Everyone is home and ready to tell their stories! We finished debriefing, and ended on a strong note. Everyone really has some great stuff that God did in their heart that they are taking home with them.
Don't forget about the carry-in lunch July 5th at NLF after the service that morning! You'll hear some in depth stories there as well.
One last time...thanks for all your prayers!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Back in the States
We made it safely back to chicago! We're at the hotel and will be doing some debreifing tonight and tomorrow morning. See you all soon!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Rain or Shine
I said yesterday that rain or shine God was going to do some great stuff today, and that couldn’t have been more true. It rained almost all day again today, but God showed up in a huge way anywas. He blew us all away. I would say that today was the most IMPACTing day of the trip. And it was so big that I’m going to make you wait until we get home to hear about it! We experienced everything from Holy Spirit empowered prayer, to being led by clear and specific visions, to even ministering to local prostitutes. It was phenomenal. On July 5, after the Sunday morning service at NLF we will be having an all church carry in lunch where we (and the first ever NLF Global Impact Kenya team) will be sharing in-depth what God did on our trip. Make sure you are there! But feel free to ask us individual when you see us in the coming days.
We have to get up in about 4 hours to go to the airport to fly back to the states. Then we’ll be in Houston for about a 3 hour layover before we fly into Chicago. We’ll do some in depth debriefing as a team Monday night and Tuesday. Then we’ll be home around 7pm Tuesday evening!
Thanks again for all your prayers. God is good! And it has been a great trip. I’m looking forward to God doing even greater things in our ministry back home. And there it won’t just be us...it’ll be through you too. :)
We have to get up in about 4 hours to go to the airport to fly back to the states. Then we’ll be in Houston for about a 3 hour layover before we fly into Chicago. We’ll do some in depth debriefing as a team Monday night and Tuesday. Then we’ll be home around 7pm Tuesday evening!
Thanks again for all your prayers. God is good! And it has been a great trip. I’m looking forward to God doing even greater things in our ministry back home. And there it won’t just be us...it’ll be through you too. :)
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Our Plan vs God's Plan....God Wins
Today was one of those days where we had a plan and God had a different plan. We’ve been anticipating this day all week because we’ve been building relationships with kids all over the community with the hope of culminating our efforts in this one day. In case you’re just getting into the blog or need your memory refreshed, we had planned a big kids party today where we were going to play games, have lots of fun, and in several creative ways teach them about God. We had prepared 10 different stations where we had activities, games, and a lesson about God at each station. Then we had planned to feed all the kids lunch and continue the festivities into the afternoon.
We’ll...that was our plan. But it didn’t happen today. We started the morning by bringing the kids in and decoration La Quinta where the party was going to take place. We blew up hundreds of balloons, and got everything ready. We expected 250 kids but 300+ showed up. Which was great! We started having fun, and playing random games just to get all the kids comfortable. But our plans changed when the rain came. We were told when we first arrived in Nicaragua that it is the rainy season here, and that we should expect one day at least with lots of rain. That day was today. In fact, even as I write here at night it is absolutely pouring out (and drew just got pushed into a waterfall of rain).
When it started to rain we brought all the kids into the church and we had some backup plans for in there. But coincidently the power was out today (not uncommon in 3rd world countries), which ruined our indoor plans. After a while the rain died down a little and we tried going back outside and get into our stations, but after a few minutes it started raining even harder. So we went back inside and waited. Then it was time for lunch. We made the food, but we didn’t have enough for the like 400 people that showed up. So we (the Americans) ended up not eating and ended the early afternoon wet, dirty, hungry, and a little disappointed.
We got some needed rest in the afternoon and ended up going to a church service at a different church this evening. During debrief tonight we did have a powerful thought. I challenge the New Life students to begin to ask a simple but important question: “Lord, what are you trying to say to me?” When things don’t go our why we often get frustrated (sometimes even at God himself), and we can dwell on what “might have happened” or what “could have been.” But ultimately God’s will is best, God’s timing is perfect, and God’s goodness never ends. So maybe the best question when things don’t go our way is, “God, what are you trying to teach me?” This question was particularly powerful for us tonight because we only have one day left of the trip, and we need to start seriously thinking about what God is trying to do in our lives; not just today but through this entire trip. I think the students left tonight challenged and ready to make the most of their last day.
