Nicaragua Fall 2008 - Same Place, New Face

New updates with a new look.

I'll Become More Undignified Than This!

Undignified by David Crowder Band

I will dance, I will sing to be mad for my King
Nothing Lord is hindering this passion in my soul
I will dance, I will sing to be mad for my King
Nothing Lord is hindering this passion in my soul

And I’ll become even more undignified than this
Some may say it’s foolishness
But I’ll become even more undignified than this
Leave my pride by my side

La la la la la la - hey
La la la la la la - hey
It’s all for you my Lord!

My time down here in Nicaragua has had a significant impact in the areas of spiritual growth and personal life experience. One area where I have seen the Holy Spirit flourish the most is in the realm of worship. With less reservation and more liberation, I am learning to praise our Loving Father and our Utmost Friend in an uninhibited manner.

Through three different observations, I have witnessed the power of becoming foolish before the Lord and among men. The first experience where I have participated in spontaneous worship is at our weekly men’s bible study. About thirty of us regularly meet on Wednesdays and Fridays, and currently we are discussing the book of Romans, The Purpose Driven Life, and how we should glorify God in this life through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. During our worship time, men have broken out into a dosey doe, dancing arm and arm in a circle from partner to partner. It is a time where men can become boys, and it is a place where we enter into the presence of the Holy Spirit jumping, dancing, and hopping.

Another occurrence where I have seen foolishness break forth is at Hogar Crea, a drug rehabilitation center for struggling addicts. We meet there regularly every Tuesday to build relationships with recovering drug abusers; in hopes to encourage their emotions, invigorate their spirits, and share with them the Gospel of hope. At the end of the night, we sometimes take part in a tradition of participating in their infamous ‘chicken dance’. It is used within the program to humble the participants and to provide a brief moment of energetic idiocy. This dance consists of hopping on one leg, waving your hands behind your back like it’s a tail, and cradling an egg between your leg, which looks more like dribbling an imaginary basketball. We all go around one by one in a circle, doing all the moves to a catchy A Cappella tune that is sung in full-force by all the Nicaraguans. It is a great chance break down our barriers and a prime opportunity to show them the face of Christ in the mist of a silly situation.

The last event where I have observed free-spirit worship is at Restoration Church. This lively and charismatic body of believers leave all their inhibitions at the door. They infectiously raise their hands to song and gyrate their bodies to dance, all for the glory of God. Praising right along side with them, we have even one time busted out white towels and waved them in their air to signify our strength in the Lord and our freedom under His grace. It is a contagious place where folly is given free reign and Christ is exalted above else.

In the Book of 2nd Samuel, it describes the actions of King David when He brought the ark to Jerusalem.

“David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, ‘How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!’

David said to Michal, ‘It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.’”

As I continue to learn from scripture, events, and other people; I am gaining a better understanding of what praiseful worship can fully become. It will always remain a heart and motive issue between you and God, but at the same time Christ is glorified by our outward expression. So I encourage you to abandon your insecurities of what others may think, and instead become undignified in a worship of foolishness that embraces humility, crushes pride, and extols Jesus Christ.

Nicaragua Fall 2008 - ¡Livin' It Up - Nica Style!

Living the life and telling y'all about all the great stories!

What A Glorious Day

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Sunday, October 26th was most likely the most invigorating day I have had during my stay in Granada. The Lord’s presence was ever-evident throughout the day and it was amazing to see Him at work.

My day started out leaving the guys’ house with Pepe and Joe at 7:30 am and having us head over to El Puente, our AIM mission base. There we met up with about 25 other people from Vida Joven (Young Life), and we headed out on a glorious excursion called the Caminata (The Walk). It was day meant to get to know one another better, a time for games and music, and an opportunity for the young Nicaraguans to hear the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

We began by walking along a road near Lake Nicaragua and simply took in God’s breath-taking creation. We then turned more inland and headed towards our final destination, a giant cross on top of a mountain. Along the way, we had different areas where we would rest and have various dinamicas (little games or exercises). Afterwards, we came across two diverged paths; one that was narrow and rocky, and another that was wide and steady. We were only allowed to choose one road, but it was to be a personal choice of which road we chose. Knowing it was an analogy to the ‘narrow and wide gates’ in Matthew 7, I took the tighter path. Walking up and down the difficult and tumultuous trail, there were signs along the way that listed out the fruits of the Spirit and the promises from God: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We later found out the listed repercussions from choosing the other path: death, pain, loneliness, suffering, and separation.

