tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76936150487914145432024-03-13T08:26:49.879-05:00The Jawbone"Samson picked up a piece of garbage and used it to destroy the enemy."
-Judges 15:15,16 (My paraphrase)Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-27669828680758198772008-12-23T02:14:00.002-06:002008-12-23T02:41:05.216-06:00Politics and ChristianityI've been thinking a lot about politics and the church's role in them lately. Most of you who know me know that my personal politics are strange and hard to define and are neither right, left, or center. I will be posting some blogs digging into that in the near future. The first thing I want to encourage pondering upon is the separation between church and state. To me, the main reason for Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-43126036794434748182008-10-18T03:56:00.003-05:002008-10-18T04:10:08.128-05:00Thank you, GodThanks for my life and the way it is playing out. Thanks for 29 years of Your mercy. Thanks for sending me to Nicaragua. Thanks for making it hard on me sometimes so that I see how good You are when it gets better. Thank you for the family I came from. Thank you for the family that I will start with You as the head that I don't even know yet. Thank you for my friends that have helped me Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-89956776269148150492008-10-16T22:49:00.007-05:002008-10-17T04:50:41.087-05:00My GirlsI had a fun night playing with some of my favorite kids tonight...and it was actually an all around great day all day. I walked in the shop this morning to Greg blaring some worship music, and that just kind of set the tone for the day. The guys at the shop have started dedicating the first 10 minutes to pray for everyone there. Two guys a day, rotating days...I love that idea, and I'm so proud Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-68980958899847542182008-09-23T02:46:00.004-05:002008-09-23T03:54:47.677-05:00Dimas and JamesThere's an old bum here in Managua that is doing his best not to be a bum. He guards cars in front of some bars and restaurants in the Bolonia part of town. I can't remember when I first met him, it was probably close to a year ago, but he came in where I was eating and told me that he had checked my car doors and that one was unlocked...I took a liking to his honesty and appreciated his effortLes Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-32771004104000603222008-09-06T02:05:00.003-05:002008-09-06T02:26:11.776-05:00"Go Away, Jesus."Luke8:34When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-18478972813994592972008-01-24T20:04:00.000-06:002008-01-24T20:07:28.451-06:00Evan AlmightyI just watched "Evan Almighty" and it was great. Probably the best portrayal of interaction between God and a man that I have ever seen in a Hollywood film.It was not only acceptable, but Biblical. I love seeing the Holy Spirit use the secular for the greater purpose of God.Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-62722416792033542712008-01-21T13:36:00.000-06:002008-01-21T13:39:47.669-06:00AndreaI know a little girl that has it in her to be a punk. She was raised in a garbage dump. Not real big on manners. Likes to steal. Doesn't follow rules that are for her own good. Throws selfish fits when she doesn't get her way.The first day I ever interacted with her I was installing doors at the rescue home where she lives. She was climbing on things that I told her not to, kept going through my Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-86687547578318057682007-12-24T17:38:00.000-06:002007-12-24T17:40:17.607-06:00Loving God with Everything Loving God with Everything Category: Religion and Philosophy My cousin Amanda asked me to write a letter for the family Christmas program since I won't get to be there this year. My assigned topic...Loving God with All your Heart, Soul, and Strength.You know, the first thing I Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-9597481608115340602007-12-13T20:55:00.000-06:002007-12-13T20:59:10.660-06:00ButterfliesHere is a praise. We had the meeting with Pastor Manuel today, and I had mentioned in the original version of my last blog that there was a possibility that we could not fully trust him and I had requested prayer about the situation and our meeting with him. It turns out that everything was just a misunderstanding due to some work being arranged that spanned 4 people and 2 languages...so he Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-42675619969138740692007-12-11T17:41:00.000-06:002007-12-12T09:58:59.201-06:00Final del Año UpdateHere is a summary of what has been going on lately.I moved again. Now I live in Los Cedros (20 km outside Managua). I'm on a six acre banana farm where my shop and school is. I have a little casita out front that will be the office and showroom eventually too. Right now it is entirely unfinished. I just have a hammock, no electricity, and I have to walk about 100 yards for running water. Most of Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-72114967683948248702007-11-19T00:02:00.000-06:002007-11-19T00:14:36.732-06:00El mismo como mi último blog, pero en español. (This is the Spanish version of the same blog that is below...read that one if you prefer English.)Sé que yo debería blog más sobre mi vida regular aquí, pero este es una petición de oraciones importante de un amigo. Un amigo que era el padre de un querido amigo mío falleció de un ataque cardíaco ayer. Este es la petición de oraciones de correo electrónico que he estado enviando.Oye amigos... pensamiento yo expediría esta petición de oraciones. Sólo me puse otro correo electrónico de Josh y élLes Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-63351734021026165832007-11-18T18:29:00.000-06:002007-11-19T00:09:17.582-06:00Pray for the Izdepski FamilyI know I should blog more about my regular life here, but this is an important prayer request from a friend. A friend who was the father of a dear friend of mine passed away of a heart attack yesterday. This is the email prayer request that I have been sending.Hey guys...thought I would forward this prayer request. I just gotanother email from Josh and he said they really need prayer. He Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-76292657739266911072007-09-15T09:29:00.000-05:002007-09-15T09:30:20.787-05:00Hurricane FelixThis is a long story very short, but the storm didn't hit us directly...it destroyed the Autonomous Atlantic Coast Region though. (It's like a country within a country). Nobody was doing anything to help...not even the Red Cross or government, so four friends and I called a shrimping company and started a supply chain for water and food. We were the first supply to hit the villages four days Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-664452857516577972007-07-07T22:49:00.000-05:002007-07-07T23:11:05.132-05:00Flat Tires and Garbage FiresAfter having been here for three weeks I have changed 3 tires...and I don't even have a vehicle. I went with my friends Carlos and Melissa tonight to Pilar's house to watch "Pay it Forward" with the kids from the scholarship program. Finally got to hang out with Enrique and Pedro, and visited with their Mom, Patricia, for a little while. She makes this wonderful little snack called "Bunelos."Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-47413859908270373532007-06-28T16:06:00.000-05:002007-06-28T16:07:02.539-05:00This MorningThis morning there were ten people asleep in the floor of my apartment, because a pastor threatened to kill any white people that came back to the ministry where they were staying.This morning I drove by a church that charges poor people money to pray blessings and healing for them.This morning I walked past prostitutes that were working amidst piles of burning garbage.This morning I had men ask Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-74418254132233644682007-06-26T14:01:00.000-05:002007-06-26T20:19:37.985-05:00Two Weeks in ManaguaWell...I have been in Nicaragua for two weeks now. There is so much to tell that I don't really know where to start. Electricity during the day is almost a rare luxury, even if you are somewhere that has a generator and a router, it doesn't necessarily mean that there is internet access...because the power is probably out at the cable company.For those of you at the River, I have seen several Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693615048791414543.post-64511568420277017922007-06-10T15:17:00.001-05:002007-06-10T15:19:18.469-05:00The Places I Will Go (Fun with Google Earth)If you play with Google Earth, you might find these interesting.La Chureca (notice the yellow bus...that is most likely Guillermo and Open Hearts Ministry) 12° 9'52.72"N 86°18'12.06"WQuinta Havilah (The Open Hearts Ministry farm) 12° 6'4.97"N 86°21'4.29"WCondominio Allyson (The apartments I will most likely live in.) 12° 5'48.55"N 86°20'58.39"WMonte Hermon ...to the best I can remember it is at Les Valetshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567345640755817080noreply@blogger.com4