Tomorrow will be a long day, and rain or shine we are going to have a great opportunity to connect with God in a powerful way. After church in the morning we are going to Ask The Lord (ATL). That means we are going to leave the schedule open and spend time seriously asking God to lead us in what he wants us to do. It always proves to be a powerful time for students to see just how sovereign God is. Pray for God to work powerfully!
We’ll...that was our plan. But it didn’t happen today. We started the morning by bringing the kids in and decoration La Quinta where the party was going to take place. We blew up hundreds of balloons, and got everything ready. We expected 250 kids but 300+ showed up. Which was great! We started having fun, and playing random games just to get all the kids comfortable. But our plans changed when the rain came. We were told when we first arrived in Nicaragua that it is the rainy season here, and that we should expect one day at least with lots of rain. That day was today. In fact, even as I write here at night it is absolutely pouring out (and drew just got pushed into a waterfall of rain).
When it started to rain we brought all the kids into the church and we had some backup plans for in there. But coincidently the power was out today (not uncommon in 3rd world countries), which ruined our indoor plans. After a while the rain died down a little and we tried going back outside and get into our stations, but after a few minutes it started raining even harder. So we went back inside and waited. Then it was time for lunch. We made the food, but we didn’t have enough for the like 400 people that showed up. So we (the Americans) ended up not eating and ended the early afternoon wet, dirty, hungry, and a little disappointed.
We got some needed rest in the afternoon and ended up going to a church service at a different church this evening. During debrief tonight we did have a powerful thought. I challenge the New Life students to begin to ask a simple but important question: “Lord, what are you trying to say to me?” When things don’t go our why we often get frustrated (sometimes even at God himself), and we can dwell on what “might have happened” or what “could have been.” But ultimately God’s will is best, God’s timing is perfect, and God’s goodness never ends. So maybe the best question when things don’t go our way is, “God, what are you trying to teach me?” This question was particularly powerful for us tonight because we only have one day left of the trip, and we need to start seriously thinking about what God is trying to do in our lives; not just today but through this entire trip. I think the students left tonight challenged and ready to make the most of their last day.
Tomorrow will be a long day, and rain or shine we are going to have a great opportunity to connect with God in a powerful way. After church in the morning we are going to Ask The Lord (ATL). That means we are going to leave the schedule open and spend time seriously asking God to lead us in what he wants us to do. It always proves to be a powerful time for students to see just how sovereign God is. Pray for God to work powerfully!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Volcan Mombacho
Today was our free day as a team, and what an adventure we had. Most of the day has been very relaxed, but in the late morning and afternoon we got to see a whole new side of Nicaragua. First we drove about an hour away to do some shopping. In Nicaragua different towns specialize in different trades. So we had to go to a couple of different places.
After shopping we went to a place called Mombacho. Mombacho is one of Nicaragua’s 40 Volcanoes (and one of the 9 that are still active!). We’ve seen this volcano on a daily basis because in the distance it towers over the town where we are doing ministry. At Mombacho the group split in two. One group got to go on a bus tour to the top of the volcano. Paige and Donna were in this group, and from what I hear they did a lot of walking but saw some cool sights. The second group was for the thrill seekers. Myself, Jake, Kevin, and Drew (along with a few others from the other team) went on what was called a “canopy tour.” This involved an hour ride up the back of the volcano into thick Nicaraguan jungle to a place where 17 zip lines took us through the treetops of the jungle. The ride was incredibly bumpy and tough to endure, but the football field length zip lines were well worth it. The “canopy tour” ended by each of us repelling down from a 50ft high platform at almost freefall speeds. No one who went regretted the experience.
That’s pretty much all there is to report about today. We’ve had a good amount of down time which I hope will leave us ready to tackle the challenges that are ahead in the next two days. Pray that God will empower us for incredible IMPACT here in Nicaragua!
