Tuesday morning, August 4, the pickup we were riding in back of stopped at the shed on the Esposito’s property. We piled out and loaded up tools and 100 baby limon trees. We were about to begin the ministry that would most challenge and bless our month in Nicaragua.
After a 62 hour, 4 country travel day we had arrived at Scott and Jenn Esposito’s house in Granada, Nicaragua the Saturday before. Sunday was church and chill. Monday we joined Jenn for a children’s Bible study and feeding program and a home Bible study, familiar ministry activities for our teams. And then the orchard.
The Espositos are American missionaries who have lived in Granada for nearly three years. They work in Pantanal, a poor suburb of Granada, with their ministry REAP Granada. They live an open handed life where everything – love, time, possessions, their home, their wisdom – is freely given. They are unity and discipleship minded and were the first ministry hosts to pour into us by leading a book study and encouraging us to lead worship several mornings. Ministries we were a part of were prison, feeding programs, sports, and prayer walking. While we were there they also hosted two week long teams that wanted to do service projects. Hence, the trees.
Currently, Jenn and Scott live in Granada about 15 miles from Pantanal. It is hard to develop community when they are not in the community, so they purchased 70 acres in Pantanal. The land will be developed over time to have an industrial park, a conference center, a working farm, and their home and team homes. The hundreds of avocado trees had been planted earlier this year, but the 600 limon trees and 100 mandrin trees needed to get into the ground. These trees will help sustain the land as well as provide work and income to families in the barrio.
Tuesday morning we had no idea what we were getting into. Working in the orchard was the hardest physical labor we have done on the Race! For seven months we had been, well, pampered. We had gotten used to very short work days and being told that if it was too hot, too cold, too rainy, too sunny, too whatever we would be taking the day off. In the orchard we quickly discovered we had been feeling entitled. Seriously, entitled living out of a backpack on $5 a day food allowance and sleeping in a sleeping bag!
Scott doesn’t believe in knocking off because of heat or rain. That first day I looked at a teammate and said, “Now we’re working for Americans.”
Challenges bring unforeseen blessings.
- The orchard brought my team alongside another short term team and gave opportunities to learn patience, communication, and love.
- The orchard offered many opportunities to set pride aside and serve my team.
- The orchard allowed us to celebrate each other’s strengths rather than criticize weakness.
- The orchard offered time of quiet to pray.
- The orchard brought our team together in laughter the day we couldn’t plant but rather raked AN ORCHARD.
- The orchard gave Mom and me an opportunity to work together for two hours straight doing something she loves.
- The orchard let us practice being precise and yet know when it was good enough.
- The orchard gave us a chance to work hard and push ourselves out of our entitled mentality.
In Nicaragua I learned when life gives you 700 citrus trees…
Praise the Lord for the lessons He will be teaching you.
