Missions Minded

It’s not officially 2009 in Nicaragua for another six hours or so, but CFCI-Nicaragua is already kicking off a year of short-term mission teams! A team of 13 from Hope Center Covenant Church in the Bay Area is flying into Managua tonight for a week of children and youth ministry, serving alongside volunteers from Nueva Jerusalem (one of our absolute favorite churches in Managua). We’re looking forward to an amazing first week of ‘09 with the Hope team, doing the following:

• Ministering to 200-250 kids in the Loma Linda neighborhood of Managua with three days of Vacation Bible School
• Hosting a “Youth Night” and a “Youth Day at the Park” for area teens, facilitating discussions on spiritual growth and maturity in the area of dating, relationships, and family obligations
• Providing a training workshop for Sunday school teachers, giving volunteers ideas and encouragement for teaching boys and girls about Jesus
• Experiencing Nicaraguan culture and family life first-hand by staying in host homes from members of Nueva Jerusalem
• Capping off the trip with a canopy tour and “Debrief Day” to reflect on a week of ministry and life change

As you can see, we’re going to be busy! So, tonight as you’re ringing in the New Year, please say a prayer for the Hope Center mission team, the volunteers and host families of Nueva Jerusalem, and all of the kids and teens we’ll be ministering too. Thanks in advance and…

Happy New Year!!!

and…

Feliz Año Nuevo!!!

(Expect stories and pictures from the mission trip in about a week, God willing.)

Earlier today I posted some pictures of our “Two Christmases in Nicaragua,” including our time with Joseph and Tito, the two brothers from a nearby orphanage we took care of this week. Below are a few short video clips with the boys.

Obviously these two little guys pulled at our heartstrings — as I’m sure any and all of the orphans would if the whole troop had stayed with us! By the sheer number of pictures and videos we shot this week, can you tell we cannot wait to become parents?!?!

Please join us in praying for these kids — and the hundreds of other orphans in Nicaragua — that they will be placed in loving homes as quickly as possible. And please pray that one of the homes is ours!!!

“Dancing”

Opening Christmas Presents

A Day at the Beach

Amber and I had the privilege of spending our first Christmas with the Mendoza family in Chinandega. We visited the family farm, cooked Christmas hens, and shared a wonderful meal together. Our seconde Christmas was with brothers Joseph and Josesito (”Tito”) at our home in Managua. Joseph and Tito live at a nearby orphanage, but were the honored guests at our house for the week! We had so much fun “playing parents” for the week, it was hard to give them back!

Here are a few pictures of our two Christmases in Nicaragua:

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

‘Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’”

Luke 2:1-14

‘Feliz Navidad’ from Nicaragua!

We’re about to hit the road for Chinandega!

Amber and I will be spending Christmas Eve (which, in Latin America, is the real Christmas celebration) with our dear friends and fellow missionaires Fabricio, Claudia, Adiel, and their extended family. This is our first Christmas in Nicaragua and we’re very excited about sharing this holiday with our “Nicaraguan family.”

If you think of us, please say a quick prayer as we travel today. I need divine help to avoid the potholes! To all of our family, friends, and supports back home, have a very merry Christmas!!!

Every Wednesday we have a women’s group — we call it “Nueva Imagen” (New Image) –  for those who are working on the streets and brothels of Managua. I always look forward to this day of the week for that reason, but today was even more special for me. This Wednesday we had the Nueva Imagen Christmas Party!

The women didn’t know that we were going to have a party.  We went to Mercado Oriental (one of the biggest open-air markets in the world) the day before to invite them to the weekly Bible study — like we do every week. Little did they know that we were inviting them to a surprise party!

The women arrived — including ladies who were rescued from lives in the commercial sex industry and are now serving in the ministry, several women who have been coming to the weekly study for several months, and one new woman. Our meeting place was decorated with a “Merry Christmas” sign, streamers, and a tree. And we went right into singing Christmas carols and playing games.  We had so much fun laughing, sharing, and listening to the story of Jesus’ birth.

The International Christian Fellowship Church here in Managua put so much love into making tubs of food and goodies for the ladies. At the end of our time together a woman who has been coming faithfully every week for about three months said she wanted to share something. This is what she said:

“I want to say how much I appreciate how much love you all show us. On the streets we are treated like dirt and no one looks at us like you do. We feel so much love from you and we are so thankful for that. I’m thankful for this gift in this basket but what I am thankful for most of all is the love you show me.”

This simple truth is what Jesus commands us to do: To be salt and light, to be different so people will question what gives us such joy, happiness, and love. It is such a privilege to be a vessel of God’s love.

Society says that these women are worthless. People throw urine bags at them and assault them physically (several women have large scars from being hit on the head with 2×4’s, black eyes and bruises are common). Most of the women have been raped.This is the world they know. And this is just their adult lives; their childhood’s are all characterized by sexual abuse, rape, and family members sending them out to sell their bodies for money.

It’s hard for them to understand why or how someone could love them. But we want them to know that they are precious princesses in the Father’s eyes — that He has wonderful plans for them if they invite Him into their hearts as Lord.

It’s not always easy to love some of the women. Some of them lie and deceive us; some are rude and yell at us; and some aren’t “easy on the olfactory senses.” Many suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) with symptoms of paranoia and hypervigilence.But we are to love the unlovable, the difficult, not only those that are easy to love.

“O Beloved of my soul, This do I desire: Faith for the impossible, Love that will not tire. Jesus, Saviour, Lover, give me Love for the unlovable, Love that will not tire. O Beloved of my soul, Yet again I come; Give me cords of love to draw Many wanderers home. Jesus, Saviour, Lover, give me Love that knows nor strain nor flaw, Love to lead them home.” - from “Edges of His Ways” by Amy Carmichael

“Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” - 1 John 4:11

We appreciate your ongoing prayers as we serve with Christ for the City International in Nicaragua! Amber and I rely on our team of prayer warriors for encouragement and support. Here is our current list of prayer requests and praise reports:

• Hope Center Youth Team. Amber and Nathan will co-lead a youth mission team from Hope Center Church (from the Bay Area) for a week of ministry with the Nueva Jerusalem church in Managua from December 31 to January 7. The team will do a Vacation Bible School for kids and have several youth activities. Please pray for successful ministry and life change – for the Nicaraguan kids and the American youths!
• Nueva Imagen. There are several prayer requests for the Nueva Imagen ministry. Pray for Reina, one of the leaders of the ministry, who’s having a difficult pregnancy. Pray for job opportunities for all of the ladies in the weekly Bible study. And please pray for more women to join the group, accept Jesus, and have transformed lives by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Amber’s grandfather, Scott. Scott has Alzheimers and is now in a nursing home. Please pray for him to be comfortable, and please pray for Mimi, his wife (and Amber’s grandmother) during this difficult and painful time.
• Nathan’s grandmother. Nathan’s grandmother, Dorothy, is 91and has health problems. She is in a nursing home and is grieving the passing of her husband, Elmer, a few months ago. Please pray for the health and well-being of Nathan’s sweet grandmother.
• Team unity. Pray that the CFCI-Nicaragua team will be united in purpose, passion, and vision as we serve together in ministry. And pray for the ministry to seek and remain in the Lord’s will in the upcoming year.
• Future missions. Pray for the future leaders and members of short-term missions teams. Pray that Christians will listen to God, have open hearts, and be faithful in following the Lord’s calling to serve in missions.
• Adoption process. Please pray for us as we continue the process of adopting a child from Nicaragua. Pray for us to have patience and to be encouraged — and for the process to go smoothly and quickly.