After shopping we went to a place called Mombacho. Mombacho is one of Nicaragua’s 40 Volcanoes (and one of the 9 that are still active!). We’ve seen this volcano on a daily basis because in the distance it towers over the town where we are doing ministry. At Mombacho the group split in two. One group got to go on a bus tour to the top of the volcano. Paige and Donna were in this group, and from what I hear they did a lot of walking but saw some cool sights. The second group was for the thrill seekers. Myself, Jake, Kevin, and Drew (along with a few others from the other team) went on what was called a “canopy tour.” This involved an hour ride up the back of the volcano into thick Nicaraguan jungle to a place where 17 zip lines took us through the treetops of the jungle. The ride was incredibly bumpy and tough to endure, but the football field length zip lines were well worth it. The “canopy tour” ended by each of us repelling down from a 50ft high platform at almost freefall speeds. No one who went regretted the experience.
That’s pretty much all there is to report about today. We’ve had a good amount of down time which I hope will leave us ready to tackle the challenges that are ahead in the next two days. Pray that God will empower us for incredible IMPACT here in Nicaragua!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
La Casa de Gozo
We’re over half way done with our trip, and coming to the end of our time in Nicaragua. Only two more ministry days left (and a fun day...which is tomorrow). Today was a lot of fun, but nothing too new. We helped out at La Quinta in the morning and went to La Casa de Gozo (The House of Joy) in the afternoon.
In the morning at La Quinta the guys did some heavy lifting for the construction project. We were in charge of moving about 40 blocks from where they were stacked to where the building was going up. The tough part was that each block weighed roughly 120lbs! We teamed up and got it done. The girls hung out with the little kids in the classroom, doing some coloring and English homework. Then toward the end of the morning we started planning and preparing for our big day coming up this Saturday. We are going to do a huge party for TONS of kids and it is going to take a lot of preparation. We practice some of the stations that we are going to be leading Saturday. The stations involve a fun game and a lesson about God at the end. We’re all very excited for it.
In the afternoon we went to a youth center in the hill country of Nicaragua (the House of Joy). We saw some amazing new scenery, and got to love on a new group of kids from that community. They have a baseball program there and so of course the American guys took on the Nicaraguans. We tied 7-7! They were pretty good...but we were pretty bad! It was fun, and we shared testimonies with the guys at the end of the game. Jake shared from our team and did a great job once again. The girls didn’t have as much to do, but had fun hanging out with the little girls that were there. I believe some nails were painted again!
At the end of the night we ate dinner at a pizza place. Nothing like some goat cheese pizza! We actually couldn’t tell a difference. Then we had another great time of debriefing from the day. We all went around and shared a high and low point from the trip so far. My highlight of the day was here when Paige shared that she doesn't want to leave Nicaragua. Not a highlight for those of you who want her to come home! But it's great to hear how significant this experience is for her. I think as a team we are really taking hold of God's heart for the nations.
Tomorrow is our free/fun day! It is going to be sweet. Stay tuned for details!
Most of all, pray all the more for us. It looks like God is setting up our two heaviest ministry days for the two last days of the trip (this Saturday and Sunday). They are both going to be the fullest days we have seen, and they are going to be packed with incredible ministry opportunities. Thanks prayer warriors for staying behind us!
In the morning at La Quinta the guys did some heavy lifting for the construction project. We were in charge of moving about 40 blocks from where they were stacked to where the building was going up. The tough part was that each block weighed roughly 120lbs! We teamed up and got it done. The girls hung out with the little kids in the classroom, doing some coloring and English homework. Then toward the end of the morning we started planning and preparing for our big day coming up this Saturday. We are going to do a huge party for TONS of kids and it is going to take a lot of preparation. We practice some of the stations that we are going to be leading Saturday. The stations involve a fun game and a lesson about God at the end. We’re all very excited for it.
In the afternoon we went to a youth center in the hill country of Nicaragua (the House of Joy). We saw some amazing new scenery, and got to love on a new group of kids from that community. They have a baseball program there and so of course the American guys took on the Nicaraguans. We tied 7-7! They were pretty good...but we were pretty bad! It was fun, and we shared testimonies with the guys at the end of the game. Jake shared from our team and did a great job once again. The girls didn’t have as much to do, but had fun hanging out with the little girls that were there. I believe some nails were painted again!
