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                                           Nicaragua 

         A lot has happened since the last update that I sent out so I will just give you a brief overview of what I have been up to.

Last April during Semana Santa some of my relatives were able to visit.  My aunt Sherry, Aunt Ruth, Uncle Tim and my cousin Claire came.  It was great to be able to chat, to laugh together, and share new experiences. We hadn't seen them in over eight months and their visit was a gift from God. 

When they left, Kate had to leave with them.  That was very hard to have her leave and it is still hard for me not to have her here with me.  I think that our relationship grew so much during the time she was in Nicaragua with us and I am very thankful that she was able to spend those months with us.  One thing is for sure, and that is that my relationship with Olivia has improved a lot since Kate has not been around. 

         Less than a week after my relatives left some friends from the northern MI area came and visited.  Stahls came so that they could get a better understanding of Vida Joven (Young Life) Nicaragua and start making plans for a mission trip from the Lake City area to Nicaragua in January or February of 2008.  They were an encouragement to us and could relate as they have experienced the mission field as well.  Olivia’s friend Jane was able to come with them and that was another blessing.

         During the month of April, I was constantly reminded of how blessed I truly am.  The Bible verse that was on my mind a lot was James 1:17 which says that every good and perfect gift comes from God.  I was noticing the things that God has blessed me with like a Christian family; friends who want to come visit; all of the cards, gifts, donations; it even struck me how God has made it possible for us to build houses out of cement (a mixture of sand, rock, and water - all of things that He has provided); that God has made it possible for me to stay in contact with some of the people I love most through technology even though I am thousands of miles away.  God gives me life, He is doing a miracle right now as I am typing because He created me and is making all of my organs work together.

May 7-11 we took a break from regular work and study life and went to Granada, the beautiful colonial city of Nicaragua, to focus on our Spanish.  We had class from 8-12am everyday.  It was a one on one tutoring system.  Each hour of the morning we had a different focus on Spanish with a different teacher.  To give you an idea I will tell you what my schedule was. My first hour of the day I had the class of Worksheets with Eric, my second hour was Grammar with Gerson, third hour was Conversation with Nelson, and my last hour of class each day was Vocabulary with Alejo.   Olivia and I did a home-stay separate from my parents so that we would speak less English with each other and get to know the families better.  Liv and I were blessed to stay with a very welcoming woman and her 18 year old daughter who made it feel like we were friends right away. Overall it was a good “shot in the arm” for our Spanish; however, it is still a struggle and it is a long process, one that we will have to continually persevere in.

         We are now trying to finish up home schooling and other things before the work teams start coming for the summer.  May 31st the first group is scheduled to

arrive and after them about 11 more teams are planning to come and work with Vida Joven.  It will be a very busy time especially for my dad since he is in charge of the work teams.  Please pray that we will not get caught up in all the work and ignore our personal relationships with God.  We can't do anything without God and pray that our relationships with Him will be our NUMBER ONE priority above all else. 

          This summer I am hoping to learn to translate a little bit between the work teams and Vida Joven Nicaraguan staff.  As of now I have no plans to go back to the United States.  I still feel like there is plenty for me to learn and do here and I don't want to miss out on my opportunities that I have at this point in my life. 

Olivia and I are still involved in Club Central of Matagalpa of VJ and it is going well.

Our family is planning a trip to the States for a few weeks in October of this year. 

Well, that is the update for now.  Remember that if you want to see some pictures just go to www.photobucket.com and type in AnnaGreenway in the search box.  I try to upload pictures regularly.

Love to all and may God bless you abundantly!

~ Anna Greenway

Greenway Family

Apartado Postal 110

                                Matagalpa, Nicaragua

                               Central America

Check out my Slide Show!

Wisdom of the Puritans

"The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying."   - John Flavel

"Read the Scripture, not only as a history, but as a love-letter sent to you from God."

- Thomas Watson

"Death is only a grim porter to let us into a stately palace."  - Richard Sibbes

"Those sins that seem most sweet in life, will prove most bitter in death." - Thomas Brooks

"A sin is two sins when it is defended."

