I struggled to find a focus for this blog because I didn’t know how to incorporate the seemingly unrelated topics of fun and service. Fun and service. Adventure and mission. Adventures in Missions. Ahh. The name of the very organization I’m volunteering for this entire year. It took me far too long to get there, but without further ado, here are some blurbs about both the adventures and missions that I have experienced this month in Nicaragua.
Adventures
In Granada, some of my squadmates and I went on an awesome day trip on Lake Nicaragua. Our guide, Ramón, took us on a small boat to tour the lake and its islands. He told us that Nicaragua is known as “La Tierra de Lagos y Volcanes” (Land of Lakes and Volcanoes), both of which we were able to see. He dropped us off on a small island for a few hours where we got to eat, drink, and swim. We also got to feed monkeys. The best part? The tour itself only cost $10. Woop.
During the first week at our ministry site in Nicaragua, we got to go volcano boarding. First, we had to hike up the volcano, which was a feat in itself. Most people carried their boards by sliding them horizontally between their backs and backpacks, creating a fleet of Buzz Lightyears. It was incredibly windy, and a couple of our smaller squadmates almost blew away. Gorgeous view and a wonderful experience nevertheless.
Because of all the effort I exerted while climbing the volcano, I no longer had enough energy to be terrified of the sliding down portion. I was simply curious and excited. We had to wear goggles, gloves, and pants to prevent rocks from lodging themselves in our skin. Being from Minnesota, I have sled down many snow-covered hills but never a rock-covered volcano. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that different. You essentially hold on tight, attempt to navigate, and end with an epic crash (if you’re me). It was really fun and a bit painful, but definitely worth it.
Missions
Service this month has been rather challenging for me because it is not product-driven like painting or construction. I thrive on measuring progress and creating tangible results. However, this month looks much more like the work of the apostles. Their experiences included preaching, healing, teaching, and praying. Relationships and Holy Spirit promptings. Oh.
Each day looks different but has included leading bible studies, praying over sick people, sharing the gospel with villagers, playing games with kids, and sharing testimonies to students. I personally have organized soccer games, led a women’s bible study on the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4, translated words from the Lord from my teammates to villagers, and spoke to a group of kids about how alcohol has affected my life. When summarized, I feel rather accomplished. However, in the moment when the pastor asks me to give a message of God’s love to a family, I feel reluctant and awkward. In the scheme of things, it’s not about my feelings at all.
God has been teaching me to expand my view of effective and necessary service. In Acts 6, the apostles choose seven men to run a food program for widows so that they can continue praying and teaching. Both are important, but have differing purposes. I would be the first to volunteer for running the food program since it meets a physical need, but instead, God has been calling me toward prayer and teaching the word.
The book Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster has been “fostering” these concepts: “Service is not a list of things that we do, though in it we discover things to do. It is not a code of ethics, but a way of living. To do specific acts of service is not the same thing as living in the discipline of service.” He goes on to talk about the difference between self-righteous service and true service. Self-righteous service is concerned with human effort, external rewards, and individual feelings. It is demanding, insensitive, and temporary. True service, by contrast, is concerned with divine whispers, building relationships, and community. It is welcoming, indiscriminate, patient and lasting. It is a lifestyle, not a checklist.
Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Here’s to another month of becoming more like Jesus! Prayer requests are for boldness in ministry and daily energy as we swelter in the sweaty armpit of Nicaragua. Love you <3
