3 Días Más...

Nicaragua 2014. Photo courtesy of Steph Theis.

   Wow!!! In three days, I will be on a plane headed for Nicaragua! I am equally excited and filled with trepidation as the trip approaches rapidly. I am excited to see how God works in and through the entire team during this trip. I am also anxious, as there are many details which must come together to make the trip as smooth as possible. As the trip approaches, I ask that you join with us in praying for our team throughout our trip (July 21st - August 1st):

1. Please pray for travel as we have many different connecting flights beginning in the early hours of the morning.
2. Pray that we would find communication with the Nicaraguans to be easy and a joy and not difficult and discouraging.
3. Pray that God would grant us to remain in good health throughout the trip.
4. Pray that we would not be quick-tempered with one another, as we will be living in close quarters with nearly no chance to take time to ourselves.
5. Most significantly, please pray that our (the team's) hearts, and those of the people we will come in contact with throughout our trip will be prepared for God to move and work in amazing ways.

I will leave you here, then, with this scripture from the book of Isaiah, which describes our goals, hopes, plans, and purpose in this trip:

“Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of wickedness,

to undo the straps of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover him,

and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,

and your healing shall spring up speedily;

your righteousness shall go before you;

the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;

you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’

If you take away the yoke from your midst,

the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

if you pour yourself out for the hungry

and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

then shall your light rise in the darkness

and your gloom be as the noonday.

And the LORD will guide you continually

and satisfy your desire in scorched places

and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water,

whose waters do not fail.

And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;

you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

you shall be called the repairer of the breach,

the restorer of streets to dwell in.

(Isaiah 58:6-12 ESV)