The week the Colombiana became a Nicaraguan

The last week of July I had an opportunity to travel to Nicaragua with my aunt and uncle. They take this trip twice a year- one in the winter, and one in the summer. With this being their 24th trip, I would say they are old pros. I have been wanting to go the last few summers but with my school schedule it has never really worked out. But this summer, it worked out perfectly. Loading up with my aunt and uncle and about 20 others from across the southeast, we headed out to Nicaragua to work with Chosen Children Ministries. I wasn't sure what to expect. This wasn't my first trip overseas or doing mission work in another country, so I thought I was prepared. However, God totally rocked my world as soon as we got there.

We spent our days ministering to people out in the barrios. A barrio is an area where groups of people live. Some are better than others--and I use the term "better" loosely. We would lead church services, hand out food and other supplies, and just simply love on the people there. They are so hungry for hope. So, a lot of our time is spent building relationships and sharing the love of Christ. The people are hard workers--men go to work, while the women stay at home to take care of the house and care for the kids. They work to provide for their family daily. Children run amuck around the barrios. I thought about how we constantly have to watch our children here running around the neighborhood. Here, children could be blocks away from their mother and it's ok. A lot of the times when I would ask the children where their parents were, they would either say their mother was at home or the parents were at work. The older siblings are left to care for the younger ones. The children are just absolutely precious. The love in their eyes is indescribable.

I am still processing the week. Hopefully, the pictures below will help me put my thoughts into words.

Our transportation for the week. Hello yellow bus!

Our Sunday Service at church

Bless this man. He did not have much. But I do know this-- his Bible was tattered and worn and he was just a praising and singing as loud as he could. Sweet soul.



 I want this baby. Period. Totally could have fit in my backpack.

Aunt Diane giving her testimony.

 I look down, and the man has brought his dog to church. I guess they need Jesus too.

Our feeding center at one of the churches. And no, that's not a Nicaraguan. That's a big Mexican named Edgar.

The line wrapped around the church.

Biggest pot of beans I have ever seen.

Rice, rice, and more rice.

Amanda scooping juice--making it last. Kind of like Jesus feeding the 5,000.

A flooded barrio.

 Being on a school bus when the roads have flooded is not the best feeling in the world.

Sadly, we were not able to make it back out to the barrio due to the downpour and flooded roads.



 

Mine and Amanda's first day of ministry out in the barrios. Let's do this!

Suited and geared up. Making a fashion statement one pair of rainboots at a time.

 

 

 

Nicaraguans love stickers. We usually had to show them how to peel them off and put on their clothes. This man wanted it on his head.

 

A "nice" barrio.

When you can't speak Spanish, break out the nail polish.

Next stop.

Who doesn't have a pig grazing in their backyard?

Michael with an excited little boy with a new paper airplane.

A feeding of picos and juice. I was mistaken for a Nicaraguan.

This kid cracked me up. Right before I could snap the picture, he had his shirt over his head with his gut hanging out.

 

Day 2 of ministry in another barrio. This is under their "church."

Ducks. But no water around...

These two little girls just made me and Amanda smile so much. Shirtless with bandanas and pink shorts.

Meet Roger. He left his job as a computer engineer making big money to work for Chosen Children. He works for Chosen Children as a guide and a translator. He called me "Mi Amor" all week. Roger swears he's going to be my husband one day. 

Joseph stretching out his back. Bless.

Another barrio and church.



This little one-- Amanda and I just had to pass her around.

This man right here- love him to Reese Pieces. So blessed to call him family.

I'm going to pause here for the night. My computer is having overload issues right now. So hopefully tomorrow I will be able to finish uploading the final pictures. And I hope that this gives you just a glimpse, an idea, a wonder into just a little bit of the Nicaraguan life. 

 

 

Trust: An Unconditional Love

I'm back! My trip was incredible. Indescribable. Which is why I haven't blogged about it, yet. I have been catching up on my jet lag and spending time today just taking it easy. However, I do promise tomorrow to upload some pictures and post more about it.

Tonight, though, I was thinking about trust. It's a staple in any relationship. Think about it-- every relationship or friendship is built on that. Some people automatically trust. Some do not trust so easily and one has to earn that trust. Often times this comes from being hurt repeatedly in the past, or even just in one instance. And when that trust is lost, it can be so hard to gain back. But I was thinking more tonight about how do you know when to trust people--again. I believe we all deserve second chances, in most cases. But I have such a hard time writing people off immediately. I know people that if you do something that causes them to lose trust in you, then can forget ever entering their world again. And these people are usually more protective of the ones they love, they are strong willed and very outspoken. I also know people that are so open to love, forgiveness, and will always try again. I don't mean people that just constantly keep going back to a bad relationship, but they don't hold grudges. They don't belittle those around them. I admire those people because those tend to be the most tenderhearted ones. But, you know, I'm not one to write people off immediately. I have a hard time walking away from friendships or relationships. It takes me finally having to come to that point on my own to walk away. No one can force me, talk me into it, or lecture me into doing it. I have to find out for my own. Sometimes I'm glad I did not leave the friendship in the dust because God shows me how it was part of his plan the whole time--most of the time it was teaching me a lesson. And other times, it shows me that not everyone is perfect and I have to forgive but move on.

