1. Door to door ministry is an amazing way to show love.
How intimidating and pushy it is to go knock on a door and tell someone about Jesus, right? I thought that until I entered a new country. Wow, my expectations sure were shattered. There was not one single person who didn’t want to hear what we were saying, not one single person who didn’t want us to pray for them. Conversations got deep, tears were shed, hearts were healed, questions were answered, people were met with love in Chinandega. I met some really unique people, heard some life stories, sat in people’s pain with them, rejoiced in people’s praises, and felt super appreciative to be used in such a way. How selfish am I to keep God’s love to myself? Some of these people greeted us at the front gates and prepared seats for us. Some people were in awe that God would send a group of American’s all the way to a city in the middle of no where called Chinandega, on their door step, just to say “Hey, you are extremely loved.” It was far from religion being shoved down someone’s throat, which is what I had pictured. It was more along the lines of lots of hugs and tons of love dumped on a door step.
2. Disabilities make a person who they are.
Walking around in the market looking at all the shops, we met a man named Juan. He was deaf/mute. In the beginning, I didn’t really understand why God would allow him to be this way for his whole life. Throughout the few days we got to spend with him, I realized that in reality, I would have payed no mind to a random stranger and I wouldn’t be so interested in what this man was trying to tell me without him being the way he was. He took us around town and introduced us to some of the coolest people around town and some of the coolest places. He always asked us to pray with him before we said goodbye and even came and joined one of our worship nights although he couldn’t hear or speak. I was able to see such a light in this man through his disabilities.
3. Sharing the deepest parts of your heart is so freeing.
This month I learned that it’s better to let feelings out that you have been harboring for hours, days, months, or even years feels so much better. Whether what you perceived was right or wrong, it’s better to let the person know how you are feeling and how they made you feel. You never know if they are feeling the same way or not. You never know if you don’t try. 
4. I love kids but my heart goes out to broken women.
There was so many kids I had the chance to play around with and love on, which I love, but wow… there’s something about women. I love hearing encouraging redemption stories of a broken life to a free life. But I also love (hate) hearing and feeling deep deep pain with a woman. On Wednesday, November 16, 2016 I was doing door to door ministry and ended up at a women named Rosa’s house. Her house wasn’t much but tarp and sticks and dirt. I saw sadness, defeat, and tiresome in her eyes. She was quiet and didn’t say much. She was thinking a lot, though. It’s almost as if she just wanted to cry. When I asked for prayer request she said for her poverty. That killed me. Most people we met with wouldn’t announce that. They would hold it in with pride. The pain in her brokenness was so obvious. We talked for a bit and I even went back a little later just to give her another hug and tell her that she is loved. It saddens me that it was a quick interaction and that I wouldn’t be there in her village, city, or country much longer but I know that she appreciated us just by her openness to tell us her brokenness unlike most people. Her walls were let down. She saw us as equals and nothing greater than her just because we may have looked a little more put together. I couldn’t help but to weep after I left her house. Her pain was so real to me but how she keeps going with the little that she has is something else.
(pictured: Rosa’s house)
5. Learned to play the ukulele.
I told myself I would learn a new instrument this year. Over the years of my life I’ve never kept up with anything. So far I’ve learned how to play “my little sunshine” and a bunch of chords. By the end of this year I’m going to be a pro. Besides the uke, the race has taught me a bunch of new skills that I never thought I’d learn.
6. Having Thanksgiving away from home doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Thanksgiving morning I ran to the projector to play the Macy’s parade for everyone. We had to keep the American tradition going even in a new country who doesn’t even celebrate Thanksgiving. We had such a great rest day and talking to family back home was nice. Being with my new family here was super cool too. We had a great thanksgiving dinner and dance party after. This thanksgiving being away from home allowed me to really sit down and think of what I’m truly thankful for, especially the things I take for granted back home by being in a routine.
7. I take my health for granted.
This month we had a doctors office on our compound and every morning there was a line out the door. People come from all over just to get to this clinic. The hospital and doctors out here aren’t the greatest. People are getting sick and dying left and right because 1) they can’t afford it or 2) the hospitals out here don’t have much to offer. Men especially get terminally ill a lot more because of the sugar cane field. Most of the men work in the field and develop a kidney disease. And there’s nothing you can do for it out here. It was crazy to me to actually meet and talk to men who had kidney disease and literally weren’t promised tomorrow and that truly knew it and knew how it felt verses just the saying “we aren’t promised tomorrow”. One of the Pastor’s that worked with us also had his own 20 year old daughter’s funeral to attend this past month who got sick and died. To us back home, what she had could have easily been cured. Once I witnessed all of this, I felt like I really took my health for granted. We are so blessed to have the doctors and hospitals and the help we need in America. P.s. All of this also made me want to start flossing my teeth out here. Let’s be honest… who really does that? (oops)
8. I take my Bible and my relationship with Christ for granted.
A lot of the homes we visited really wanted to go to church but lived to far. Back home in America, if I don’t feel like going to church because a new show is on t.v. then… I’m skipping church because I can go next week. Some wanted to read the Bible but didn’t own one. Back home and even here, if my only time I can read through out the day is now, but I also want to catch up on sleep or check Instagram, then I’m doing that and reading later, because I have a Bible 24/7 and can do it “another time”. Church is such a routine back home and a very common, easy access place to be. But I also learned that the church should not be confined to a building. Some of these people I’ve met had stronger relationships and faith than a lot of people back home who go to church every Sunday. A relationship with Christ is a serious thing to people out here in the villages. The ones who don’t want to accept Christ yet’s reasoning is usually “I know it’s not something to play around with”. They know that’s it’s something to not take lightly and keep living the way they are living in sin and that’s something that slips away from me a lot of the time. No, you don’t have to be perfect and change your whole life up just to have Jesus in your heart, but for me to say I love Jesus and have Him in my heart and never spend time with Him, whether it’s in prayer or in the Word or sharing His love then who am I really living for? If I don’t give Him the intentional time that He deserves (just as I would a friend) and I put myself first instead then truthfully, I’m my own God.
9. I have power in my voice.
Many team mates randomly will tell me that I have power in my voice and they want to hear more of my wisdom and want to hear me speak out more. This month I was able to step out and speak out. I was able to share my testimony with families going to door to door many of times. I also had the opportunity to speak on our identity and our worth at a Nicaraguan church service. It was crazy to see the response and tears and head nods that followed it. It really showed me that everything we go through and everything we know isn’t just for us to harbor within. The good and the bad is supposed to be shared for others to have hope and encouragement.
10. Seeing how happy people are in circumstances where I didn’t think was possible.
In America, we always want more. Seeing these homes and the way the people live makes me never want to complain again. Dirt floors. Tarp roofs. Some didn’t even have a dinner table to sit at. Barely a home. No cars. Sick family members every where. Children playing in the streets with what they can. Yet they all had so much joy oozing out. I was overwhelmed with how they could live the way they did with smiles on their faces and no complaints. I hope to take in the way that they think and live back home with me.
11. I learned the importance of community.
This month I shared a home with 46 teammates. At first I thought how hard and insane this month was going to be but I was so wrong. It was nothing but love and excitement by being with my whole squad. We all sat around the table breakfast, lunch, and dinner and shared life together.
