A Nicaraguan Experience
All of my time spent in Nicaragua was a blessing and honor. That country truly changed my view on community and how to love one another like Christ. Over the month we learned about how Jesus intended the body of Christ to function within the context of community.
Team Wildflowers was paired up with us and let’s just say that I’ve never felt so comfortable and open with people in my entire life. There was an immediate connection between all of us. The one thing we all shared in common was our love for God. That is why perfect community could happen. Having God as the center of everything you do is key. We had the desire to grow and further the kingdom together. We were the church, the body of Jesus Christ, bringing Him glory. Being able to experience this community is such a beautiful thing. This is how God calls all of us to live. In communion with each other and with God. We are supposed to be living as a church daily. It’s not a once a week thing, but instead a day by day commitment. Christian is not a title, it is a lifestyle. Being a true follower of Christ is earnestly seeking His will in everything you do. You die to yourself.
I believe we all experienced this in a way while in Nicaragua. The unity between our two teams and each other was unbreakable. This is true because the devil was attacking all of us spiritually and physically that month; From sickness, to spiritual haze, to self doubt, and even very heavy, evident spiritual warfare. That month had lots of trials that really put our unified community to the test. One of the hardest nights for all of us was when one of our teammates was sent home. Darkness fell upon the house that night. There was a lot of mixed emotions. We were all confused and angry not with just the world race staff but with God as well. This led to depression and anxiety. When I said a darkness fell upon the place I physically and spiritually saw darkness fall. We all saw what the devil could do through Spiritual warfare and demonic oppression. There were demons among us. What we soon realized is that the Holy Spirit was also with us. He will never leave you or forsake you. Jesus is the beginning and the end. The ruler and the creator. Not one man or spirit can ever come close to the all powerful and mighty God. He is who we had fighting for us. I will never forget that night and how we all fought it together. In the end we all came together unified even more through Christ, able to pray and worship together. Do not fear for the Lord God is with you.
This is just one example of how our community was unified and fighting for Christ. I left out a lot of the details to spare time and confidentiality. I thank God every day for the people that He surrounds me with. The family that He has given me. The church and body that I am apart of.
I am still currently fundraising. If you feel lead by the Spirit to donate then do so. You can donate online through my blog at destreyberto.theworldrace.org or if it is easier to write a check to me then you can email me and I will send you my address. Thank you all for the prayers and support. If you have any questions feel free to email me at [email protected]
