“Life is ministry and ministry is life”
I think as Americans we can separate our time into subcategories pretty well- family time, work hours, quiet time, etc. The mindset that we have certain hours of the day set apart for specific tasks followed me onto the race and became my expectation of what life during the World Race would look like. In my mind, I pictured a day planner with 8-5 blocked off Monday through Friday for “ministry” type activities and then other times specified for free time, adventure time, personal time, team time, and so on.
During training camp and throughout the first month in Nicaragua, our leadership team has been challenging the idea that ministry only happens during set “ministry” times. Instead, they’ve encouraged us to look at the world through God-lenses, always searching for opportunities to engage with the people around us in such a way that leaves them hungry and thirsty for more of the love of the Father that they feel poured out through our interactions. To leave people feeling known and seen- that their stories matter and their lives have value. We’ve adopted the perspective that all interactions can have a Kingdom impact no matter how short it may be or how insignificant it may outwardly appear. It’s been an incredible blessing to live a life in such a way that everyday becomes a scavenger hunt filled with searching for people to love and glimpses of the Kingdom. I’ve seen God work through small conversations in coffee shops, the middle of a park, and taxi rides. I think some of our best ministry is accomplished not when we follow the schedule for the day or the man-laid plans but rather open up our lives to embrace the idea that God could wreck our plans at any moment and desiring for our day to be molded and determined by Him. This doesn’t mean we don’t make plans. It doesn’t mean we live in fear of moving without hearing God’s voice or feeling His direction. It means that we make every interaction count and avoid putting limitations on what times are designated for “ministry” purposes.
There have been many different opportunities to live life as ministry here in Nicaragua. We’ve had the opportunity to help our host around the farm- digging holes, planting trees, gardening, etc; we worked on the Moringa project- picking leaves and seeds to help create capsules of Moringa powder that can provide much needed nutrition for those who need it; we have gone prayer walking through our neighborhood visiting locals’ houses and interacting with their families- making new friends throughout the streets of Granada, hearing their stories and praying as we are led; we have been able to go to the dump and serve lunch and interact with the workers there or go to the jail and deliver a message to the inmates; we’ve prayed over patients at the hospital; and we’ve been able to work with the sports ministry through weekly basketball camps that help get the men off of the streets and into a safe and positive atmosphere.
Another ministry that my team stumbled upon during our first week here was helping a local librarian named Marisela at the community library. The first day we went there as were prayer walking with one of our translators, it became evident right away that she was overwhelmed with work at the library and could use our help- so we asked our host if we could go back. We quickly formed relationships with Marisela and the children who found shelter at the library. We would serve through cleaning shelves, repairing books, tutoring the children, helping with homework, playing games, and anything else necessary to make Marisela and the children there feel loved.
One of the many things our host here at REAP has taught us is to take ownership over ministry time, so most days we are able to somewhat set our own schedules and decide which ministries we would like to participate in that day. I worked with the basketball camp that occurred Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, but the rest of my time often ended up being spent at the library. One morning, a group of us left for the library- six Americans and no translator because we felt confident in our abilities to find the library and to understand what Marisela asks us to do. The problem was, as we approached the library we were given a note that said Marisela was sick so the library would be closed that day. Instead of returning back to the farm and choosing another ministry, we prayed and decided that we would try to find Marisela’s house so that we could pray for her and see if there was anything we could do for her. We knew that her house was about a twenty minute walk and the approximate neighborhood that she lived in based on a few landmarks we had previously visited, so we headed off in that direction. Long story short, with the help of many kind Nicaraguans, we ended up finding Marisela’s sister (who also is named Marisela). We were able to visit her home and pray for her and her entire family- it turns out many of her family members have been sick and they are currently out of work and running out of food. Through broken Spanish (remember, no translators), we communicated with this new Marisela that God has a plan for her and her family and that she should seek Him in all things. We read Jeremiah 29:11-14 which says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations..” We explained to from Matthew her that people often run after jobs or food, always worrying if they will have enough or if God will provide, but the Bible tells us that the first thing we should seek after is God’s Kingdom and His way of doing things and then He will give us all of the other things as well. We prayed over this Marisela and the other Marisela (who may or may not be related) and thanked God for this amazing time spent together. The whole walk back to the farm we marveled at how good God was and how fun it was to listen to Him and let Him guide our steps that day. We stopped and visited with some of our friends as we walked and prayed over a few more Nicaraguans we had met on previous walks and eventually found our way back to the farm. One of my favorite memories from our time in Granada came from a time when I thought I had a plan for the day and then God stepped in and changed everything.
In His heart a man plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps. Proverbs 16:9
Our time of ministry may be concluding here in Nicaragua, but I am so excited to see the ways that God wrecks my plans in Costa Rica. It turns out living “life as ministry and ministry as life” is actually pretty fun. =]
