Thurlow Themes

New Vehicle

2009-09-21T16:45:00.000-04:00

Thanks to your gifts we purchased this 1998 Toyota 4Runner on Wednesday night. We are all excited and have said to each other several times while driving/riding in it, "What a difference!" It is a mid-size 4X4 SUV and the exterior is similar to those in the USA, but down here they have a jump seat in the cargo area, so it can hold 7 passengers. Also it has a 3L diesel engine with a manual "stick-shift" transmission. It is a very clean vehicle.

Next week I will start the legal process of "transfer of ownership". This is about a 10-step process which can take only several days if your are lucky!

Thank you again for your special gifts, we are still about $2000 shy of being able to fully pay off the vehicle. Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated.

We are sooo excited!

David's 6th grade graduation

2009-06-20T12:29:00.001-04:00

Well, sorry it has been so long since we have updated anything on this blog. We are just not into the blogger lifestyle yet. However, Johanna and David are active on facebook. I (Bob) will try to be more diligent in blogging, perhaps even posting once a week.

David graduated from the 6th grade and Lily finished 5th. They are both honor roll students at the Nicaraguan Christian Academy and we are proud of them!

2009-03-24T18:15:00.000-04:00

Cakes, Coins and Cancer by Johanna

My neighbor needs Christ. For some time I have felt drawn to reach out to her. Not too long ago, I went over to her house and asked her if she would ever be interested in reading the Bible together. Because she grew up on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, she speaks both English and Spanish. She informed me that she actually went to church a lot as a child. I told her to think about the offer. Up to this point, most of our interaction as neighbors had been strained at best. A few days later, she was having her birthday party, so I offered to make her a birthday cake. She was very touched by the gesture and has warmed up to us a lot. She shared with me that her 5-year old son was waking up at night with nightmares and asked for advice. Maybe through the cake she was able to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Just after delivering the cake, I went to the airport to pick up a friend. On the way home, we pulled into McDonalds (the only one in Nicaragua.) Usually, there are several small children who hang out there in the parking lot, waiting for leftovers. It can be pretty hard to enjoy your food, knowing they are out there. I stayed in the car while my friend ran in to grab some dinner to go. On this particular night, a small boy was sitting on the concrete wall with a small container of change. He amused himself by dumping the coins in his hand, looking at them and then returning them to the little tube, firmly closing the lid each time. I amused myself by watching him. I was pretty tired from making the cake and driving through city traffic at dark, so I quietly rolled down my window and stared at this little soul, all alone. After resting a moment, I started to talk with him a little bit, asking his age and name. Before pulling away, I was able to add to his coin collection and tell him that Jesus loves him. I was pleased to see someone that looked like his mother appear with other siblings, as I was leaving. It is always difficult to know what to do with this sort of situation. Do we want to promote children begging in public places? It is a dilemma and we respond differently each time.

Recently, I was in a pharmacy buying some medicine for David. An older lady came in to ask about a medicine she needed for her 5-year old granddaughter who is fighting cancer. She wanted to buy 2 pills for the weekend, but when she found out they were $2 each, she hung her head and began to walk away. I knew that $4 was probably a whole day’s income for that family. I quickly told the pharmacist, “I’ll pay for that.” Then the pharmacist said that she would pay for 2 more pills. It was such a wonderful moment and it helped me remember why I wanted to live in a place like this. Amidst the dust, dirt and heat, I was able to lift the spirits of that hard working grandmother and help with the treatment of her granddaughter. What a privilege! Thank you to all of you who give sacrificially so that we can freely minister in this corner of the world. God is well pleased.

David's Tooth Extraction

2008-11-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

Bob cutting the grass

2008-11-25T12:54:00.000-05:00

Lowlights from Summer

2008-08-26T14:35:00.000-04:00

If you get squeamish you may not want to look at these pics of Johanna's arm after her surgery.

Highlights from Summer 2008

2008-08-25T13:55:00.000-04:00

New prayer cards were printed and shipped.

Humichous side of the family reunion. July 4th.

Bob with his siblings.

At the Creation Museum

Home Video Tour

2008-04-09T17:58:00.000-04:00

Come on in!

