Hope for a New Day

This has been an emotional ride like I have never known. There is so much to love about the country of Nicaragua-it's beautiful and the people are great. The fact of the matter is, however, there has not been a stable government here in recent history. Most coups tend to take over and then plunder the country for every speck of hope that is left. The average monthly income is between $125 and $150. When you go to the mall, the prices are only slightly lower than American prices. Do the math. The malls are still open, which means somebody is buying, but at $150 US dollars, it's not the average Nicaraguan. The government is the same. The officials are the ones with all the money.

Enough said about that. Today, we started out at a hospital for children with cancer. It was so powerful to pray for these kids and watch the Father fill them up with hope. It was moving to see the mothers with tears in their eyes looking at their children and realizing that there really is hope in sorrow. The hospital is a terrible place. There is no doubt that the staff does all it can for the kids, but it's a socialized system and they have NO supplies. While we were there, we saw a young boy who had fallen out off a tree and had massive head injuries. He didn't have cancer, but they don't have a head trauma facility. His system was shutting down and he needed an enema, but the doctor said there are no enemas at the hospital. In fact, they have very few supplies at all. We bought the enema from a pharmacy for this boy. Not to get political here, but this is what you get when you have national health care. No government can run it efficiently and free of corruption. The result is understaffed, under skilled, under equipped, overworked health care systems and children die in the fallout.

This afternoon was one of the most incredible times I've had here. We went to an orphanage that has around 30 kids. I wanted to take every one of them home.. They were so full of life and joy and love. Just another time when I was blessed by the ones I thought I was going to help. After playing all afternoon, we had some worship time with them. As we were about to leave, the kids all gathered up and began to thank us and prophesy over us. It was incredibly moving and sweet. I can never get enough of those hugs.

This country is a paradox. On one corner is the specter of human trafficking. Across the street miracles are taking place and hope is being born. I'm going to leave a huge part of my heart here when I leave.

Please take the time to check out http://www.saviorstear.com. This is an incredible ministry here and is run by some fantastic, Godly people.

Actually, it's Day 3

Today was the last day of our time at the school in Managua. I came here with the lofty idea that I had blessings to give these children. However, they are the ones with so much to offer. They are smart, funny, energetic and just amazing. In fact, I am the one who has been blessed beyond measure by these little lights.
What is most amazing to me is the fact that these kids are throw-aways. I can't understand how these kids can be ignored. Wayne and Elaine are doing a phenominal job at Escuela Christiana Oasis de Esperanza. They are educating a new generation of warriors. I'm not a socialist by any means, but the government here has failed the people and so have we as the Church.
I don't know what you're doing right now, but if you ask me (and you did, didn't you?) you should find a way to get some supplies or money or your butt down here.
"Not me" you say? I say, "Who, then?"
If we can't help even the least of these, then what good are we to the kingdom of God? That's right-I said it. Tell me what good? I didn't want to preach or lecture, but our level of assistance as the richest "Christian" people in the world is pitiful. I meant pathetic. I'm also at fault. We all are. I hear you now..."We can't save everybody". Oh YES, we can!! We have never tried because we are too fat, lazy, slothful, confortable and selfish. I'm going to throw arrogant in here too, because I'm talking to myself also. Sorry if this offends you (not really), but I need to be offended and so do you. Don't want to come to Central America? In Amarillo, there are people living under overpasses downtown by Faith City Mission. I know because I drive past them every day and thank God that I'm not one of them. Can you get downtown for a while and speak to them? Pray with them? Feed or clothe them? I'm dead serious. Can you? More to the point-WILL YOU?

I'll try to make the next post happier, but I can't promise anything.

Father, give us your heart for ALL people, regardless of who they are. Show us how you love them as much as you love us. Open our hearts to you and your desire for us to be your hands and feet.

Day 1 recap

Today was the most amazing day. It's so incredible how loving these kids are. I'm not ministering as much as these kids are ministering to me. They have no idea they are missing anything and the more time I spend with them, I realize that I am the one who's missing something. Love, compassion, contentment. They have it all.

We took a tour of the dump ground where most of these kids live and find their meals. The city will often dump the garbage on the sidewalks of this neighborhood so the residents can go through it before it is burned. I didn't take pictures of the dump because we felt it would be disrespectful. I don't want people taking pics of my house...Anyway, it left quite an impression on us. Most of the children at the school show up everyday in clean clothes and combed hair (although they may not leave the school that way because they are kids, after all) and we are amazed that the parents can get these kids so clean in such horrendous conditions.

I love my kids with all my heart. I never knew I had any more room to love more, but today, 300 more kids stole my heart.

Day 1

Arrived in Managua yesterday. When we landed, the first thing we noticed were all the crashed and disabled aircraft littering the side to the runway. Ghostly. And the city has proven to be ghostly as well. The presence of God is very strong here, but so is the evil. I feel one bolstered and ready on one side and like I'm about to be torn apart on the other side. The spiritual battle is very thick here. I imagine that it is not unlike Haiti. And yet, everywhere I look, I see the love of the Father on these people and I feel him crying for them. As Isaiah said, "I am undone!"

