Nicaragua has been so amazing and full of ministry. When we were first told our options of where to go, I really felt called here. It was confirmed that this is where I’m suppose to be when I was told that I would be part of the media team that stayed here. Here are a few things that have happened in just the week that we’ve been here.
The first full day here we sent to a park to perform one of our drimes (drama/mime). Beforehand, Chris T and I were prayer walking around the park and I saw a young man sitting alone. We went over to him and Chris started speaking to him in Spanish. We talked with him, prayed with him and then Chris pulled out a Spanish New Testament and gave it to him. The guy’s name was David and there was just something about him that just felt heavy. When Chris opened it to John and was sharing with him, it almost seemed that he was going to break into tears. Just watching him, you knew that something clicked inside him and started working on him. We talked a little more and then walked away. We may have just been the ones planting the seed, so please pray for him. Pray that he digs deeper into the word and pray for the next person that comes along and ministers to him more.
Thursday we went out to the barrios (villages) to follow up with the people that accepted Christ on Tuesday. I had been struggling all morning. I didn’t feel well, but felt I needed to go. We entered the area where we were suppose to be and one group went off, so the rest of us sat down on a curb waiting for them…for quite a while. You could say that at this time my crappy attitude kicked in. I was wondering why I had come just to sit, I was rolling around in my own misery and wondering what or how God wanted to use me if I was just going to sit. We were then told that we could keep going.
My group (Chris Y and T, Kelly, Mallorie and I) started going one way and stopped and talked with a couple of people along the way. We then saw a older gentleman outside a house and Chris T and Mallorie started talking to him and then went in the house, while Kelly and I stayed outside praying.
I was trying to sit on some rocks outside the house and kept sliding off, so I moved and stood up. I think that’s when the wife of the older man saw me and started motioning me to go inside. I just stayed outside though, till Chris said that she really wanted me to come in and that it was bothering her that I was outside. I went in and she wanted prayer for healing for her head and knees. We gathered around and started praying and I just started stroking her head. She looked up at me and said something in Spanish that I couldn’t translate. At that same time, I had this overwhelming feeling that I was not suppose to be in the house anymore. So, I backed off and went by her husband, who was by the door, to make a quiet “escape”. The prayer ended though and so I just stood there. Chris and Mallorie were talking some more to her and all of a sudden she just looked at me and started talking again and pointing at me. She said a couple of sentences and I asked what she was saying..no one could translate. After that though, she started saying something about going to the house across the street and the lady that was in there.
So, we left and went across the street. I didn’t feel that I was suppose to go inside at that time, so I stood outside with Chris Y and prayed for Kelly, Mallorie and Chris, who went inside. While we were outside I felt that I should go into the house for some reason, but I though, “no, I need to stay outside and pray.” I also started feeling worse and thought I needed to use the bathroom and go inside the house to ask where it was. For some reason, I felt that I needed to be in the house, but for all the reasons, I rationalized that it really wasn’t necessary for me to go in.
The others came out and we discussed what went on inside there. We all agreed though that we needed to go back to the house that day and with more people (both for prayer and to translate). At that time, one of our groups came around the corner with the pastor, and we shared with them what was going on. We prayed and it was then that it dawned on me, I was suppose to go into the house. I really think God was using that lady to tell me this.
So, we went back in her house. We prayed with her and then noticed a bunch of idols all over. We asked for her to give up a picture of one of them, but she wouldn´t. We all left, but I still felt that at least my work there was not done.
So, Mallorie and I went back into the house. We just talked with her and then I asked for her to hold my hand. I felt God telling me that this was someone that I´ll be seeing more of in the next few weeks, and for me to effectively minister to her, I needed to show her friendship and just have her build a relationship with me. We then prayed for healing for her and left with me telling her that I´ll be back.
I think a lot of my time here is going to be spent creating relationships with both the people in the church and those that we are trying to reach. I´ve started to learn the importance of that, especially after Mexico. It´s hard because we are only here for a while and to come so far and then kind of walk away and move on, just rips your heart. So, please continue to pray for us while we are here. Exciting stuff is happening and we want immurse ourselves in every moment of it!!
