Do you ever feel like things are gray? Like you’re just not sure about things, what you’re doing or where you’re going? As you struggle to find something black or white you just keep seeing gray?
My flesh likes a sure thing. I like to know what’s going on and what’s coming next. I like it to be black or white, this or that, here or there. But life with God is often not black or white, it’s mostly gray. He will reveal only a little to where I feel like I can make out a little something. But rarely is it much; usually only enough to get me moving in a [right] direction.
There have been so many things about this eleven month journey that made my head scream there was so much gray. But to discuss all that would take more time than you probably have right now. So I’ll focus on the most recent month. Nicaragua. Month number eleven. The final month of this journey. A month where God put to the test lessons he taught me on the trip to see if I had actually learned them. Pride tried to get in the way several times. I also had to face fears head on. But I digress.
The color is gray. And on a morning in the beginning of the month as I was hangin out with God when he put three words in my head – gray, mystery, and adventure. So I meditated on those for a while. We put our heads together and this is what we came up with: “Adventure is found in the mystery of the gray.”
This month was very gray, mysterious, and full of adventure. Our ministry: To travel through Nicaragua in search of people tirelessly bringing the kingdom of God to life among the people. Our hope in all of this was to of discover more people that AIM could come alongside and support. Thus further uniting the global church. We like to call it Unsung Heroes.
We had very little direction when we began. Go east we were told. Ummm, ok. It did not take long to realize that the Managua, Granada area is where just about everything is happening. But the team and I refused to be discouraged. They wanted us to look to the east, so that’s what we were going to do! So we sought the Lord in prayer and scoured the web for anything and everything in eastern Nicaragua. We sent out dozens of emails over the course of a few days. And with minimal responses, we felt the Lord leading us to a place called Bluefields on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.
Our second day there was Sunday. We attended a local church called VERBO and took advantage of that community as an opportunity to meet people doing ministry in Bluefields. While in conversation with a gentleman, Bekah came up to me telling me there was someone I needed to speak with. Next thing I know a woman with wide eyes and excitement on her face comes up to me. She explained to me that she and her husband run a ministry called Father Heart Missions. It was now my turn to get wide eyes! Father Heart Missions was a ministry that we had found and I had emailed several day ago, but had no clue that they where based in Bluefields!
The Browns have been on the mission field for many years moving to Costa Rica in 2004 and then Nicaragua in 2009. What began with spending time with small groups of children at there house has grown into a large feeding program, Bible class, discipleship opportunities, and outreach programs. They have affected to lives of numerous children.
I had the pleasure of meeting a young man named Orlando. Orlando works with the Browns at Father Heart Missions and have to say he is pretty legit. In his early twenties he is completely sold out for God. Has taken on a significant role in the ministry while still in school studying nursing. He helps to run the feeding program and teaches several of the weekly discipleship class. As you talk with him, one can not help but be inspired by his passion for the Lord and His children. He has a pure heart and truly desires to see lives changed.
The Browns and Orlando are Unsung Heroes. They are selflessly serving the Lord, loving others, and growing the kingdom of God each day. There is nothing in it for them its all for the Lord and His glory. That’s what its all about.
At the start of Nicaragua we had little idea what the month would look like. It was really up to us to decide. We could have played it safe. We could have chosen not to take a 6 hour overnight bus ride followed by the 3am boat ride for 2 hours to get to Bluefields. We didn’t even know really what we would find there. But we felt in our hearts that that was were God was directing us. We decided to step into the mystery of the gray and receive whatever adventure came our way. We trusted that God was guiding, and he sure was! Father Heart Missions just one of the many ministries and churches in the eastern part of Nicaragua that we had the pleasure of meeting.
Adventure was found in the mystery of the gray.
What does this mean for you? Is it time for you to walk into something gray? Don’t be scared of its mysterious appearance and embrace the adventures you find along the way, because that just might be what you need in order to find your way.
Me with Orlando and Ruth Brown.
If you would like to learn more about Father Heart Missions check out the website: Father Heart Missions
