We flew into Managua to a huge welcome from the Petra Managua church and the team quickly realized they had family in Christ in Nicaragua. After orientation the next morning, the team headed to Ometepe Island. While on the island the team did children's and women's ministry, sports ministry, worked on the camp and farm that helps sustain the different ministries, helped build the church in Merida, attended an evangelism concert and worship concert, did door to door evangelism, and spent time fellowshipping with brothers and sisters in Christ. It was so sweet to reunite with many that I had spent time with the previous summer.
The Lord did much work in each of our hearts on the trip. A couple of the main things that stood out to me were:
In one of our morning devotions, one of the pastor's asked us the question, "Why did God leave us the Great Commission?" We answered with things such as “so His name would be proclaimed to the ends of the earth, so His name would be glorified, so people would hear and be brought to salvation, etc” ... He did leave it for that reason, but the pastor talked about how the Great Commission is for our own sanctification as believers as well. It is the last command that Jesus left us, but often our first to disobey. What God has given us as a great privilege, we often see as a burden. There is no greater joy than preaching the gospel. One of clearest ways to deny self and love others is to preach the gospel. He said, "Do you want to grow in faith? It doesn’t come from serving in many ministries. It comes in preaching the gospel. The church is sad because it does not preach. Those who do are alive and filled with joy.” We were encouraged to go before the Lord and ask for forgiveness for excuses we make for not sharing the gospel. And then as we are convicted that they are just excuses, we will be compelled to go forth... May Christ fill our hearts so full that we cannot contain the passion for what He has done. As believers, we should be reproducers of the gospel.
Also, in our closing time together as a team before leaving Nicaragua another one of the pastors left us with Acts 20:24:
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."
And he asked, “What will be said about you when people hear about you here?”
There are a lot of things our lives could be known for, but only one that really matters. May our lives have a singular focus. May we run wholeheartedly after Him and testify of the gospel until our last breath.
Here is a link to a video of pictures from the trip:
In one of our morning devotions, one of the pastor's asked us the question, "Why did God leave us the Great Commission?" We answered with things such as “so His name would be proclaimed to the ends of the earth, so His name would be glorified, so people would hear and be brought to salvation, etc” ... He did leave it for that reason, but the pastor talked about how the Great Commission is for our own sanctification as believers as well. It is the last command that Jesus left us, but often our first to disobey. What God has given us as a great privilege, we often see as a burden. There is no greater joy than preaching the gospel. One of clearest ways to deny self and love others is to preach the gospel. He said, "Do you want to grow in faith? It doesn’t come from serving in many ministries. It comes in preaching the gospel. The church is sad because it does not preach. Those who do are alive and filled with joy.” We were encouraged to go before the Lord and ask for forgiveness for excuses we make for not sharing the gospel. And then as we are convicted that they are just excuses, we will be compelled to go forth... May Christ fill our hearts so full that we cannot contain the passion for what He has done. As believers, we should be reproducers of the gospel.
Also, in our closing time together as a team before leaving Nicaragua another one of the pastors left us with Acts 20:24:
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."
And he asked, “What will be said about you when people hear about you here?”
There are a lot of things our lives could be known for, but only one that really matters. May our lives have a singular focus. May we run wholeheartedly after Him and testify of the gospel until our last breath.
Here is a link to a video of pictures from the trip:
