This month has been one of the best months I've had so far.
Don't get me wrong,
each month/country had its own little gifts and lessons of its own.
But, this month really was something special for so many reasons.
4 years ago, the summer before my freshman year of college,
I went on my last week long mission trip to Managua, Nicaragua.
4 years ago, I would have never thought in a million years I would step foot on nicaragua ground again.
4 years later here I am, on a different journey and adventure called the World race.
Month 3.
Nicaragua.
I'm back where my passion for long term missions began to stir up within me.
and
We were on search for unsung heroes.
Unsung Heroes is a ministry that my team (Mighty Love) was assigned to.
We went into the country of Nicaragua with no plans, no agenda, and no specific contact/ ministry to stay with.
all we had was the Lord's voice and the Holy Spirits direction.
Our "job" was to meet with men and women in the country of Nicaragua that are dedicated to serving some of the most impoverished populations in the country, yet rarely received recognition for their dedication and service. They consistently give from an abundance of God's love. They may not be recognized in history books, and their acts may be unknown to the rest of the world, but while unrecognized they shake a generation and move a culture and ultimately build the kingdom.
These are the people we seek out.
These are the people we want to build up.
These are the people we want to encourage.
These people are unsung heroes.
It's funny how God works sometimes.
Or maybe all the time, He's a funny Guy.
When I found out about this specific ministry, i think I voiced it to Him once that I wanted to do it when we were in Nicaragua, mainly because it was something familiar.
When being countries away from "home",
familiar isn't something I feel very often,
if ever.
Everything is quite the opposite.
I just wanted the small option to see the ministry (Nicaraguan Resource Network or known as NRN) that I once worked with and stroll down memory lane.
It could be because I was a little homesick and wanted a tiny bit of "home" away from "home", whatever home is these days. I knew my church in Austin goes on mission trips to work with NRN multiple times a year, so if there was a chance, just a small chance, I could see their smiling faces on the bulletin board or maybe even in person at La Quinta, I would be set… maybe even for life.
Unsung heroes is such a broad ministry, we had to start somewhere though.
So, we spent hours in front of a map of Nicaragua praying, singing, prophesying, and worshiping in the Lord's presence.
He began to make our broad ministry into something more specific and clear.
Managua, Rivas, and Jinotepe are the places we felt the Lord leading us.
All thanks to God's creativity and my networking of people that I knew here in Nicaragua, i was able to get in contact with one of the founders of NRN and to make it even more awesome, I also found out that my church was taking a team the exact same time we were going to meet with them.
Yeah, das right, I serve a God that makes all "impossible" things possible.
The moment we got to the Ministry a rush of memories came back.
It was so fun and so needed catching up with a
few familiar faces from Austin, Texas and the staff from NRN.
I realized that it had been 2 years since I'd been in Austin,
since I've seen their faces in person.
Being there with them filled the longing of missing "home".
They brought "home" to me.
I spent a lot of time staring at the familiar faces on the bulletin board on their wall silently praying blessing over them as I touch their picture bragging on them to whatever teammate was around me at that time.
Then I came across a picture of a 17 year old me,
but, its funny… because she looked like me,
but its not me…
well, not anymore at least.
So much has changed, especially these last three months.
The habits and longings that 17 year old me carried for years are no longer habits or longings up until 3 months ago when I began walking in this new identity that Christ has given me.
I realized how much time had passed and how so much has happened.
it left me in awe of how good my God is.
How faithful He is.
Nicaraguan Resource Network always has and always will have a big piece of my heart.
Going back with the intention of just hearing about the ministry made me realize i never really knew much about it in the first place.
They live with the mission to fulfill Jesus’ command to love God and to “love your neighbor as yourself” by giving their time, talents and resources to address the spiritual, physical and educational needs of impoverished children and families in Nicaragua. After hearing more about their ministry I'm absolutely positive they fulfill that mission well. The Lord has given them such a heart for His people in Nicaragua. The relationships they've built throughout the years make the ministry what it is today.
NRN is partnered with three pastors and their ministries in Nicaragua, Oscar Cruz, Belcer Gonzales, and Ramiro Blandon. These pastors go beyond the spiritual needs of people, addressing basic needs for adequate food, clothing, shelter, education and employment.
NRN has been able to involve many individuals, groups, businesses, and churches, all working together to meet the identified needs.
This includes: the establishment of several Christian primary and secondary schools; a school sponsorship program through which over 1,500 children and young people are currently enabled to attend school and college; the expansion of the children's home, Hogar de Fe; a medical ministry to provide basic health care for school children; two classrooms for children with special needs; and the building of homes for families in need of shelter.
I've personally been impacted by my involvement in building relationships with the community that NRN offers. Food distributions within the community and praying for families, spending time at their children's home building relationships with the girls there, that have carried into a relationship for a lifetime.
Through meeting new people in the community, building relationships, pursuing "their neighbors", and sharing the love of God to everyone they come in contact with, NRN truly is building the Kingdom of God one handshake at a time. Cecil, Ginny, Oscar, Belcer, Ramiro, and the NRN staff are indeed unsung heroes. It's an honor to know them and given the opportunity to do ministry with them for so many years.
Check out their site here: http://nicaresourcenet.org/default.aspx
