation: 40.00 Internet/TV: 75.00 Tithing 150.00 Total: 1900.00

One of our projected needs Projected purchases needed: Vehicle: 7000.00 Insurance/year: 110.00 These are the hard numbers that we live on. And the facts are we Our House need this amount plus, to stay down here and serve God. We are willing to dedicate our lives to serving God but we need your help. Already many are giving and I truly thank God for each and every sacrifice you make to help us. Currently we have enough donations to stay her until July 2010. I am planning a Trip to the states in Feb—March of 2010 to raise support. I would love to be able to tell as many people about the change God has made in my life and what He is doing in Nicaragua. I love it here and I thank God He has called us to Nicaragua. It is up to godly people to keep us here. Thank you for the time you gave to me to read this and I would love to answer any questions that you have. You can email me at [email protected]

This report brought to you by Sierra Speigle for her Awana Project

The Fort CS News STILL HAPPILY MARRIED SEE HOW THEY DID IT!! By: Sierra Speigle

Leon, Nicaragua This couple, John and Vanessa Speigle, have been happily married for fifteen years! They have kindly agreed to share some of their tips and information. Mr. Speigle says that they first met on a volleyball court, on the first week of university. Mrs. Speigle doesn’t remember, it was too long ago. They knew each other about a year and ½ before they decided to get married. They were engaged for 2 years. They keep God first in their life and marriage by having devotions and praying. They show their love to each other by cooking, cleaning, and telling each other they love each other. Mr. and Mrs. Speigle say that the best part about being married is not being apart and having fun. They have 4 kids. Mrs. Speigle says that she didn’t dream about who she would marry, only how many kids she would have, although he must be tall. Mr. Speigle says yes, he did, and that she must be a good kisser. Their advice to newly-married couples is this: stay out of debt, talk to each other, live on one income, be careful someday the little things will be big, brush your teeth especially the ones that are missing, don’t expect that your different from other couples. That is the end of our interview with Mr. and Mrs. Speigle.