As I mentioned before, the people of Palacaguina, Nicaragua are very poor. But there is a church in Canada that has taken up the plight of the people here. They are the ones sponsoring the 3 day Evangelistic Crusade we are having Nov 23, 24, 25.
We just finished 24hours of prayer and fasting in preparation for this life changing event (we have 2 people scheduled for continuous prayer throughout the entire 24 hours). They expect over a thousand people to attend.
The government here gives the illusion of freedom to the people, but in reality, hold a tight rein on everything that happens. They want direct credit for any good that is done, even if it has nothing to do with them. Unfortunately, it is very dangerous to tie what you are doing in with the government as there are a number of ways that can go very badly. Basically, it is better to take no credit for yourself, and give no credit to the government, but do it all quietly. So, when things like the crusade go on, the government often shuts down power to the region in order to stop the show. It’s all a power play. They give permission for the event, but when you don’t say that all the good things are being done by the government, they try and cause the event to fail. The idea is to train the people to believe that every good thing comes from the government, and if they want anything good, they can trust the government to provide it, but should not look elsewhere.
Here are some of the things our Canadian partners are providing funding for:
- Electronic equipment such as speakers, mics, and projectors
- 2 massive generators (for the inevitable ‘unexpected power outage’)
- 6 Bikes to give away (many people will come just for the chance to win a free bike)
- Food for 100 families (we are packing and delivering 100 bundles of food over the course of the next week). It must be the Lord that we just so happen to be doing this during Thanksgiving in a country that does not celebrate Thanksgiving!
- Much needed medicine (this is where the miracle comes in)
The Canada team had a load of medicine donated to a doctor (by a medical lab). The doctor is donating it to the Canadian church to send here to Nicaragua. Months ago, they began the process of completing the necessary paper work to allow the shipment into the country. Every time our contact meets the ‘last’ requirement, a new requirement pops up. After months of doing everything they ask, including spending hundreds of dollars to have certified letters prepared by US attorneys and overnighted to Nicaragua on the assurance that ‘this is the last piece of paperwork needed’, they hit a dead end. Last week they asked for a certified letter from the attorney of the medical lab who produced the medicine. There is no way to get that done since the chain of how they got the medicine was through 3 different donations (the lab itself is not donating to Nicaragua). Anyway, they determined that all hope was lost and they would not be able to meet the demands of the government. If the team were to bring in the meds without the proper paperwork, the government would cease it at the border and sell it off.
During our first meal breaking our 24 hour fast, we received a phone call. The Canada team sought the Lord and decided to take the chance at the border. They packed up all the medicine in faith that God would make a way. HE DID! They arrived safely with all the medicine in hand! None of the guards gave them a hard time! Praise God for such a swift and tangible response to our prayer and fasting!