Our groups finally merged at the end of the lesson and we headed up the mountain for a spectacular view of the city and well-awaited picnic lunch. Trekking up the steep terrain little by little, allowed for the picturesque landscape to come into better and better view. We finally made it to the top, sat down, and tried to capture the beauty that stretched for miles upon miles. It was a magnificent diversity of an immense jungle, congregated wetlands, a gigantic lake, and the expansive city of Granada. The song, God Of This City, popped in my head and I began to sing with hands raised outstretched towards the city of Granada. The song expresses how there is no one like our God and that greater things are still to be done. The Holy spirit is wrapped up in this combination of lyrics and music, and it is a powerful message that can be used in any city.

After our lunch, we had a little worship service, and a closing message about God’s love, His creation, our sin, separation from Him, and how to resolve this plaguing issue. Our leader from Young Life, Yener, finally ended with an opportunity for people to accept Christ as their Savior, but no one openly accepted the invitation. I could sense that God was stirring in people’s hearts and knew that even though no one made any life changing commitments, God still had a purpose for bringing us there that day. We even had a chance to witness to a small boy who lived around that area and he was hoping we would come back every Sunday for a worship service. He said he knew Jesus, and that he had a Bible in his house, so hopefully he can continue to grow in a better knowledge and more intimate relationship with God.

As the afternoon was coming to a close, we ended with some more music and prayer, and we began to head back down and walk back to the house. When I got back I had just enough time to take a shower, change clothes, and head back out for a wonderful church service at Iglesia Christiana Camino a la Restauración (The Way to Restoration Christian Church). It is definitely a more charismatic church than the one I grew up in, but the way they worship seems to invite the Holy Spirit in a whole new and exhilarating way. There excitement through dancing and raising of hands has such a contagious effect that you can’t help, but join the celebration. We were also blessed to witness over thirty people be baptized, and hear a phenomenal message on God’s strength and freedom from fear (Isaiah 41). After the service, I thought to myself that the day could not of been much better. Oh, how wrong I was, God still had powerful things in store for us that day!

As Caleb, Joe, Sarah, and I left the church and started heading for home, we began reflecting upon our amazing day. Sarah and I got became hungry immediately on the way home and before we could even think, we had an enormous feast of chicken, plantains, and coleslaw set before us at a little food stand outside. We dove in without a second thought, and Caleb and Joe went off to talk by themselves on a bench unbeknownst to us. When we finished our meal, we thought that Joe and Caleb had left without us and walked back home by themselves. We suddenly discovered where they were sitting and found out that they were not alone.

As we approached the bench in the darkness of night, we saw that our friends were talking with a Nicaraguan man who seemed deeply troubled and upset. The tears in his eyes told the story of a man whose life was wrecked by a broken marriage and financial bankruptcy, which left him with the mounting pressure of raising two children by himself. Regrettably, the only remedy he had found was at the bottom of a bottle. He told of us that he felt like God could never love him because of his past, and that Satan had a stranglehold on his life. He was ravaged by fear and depression, which left him broken and hopeless. I immediately sat down and began to share with him about the peace and joy that Jesus can provide. I shared with him about all the persecution and problems that Paul himself suffered, and how he found strength through his circumstances. Caleb, pointed out the verses of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10,

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

We also shared with him the gospel that can be found in just a few verses in the book of Romans. You could sense that life and truth were beginning to indwell him. We decided to walk to his house, and along the way I shared with him a verse from the church service that evening, Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Every word of the scripture was a fresh breath of light, penetrating the dark crevices of his heart. God was knocking loud and clear on his door, and he was opening it little by little.

We arrived at his house and mingled for a little bit, talking about his kids and family. We asked him if he wanted Christ to come into to his life, and he was certain that he wanted Christ to be his Strong Fortress, his Mighty Savior, and his Loving Lord. I told him that just by his affirmation he was already my brother in Christ, but if he wanted he could pray a simple prayer to express what he already felt in his heart. So we prayed in Spanish together, and he repeated every word with reverence and sincerity. Then Caleb prayed in English protection from the enemy over his house, his family, and his walk with Christ. It was definitely a moment where you could feel the Holy Spirit’s power and peace as Caleb prayed fervently. When we were finished I lifted my head along with my new Nicaraguan friend, and you could see us both with tears of joy on our faces. He was so joyful at the new truth he had discovered and he told us that he felt as if a burden was lifted, that his knees were lighter, and that he could jump higher than ever before. God truly brings rest for the weary and gives a spirit of tranquility to the worried. As we left his house, we embraced as fellow believers and new friends. Then, we ran home to arrive on time for our curfew, praising the Lord the entire way!

The whole day was filled with God’s blessings and I can’t thank Him enough for what he is doing in my life and here in Nicaragua. Thank you for being a part of it and allowing the power of Christ to do wonders here in the city of Granada. And remember that greater things are still to come!