Day 5 Wednesday
The day started out with a shower. Ahhhh. Then breakfast. Yum. (I’m not sure, but I don’t think anyone enjoyed the food as much as I did. But it was tasty and I really enjoyed the fruit that we got once a day for breakfast.)
I led the devotion for this morning. I spoke about Romans 10. The 15th verse is one of my favorites. In fact, it’s the scripture on my ankle tattoo. “How can they go if they are not sent? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news.” We are all ‘sent’ to share the good news no matter where that might be… a different country, state, city, or right next door, in our work/school, family/friends. God ‘sending’ us means that we have a purpose for being here in this life. We are to share the Good News of Jesus at every opportunity. In the experience of this trip to Nic, our feet were beautiful even when filthy because we were there to share that Gospel. I took a picture of some of our feet as we got off the van after a Fiesta and I use it as background on my phone and also as my profile pic on Facebook right now. Those dirty feet are beautiful because they obeyed and helped to bring the Gospel to this place. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to get dirty serving You!
We did a Fiesta at a little village we had driven by earlier in the week. They had a new well with a hand pump. Miss Mary joined one of the young men in pumping some water for him and some young ladies. Each family was allotted a time to get water in 5 gallon buckets. They carried these back to their homes. Quite a chore. There is a wonderful opportunity for our team and church to help this village with an electric water pump and also getting a school started and a church planted. (stay tuned for more info on those projects!)
We went back to the Team house for lunch and got ready for 2 more Fiestas. The afternoon was filled with those 2 Fiestas and street witnessing. One of the Fiestas was huge. So many people. Then back to the Team house to change for church. Another towelette bath.
Service was back at Jericho Church, where we helped with the first feeding. Pastor Calderon and his wife were busy organizing the preparation of food to be cooked for another feeding the next day. The church was brightly painted on the inside and was cheerful, as all the churches were. The youth on our team sang a song for the congregation, Blake gave his testimony and Logan preached. It was a good service.
Chico, one of our interpreters, lives just a block or so away and he invited Paige and me to walk with him to his mother-in-laws house to pick up his 6 month old baby. His wife was working, so we didn’t get to meet her, but saw some pictures of her and she is very beautiful. Little Benjamin was the star of the night and everyone was wanting to hold him. Babies and small children seem very comfortable and used to being in worship services. I think they feel the Holy Spirit giving them a calmness.
After church, we headed back to the Team house for dinner and share time. Miss Mary was leaving the next morning, so we had a time of appreciating her. Everyone had a quote or story or imitation of her. I think she enjoyed it, although there were some embarrassing stories, too.
Paige and I packed for an extra Fiesta the next day and some gifts for a Ladies Conference the next night. We were so tired that we were getting slap happy.
The electricity kept going off during the night and the room that I shared with a few of the girls had no breeze at all. It got very hot in there and Ricki, who talks in her sleep, dreamed we were in a fired and woke us up yelling. She quieted down very quickly and no one was upset. She doesn’t even remember it. Looking back on it, it was kind of funny. No matter how uncomfortable we might have been on the trip, we were still pampered when compared to the way that most Nicas live. And no matter what, I didn’t hear any whining out of our team. They took it all in stride. I think they understood that this is the way that people live there. Good life lesson for teams going out. ‘you’re not in Kansas anymore’
Including the 3 Fiestas and church service, 181 people made Professions of Faith on this day. We saw hundreds of people at the Fiestas. And it’s still not a drop in the bucket when you think of all of the lost people in Leon, Nicaragua and the world. Time to get busy Christians!!!
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