It is now November 2013. I have re-visited this blog and find it compelling. For this reason, I am trying to bring it to more prominence in the listing of my blogs. I will update this today, Oct 30, 2013 to see if this brings it closer to the top.
Sunday was a full day.
Sunday was a full day.
We attended Verbo Church in Managua. It is largely Nicaraguan, but many missionaries and visitors attend. The praise and worship was truly annointed! I felt bi-lingual as we joined in the singing (aided by the overhead projection of the words!). I believe it's common to experience praise and worship to God in a different country and to realize that God in Nicaragua is the same God here as back home and we're all united in our worship of Him. The joy of the Lord is universal.
As Muggy and I prayed and planned for Nicaragua, we had resolved that we would come to this country expectantly. That is, we would come without pre-conceived notions of what we would experience and what we would do, but rather that we would anticipate that God would meet us here and show us what He had for us.
An awesome "divine appointment" that He has provided us with is the opportunity to meet a young lady named Meagan who comes from Indianapolis. She is here representing her church working through Partners in Christ on a fact finding internship. Meagan has a glorious smile which I believe reflects the joy of the Lord that is in her heart. As the week progressed, it became obvious to me that God had planned for Muggy and me to be here to meet Meagan.
Each morning we shared conversation of the things of the Lord as we enjoyed our morning coffee. We spoke of Meagan, Muggy and me being allied in our work for the Lord. We are not sure of exactly how this alliance will come to fruition, but we were all certain our meeting was for a purpose. As we prepare to leave Nicaragua, Meagan will stay on for a time. Our prayers for her efforts here will add to the prayers of her prayer support team from home.
Each morning we shared conversation of the things of the Lord as we enjoyed our morning coffee. We spoke of Meagan, Muggy and me being allied in our work for the Lord. We are not sure of exactly how this alliance will come to fruition, but we were all certain our meeting was for a purpose. As we prepare to leave Nicaragua, Meagan will stay on for a time. Our prayers for her efforts here will add to the prayers of her prayer support team from home.
Two other individuals I wish to mention are Gary and Trish, the house masters for Partners in Christ. They have left family and home in Knoxville to be here doing the work of the Lord and they are truly a blessing to all who enter this house.
We all know, or should know that there are no coincidences in God's work. Our team members, the missionaries, the children, the Partners in Christ workers are all a part of the master plan that God has for this country and, seemingly, for our lives.
Another divine appointment was realized Sunday afternoon as we traveled to visit Ruby, a Nicaraguan prophetess and missionary to the people of Managua. She lives near the dump, by choice as that is her mission field. When people stop by to visit her, she sits them down and has church by singing a few songs and quizzing her guests on Bible knowledge. I discovered that I am woefully lacking in Bible knowledge!
If one desires, Ruby will lay hands on and pray for you. Sometimes God provides her with specific words for the individual. She spoke specifically to Muggy and me this day and we move forward with a new sense of expectancy of things of the Lord.
And so, the sun set on another day in Managua, but it set too on our trip, for on Monday we will depart Nicaragua. It is with sadness that we will say good-bye to these people and their country. We have been given an opportunity to enter their lives for a short period of time and now we move out again.
Leaving from a mission trip is a head jerk event as we begin to think of the life we return to with its responsibilities, challenges and all that makes our lives what they are. This week I've come "unstuck in time" (reference Kurt Vonnegut's book, Slaughterhouse Five). I didn't forget that I had another life to return to, but it did seem like it was very, very far away and distant and the impact upon my life from this time in Nicaragua is far more than simply a week away!!
Will we return to Nicaragua? I quite simply do not know. I know we are resolved to learn Spanish.
I know for a fact that our lives are different in a powerful way from what they were and we move forward now expectantly again for what God has for us!
Ken
Another divine appointment was realized Sunday afternoon as we traveled to visit Ruby, a Nicaraguan prophetess and missionary to the people of Managua. She lives near the dump, by choice as that is her mission field. When people stop by to visit her, she sits them down and has church by singing a few songs and quizzing her guests on Bible knowledge. I discovered that I am woefully lacking in Bible knowledge!
If one desires, Ruby will lay hands on and pray for you. Sometimes God provides her with specific words for the individual. She spoke specifically to Muggy and me this day and we move forward with a new sense of expectancy of things of the Lord.
And so, the sun set on another day in Managua, but it set too on our trip, for on Monday we will depart Nicaragua. It is with sadness that we will say good-bye to these people and their country. We have been given an opportunity to enter their lives for a short period of time and now we move out again.
Leaving from a mission trip is a head jerk event as we begin to think of the life we return to with its responsibilities, challenges and all that makes our lives what they are. This week I've come "unstuck in time" (reference Kurt Vonnegut's book, Slaughterhouse Five). I didn't forget that I had another life to return to, but it did seem like it was very, very far away and distant and the impact upon my life from this time in Nicaragua is far more than simply a week away!!
Will we return to Nicaragua? I quite simply do not know. I know we are resolved to learn Spanish.
I know for a fact that our lives are different in a powerful way from what they were and we move forward now expectantly again for what God has for us!
Ken
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