At the end of the night we ate dinner at a pizza place. Nothing like some goat cheese pizza! We actually couldn’t tell a difference. Then we had another great time of debriefing from the day. We all went around and shared a high and low point from the trip so far. My highlight of the day was here when Paige shared that she doesn't want to leave Nicaragua. Not a highlight for those of you who want her to come home! But it's great to hear how significant this experience is for her. I think as a team we are really taking hold of God's heart for the nations.
Tomorrow is our free/fun day! It is going to be sweet. Stay tuned for details!
Most of all, pray all the more for us. It looks like God is setting up our two heaviest ministry days for the two last days of the trip (this Saturday and Sunday). They are both going to be the fullest days we have seen, and they are going to be packed with incredible ministry opportunities. Thanks prayer warriors for staying behind us!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Ministry by a Dump
We covered some new territory in Day 4. It has really been one of the best days since we’ve been here, and definitely one of the most challenging days. In the morning we went to a different area than we had been to before. It was the dump. And as in many poor countries there is a whole community living on the edge of the dump. That was our focus for ministry. We tried to expand our strategy this morning as well which made things more interesting.
We started by just walking through the dump, which was a challenge in and of itself. Then we walked down this like 50 foot cliff and jumped over a river to get to the community. Once there, we (us and the group from Colorado) split into 3 teams. One team made peanut butter sandwiches to give away and focused on using soccer and the sandwiches to reach out to the people. Drew was on that team. They ended up playing soccer with several teenage guys who were likely a part of the local gangs (not dangerous gangs...but sometimes cause trouble and definitely not Christians). They gave away sandwiches and water at the end and struck up some conversations about Jesus.
The second team focused specifically on reaching out to little girls...primarily through painting nails and manicure-ish stuff. Paige and Donna were on that team. Paige became renowned for her finger nail painting skills! The goal was to paint nails and then through a translator just strike up a relaxed conversation with them...then maybe to talk about Jesus if God led it that way...but mostly just to love on them and build relationships with them. Lots of girls came, lots of nails were painted, and from what I hear God really used it!
The third team was the team I led. Our goal was to walk around the community and pray for people and specifically to pray for their needs. Jake and Kevin were with me along with two Colorado guys. We had some significant encounters; many very heart wrenching. Kevin prayed for a 3 year old boy who still couldn’t walk because of something that happened at Childbirth. I prayed for another young boy with a cyst who couldn’t get treatment. Jake prayed with a few people...one lady specifically who hadn’t gone to church in a while who we felt God wanted to reach out to. Almost everyone we prayed for invited us into their homes, and we were in some of the worst living conditions I personally have ever seen.
After lunch we went to our Wednesday church service. Jake shared his testimony and did a great job. He’s got some serious natural abilities when it comes to public speaking, and he was quite humorous.
In the evening we worshiped as a group again and Drew and Paige shared their testimonies with everyone. They both did great. Drew was hesitant to share hers but everyone was openly telling her how amazing her story is and that she really needs to share it more.
One of the things that God lead me to pray for this morning was for us to develop deeper compassion for the people of Nicaragua, and I really believe that’s what today was about. It was eye opening in a lot of ways. But most of all how humbling is it to realize that a group of people living literally in a pile of garbage are just as treasured to God as anyone else in the world. He wants them to know His love, he wants to heal them, and he wants to reclaim the relationship he has always desired to have with them. What a privilege to pray for healing and show Christ’s love to these people. The privilege was really ours today. I wish everyone could experience ministry in this setting.
“How deep the father’s love for THEM. How vast beyond all measure. That He would send His only Son, to make a wretch his treasure. How great the pain of searing loss. The father turns his face away. As wounds which mare the Chosen One, bring many sons to glory.”
