Ministry in Nicaragua

Ministry in Nicaragua

 

 Hello Family and Friends,

 

            Here is an update on what everyday life looks like in Nicaragua and what the Lord has been doing here the past few weeks! My squad and I are currently serving with an organization called Reap Granada. Reap partners with different ministries throughout the area to spread God’s love and to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to the people of Nicaragua. At the base, Reap hires and disciples local Nicaraguans to work the farm as well as lead and translate for ministry! They also open the farm up for people in the neighborhood to come and play soccer or basketball. I have loved it here; the Nicaraguans are so kind and patient with those of us who do not speak Spanish. The culture here is very welcoming, loving, and hungry to learn more about God.

            Every day my squad wakes up at 5 am to spend an hour in prayer, then we meet at 6 am to pray together. We eat breakfast at 7:30, and from there every team does different ministry throughout the day and comes back for dinner at the base around 5:30 pm. Throughout the week my team intercedes for the people of Nicaragua in the prayer room, goes on prayer walks throughout the city to encourage believers and share the gospel, and prays over people in the hospital. We’re also involved in a local house church, serve with a kids ministry and a ministry called the dump, and occasionally work on the farm. Kids ministry involves us going to a church after the kids get out of school, we play loud worship music in Spanish and the kids come running! We play with them, put on a skit to teach them about Jesus, and serve them lunch. Each week we have about 50-70 kids and it is a blast! As we leave, the kids run after the truck waving goodbye, and it is sweet. For dump ministry, we go to the local dump and set up a church service for the people that live and work there. One of us shares the message and we serve them lunch! Each week about 30-50 people come to the dump ministry. House church is smaller; it’s about 20-30 people who gather in someone’s home, worship, share how God has moved in their lives, pray, and listen to a message from someone in the room.

            I love all the ministries we’re doing here, but some of my favorite memories have been from prayer walking. It has been really humbling to experience how hungry the people here are for God’s word. Nicaraguans are very community oriented so if you come knocking on their door, they want you to come into their homes and they will take time out of their day to spend with you. And even if they know about Jesus or if what you are sharing with them is something they have heard before, they are respectful to listen and want to know more. There are many people here that don’t know how to read so they depend on other people to teach them what the word of God says. This has been one of the most eye-opening experiences I have had since being here. The word of God is my life source; it is how I fight lies, it is how I discern false teaching from the truth, and it is how the Holy Spirit talks to me and teaches me. The Bible is not the only way God reaches me, but it sure is a big part of my walk with Jesus. Being put in a position of teaching other people who don’t have their own way of reading the Bible has opened my eyes to a new holy fear of God as well as the responsibility I have because of the wisdom God has given me through His word and His Spirit. Not only a responsibility to walk and live it out, but to teach others how they can walk in the same freedom as they follow Jesus too. Scripture talks about how those who teach are held under more judgment by God and how someone who is a false teacher and is leading others astray would be better off with an anchor tied around their neck and dropped into the depths of the ocean. (Luke 17:1-3, James 3:1). Jesus literally said it would be better to drown in the bottom of the ocean than to mislead followers of Christ. That is weighty and puts a holy fear of God in me to ensure that what I share or teach is from God and to coat everything I do and say in prayer, allowing the Lord to go before me. It is very important to be teaching others what God has spoken and to be in partnership with His Spirit because all the enemy must do is twist the truth a little bit, and people can end up very far from the path of following Jesus. Kind of like golf, if you hit the ball just a little bit off, it can end up very far from where it was intended to go. God also promised that He would never leave us as we obey Him in making disciples of all nations and He repeatedly throughout scripture calls people as they are and equips them as they go (Matthew 28:18-20). It’s a humble balance and tension between holy reverence of the Lord and holding responsibility, while also letting go and knowing that Jesus will use what I say to speak to His children in whatever way they need to hear. God has been teaching me how to feed His sheep while following Him and knowing that He is the great Shepard that is taking care of me and them (John 21:15-17, John 10:3-4 + 9-10). It is humbling to be a part of what God is doing despite how broken I am. I don’t even deserve Jesus, who am I to be teaching others about Him too? My only answer is God’s grace that is more powerful than my sin, more powerful than my past, and His love that is greater than anything I could ever ask, think, or imagine (Romans 5:15, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Ephesians 3:20-21). It is God’s grace and love that have brought me to where I am now. It is His power that will draw other people to Him and His Spirit that will truly teach them how to follow Him into freedom forevermore (Hebrews 12:1-2, John 14:26, 1 John 4:8, Romans 1:16). I am just a rusty tool in God’s toolbox that has the honor of being used in this way at that time. God has been moving in mighty ways here in Nicaragua, I am planning on writing another blog soon including all the moves of God and miracles we have seen since being here. In the meantime, I would appreciate it if you could be praying for protection over our squad, healing for the people of Nicaragua, endurance in the Lord, and dependency upon the Holy Spirit in all things!

 

 

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me,

 

As the Nicaraguans say it; te quierro mucho y Dios De Bendiga!

 

I love you a lot and God bless you!  

 

 

 

 

Luke 17:1-3

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves.”

 

James 3:1

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

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Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 

John 21:15-17

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again, Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

 

John 10:3-4

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

 

John 10:9-10

I am the gate: whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they have life and have it to the full.

 

Romans 5:15

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

 

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen

 

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfect of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

John 14:26

But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

 

1 John 4:8

God is love

 

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.