Pausing to Celebrate

Hello lovely people! As ministry winds down here in Nicaragua (this is my last week here), I felt like I needed to pause to celebrate and extend some encouragement to someone out there facing a difficult time.

I celebrate the Lord God Almighty for what He has done this past month. Will you celebrate with me? What are you celebrating…you can celebrate whatever you want. Whether it was a great month or a difficult month, a mediocre month, a month of change, or somewhere in between, allow yourself to find something good to celebrate.  

For me, I am celebrating relationships, navigating change, and spiritual growth. This is a huge step because I am known for getting caught up in the negative and forgetting to look for the daily good in my life. Looking for the good in my life means realigning my focus back to God, acknowledging His presence, and praising Him for His hands in my life…even when He doesn’t feel that close.

Also, this is a reminder that God loves and cares for you. If He is disciplining you, don’t worry; disciplining is what a good, loving father does. He is not going to give you more than you can handle, and you will come out the other side of this challenge stronger and closer to God in your heart. 

I celebrate because, as my Dad always says, God is good…all the time. And all the time…God is good!

Ministry in Nicaragua

What does daily ministry look like here in Nicaragua? I love it because each week, we get to choose our ministry of focus, so it never gets boring.

• Farming: Our ministry base is located on a farm, and we tend to the farm as needed. This includes weed pulling, watering, cleaning, or harvesting.

• The Dump: The dump is a mountain of trash where the locals work. They search through the trash for what they can reuse to sell the items later. Whatever is not used is burned. We go there to minister to the workers and serve them as needed. 

• Prayer Walking: Walking the community and going to people’s homes to pray for them. 

• Child Care: Taking care of the kids while the moms are in Bible study. 

• Kitchen Duty: Help out in the kitchen with whatever is needed.  This includes washing dishes, prepping the food for cooking, and/or cleaning the area.

• Hospital Duty: Going into the hospital to pray for the sick and the medical staff. 

• Construction: Building homes for the locals in partnership with another ministry organization.

• Sports Ministry: Playing sports with the locals. Sports include soccer, volleyball, basketball, and baseball. Since I am not much of a sports fanatic, I am usually the scorekeeper, and I watch and support from the sidelines.

My favorite ministry is farming in the morning when it’s not hot. Weeding is my favorite task because it reminds me of John 15:1-2. It reminds me of God‘s love for us and how he cares enough about us to remove the weeds (sin) in our lives.

Thank You Note

I know that I’ve said this already, but Thank You to all of my supporters! A huge part of me being able to tell these tales is because of your prayers and generosity. God paved the way and opened the doors. He is the one who deserves the ultimate praise and glory…Amen! 

God bless you all, and I will see you stateside very soon! We are confirmed to return to the US on May 21st for debriefing in Gainesville, GA, and I will finally be able to sleep in my own bed on May 29th…can’t wait!