We started by just walking through the dump, which was a challenge in and of itself. Then we walked down this like 50 foot cliff and jumped over a river to get to the community. Once there, we (us and the group from Colorado) split into 3 teams. One team made peanut butter sandwiches to give away and focused on using soccer and the sandwiches to reach out to the people. Drew was on that team. They ended up playing soccer with several teenage guys who were likely a part of the local gangs (not dangerous gangs...but sometimes cause trouble and definitely not Christians). They gave away sandwiches and water at the end and struck up some conversations about Jesus.
The second team focused specifically on reaching out to little girls...primarily through painting nails and manicure-ish stuff. Paige and Donna were on that team. Paige became renowned for her finger nail painting skills! The goal was to paint nails and then through a translator just strike up a relaxed conversation with them...then maybe to talk about Jesus if God led it that way...but mostly just to love on them and build relationships with them. Lots of girls came, lots of nails were painted, and from what I hear God really used it!
The third team was the team I led. Our goal was to walk around the community and pray for people and specifically to pray for their needs. Jake and Kevin were with me along with two Colorado guys. We had some significant encounters; many very heart wrenching. Kevin prayed for a 3 year old boy who still couldn’t walk because of something that happened at Childbirth. I prayed for another young boy with a cyst who couldn’t get treatment. Jake prayed with a few people...one lady specifically who hadn’t gone to church in a while who we felt God wanted to reach out to. Almost everyone we prayed for invited us into their homes, and we were in some of the worst living conditions I personally have ever seen.
After lunch we went to our Wednesday church service. Jake shared his testimony and did a great job. He’s got some serious natural abilities when it comes to public speaking, and he was quite humorous.
In the evening we worshiped as a group again and Drew and Paige shared their testimonies with everyone. They both did great. Drew was hesitant to share hers but everyone was openly telling her how amazing her story is and that she really needs to share it more.
One of the things that God lead me to pray for this morning was for us to develop deeper compassion for the people of Nicaragua, and I really believe that’s what today was about. It was eye opening in a lot of ways. But most of all how humbling is it to realize that a group of people living literally in a pile of garbage are just as treasured to God as anyone else in the world. He wants them to know His love, he wants to heal them, and he wants to reclaim the relationship he has always desired to have with them. What a privilege to pray for healing and show Christ’s love to these people. The privilege was really ours today. I wish everyone could experience ministry in this setting.
“How deep the father’s love for THEM. How vast beyond all measure. That He would send His only Son, to make a wretch his treasure. How great the pain of searing loss. The father turns his face away. As wounds which mare the Chosen One, bring many sons to glory.”
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Day of the Spider
Day 3 has come and gone. Still 5 days left in Nicaragua. Everything is still going great, and we’re really building some deep relationships with each other and with those we are ministering to in Nicaragua. We started this morning by serving the local ministry we have been helping out with. We went to a place called “La Quinta” (Keen -ta) which could be best described as half orphanage half ministry and life training. They teach several skills including English, minister to the community, and they take in less fortunate kids. We didn’t do anything major there this morning. They are trying to build wooden platforms that could function as a stage for their different outreach events, so most of us from NLF helped sand those and make the top surface smooth. Others also helped some of the students with their English homework and they are starting to build another building where they can house girls so we helped dig the foundation for that.
Toward the beginning of the morning we found a huge spider with huge fangs (kinda hairy like a tarantula...maybe 4 or 5 inches in diameter). Then there were spiders all over the wooden platforms we were sanding. So of course we had some fun with Jake (if you didn’t know, Jake is DEATHLY afraid of spiders). Up to this point Jake kept saying God was keeping the spiders away (we literally hadn’t seen ONE spider before today). Don’t worry Janet/Scott, he is not scarred for life and is doing just fine. Donna would like you to know that she tried to protect Jake from us. haha But today was officially dubbed the day of the Spider!
In the afternoon we went deeper into the country side to play with some kids in an area where they are trying to build a church. We definitely had fun and got to love on more kids who really needed it. But it was fairly similar to last night. I posted a video below with a little of that. I don’t think I’ll be posting more videos since it took me like an hour to upload it.
My highlight for the day was definitely our worship time tonight. Each evening we (us and the group form Colorado) have been going up on the roof of the hotel and worshiping and sharing together. Tonight we shared testimonies. I was deeply touched by many of the stories that were shared. I almost balled my eyes out during Donna’s testimony. Powerful stuff. It never ceases to amaze me that even in a country (and a town) where we’d like to think we’ve got it all together our lives can still be so messed up. So full of pain. So on the edge of utter despair. And in hearing these stories I realize we’re not that different at all from those in Nicaragua. We’re all SO in need of a Savior.
“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24- 25)
I’m praying that God will do even greater things through us in the coming days, but most of all that God will draw us closer to him than we have ever been. Will you join me?
Toward the beginning of the morning we found a huge spider with huge fangs (kinda hairy like a tarantula...maybe 4 or 5 inches in diameter). Then there were spiders all over the wooden platforms we were sanding. So of course we had some fun with Jake (if you didn’t know, Jake is DEATHLY afraid of spiders). Up to this point Jake kept saying God was keeping the spiders away (we literally hadn’t seen ONE spider before today). Don’t worry Janet/Scott, he is not scarred for life and is doing just fine. Donna would like you to know that she tried to protect Jake from us. haha But today was officially dubbed the day of the Spider!
In the afternoon we went deeper into the country side to play with some kids in an area where they are trying to build a church. We definitely had fun and got to love on more kids who really needed it. But it was fairly similar to last night. I posted a video below with a little of that. I don’t think I’ll be posting more videos since it took me like an hour to upload it.
My highlight for the day was definitely our worship time tonight. Each evening we (us and the group form Colorado) have been going up on the roof of the hotel and worshiping and sharing together. Tonight we shared testimonies. I was deeply touched by many of the stories that were shared. I almost balled my eyes out during Donna’s testimony. Powerful stuff. It never ceases to amaze me that even in a country (and a town) where we’d like to think we’ve got it all together our lives can still be so messed up. So full of pain. So on the edge of utter despair. And in hearing these stories I realize we’re not that different at all from those in Nicaragua. We’re all SO in need of a Savior.
“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24- 25)
I’m praying that God will do even greater things through us in the coming days, but most of all that God will draw us closer to him than we have ever been. Will you join me?
Monday, June 8, 2009
Happy Birthday Paige!
Finished Day 2 Strong. It has been a very active and tiring day. We played two games of soccer and a game of basketball today! We started the day by prayer walking Jinotepe (He -no - tep - A). We went to a couple of parks where everyone was able to sit down with someone, get to know their story, and even pray for them. We ended up buying a soccer ball and basketball and played with some college students near their University. We won the basketball game, but couldn’t compete in soccer. After the soccer game we got all the guys around and Kevin shared his testimony with them. We prayed for them (and one of them even prayed for us). The sports were a good open door through which we were able to tell them a little about Jesus.
In the afternoon we went to one of the poorer areas and began building relationships with the kids. As in many 3rd world countries (and even America) a lot of ministry to adults starts with the kids. We played more soccer, lots of games, and just loved on them. We are going to try to go a little deeper with them and other kids later in the week, and we are even planning a service for them all to come to next Saturday. But it was just fun tonight. Exhausting dirty fun!
We ended the day celebrating Paige’s 18th Birthday! It came complete with a Nicaraguan cake (very tasty....like angel food cake with frosting), a piece of cake in paige’s face, and a piñata. We had a lot of fun and bonded as a group. We are here with another group of 11 from Colorado Springs (several students from New Life Church...a big nationally known church with a name similar to ours). They are a great group, and we are becoming closer every day.
Highlight of the day.... I think everyone’s highlight was hanging out and playing with the kids in the afternoon. There’s something significant about pouring out love onto a kid who desperately needs it. When I think of Spirit anointed ministry this isn’t often the first thing to come to mind, but it is as if doing that somehow really connected us with God’s heart. I wonder if we miss a significant part of God’s heart when we undervalue ministry to kids. Jesus himself said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:16-17)
Keep praying! We need it!
In the afternoon we went to one of the poorer areas and began building relationships with the kids. As in many 3rd world countries (and even America) a lot of ministry to adults starts with the kids. We played more soccer, lots of games, and just loved on them. We are going to try to go a little deeper with them and other kids later in the week, and we are even planning a service for them all to come to next Saturday. But it was just fun tonight. Exhausting dirty fun!
We ended the day celebrating Paige’s 18th Birthday! It came complete with a Nicaraguan cake (very tasty....like angel food cake with frosting), a piece of cake in paige’s face, and a piñata. We had a lot of fun and bonded as a group. We are here with another group of 11 from Colorado Springs (several students from New Life Church...a big nationally known church with a name similar to ours). They are a great group, and we are becoming closer every day.
Highlight of the day.... I think everyone’s highlight was hanging out and playing with the kids in the afternoon. There’s something significant about pouring out love onto a kid who desperately needs it. When I think of Spirit anointed ministry this isn’t often the first thing to come to mind, but it is as if doing that somehow really connected us with God’s heart. I wonder if we miss a significant part of God’s heart when we undervalue ministry to kids. Jesus himself said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:16-17)
Keep praying! We need it!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Not About Me
We had a great first day today! We’re really settling in to this new environment, and I was encouraged by the fact that everyone from our team really dove in tonight. We played soccer and other games with the kids, and started to build some significant relationships. I could tell this morning that most of us were still trying to work through the culture shock and wrap their minds around this new place. But by the end of the day I think God has moved into a great position to be able to be used by him throughout the rest of the trip. We finished up early and all of us should get plenty of sleep. Big things in store for tomorrow!
One of our students made a comment tonight that I thought was pretty significant. Drew shared that one of her fears was that she would come here and be grossed out by the less than sanitary environment. But now that she’s here and sees how the people live her heart goes out to them. Her exact words were, “Instead of feeling bad for me, I feel bad for them.” I heard that and was really moved, because to me it characterizes a major change that God wants to make in all of our hearts. Simply put, he wants to move us from living for ourselves to living for Him (II Cor. 5:15). This is what we see Jesus talking about in Luke 9:23, and Paul talking about in Romans 12:1 and Galatians 2:20 (all verses we memorized as a team in preparation for this trip). I hope each of us can discover more fully how incredible things can be when we leave behind our “me” centered lives.
One of our students made a comment tonight that I thought was pretty significant. Drew shared that one of her fears was that she would come here and be grossed out by the less than sanitary environment. But now that she’s here and sees how the people live her heart goes out to them. Her exact words were, “Instead of feeling bad for me, I feel bad for them.” I heard that and was really moved, because to me it characterizes a major change that God wants to make in all of our hearts. Simply put, he wants to move us from living for ourselves to living for Him (II Cor. 5:15). This is what we see Jesus talking about in Luke 9:23, and Paul talking about in Romans 12:1 and Galatians 2:20 (all verses we memorized as a team in preparation for this trip). I hope each of us can discover more fully how incredible things can be when we leave behind our “me” centered lives.
Nica Time
The team had a great time at the church service this morning. Definitely a different experience! God's Spirit was there and there's something powerful about worshiping God in a different language.
We're getting acquainted with "Nica Time" already (short for Nicaragua Time). That's the phrase we use to describe the fact that daily schedules aren’t quite as consistent as we Americans are used to. We got up on time, but breakfast was a half an hour late, our drivers where 45 minutes late, and the church service went about a half an hour longer than expected. We had planned for about 3 hours of down time this afternoon (to recover from the long day of travel and short night of sleep) but that turned out to be only about an hour long. Now we are back up and ready to head to a big "fiesta" where we'll get to hang out with a bunch of kids in the community. We're supposed to leave at 3, which according to Nica Time could be anywhere between 3:15 and 4. We'll see!
A couple of random bits of info....
- Kevin wants to thank his mom for packing shorts (apparently that didn't happen)
- Drew forgot tennis shoes...might have a hard time playing soccer!
- Jake hasn't seen a spider yet
- Paige is perfectly content that her bag she packed weighed 47lbs.
- Donna has every medicine known to man...and is all together a great asset to our team!
- Brad (me) is loving this trip
Everyone is healthy. We have a lot of good stuff to come!
We're getting acquainted with "Nica Time" already (short for Nicaragua Time). That's the phrase we use to describe the fact that daily schedules aren’t quite as consistent as we Americans are used to. We got up on time, but breakfast was a half an hour late, our drivers where 45 minutes late, and the church service went about a half an hour longer than expected. We had planned for about 3 hours of down time this afternoon (to recover from the long day of travel and short night of sleep) but that turned out to be only about an hour long. Now we are back up and ready to head to a big "fiesta" where we'll get to hang out with a bunch of kids in the community. We're supposed to leave at 3, which according to Nica Time could be anywhere between 3:15 and 4. We'll see!
A couple of random bits of info....
- Kevin wants to thank his mom for packing shorts (apparently that didn't happen)
- Drew forgot tennis shoes...might have a hard time playing soccer!
- Jake hasn't seen a spider yet
- Paige is perfectly content that her bag she packed weighed 47lbs.
- Donna has every medicine known to man...and is all together a great asset to our team!
- Brad (me) is loving this trip
Everyone is healthy. We have a lot of good stuff to come!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Safe and Sound
We made it! We landed safely in Managua, Nicaragua and arrived a few minutes ago at "Hotel Mateo" in Jinotepe. It has been a long day. Lots of traveling and lots of waiting. The team is tired and already headed to bed.
This Hotel is easily the nicest I have ever been been to in a 3rd World country. It is beautiful with nice rooms and even has great wireless internet! So I expect to be able to post at least once a day. One of the coolest things about this hotel is that it is run by missionaries and all the profit goes to local Christian ministry.
We need lots of prayer as a team. We're only going to get about 5-6 hours of sleep tonight before we have to get up for breakfast and then we're off to a church service (where I'll be preaching). I'm praying that God will really help us to move beyond the Americanized marginalized faith that we can sometimes be content with (shout out to the 242 series) and into a life of faith in "Him who is able to to immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine."
One highlight of the day... On our way from the airport in Managua to our Hotel we hit a big bump and our van stalled. The driver got out and worked on it for a few minutes and couldn't get it started. After a while i asked Jake to pray for God to help us out with the van. Jake, surprised a little, prayed for just that. And maybe 5 seconds later the van started. Maybe a coincidence...or maybe God's way of trying to show how central he is to every part of our trip.
More to come!
This Hotel is easily the nicest I have ever been been to in a 3rd World country. It is beautiful with nice rooms and even has great wireless internet! So I expect to be able to post at least once a day. One of the coolest things about this hotel is that it is run by missionaries and all the profit goes to local Christian ministry.
We need lots of prayer as a team. We're only going to get about 5-6 hours of sleep tonight before we have to get up for breakfast and then we're off to a church service (where I'll be preaching). I'm praying that God will really help us to move beyond the Americanized marginalized faith that we can sometimes be content with (shout out to the 242 series) and into a life of faith in "Him who is able to to immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine."
One highlight of the day... On our way from the airport in Managua to our Hotel we hit a big bump and our van stalled. The driver got out and worked on it for a few minutes and couldn't get it started. After a while i asked Jake to pray for God to help us out with the van. Jake, surprised a little, prayed for just that. And maybe 5 seconds later the van started. Maybe a coincidence...or maybe God's way of trying to show how central he is to every part of our trip.
More to come!
Flight Status
Our morning has gone smooth so far! We're on a plane flying to Houston before we catch the flight to Managua, Nicaragua.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
NLF IMPACT 2009
Hey Everyone! This is Pastor Brad. NLF is sending out its first ever Student Ministries 0verseas missions team! We leave this Saturday, June 6, for Managua, Nicaragua. God is going to do some awesome stuff on this trip! On this blog I'll be posting updates concerning the events that take place during this trip as frequently as i can while we are in Nicaragua. The team consists of myself, Donna Bontrager, Paige Bontrager, Drew Wheeler, Kevin Glick, and Jake Stone. Keep us in your prayers!
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