Let me start off by saying divine connections are real. If you are still skeptical, please read the rest of this blog. A few days ago, I was in the park in Palacaguina, NIcaragua. This town is small. So small, I have yet to find a restaurant where you sit down and eat. The local coffee shop is a ladies’ house where she makes you a packet of instant coffee and serves it in a Christmas mug. I love it! So, I am in the park in this very small city and I see a man drinking a coke at a coke stand. As he is writing in his notebook, I happen to notice his pen says “Tennessee Temple University.” I quickly introduce myself to the man and begin speaking in Spanish to him that this is where I went to school. I flip out a little bit because I am in Nicaragua and I graduated with only like 300 people my school was so small. So, I begin talking to this man and find out he is involved in ministry here in Nicaragua. I really wanted to know more so I set up a meeting with him.
A couple of days passed and we met. He has been going to seminary for eight years and loves learning. He was injured while serving in the Nicaraguan military. He works with eight different churches to provide feeding programs and teach children. He loves the people who may not be loved otherwise. If you know me, you know this is my heart. To lovethe unloved. Not only does he doall of these things, but he does it solely with his family. He has no supporters in the states and no missionaries partnering with him. He has a huge vision to build a school. He wants his school to be able to feed more children and provide them with a good education.
As we were ending the meeting, he just kept asking if we were going to come visit him. He wanted us to come see his church and get to know his people. So, we agreed. Then, he also asked us to sing and share testimonies. So, we agreed.
Not really knowing much about his church other than he said he was Baptist. We gathered up a group of four to go visit. Pastor Julio accompanied by this fifteen year old son came to pick us up right on time. We hopped in the back of his truck and were on our way. We drove about twenty-five minutes and then pulled off the side of the road. Quickly, a beautiful church was before my eyes. This church was not a building, but a group of people. There was no building. There were four posts in the ground that held up a black tarp. There were seats for about 20 people. There were so many smiling faces. We were their extremely honored guests that day. They were waiting for us to arrive with the pastor to begin the service. The front row was reserved for us. Pastor Julio’s wife went to the front of the tent with a handwritten order of service in her notebook. Joy filled the tent as those people began to clap and sing a song in Spanish that I was not familiar with. Then after the first song, the pastor welcomed us to his church and handed me the mic to pray. I did my best Spanish prayer I could utter and passed the mic back to the pastor. There were a few things that happened that day. One, the entire family led the service. The pastor preached, his wife led the music, his children both individually sang special songs. This is truly a family ministry.
On the way home, I rode in the cab with the pastor and we chatted. He told me the church has only been in existence for one year. He wants people to partner with him. He loves that we met. He called the pen that united us a “lapiz de bendiciones” or pen of blessing. He is loving the people of Sumoto, Nicaragua with all of the love and time he has. Pastor Julio Herrera is a true unsung hero. 
