Nicaragua

I guess the best way to sum up my experience in Nicaragua is just that—it was an experience. It was clear from the beginning that God was orchestrating the plan for me to go and all I had to do was trust that He would workout the details. I joined the team a little more than a month before our departure. I didn’t know any of the other people on the team, which was scary enough. I’d never been on an international mission trip before so I had no idea what to expect. I’m not going to lie—I was a little nervous heading into the whole thing.

The minute we landed in Puerto Cabezas, I started soaking everything in. I had seen pictures and heard stories from trips in the past, but it’s so different to see it all for yourself. Initially, I was sad to see so many people living the way they were. After a few days of working in the community and getting to know a variety of people, though, I started to question whether ‘sad’ was an appropriate response to what I was experiencing. I think in the U.S., we tend to think that we’re doing things the right way and the poor countries we visit have somehow screwed up. But what if we’re the ones who just aren’t getting it?

We got to help build a house during our first week for a guy named John. It was 16x16’ with a tin roof. In the States, most of us have a room to ourselves that’s at least the same size, often bigger. John, his wife, and their three kids were going to share that small space and to them, it was an amazing blessing. That just got me thinking—why do we spend so much of our money on huge houses and frivolous things that are out of style in 5-10 years anyway, leaving us unhappy and always wanting more?

I think we’re the ones who have it backwards. In Nicaragua, it’s the relationships that really matter. The people down there understand that money is a temporary thing, but relationships are lasting. How many of us put relationships with our families or friends on the backburner so that we have time to focus on making more money? I started to see that these people were using what God was providing for them and continually praising Him for it, even though they don’t have much. Again, that’s pretty opposite from the way we do things. We rack up all kinds of credit card debt that takes a lifetime to pay off, and with what to show for it?A bunch of stuff we don’t really need. Worst of all, we think we’ve somehow earned all that money. The more we make, the more secure we feel. The funny thing is, God is in complete control and it’s only because of Him that we have anything at all.

God really convicted me while I was in Nicaragua to consider all that I’ve been blessed with, and then to think about ways I can pour out those blessings on other people. Most of the people I’m close to aren’t in need financially, but they really just need to be loved. By taking time out of my schedule I can be a blessing to a friend by just being there for them in whatever way they need me to be. I got a chance to really evaluate wheremy heart is in even my closest friendships and found that there are a lot of times I know I could do something to make that friend feel extra special, but I choose not to. Even though I don’t often find myself in the situation to give financially, I now see a huge range of opportunities to bless the people around me in other ways.

Being in Nicaragua and experiencing the way they live changed my perspective on “needy” people and helped me see the needs I can meet in the people I already have relationships with so they can see the love of Jesus through me. From building to painting to playing with kids, my trip to Nicaragua is definitely one I won't forget.

And now, some pictures of the sweetest kids I know: