All the way back in month 1, I remember thinking how far it was to potentially seeing my parents again at PVT (Parent Vision Trip): a week long trip for parents to come along side the racers to give them a taste of what racers do while abroad: do ministry together, adventures, worship, and sabbath.
And bam- it was here and gone! My parents were here, right beside me. It was an amazing feeling to embrace them, love them, honor them, and show them what my life has been like. I am amazed they spent their money and resources to provide my sisters and I on dozens of missions trip growing up, but never for them to go and serve themselves. This trip to Granada, Nicaragua is their first mission trip.
Here is a blog from my mom about their time here with me:
“The Common Bond of Christianity & the Need to Spread the Gospel of Jesus to our Family, Friends, and Neighborhood.”
Written by: Claudia Brammer
I have had several weeks to digest the experiences I had while serving in Nicaragua on the World Race PVT (Parent Vision Trip). I’m struggling to put into words how my faith grew in substantial amounts and how I was touched by the Nicaraguan people but I will attempt to express what I learned and share with you some of our experiences while we were there.
We were so excited to reunite with Mariah, to give her a hug and physically touch her and hear her voice in person. There was such joy when we could spend the time with her and meet her teammates, the J squad, the leaders, and the REAP ministry leaders while we were there. Mariah has been so blessed to have the opportunity to serve with The World Race for nine months, with only 2 months left before her return back to Minnesota in late June. Both Brad & I were thankful to be able to take part in the trip to get a glimpse of what their ministry has been. We will treasure the memories we made with Mariah and the people we met along the way. We were able to participate in various ministries, worship, feet washing, and heard testimonies from many of the racers and the parents. It blessed us and we will be forever thankful.
As I get older I am discovering more and more that Christianity is different than any other religion. If there is no basic unity of belief about the basic oneness of God and Jesus, there will never be unity. God provides other sources along the way to teach me lessons in life and helps me grow in my faith. In my BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) lesson we have studied from the gospel of John, chapter 17, verses 20-23. This is the latter portion of Jesus’s prayer before his betrayal and cruxification. It is a prayer for future believers, a prayer for oneness. True Christian unity cuts across time and space. Without any former contact, believers can meet and love fellow believers. You can be any place in the world, be with all ages, any race, any language, or cultural background but if you have the common bind of strong, eternal cords of Jesus, you feel a glorious reality of our God. You feel a great comfort and love that is precious and full of joy when you see smiles and receive hugs from other believers. That was evident as Brad & I met the wonderful people while we were in Nicaragua.
I am certain Satan would love it if I brag about the experiences I had, giving the glory to myself rather than to Jesus. He wants me to boast about feeding the hungry, about doing good deeds, and about how we encouraged the missionaries that serve the Nicaraguan’s on a daily basis. He wants me to talk about the things I’ve done to make this world “a better place”. But in my heart I know there is so much more than that.
You see, Satan wants me to forget the healing miracles we saw happen before our own eyes. Satan wants me to forget the loving eyes of inmate who expressed his love for Jesus as he translated our English into Spanish, as he read from the scriptures and encouraged other inmates about their need to accept Jesus as their Savior and King. We shared with them how God is preparing a place in Heaven for us to spend eternity with Him by our side if we accept Him! Satan wants me to forget about the woman who works in the city dump to make a living for her family. She may have looked upon us as royalty because we wore nice clothes and we were providing her a meal. But she was willing to listen to us tell her that Jesus loves her and that He cares about who she is. It was difficult not to feel guilty as we stood in the stench and garbage, unable to fathom what their daily lives are like each day.
I’ve discovered our serving wasn’t just to help the poverty stricken people where there is so much need. It’s about seeing the need for a Savior who can take your burdens and can forgive your sins if you just accept his gift no matter what your circumstances are. If you have little in this world, you have less to give up. If you have much, like we do in America, we think we really don’t need Jesus. Material things can satisfy your soul and give you earthly satisfaction, but we all need a soul-wrenching love and peace only Jesus can provide. Matthew 6:19-21 says “Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is; there you heart will be also.”
If I drive thru our city and look for the poorest neighborhood and then place it in Nicaragua, it would be luxurious compared to the average home in the slums there. You could take the largest, most expensive house and place it in Nicaragua but it wouldn’t provide happiness to the poorest man or woman there. You see, the things we have don’t provide happiness, it is about our acceptance of Jesus into our life. It gives us security and a promise of eternal life with Jesus. God’s word says 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.” We are changed and given new hope in Christ Jesus.
Since I have been home, I have endured thru several weeks of fever, diarrhea, ear infection, and a bad cough. This 61 year old woman might look healthy and strong, but the jet lag, the impoverished conditions, the lack of sleep, and overall schedule wore me out. I thank God that he kept me going while we were serving and that I wasn’t sick while we were with the Racers. Returning home provided me with our warm home, toilets that you can actually flush toilet paper down, hot water and soap to wash my hands, a hot shower that you can enjoy for more than a moment, a washing machine and dryer that cleans your clothes with clear clean water, a comfortable bed to sleep, and medical resources to provide medicine and care. Who wouldn’t want that? I was longing for the comforts of home and grateful for our blessings here. Yet, there is an emptiness in my soul, a longing to share the gospel with others in my neighborhood and community.
What? Emptiness? Here, in Rosemount, Minnesota? It’s where we raised our four daughters, where we have attended church and actively serve in our community. But…..wait a minute, have we actually actively served in our community? How have I served my neighbors, my co-workers, our children’s friends, the clerk at the grocery store, or a stranger on the street where I live? God has stirred in my heart that our neighborhood needs Jesus too, just like the poverty stricken people of Nicaragua. I need to be on a prayer walk in my neighborhood to pray for the sick, the lonely, the down hearted. We don’t need more material things, we need Jesus. Regardless of where we live or what we do. I’m praying for a heart that will be searching for ways to spread the gospel of Jesus in my community where I live. Reality is “something that actually exists or happens: a real event, occurrence, situation, etc.”. It is my desire to step into my reality in Rosemount Minnesota, to see where God can work both in my life and for those around me.
What about you? Are you searching for something more? Do you have an emptiness inside that only Jesus can fill and make you whole? Jesus came to the earth in human form to give Himself as a sacrifice for all of us. He loved us so much that He was willing to die for us. What a gift! What a Savior! As we approach the Easter season, it is my prayer that you will discover who Jesus is and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. He is all we need. The World Race PVT trip changed my heart and I’m asking to be used for the glory of God in the days to come. I love you Mariah for providing the gift of serving by your side. Brad, thank you for being my faithful, loving husband. And for the rest of my family and friends, continue to seek Jesus – God Bless and Keep you.
