Hello people! I am alive and well in Nicaragua. Our first month of the World Race is being spent on a 72 acre farm called REAP in Granada ran by our lovely host Scott and his two daughters Hannah and Journey. They have created a sanctuary for members of the community to come and hear the word of God while also providing jobs! There are dorms being built and rows and rows of fruit trees to cultivate. We are halfway through the month we will spend here and I have been terrible at uploading blogs/pictures but IN MY DEFENSE we only get WiFi once a week so hopefully next month will be better (idk maybe we won’t have WiFi at all!) Either way, I thank you (especially my parents) for your patience.
The purpose of this blog is to explain some of the different ministry opportunities we’ve gotten to take part in thus far! This month is an “all squad” month – meaning all 32 members of V Squad are staying at the same location to do ministry together. In other months, the teams will be in different places throughout the country doing different things. It has been awesome to get to spend time with friends who are on the squad but not part of my team of 7. We have a squad bible study every couple days and in it we are learning about how we must allow ourselves to be loved by God first or we will be unable to love others well. We get up at 5 am 3 days a week for a prayer time before breakfast and share all meals together. It’s been really special having everyone around.
Prayer walking is one of the main ways we are ministering here at REAP. We get in teams for 4-7 and walk around the town of Granada and pray for anyone we encounter. We have 2 translators per group which makes it possible for us to interact with the people of Granada in a way that is personal and intimate. The Nicaraguans are very hospitable and normally invite us into their homes to sit and talk about the ways Jesus has changed them and how to share that love with others. Today on my morning prayer walk we met a woman named Alma and she shared about how hard life has been. She watched her husband pass away and has many health problems but she talked passionately about how through it all, Jesus held her and her family together.
Another way we do ministry is through sports! I thought after I graduated I thought I was done with basketball for awhile but I was way wrong. REAP hosts a basketball league (they also host baseball, soccer, and kickball leagues) so on Fridays and Saturdays we play teams from the city. Most of the guys that play are around the age of 25 and it’s a great opportunity for them to spend some hours of the night playing a sport they love rather than being out doing other things. We spent the first couple weeks here painting new lines on their court and painting the logo in the center. There are men that work on the farm two days a week but in order to get paid they have to be there all week (work is very hard to come by here in Granada) so we facilitate basketball practice for the men in the mornings on the days they are here with nothing to do. We practice fundamentals in the morning, do a bible study at lunch, and play actual games in the evening. I’m definitely staying in shape.
It rains a lot here. You can see it coming from a mile away. It’s a wall of water that we’ve literally had to outrun to get to cover. I’m learning Spanish as well! It’s exciting to get to have (small very broken) conversations with the locals. God is really teaching me about responsibility. I was chosen to be treasurer of STREAM Team which entails budgeting and accounting. If you know me, you know this IS NOT my strong suit! I am excited for the opportunity to grow in this area because I know I’ll need it after the race but if you would like to pray for me on this subject I would gladly appreciate it! I think the Lord has also been teaching me to rely on him to conquer things because I know I can’t conquer things on my own. People on our team have been dropping like flies due to illness. We have a quarantined room on the farm that you’re forced to stay in if you throw up in an attempt to keep everyone else from getting sick. Half the team has been in and out of said room over the last 2 weeks. I haven’t been sick yet but I know it will come eventually. Pray for health!
Also pray for my buddy Ethan! He’s 17 years old and is staying at REAP for about three months. His sister went on the race and his parents thought it would help him grow spiritually if he spent the summer here. He’s gotten really close to us and we love having him around. He’s so spiritually mature for his age and an absolute joy to know. Pray for his spiritual growth over this summer! It’s going to break his little heart when us racers leave so pray that these next weeks go slow and are filled with love and community. Pray that after we leave other people who love him just the same will fill our shoes! His Instagram is @wennerethan if you want to give him a follow (;
It has been neat not having WiFi and getting to enjoy the company around me without being distracted by social media. I’ve made friendships here in three weeks that would take much longer to make at home just due to the fact that we are forced to interact all the time. We can never “check-out”. I feel like I time traveled back 30 years. On the other hand, lack of WiFi has been hard when it comes to missing home and missing people that I love but I know the Lord is good and sovereign and has a plan. No WiFi is his will right now and I’m willing to walk in that!
We leave for Costa Rica in two weeks so begin praying for receptive hearts! Pray that we continue to grow in community as we break off into our teams for the first time. I will continue to pray that the Lord blesses those who chose to be apart of God’s journey with me!
