First, we made it to Nicaragua!! This country is breathtaking. After a very long travel day of 16 hours, we arrived in Granada. For about a day and a half, we had a mini “awaking” conference with the whole squad and some of the squads Ministry hosts for the month. It was an incredible, refreshing time to reconnect with squadmates and to commune with God. On Thursday, my team made our way to a little town in northern Nicaragua called Dario. After 3 public buses, about a 50 pound pack on my back, many laughs, team bonding, and a ton of crazy looks from strangers; we arrived to our ministry for the month.
This month we have the awesome opportunity to work with a ministry called Salt and Light Nicaragua. Our host Tara started this organization with her husband, Alex. They have a discipleship program that teaches young men of the community what it means to be a man of God in the home, and how to live a Godly life. Many of these children do not have fathers in the home, and have no example of how a Godly man should live. Through their program they teach the boys life skills, English, and the Word of God. This month we are working with the program by teaching English, playing sports, leading Bible studies and worship.
Another aspect of our month is helping our host around the house. Our first couple of days included shoveling dirt to fill in potholes, the back yard, and around the house. I gained a whole new respect for people that work in construction or do any work of this kind for a living. It was hard. My whole body was sore, sweaty, and sunburnt by the end of the four days. But the Lord taught me something simple in all of this. When we run out of our own strength, all we have to do is ask for God to give us more and He will.
The Lord cares for us to much, he cares if we are sick, weak, and tired. He sees us in this and will give us what we need when we ask. So in the middle of this very exhausting couple of days, I was at a point where I couldn’t physically continue. I was worn out and didn’t think I could do it anymore, so I took a short water break and prayed. I prayed that the Lord would restore my energy and give me endurance to continue working hard for our host. In that I felt renewed, yes I was still very physically exhausted but I felt like I could keep going, unlike before. I just simply asked the Lord to give me what I need in the moment and He did.
God has been showing me just how much He cares for me lately. That He sees me and knows my heart. It is incredible that the creator of the Universe cares for our needs, regardless of how insignificant we might think they are. And on this journey with the world race, I am not only telling people how much Jesus cares for them, but God is doing the same for me.
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15
