Nicaragua, you have set the bar high so far. I have enjoyed this beautiful country from the moment I got off that bus ride. That may have been partly because I was on that bus for 24 hours, but it is mostly because I got to explore the city of Granada for a few days with my squad during debrief and got to meet people from all over the world. I got to explore lakeside views from the back of a motorcycle, and I got to dive into my ministry site, REAP Granada, upon meeting our ministry contacts. And let me say this, I am amazed at all the possibilities that are available to minister to people.
REAP Granada is run by Scott and Jennifer Esposito, perhaps some of the most inspiring human beings I have had the chance to meet. When we were first told where we were going to be and what we were going to be doing this month, I must admit, I was confused. It seemed like a vague idea of what to expect and I could not quite comprehend exactly what the ministries would entail. They quickly cleared that up for me and my team upon arriving at their house in a few short sentences. They are here to dive into the community by introducing God’s love to people simply by loving on them and creating a space and opportunities to do just that. They are involved in prison ministry, nursing home care, sports ministry, discipleship programs, feeding programs for kids, men’s and women’s bible studies, Friday game nights, working directly with churches, youth counseling, and overall, showing them what it means to be a family and a community.
Wow.
Granada is a city that greatly struggles with addiction and coping mechanisms. The goal for REAP Granada is to give children and young adults another option rather than being influenced by the things on the street and of this world. They are also equipping young men and women to be disciples for the Lord so that they can go out into their community and minister as well.
I must say that it was a bit overwhelming to hear everything that we would be doing, but thankfully Scott typed up and posted a schedule so we know what to look forward to each day. We were also told that they are inviting us to try all the ministries the first week and to see where God wants us and where we feel led to invest our time and ourselves.
I am excited, to say the least. What an amazing opportunity this is. They are investing in us as much as we are investing in them and I already feel such a love for this city just by seeing the love that REAP Granada has for the people here. I have made a conscious decision to dive into ministry to see where I will be taken and to make an impact on someone else’s life as much as they are impacting mine. Bring it on, Granada. This is gonna be good…
