We arrived in Nicaragua November 10, 2017 at 11pm – 24 hours later than we were supposed to due to border crossing, roadblocks, and traffic. Being a logistics coordinator – this was not ideal. But we made it!!!
And Nicaragua has been a dream come true. Sunsets over the lake every night, all-squad month, mattresses that we put in our tents, Thanksgiving, soccer, card games, laughter, no wifi, tarantulas, scorpions, and 2 minute showers. But seriously, what a blessing it is to be able to serve alongside my friends in this beautiful country. We do not deserve this – and I love this country and their people.
This month we are working on Ometepe island in Nicaragua with an organization known as CICRIN. CICRIN’s mission is to teach and raise up kids in a Christian environment. CICRIN houses 19 boys and girls (because it used to be an orphanage) and doubles as a school for kids in the community. The youngest child staying at CICRIN is 4 years old and the oldest is 14 – about 50/50 on boys and girls. The kids are so loving and welcoming and love to teach us Spanish and just play!
Since this month is all-squad month we technically have 3 teams volunteering with this one organization. Each week we rotate on what job we are doing for CICRIN: school, prayer, or kitchen and grounds. My team and I worked in the school the first week, did prayer this past week, and will be on kitchen and grounds this upcoming and final week.
Week 1: School!!
This first week was awesome – to say the least. I love kids and teaching and chess and recess. While at the school we helped clean, put on a chess tournament, make Christmas crafts, teach English, and play soccer and baseball! The week at the school was very life-giving and filling for me. Getting to know the kids, laughing with them, learning their different personalities and connecting with them despite the language barrier was such a blessing. However, with this first week lurked a heaviness that I could not quite put my finger on – until this past week.
It’s incredible to think how far a little love and tender-heartedness goes.
Week 2: Prayer week. (AND THANKSGIVING)
It can be hard to think of “just praying” for a week for CICRIN and their people as effective ministry. But praying on behalf of somebody else is just as important if not more important than any other ministry ever. When you commit, I mean truly commit to wage war for somebody against an enemy that is not of this world – you better be prepared for battle. That heaviness that was lurking was literally the enemy sitting and waiting to attack. It was so real. This past week we stepped in between the enemy and CICRIN to fight on behalf of the ministry we had the honor to serve. And when you do that – you are now a person the enemy is interested in attacking. This week my team and I experienced personal spiritual attack and attacks on our team as the enemy tried to discourage us, divide us, isolate us from each other, and turn us against each other. Paul encourages us as believers to be of one Spirit and one mind because that is when we are effectively working as the body so that’s how we combatted it. We fought to stay of one Spirit and one mind by sharing what lies the enemy was putting in, giving feedback, praying for one another as we prayed for CICRIN and put on our armor every morning by memorizing Ephesians 6:13-18.
Each day someone was in charge of how we were going to pray for CICRIN, Ometepe, and Nicaragua. We did everything from a prayer walk, to rewriting a Psalm, to giving thanks (on Thanksgiving), learning battle cries and marches, going through the ACTS prayer model, and praying through Scripture. This week was challenging, exhausting, full of growth, but a personal and team turning point for the best.
We also were able to celebrate Thanksgiving this week! They bought a ham so there “gringo friends” could celebrate Thanksgiving! So a few people went to the store and bought loads of mac and cheese, cornbread, stuffing, veggies, and made some incredible desserts. Since Thanksgiving is a big family holiday for me so to be able to celebrate the holiday with the while squad and sit around the table with lots of food, a talent show, laughter, and thankfulness made being away from home a lot easier!
This week gave me a small, small glimpse of the war Jesus waged for us when He died on the cross to battle our sins for us before rising in victory so when war is waged against us, we can always come out victorious.
Week 3: kitchen and grounds
Coming into this last week I have lots of podcast downloaded and ready to be listened to while we rake, sweep, mop, clean, and do whatever we can so the staff at CICRIN can focus on the big picture without worrying about the small details. That is exactly what we are here for – to support the ministry we are in.
I am looking forward to what God has to teach us this week and how we are going to continue to grow as a family!
I can’t believe our time here is going so quickly!! Thank you for your prayers and waging war on behalf of my team and I. I am coming to truly understand the importance of that in a very tangible way.
P.S. If you ever come to Ometepe, go zip-lining and ask to go upside down – worth it.
