I arrived in Nicaragua at the beginning of April and was placed with an amazing ministry. It is called New Song. A little about the people who run the mission and our contacts for the past 6 weeks…Jim Bob Norman, is a 26 year old former college athlete that came here for a week long mission trip after graduating college and was back three weeks later and never left…he’s been here three years now. Lisa Smith, is a World Racer and was here at month 2 of her race. She finished her race and moved here 7 months later. She has lived here for the past 15 months. www.newsongmissionnicaragua.com (check out their site…they’re awesome).
Jim Bob Norman Lisa Smith
Their hearts are so huge and God has used them to pour out his love on the community of Candelaria. This place is so hard to describe to you in words. I mean, I can tell you what it looks like or show you pictures…but to describe the feeling that this place gives me…leaves me at a loss for words. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about New Song is LOVE. There is an abundance of LOVE in and around this place. LOVE for the people of the community…especially the youth. The LOVE of Christ is evident here. It draws people in and that is what is happening here….people are being drawn to the LOVE of Christ.
When I signed up for the race…my mind never imagined a ministry that looked quite like New Song. A place where I am living in community not only with my team, but with an entire community of Nicaraguans. A place that when I walk to drop off my laundry children are calling my name and people are stopping me to ask how i’m doing today. A place where people invite me into their homes to spend time with them. A place where I can pour into the young men of the youth group and call them to be the leaders that God has created them to be. A place where I feel loved and cared for. A place where I feel home.
I am blown away by the blessings God has poured out on me, my team, and New Song. Blessings that are coming through growth. Because at this moment we are all going through a season of growth and change. With that growth…with that change comes pain. Through that pain, God has spoken to me a lot through the concept of pruning. (God has spoken to me through gardening a lot recently by the way…check out my last blog about fertilizing corn in Peru.) When pruning, a gardener will cut away branches from a plant bringing it down to literally nothing. After the pruning, the plant is raw. It is ugly. Then something amazing happens. It starts growing again. And it is stronger. It is bigger and more beautiful than it was before.
God does the same thing with his children. He prunes us. God is a master gardener who knows exactly what he’s doing. He sees the final product and knows just want to do in order to get us there. Is this making sense? What are your thoughts on this topic? Is pruning a punishment? Is it because we’ve done something wrong? Or is it out of LOVE? Is it because there is something more? Is it because he loves you enough to not leave you where you’re at?
Much love to you all…
P.S. I am $1700 away from being fully funded. If you are led to donate to my mission…it is easy, safe, and secure. Click right HERE and it will take you to my online donation website. Thank you for your support…
