Life in Nicaragua has been amazing.  From visiting and praying with people in the barrios (poor neighborhoods) to playing soccer with all the kids, it has truly been a joy to be here.  However, I have been a little frustrated because I have not really felt the presence of God.  As a team and as a group we have asked for His direction many times since we have been here, and I have not heard or seen anything.  It was getting very frustrating to me.  I thought, maybe, I was doing something wrong, or that I was just distant from God.

     Yesterday, however, was different.  God showed up, and it was incredible.  Before we went into the barrios we were talking about how there was this one house that we especially wanted to go to, so we could fix some wire that was dangerous.  I had never been to this house, and my team did not quite know where it was either.  We began to pray, and God seriously put a map in my head of how to get to the house.  I did not even speak up because I thought it was just my thoughts, but as we began walking I started to realize we were going exactly where God told me.  It ended up being exactly where God told me.  This probably sounds crazy to you, but believe me it was absurd to me as well.  God’s awesomeness cannot be explained.

    Later that night we all got together to worship as a group.  We began with our leader, Jeremy, praying.  We then began to sing.  We worshipped by singing for a while, and it was amazing.  Then for some reason I felt God telling me to turn the lights off.  It seemed sooooo weird to me, so I fought it for a while.  Then I gave in and did what God asked.  I truly feel that when the lights were off the Holy Spirit really began to fall on us.  We started singing louder, and my words became more and more passionate.  The air began to get really thick, and I got to the point where the Spirit of Jesus was on me so much that I could not hold myself up.  I had to lay on the floor.  I could barely move, but even if I could I did not want to move.  I was embracing a very intimate time with my Savior, and there was nothing in me that wanted to leave.  Then my team was all intoxicated with laughter.  It was the strangest but sweetest thing I have ever been through! The Holy Spirit seriously brought laughter upon the whole group, and everyone was just cracking up.  We all lay on the floor in this kitchen where we were worshipping for about an hour and a half in total peace. I know how crazy this must sound, but it was such an intimate and beautiful experience.  It was an experience that I had never had before in my life. 

     Later that night I was thinking about what had just happened.  The thought that most Christians go there whole lives without having an actual intimate encounter with the Holy Spirit made really bummed me out.  It is not like you have to be totally on fire for God to embrace it either.  You just have to simply embrace what has already been given to you!