Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Nicaragua 2009: Chris' Story


I asked the team members to submit stories that were particularly touching to them during the trip for inclusion as a guest post, so I thought that I should also do one myself. The following is a portion of my story:

I decided to go on this mission trip because I felt God's calling to do so. What do I mean by "calling"? The meaning of the phrase "God's calling" has always been one of those things that is slightly elusive to me. What does God's calling look like? What does it feel like? I don't know the specific answers to these questions in the context of each person's individual life, but what I do know is what it looked like in my life. I also know that when God calls you to something, He often makes it clear and evident....we just have to listen.

When our church announced the mission trip to Nicaragua, like many times before, I felt God calling me to go. However, like the many times before I largely ignored the calling. I have a pregnant wife, two small children, animals to look after, a farm. I did not have time to go on a mission trip. If God had allowed me
to stay in that place I would have missed out on so much. But of course He did not....about 4am one morning my wife wakes up, wakes me up and says "God says go to Nicaragua, He wants to meet you there".
See what I am telling you? He was quite clear.

I feel like I have been woken from my sleep, I feel that God has opened my eyes and I thank Him for that. The experience that I had in Nicaragua, as I have stated pr
eviously, is indescribable. I loved the work, I loved the children (we fed more than 500 children during our time there), I loved the people (I cannot count the number of people we came in contact with), I loved the country.

Several things struck me while I was in Nicaragua:

The Children
The children touched my heart. My favorite part of the trip by far was feeding, playing, and talking with the children. Carried on Eagles Wings Ministry (along with many others) is providing these children with the sustenance necessary to help keep them from falling into malnutrition. God filled my cup to overflowing with these experiences and just when I felt my heart could take no more God gave me a bigger cup and filled it up again.

One child that impacted me more than any other was Maribel.
Maribel was a little girl we met at a feeding program on Tuesday. She stood there and talked with me for about 25 to 30 minutes and made a real effort to understand me through my broken Spanish.

The People
The people of Nicaragua on the whole have very few material possessions, the typical house we entered had lots of chairs, a table, and pictures on the wall. There were televisions in many homes but all in all they had very few possessions, and they did not seem to mind. They were not held down or imprisoned by their possessions. They were open, inviting, hospitable, and very giving. We were given fruit, places to sit, dinner...all by a people that have very little compared to Americans. One family served us all (18-19 extra people!) a chicken dinner, even though they probably only ate chicken themselves once a month. I was blown away by their, and others', generosity.

The people are also very hungry for the word of God. There were several instances when we were giving out Spanish New Testaments that others saw what we were doing and came running to receive what were were giving. They wanted the Living Water. It reminded me of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well with Jesus:

John 4:7-14 (New King James Version)

7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual warfare is real and prevalent, there were several events that strengthened this realization before, during, and after our trip to Nicaragua. We saw events that showed us the reality of the enemy and his diversions and distractions while people are hearing the word and while people are following and doing the will of Jesus. We often explain these events away as coincidence, but when you put them together in context you see the warefare of the enemy.

Worship
Worship is different and amazing in Nicaragua. Praise and worship went on for about an hour to an hour and a half before the pastor even began to teach. We danced and sang uninhibited by the garbage smell wafting in from the street, the intense heat, or the social restraints that may affect us in the States. It was pure, it was true, it was beautiful.


If He is willing, this is simply the beginning of my story...


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