I am writing this while sitting on an airplane to Ireland for our squad debrief. I look back over the past month and wonder at how quickly time flies. Our month in Nicaragua was filled with many good memories, laughs, and some tears too. It was a time of personal growth in my walk with my Heavenly Father, and it was also an exciting time of ministering to the people in the village of Candelaria. The Bible calls us to count our blessings and name them one by one. Here are some of the highlights of my month in Nicaragua:
· Seven of us got to help plant rice one morning with a large group of locals. It was a refreshing time of ministering together and simply enjoying each other’s company. That morning also involved diving headfirst into the dirt, hauling a tractor across the field by hand, and playing tag with the children there. Somewhere in the mix we also did work too. J
· Playing volleyball with the kids and teens at New Song was a blast. Rules were never exactly a priority, and what game could be complete without a cow tied to one of the basketball goals while you are trying to play volleyball?
· Building a Fuego pyramid, on the back of a moving truck, going up a mountain to a waterfall. Yep, that’s right!
· One night our two teams led the whole youth service. After worship and group discussions, we led the young people on a surrender walk to a cross we had set up at the edge of the cornfield. The whole theme of the evening was surrendering everything to Christ and learning to walk in freedom. The youth were so enthusiastic about the event that we stayed out by the cross and the bonfire, singing songs and praying, until 11pm!
· The girls on both teams helped put on a day of beauty for the local women, which included facials, manicures, haircuts, and pedicures. It was a huge blessing to us to see how blessed these women were. That day reaffirmed once more for me how much more blessed it is to give than to receive.
· Every morning we had group worship and prayer and every evening we had a devotional time with both of our teams and the three other missionaries staying at New Song. They were powerful times of praising God, interceding for the community, being vulnerable with each other, and speaking truth and encouragement over each other. God gave us a very unique opportunity to pour into the lives of the three missionaries who were also there with us.
· One day our teams went on a prayer walk over the church’s land. We prayed for the land and also for the ministries that were taking place on that property. It was an incredible time of dreaming big, outrageous dreams for the Kingdom and prophesying over New Song Ministries. God gave some incredible visions of what He had planned for the ministry in the future. I can’t wait to see how God moves over that mission; He definitely has some big things up His sleeve.
· Finally, one of my favorite memories about this past month is the relationships we were able to develop with the amazing, beautiful people of Candelaria. You don’t have to speak the same language for a child to understand that you love them; that can be expressed through actions and body language just as easily as through words. After all, a hug is pretty universal.
These are but a few of the many precious memories I have from Nicaragua. It has been hard to say goodbye to all of the friends we made. However, I am also excited to look forward to the next thing God has in store for us as we leave Central America and head to Europe. One thing is for certain; there is never a dull moment on the Race!
