Week One in Nicaragua

Ministry in Nicaragua has been an incredible experience! The people here are so welcoming and have a strong sense of community. My first day in Nicaragua was unforgettable! We visited a beautiful chapel for services and then relaxed at the beach. The next day, on Nicaragua’s Independence Day, we worked hard pulling weeds on the farm. During the rest of the week, we visited the hospital and homes. The hospital visit was really difficult. Each room was packed with eight beds, and we prayed over each person. I sat on one woman’s bed to pray for her, and as I prayed, she just cried in my arms. The whole group left the hospital feeling heavy and sad. House visits were much better. The people are so happy when they receive visitors. One woman gave us popsicles and shared her life story. It’s amazing to truly hear about a person’s life and pray with them. This is something I’m going to take home with me from this trip. When someone is struggling, we come together and pray. I’ve never prayed with someone the way we do here, but I love it!

Throughout the week, I made friends with some of the kids on the farm. They don’t know any English, so I’ve had to step up my Spanish. I thought I was doing well, but they spent a lot of time laughing at me. At one point, I accidentally told them, “I am a dog,” instead of “I know the dog.” The girls thought that was really funny.

Thursday night, the town was hit with some really heavy rain. Most homes were filled with two feet of water. Friday morning, we split up into groups to help clean up. The water carried trash all over the homes and blocked the canals that allowed the water to drain. We used shovels and rakes to drag trash out of the canals. One ten-year-old boy was so sweet. After we cleaned out his backyard, he came into the road and helped us shovel out trash. We eventually moved to a different street because the canal needed to be rerouted; it was crossing through the street instead of flowing alongside it. We carried bags of dirt uphill and it was really hard work.

One of the highlights of my week was Thursday night. The rain had just started to pour. We were having a team meeting in our eating area when one of the Rottweilers climbed onto another girl’s lap. Then, she climbed from her lap onto mine and sat with me until we had to leave. There are eleven dogs here on the farm—nine are Rottweilers, and all of them live outside. She was pretty smelly, and I was too by the end of it. Holding that dog in my lap was so comforting. It hasn’t been easy being away from my family, and if you know me, you know how much I love my dog. It was really reassuring and I know God told that doggy to come sit with me. Even creation obeys the Lord (Psalm 148) and His power is evident through creation.

“…His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” Romans 1:20

We wake up at 5 a.m. every morning and spend two hours in personal time with the Lord. After breakfast, we have a group devotional for an hour. When I was originally told about this, I thought it would be difficult, but I love it now! Starting my day in prayer before the sun is up really helps me throughout the day—especially the longer I’m here. I get easily frustrated with people the longer I’m around them, and I can be very blunt and judgmental. That’s something I’ve always struggled with, and I’ve been really leaning into God’s heart for others every morning. Jesus has been showing me the way He sees everyone. Every day, it’s becoming less and less difficult to be patient with people. God has been softening my heart, and I’m falling in love with everyone here. I’m so thankful for this team. They’re becoming family, and we are always laughing. The joy of the Lord is with us. We worship in everything we do. I’m so blessed to live in this environment with people who are pursuing Him, and I’m so excited to see what the Lord has in store for us next week!