Earthen Vessels
Nicaragua
One of my CIU professors’ years ago said, “if your experience with God doesn’t align with that of the Bible, don’t lower your expectation of God, rather, pray that God raise your experience with Him”. Over the last 15 years, God has given me profound experience with Him in multiple ways, and mission trips of any kind heighten that desire and expectation in my heart. (Although it’s important to remember that we’re called to be on mission wherever He has us). I prayed that God would do the same in Nicaragua. I’ve read a lot about how God is working supernaturally through dreams and visions in third world countries, particularly those places where persecution exists, and I hoped I would return with first-hand testimony to bring back and share. Such wasn’t the case. In Nicaragua, God reminded me of the blessing of how He moves simply but profoundly through ordinary man- us mere earthen vessels.
Similar barriers to faith exist in Nicaragua as they do in America. The woman are typically the spiritual leaders as the men remain distant and disconnected. The young men miss out on the great example of mature men of the faith; men who are both tough to the things of this world and have a heart for the things of God. Men who work hard and ‘act like men’ as Paul said, and equally connect and are compassionate for others. Men who are full of grace and truth, as Jesus is. What I witnessed in Nicaragua is the perfect appointment by the providence of God to raise up leaders for such a time as this. Guillermo and Gabriel, the father and son team who lead the ministry of Chosen Children Ministries, are perfectly suited. My first mental image upon hearing about Guillermo was not accurate… I heard testimony of his heart and tenured ministry in that land, but I didn’t expect to see a man in his mid-late 40s, tall, healthy, handsome, well-spoken, and with a presence that’s sure to make people take note. Of course, God looks at the heart and not the outward appearance, but God sure uses all things for His glory, and Guillermo is a man after God’s own heart in a land that desperately needs it. His wisdom is deep and profound, and he equally knows how to connect personally with anyone that crosses his path. His son, Gabriel, is similar in every way.
Our first full day in Nicaragua began with a Sunday morning church service in Carlos Fonseca. It was quite the overwhelming experience just being there… much could be said about my personal experience that Sunday morning, but it’s most interesting to consider the witness that God ordained. Guillermo and our team member, Tim, stood in the pulpit, both similar in physical presence but coming from uniquely different backgrounds, and delivered a message in Daniel on trusting God. Tim preached, Guillermo translated, God moved and two people came to faith that morning.
Guillermo traveled back to SC with us and spoke in our church that morning, and what he shared brought it all together for me. He reminded us that God can cause anything to speak and spread the Gospel… the rocks, Balaam’s donkey, the angels, etc… but He chooses to use us. We are gifted and charged with the ministry of reconciliation- in partnering with God and being a bridge that helps connect people who are away from God with Jesus, the ultimate and only bridge between God and man. What we did that week was rather spiritually insignificant as far as the eye could see; no one else came to faith that I am aware of, but Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to simply be steadfast and that our labor is not in vain. Ordinary does not mean insignificant, as Pastor Ian Simkins says. Some plant, some water, but God causes the growth (1 Cor 3). What a blessing to be a part of God’s work in that beautiful land.
As a closing thought, our team was incredible. We had great leadership and we accomplished as much as we could with the time that we had. One of the great blessings I’m leaving with is the deep connections that were made. I continually hunger for deeper experience with God, and God continually reminds me of the blessing of deep experience with my brothers and sisters of the faith. “Iron sharpens iron…” and “spurred on in love and good deeds”. We’re all in this together.
