Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls!

I just wanted to post a short blog on what all we are doing down here.  Since we have been here for about a month now, We have actually formed some really great relationships with both people that come to the church and people in the barrios.  We can’t walk very far before without seeing someone we know and can talk too.  It’s pretty awesome.  Many times we tell the guys to meet at the church at a certain time to play soccer, which I absolutely love.  We go into the barrios to visit and pray with people.  Everyone is so inviting and generous to us.  On Mondays and Wednesdays half of our team go to a special needs school while the other half goes to a nursing home which are conveniently right next to each other in town.  I usually go to the nursing home to visit a lady named Francesca.  She is turning 99 this Tuesday actually, and I just love listening to her. Although, most of the time I have no clue what she is saying (haha).  She is so adorable.  Her liveliness at her age is so sweet, and she always shows us all the things she has.  She has really been a blessing to me.  Also, we go to the hospital in Jinotepe a couple times a week, which has been such an awesome opportunity.  I actually went the other day and was praying with different men who were ill with a couple friends from my team and the pastor that takes us, Pastor Manuel.  The Holy Spirit really met us there.  We were able to pray with each individual man in this large room, and 2 men accepted Christ both being in the 90’s! It was incredible.  Pastor Manuel asked one family if the man who they were sitting with that looked very sick had ever accepted Christ, and they all almost simultaneously shook their heads and said he had been a drunk most his life.  They said he was not right in the head, but Pastor Manuel began to talk to him about accepting Jesus.  The man comprehended what Pastor Manuel was telling him and recited the sinner’s prayer right there perfectly!  It was sooo amazing!  Here was this guy, who looked very close to death and 99 years of age, realizing that his life had never been satisfied with anything he tried to satisfy it with.  He probably enjoyed the sweetest things of this world, but never had he accepted the one who gave him his life and could show him how much better the next one will be. 

It was such an exciting experience.  I looked over to this man later and saw him fold his hands, and I truly believe he was saying his first prayer as a Christian.  It was so exciting to see!  Also, we do a lot with our church here.   The kids that attend are awesome.  I don’t really think most of them know my real name.  They just call me Justin Bieber (lol).  The girls have started a great women’s group, and us guys have played some awesome soccer with the boys.  The girls are planning a women’s retreat for the women in the church, and we boys are going to have a super sweet all-nighter with the dudes in the church!  Great things are happening.  We only got a little over a month left, so if ya’ll could pray that we fulfill the purposes God gives us for this place and leave with no regrets that would be very appreciated by me and my whole team!