I have no idea what this week holds, but I do know that the Father did not send me here to be me. I must walk in the spirit every second that I am here or I will fall victim to an attack of the enemy.

I ask that if you read this, pray that we have the eyes of the Father to see the Nicaraguan people as he does, His wisdom to discern what is from Him and what is not, His heart to love the ones that are around us, and His power that we may spread the kingdom with every step that we take.

Countdown to Nicaragua

I'm going to be quite a globe-trotter this year. In addition to going to China, I am going to Nicaragua next month. We will be working in a very poor part of Managua at a Christian School. I'm hoping to be able to blog from there at least every other day. I'm excited at what the Lord is going to do.

Please be in prayer for our missions team. Pray that we stay healthy, united, and that the Father uses us to show the Nicaraguan people his love.

A City on a Hill

Matthew 5:13-16

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

I love this passage. The thought of a city on a hill, in the darkest of night, is amazing. I often have the opportunity to approach Amarillo from the north on many nights. You can see it from 40 miles away. It cannot be hidden. It is a beacon that lets me know I will soon be home.

This is one of those passages that many of us have heard all our lives. Sermon after sermon has been preached on it. But how many of us incorporate this into our lives? For most of us, the extent of being salt or light ends when we leave the sanctuary. We say things like, "What a great message" or "The spirit was heavy today" and then walk out hoping to survive another week in a fallen world. But I say that our calling is a little bigger than that. Even Satan spends time in the presence of God (see the story of Job). Even the demons confess that Christ is Lord. What truly separates us from this sinful world? I submit that it isn't parking our rears in a pew. In fact, parking is the last thing we should be doing!!

Don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that we shouldn't go to church. We should! We need to be with like-minded believers as often as we can. But, we are the light of the world. What good does it do for us to carry the light of Jesus in us if we hide it in a church building? Do my co-workers see the hope of Christ in me or do they just see me? I'm sad to say that they usually see me. How sad is that? I have the key to saving this lost world and I keep it to myself! I know many people who confess Christ in one breath and talk about enjoying the sin of this world in the next. I have done it myself many times.

We are so worried about what our friends might think of us if we share the good news with them that we keep it inside! What kind of friends are we to others when we do that? Here's the hard part of this lesson: when we fail to share Jesus, we are trying to please man and not the Father. But, Jesus says we cannot serve two masters. We must choose. And the scripture is clear that there are only two sides to choose. You know what I'm saying here. It stinks. There's no middle ground here? No, there's no middle ground. I've heard all my life that life is about compromise. I'm learning that that's a lie. There is no compromise in the Kingdom. There is only choice and sacrifice or choice and consequence.

I'm finding that there is joy in the sacrifice. It's an oxymoron. As I learn to let the ways of the world go, I find joy in the presence of the Father. I don't always find happiness. Happiness is circumstantial, but joy is everlasting.

Aren't we all called to go into the world and make disciples of the nations? I didn't read any clause that said "if you are a pastor" or "if you are a theological genius". It just says to go. I'm not saying you have to go to Africa or India or Iran. Last time I checked, the United States is a nation. And the great thing is, we don't even have to pack.

There's a haunting question here. Are we going to be obedient and share the light or are we going to choose the other side of the coin and keep it to ourselves?

First Things First

It's been a while-I know. As I've said before, I'm not terribly consistent when it comes to blogging. However, much has happened. First of all, our church is sending a missions team to Nicaragua next month. Heather and I have decided that it would be beneficial for me to go. I wanted to go anyway, but we feel like I need to get my feet wet in missions and this week-long trip is a great opportunity to do that. I would like to ask anyone that reads this to please pray for me. Because of our plans to go to China and the initial expense involved, not to mention that the economic downturn has adversely affected my job, we don't have a large cash reserve sitting around. I believe that God will provide the funds and I know that I live in a Kingdom economy rather than the world economy. So we are praying...please pray with us! More importantly, the people we will be working with (mostly children) live in deplorable conditions. They need Jesus! Pray that everyone in our group will be Jesus to these kids.

I took a couple of years of Spanish in college. Nearly 20 years later, I haven't really ever used Spanish, so I'm a little rusty, to say the least! But the the other night, I was on a train and started asking the Lord for the ability to speak Spanish and everything I learned back then came flooding back. I hated that class, but now am glad I took it! I have enough knowledge now that I could get by without a full-time interpreter. Dr. Brown, if you ever come across this blog-THANK YOU!

We have nailed down a tentative plan to go to China in April. We are very excited. We have begun Rosetta Stone Mandarin and have labels all over the house with the chinese words that represent the things that are labeled. For example, the water dispenser on the fridge is labeled shui (water). It is great fun, but I find the language to be particularly daunting. My children, however, are learning fast. Oh to be young and sponge-like again.

My last request for this post is that you pray for clarity of purpose for us. We have our heart set on a certain part of China, but want what the Lord wants for us. We don't want to be so set on one place that we miss his direction. As I have said before, it seems like everything is being set in place and I know that's true. We just want the vision to see what is really being set in place-not what we want to see.

Thanks to all for the encouragement and prayers. Know that when we go, we carry you all in our hearts and therefore, you will be there also! Praise be to our Father who was and is and is to come!!!