I typically trust friends easily. I have several close friends, each one that I share intimate or important things with. I guess you could say I have a very well rounded group of friends. But in the relationship department-- I struggle with trusting men. The first man I loved, my dad, lost all my trust for a while. I am working on trusting him once again and rebuilding that relationship because I know one day it will bring honor to God. The second man in my life I loved for five years. I was never the jealous type. Never questioned him or had any reason to really question anything. The relationship ended out of no where and my whole world was turned upside down. Ever since then I have had a hard time trusting. What was once a strength of mine has now become a weakness. And I hate it. I know it's the enemy--taking any opportunity for me to doubt any future relationships.

I started reading through the Word to see what exactly God's thoughts were about trust. In John 14:1 Jesus says "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." King David in Psalm 56:4 writes "In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?"  The Bible also states several times to not trust man, but God alone. We shouldn't put all our hope into one person, or one relationship. We are not perfect, so we will all at some point let someone down. Probably daily in some sort of way. That phone call you were supposed to make but you didn't. That task at work you said you would have done, but you never finished it because you got distracted. That promise you made to your child to take them to get ice cream but you got caught up at work. That time with someone special or a friend you were supposed to make happen but you didn't follow through. Or, promising your dog to go for a walk but fell asleep on the couch. Each little thing breaks down that pillar of trust.

So I started thinking, "Ok. So not to trust man. Got it. Trust God. I mean really put faith in Him and his works because in the end, it's all going to come out for the good for me and bring Him glory." It made me think of when I went zip lining on our R&R day in Nicaragua. I was strapped to a cable cord that hung thousands of feet about the ground, in the forests of Nicaragua. I decided to do something different. Well, Michael dared me to zip line backwards, upside down. Being one to not have a man prove that he can do something that I cannot, I accepted the challenge. But right before I was pushed off the platform, I truly had my trust in that cable, in the guide that I was hooked up right, in the other guide at the end of the cable that he would catch me. One snap, or unhook and I was done for in that forest. But I did it. I went and trusted in that cable and tour guides--and it was the best rush of my life. Trusting God is like that. When we really put our faith in God, and anchor that hope in our soul to Him, the ride and rush he will take us on will be breathtaking. You just have to take that step and know that he is going to always keep you sailing through your life.

But, what does this mean about trusting in relationships again? Lately, I have been so prayerful about certain relationships. I know that sounds like I am typically not prayerful with them, but I have really been pouring out some time, thoughts, and prayers. And I am trusting that God is working in them because I have already seen the fruit and his overwhelming response to me through answered prayers or little quips. I know at some point I will have to trust in a relationship again. If you ask any married couple or two people in a relationship what is one building block of foundation on their relationship they are going to say trust and love. And lately God keeps pointing me to the theme of "love" in Ephesians and 1 Corinthians. Tonight, it was 1 Corinthians13:7: Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. How does love trust? We aren't to trust people but to love them. When we give love to one another, we are seeking trust. It may not be a lot of love at first, but with each little service of love, trust is built. When we love we are communicating trust. In time, faith will come in that person. We become hopeful. And love will always out win any given situation. I have always heard my mom says, "Love is a choice." I totally believe that. You choose who you want to love and who you want to be with. You choose how much time, energy, trust, and hope you put into a relationship and into a person. You can choose to love someone so much, just as Christ loved us, that your heart is going to explode. Or, you can hate someone and push them away because that may be easy at the moment, but in the end it is going to suck.

But, let's be real here for a minute. Some people are hard to love. Lord help us and them. But that's what is so amazing about love. It is unconditional. Colossians 3:12-14: ...clothe yourself in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience...and put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. How can we have compassion towards others if we don't love them? How can we be gentle and have patience if we are have such hate in our hearts? I know I have had to call upon God to show me how to love someone when I have completely lost patience with that person. It may not be an instant answered prayer, but something that God slowly shows me how deal or change my heart so that I can be patient. It's a tough prayer that does not need to be taken lightly.

In order for me to truly trust in relationships again, I must trust that God will be my harbor of hope, that he will not lead me astray. That any situation or circumstance I am in is to bring him honor. But I also know I can't truly trust in any relationship until I learn to love unconditionally. I'm not quite sure how to love unconditionally. But I pray that God will show me how. I also pray that God will grant me discernment so that I know when to discern fact from fiction. And that's when I have to be quiet and listen.

Trust. It's something that's earned. It's something that can be easily lost in man. But it comes from an unconditional love from deep within, based on Christ's extravagant love for us. Trust. Will it happen again for me? I like to think so. I have a little bit more hope tonight.