Hola!

I'm not sure who all reads this blog and if you read it, if you also get our monthly updates. So just in case you don't receive them - here it is:
(If you would like our monthly updates, just leave a comment or email us!)

Dear Friends and Family,

Feliz día de San Valentín! (Happy Valentine’s Day!) We hope all is well! We have had a very busy and fun January and February. Every month, as we sit down to write this update, we are always amazed at the things the Lord has done or taught us and the blessings we have received. Here are some of the highlights from January and February:

· Chase and Julie Russell came to visit us at the end of January! They were so kind and brought down some rather large suitcases with some wonderful things for us from the states. We received taco seasoning, a baby swing, and some really cute house decorations – to name just a few. More important than the “things”, it was like a breath of fresh air to have our family here. We really are so thankful that they would take time to come visit us. We loved having them here!

· While they were here we were able to do some sightseeing. We visited Lake Nicaragua, went on a boat tour and saw some really friendly monkeys. We went to the Masaya Volcano, went inside an insanely long bat cave, and even saw the glow of lava. We also spent some time on the Pacific Ocean and it still amazes us how warm the water is! (Pictures above are from all of those places)

· This month, Kristina led chapel for the preschool and lower elementary. Our study this semester is over the many different names of God and Kristina was able to teach about Jehovah Shalom, God is our Peace. Although, the students are young, we prayed they could understand how God is a God of peace and not a God of fear. In the recent past, Nicaragua has had some political unrest and most of the students have experienced fear through this. They have seen and experienced some things that most kids their age have not. Our hope is that they trust fully in Jehovah Shalom and do not live in fear.

· Kristina is 29 weeks pregnant and was able to have a 3D ultrasound. We are told that this is rather expensive in the states, but it’s not here! It was extraordinarily cool to see the baby and hear that everything looks great and we have a healthy baby! We are so thankful for this news! Each week we get more and more excited to meet this wonderful baby!

· David has been an assistant coach for the high school guy’s basketball team and today was their first game! They lost unfortunately, but it has been really fun for him to get to interact with the guys in and out of class. This semester he has been teaching geography, government, and biblical ethics to the high school grades. Between basketball, lesson planning, and grading, life stays extremely busy!

Our prayer requests for this month:

· Pray for us to grow in our marriage and love for each other as we are both often very busy and tired.

· Continued praise for a good update on Baby Russell!

· As we work with students and their families, that we would be full of love and wisdom in those relationships.

· We’re looking for a car! Pray we can find the right one for us and our budget!

As always, thank you for your prayers and support. We are continually reminded of how we need Christ! We hope that you are reminded of Him today and that your love for Him continues to grow, even in the monotony of everyday life.

In Christ,

David and Kristina Russell