For the past five weeks in Nicaragua, our main ministry has been prayer walking, which is essentially evangelism but I like to call it ‘acknowledging people’. We pile up in the back of trucks and head to the surrounding villages. We walk the streets and interact with locals, share testimonies and pray for whatever their needs may be. It’s been an awesome time to build connections and relationships outside the farm. Here’s a few people I’ve met: Sweet Maria is a kind, old woman who was the first local to invite my team into her home where she shared her testimony with us. Kevin is a young man who gave his life to Jesus after we shared the gospel with him. Sandra is one of the strongest women I know as she is so incredibly strong in her faith while battling with her husband who is addicted to drugs and is abusive whenever sober. Gloria is a woman who has diabetes and lost her sight about 3 weeks ago, yet still has inspiring faith in God. Carla is an incredible woman who has stomach cancer and has brought glory to God through all her pain. Antonia is another welcoming, sweet, old lady who was healed of her awful stomach pains and told us we were angels sent by God. Our host, Scott, wanted to take us to a place he never takes teams because of how well prayer walking was going for us. So after 24 hours of prayer and fasting we got to prayer walk in the Central Park of Granada. We got to pray over a group of men that have been unemployed since the crisis last year and over several individual’s health. One team witnessed a woman’s eyes open after being blind and three gamblers come to know Christ. When we first started prayer walking, I was so focused on what God was going to do. Focused on the miraculous and all the healings! Not that that’s a bad thing but it can sometimes take away from the real intentionality of meeting people where they are at. It’s about SEEING people and LOVING them. Can you imagine if when we went out grocery shopping, to the mall or our job and were more focused on loving those right in front of us. Acknowledging that you see them and you care and maybe even asking if there’s anything you could pray for. It changes everything. You don’t have to be on a mission trip to pray for someone or think of someone other than yourself when you’re running errands. There is a mission everywhere we look and we can all be missionaries. It just takes intentionality, time, and love. I’ve seen the impact firsthand while prayer walking in Nicaragua but it’s also opened my eyes to how easy it is to do in the states and how blind I’ve been to those around me. I mean it’s the biggest blessing to live somewhere where you can approach someone without a translator and completely understand. But let’s slow down and instead of pushing through a crowd, stop and acknowledge people. We are all just humans who want to be loved, so let’s make that our mission.
Let’s remember the great commandment and the great commission :
The Great Commandment
1 John 3:23 “ And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. “
And then the Great Commision
Matthew 28:19 “ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