- Henry Smith

God's center is everywhere, HIs circumference is nowhere." - Thomas Watson

"The carnal mind sees God in nothing, not even in spiritual things.  The spiritual mind sees Him in everything, even in natural things..." - Robert Leighton

"As the apple is not the cause of the apple tree, but a fruit of it: even so good works are not the cause of our salvation, but a sign and a fruit of the same." - Daniel Cawdray

"Hope is never ill when faith is well."

-John Bunyan

"Hope fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy and consolation, that it can laugh while tears are in the eye, sigh and sing all in a breath; it is called 'the rejoicing of hope.' (Heb. 3:6) "  - William Gurnall

"Christ is the door that open's into God's presence and lets the soul into His very bosom, faith is the key that unlocks the door; but the Spirit is He that makes the key."

-William Gurnall

"When the corn is nearly ripe it bows the head and stoops lower than when it was green.  When the peole of God are near ripe for heaven, they grow more humble and self-denying...Paul had one foot in heaven when he called himself the chiefest of sinners and least of saints."  - John Flavel

"In spiritual graces let us study to be great, and not to know it."  - Thomas Adams

"Woman takes her being from man, man takes his well-being from woman."

-Thomas Adams

"Let us use the world, but enjoy the Lord."

-Thomas Brooks

"God does not justify us because we are worthy, buy by justifying usmakes us worthy."

-Thomas Watson

The end of all learning is to know God, and out off that knowledge to love and imitate Him."   - John Milton

" 'We love Him because He first loved us.'  Love is like an echo, it returneth what is receiveth."  - Thomas Manton

"We are never nearer Christ than when we find ourselves lost in a holy amazement at His unspeakable love."  - John Owen

"Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan."

-John Bunyan

These are some great quotes that I found in my English Lit. book that made me think a little bit.  I hope you enjoyed them!!!

Much pain on earth, no pain in heaven!

        I finally recovered from being sick for about 15 days.  The first time I went to the doctor I got a bunch of pills and I was feeling better after a couple days, then when I ran out of medication I became sick again.  I returned to the doctor and received some stronger pills.  It has been a few days since I have finished those pills and I feel like I am back to normal. 

          Anyway while I was sick I was thinking about suffering and how it brings us closer to God.  Not long after that I had remembered that a few weeks before I had become sick, I had prayed that God would allow me to suffer.  You may be wondering "why would you ever pray for something like that?"  What inspired me to pray to suffer was honestly to bring me closer to God.  I was feeling like life was too easy and I was remembering the book The Hiding Place and how Corrie TenBoom's faith grew greatly in the midst of suffering.  I had become complacent with my life as a Christian and I was ready for a change.

             God is so good and allowed me to get closer to him by means of suffering through sickness.  What the Holy Spirit really made me realize during this time, is that there is no suffering in heaven. This world is full of all kinds of suffering and many people don't have the hope that we have in Christ.   I have the opportunity to share with others the fact that: there is no pain, no sickness, no drugs, no killing, no drunkenness, no infections, no diseases, no divorce, and no fighting in heaven!  Alleluia!  Even more, there is not an absence of joy, love, peace, happiness and laughter in heaven. 

          When I experience pain in any way I can remember that when I die and go to heaven I will not have to experience this same thing again.  I have never, before that moment, longed for heaven in this manner.  I can be thankful to God during pain and suffering for three reasons.  First it brings me closer to my Savior - I realize that I can't keep going without Him.  Second, because suffering produces perseverance.  And third, because someday I will not have to experience any type of suffering and I will be rewarded in heaven for persevering.

         James 1:2-3   Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

          James 1:12 Blesssed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

  Spanish, Spanish, Spanish

  There is so much Spanish for me to learn.  There is so much Spanish I need to learn and I want to learn.  It is a way to communicate with the people.  Sometimes I feel trapped when I can't understand anything that the people are telling me or when I can't think of how to say what I want to say.  It is like there is a wall between myself and the people because this language barrier.  

I think it is the hardest when I am with a group of Nicas and someone is explaining something and we are supposed to respond to or when someone is giving instructions on how we are going to do something but then I am clueless of what is going on.   Have you ever just started daydreaming on accident when you really needed to listen and pay attention to the speaker?  Then you realize that you just missed everything and you can't go back in time and listen.  That is how I feel sometimes.

Well, enough complaining.  I know that in time I will learn and that God will give the perseverance to keep learning.  I look forward to the day when I can have an enjoyable conversation with someone in Spanish!