On Valentine´s Day, Team Zeo loaded ourselves up and paraded through the streets of Jimotepe to arrive at the bus station about 15 minutes away. From there we found ourselves traveling about an hour and a half to the city of Rivas, Ncaragua. On the bus ride we met a pastor from Managua and it was so encouraging to be able to talk with him for a little bit. He said that when he came to our particular little chicken bus, he could sense the Holy Spirit on us. I pray that all those we meet would be able to physically see the Spirit on us. We spoke for a bit and as best as we could in Spanish and as best as he could in English, we encouraged one another. There is something about meeting a fellow believer with the same heart though that needs no words. It is a breath- like a breath of life that sweeps your lungs for an instant and you are revived. To know that others labor alongside you and in front of you and behind you, that is the church. Praise God for His people already working here in Nicaragua who have done it for many years.
One such lady that we have met is Helen, who runs Cicrin, the orphanage where we are staying. She has been there for 17 years and has such a great system for these kids. We have witnessed firsthand how effective and loving this place is. But the kids work hard too! Wow, they are up and about all the time, doing homework, doing chores, studying the Word for an hour at night and having some play time too of course. There are currently 27 kids at the orphanage and they are all wonderful. I think somehow I expected to go into the place and all the kids would need hugs so bad that they would pretty much be lunging at me for them. But it was not like that. The kids love us and we them, but they don´t need us. They are like everyone else in the States, they have their lives and want to be loved but won´t play the fool to get it. But I will. I will be the idiot for them this month, the gringo that risks being rejected in or der to show my love to them. I mean isn´t that what we all want? Someone who puts forth the effort and says you are worth it!
Don´t get me wrong. These kids are fine without us. They have people here who love them and take care of them, but we have those too and it seems that we are not happy at times. So I struggle with how I can be used here. I love these kids and will love on them as best as I can. And I will love the community of Ometepe where we are established right now. It is an island of about 35,000 people and we are also working with a pastor and his wife and a local church for more outreach. There are many cell groups and it is our desire to see many more created in surrounding areas, so that this whole island would be dotted with Jesus lovers. Please pray that God would tear down the spirit of religion that pervades this area. Please pray that Jesus would restore these people from the poverty that weighs them down. Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. About 80% live below $2 US a dayand about half live under the national poverty line. It is a hard ground here, with need of great healing and I know that our God can heal it.
Yesterday as we were praying over the church and the island, God revealed to me Psalm 68:17
¨The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.¨
Our God commands the heaven and the earth and His strength is immense! Let us believe that and not be swayed.