Thanks for visiting, Come back soon.

Bob makes the front page!

2008-04-01T18:39:00.000-04:00

Bob was recently featured in Impact, Christ for the City International's quarterly newsletter. Below is the full article.

Christ for the City International brings training and tools to pastors in Nicaragua.

Pastoring a church is a great privilege and responsibility, however many pastors in Latin America are struggling because they lack both training and resources. As a young man, Julio Pavon Leiva served in his church while working as a gardener. After doing this for several years he became the pastor. As a new pastor with no ministerial training, he says, "I often felt like I was blind". Pastor Julio's testimony mirrors that of many pastors throughout Nicaragua.

Recently, Julio participated in a project directed by CFCI missionary Bob Thurlow called Pastor's Toolbox. The Pastor's Toolbox project equips pastors like Julio with training and tools so that they can effectively pastor their churches. Bob comments, "Julio is not alone, I have heard a similar story many times. It is safe to assume that approximately 80% of the pastors in Nicaragua are just like Julio."

In the course the pastors learn how to study the Bible inductively. “We teach the pastor to ask three basic questions about a Biblical passage, "What does the passage say?, What does the passage mean?, and "How can I apply this passage to my life?." "We keep the course very simple and practical”.

The instruction requires patience because many of the pastors have little educational background and do not understand the importance of preaching and teaching from the Word of God. “Studying is not part of their lifestyle. Although they can read, they have not been taught how to analyze what they read. Their church services focus mostly on worship and prayer, but hardly have any instruction from the Bible. So we must first teach them the importance of the Word of God and then teach them how to study it.”

Pastor Julio comments, "Before I took the class, my interpretation of the Bible was..., well I didn't interpret the Bible, I just said what I thought about it. Brother Roberto (Bob's name in Spanish) challenged us to correctly handle the Word of Truth. After the first session, I asked the Lord to forgive me for my ignorance of the Word. Now I am not the same with the Word. I read the Bible completely different."

Along with the course instruction, each pastor has the opportunity to purchase a Bible concordance and a Bible dictionary for a fraction of the cost. "Most pastors in Nicaragua do not have a single Bible reference book. To understand the importance of Bible-study resources, walk into your pastor's study in the United States and look around. In Nicaragua, resources like these are not easily available plus they are much more expensive. Pastors like Julio would have to spend the equivalent of 2 weeks pay in order to purchase these resources." Each pastor is sponsored by churches or individuals in the United States. In 2007, 29 pastors completed the course and received their study resources.

Pastor Julio adds, “The course has made a difference in my church as well. The brothers in my church said that they see a different pastor. I am full of joy and want to learn more!”

2007-10-06T15:56:00.000-04:00

Bob started a new Pastor's Toolbox class in San Rafael del Sur last Monday. Eighteen students are registered for the class. Here is a photo with some of them.

The Pastor's Toolbox project provides pastors in Nicaragua valuable training and tools in how to study the Bible. Each pastor will receive a Bible concordance and a Bible dictionary while learning how to use them.

Most pastors in Nicaragua have not had any formal training in Bible or theology. Most do not have any Bible study resources.

More Photos

2007-09-15T23:27:00.000-04:00

Nicaragua Independence Day

2007-09-15T22:55:00.000-04:00

Independence Day for Nicaragua and Central America is September 15th. These two videos are of the celebration at David and Lily's school, the Nicaraguan Christian Academy.

Lily's 10th Birthday

2007-09-11T16:58:00.000-04:00

Lilyann Jewel Thurlow celebrated her 10th birthday on August 31st. She invited 10 friends to her party and then 3 of them stayed all night.

As you can see Lily likes opening gifts like most kids. Some of her favorite gifts included a bicycle, a "Little House on the Prairie Style" nightgown, a whistle and a pair of purple crocs!

Johanna's 38th Birthday

2007-09-11T16:57:00.001-04:00

Welcome!

2007-09-07T21:55:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our new blog. We are the Thurlow's (Bob, Johanna, David and Lily) serving as Missionaries with Christ for the City International in Nicaragua.