Dios es tan bueno! I love Nicaragua..

Not everyone understands missions. And then there are some that say they understand it but do not support missions. And there are those that are against missions to other countries.

I have had many people tell me that there are plenty of lost people in our own country and that we should not be spending our money and time going to other countries. I certainly agree that we have plenty of lost people in the United States, but I also know that we do our part to spread the gospel here. I also know that God specifically called me to go to other countries to do the same.

It is not because I enjoy flying in an airplane 39,000 feet above the ground that I go to Nicaragua. It is not because I like the hard 9 hour journey on 2 different buses packed with more people than seats and no air conditioning that I go to Nicaragua. It is certainly not because I enjoy sleeping in an open air church on a 2 inch foam mattress laying on a concrete floor that I go. Or the fact that I have to take a bucket bath with cold water and use a smelly outhouse. Or eat rice, beans and tortillas 3 times a day. Without butter or salsa....

I go because I love my Lord with all of my heart and I want others to know how to love Him too. I want the people of Nicaragua to know what an amazing God we serve and worship. I want those precious children to know all about the bible and grow up to be young men and women with a heart for God. I go because they are a thirsty people and I know where the fountain of living water is.

"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring"   Isaiah 44:3

There is no greater feeling than sharing what God has done in your life with others. Or ministering to the children and watching their faces light up with joy because they feel the love that you are sharing with them. Or speaking to the women and encouraging them to hunger and thirst for God like never before and hearing their voices and seeing their faces echoing agreement.

Thirsty spirits. Hungry hearts.

People desperate for the WORD to flood their souls with a new thing and change them forever.

I go because part of my heart remains in Nicaragua when I leave. As we say our good byes and hug each others necks, the tears begin to well up within our eyes.  Friendships that extend beyond our language barrier have been formed. Our lives have become intertwined for over 4 years and our bonds of love for each other run deep.  We are truly brothers and sisters in Christ and it is hard to say our farewells. It is hard to turn and walk away and head toward the place where we will catch the first of 2 buses out of the small village of La Union and begin our journey back home.

But we must leave and allow the seeds to grow. The seeds that God has so graciously entrusted with us to plant there are beginning to sprout and it is time to allow our friends in La Union learn how to water them on their own and see what a great harvest God has in store for them.

My life has been enriched by the 4 trips I have made to that small little village in Nicaragua. I take home many life lessons from my Father that He taught me during each stay. I have been blessed beyond measure and I leave Nicaragua more in love with my Lord and Savior than ever before.

Dios es tan bueno!