Archive for the ‘Stories’ Category

Aug
28th

Furious Love

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I watched a documentary yesterday named “Furious Love” that was recommended by a friend. It’s is the story of one man’s journey into some of the darkest spiritual climates on earth to test the limits of God’s love. It is a haunting movie and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it today.

Furious Love
[Image Source]

There is a pastor who is talking at the end of the movie and he tells the story about God showing him a vision. In this vision he was in a church and this church was filled with drug addicts, prostitutes, gang bangers, drug dealers and all sorts of criminals and outcasts. They were in this church and they were doing everything wrong. They were doing drugs, selling drugs to each other, fighting, having sex in the pews and acting like they would on the streets. In the vision, the pastor was running around  and frantically trying to get everyone to stop what they were doing. He was so frustrated that he yelled out “If you’re not going to honor God’s house and respect this house then get out!”. He said exactly what the majority of leaders or pastors would say if this was going on inside their church.

It was at this point he heard the Lord say to him, “Why would you send away what I sent in? Why would you send away what you’ve been asking for?”. The pastor replied, “God I didn’t ask for this?” and God said, “You asked me for the lost. Now keep it simple. Love them and let me change them.” The pastor goes on to share how this changed his entire view about church and evangelism. He learned that it’s not about pointing out to people what they are or are not doing but what Christ is inviting them to – “love me and I’ll change you”.

Some things I learned from the movie:

  • Love really is the answer to the world’s problems
  • “God loves pagans and witches a lot. It’s just unfortunate that sometimes we don’t.” – Phil Wyman
  • When the world was a mess and needed to be saved, God did not save it by condemning behaviors – he saved it with Love
  • God really is doing incredible and amazing things in the world
  • My new job gives me the amazing opportunity to tell some of these stories to the world

I am in need of monthly supporters who will partner with me in telling the amazing stories of God’s love conquering darkness all over the world. If you want to help make a kingdom impact on a world who is desperate for change please consider being a part of my ministry. You can give financially or contact me to become a prayer partner.

Aug
16th

Tell Him That I Love Him

Posted in: Frank, Nicaragua Life, Stories | No Comments »

It’s 5:30am and Bekah is out of town. I strap on my running shoes and head out before the sun fills Granada with heat. I run down my normal route – Calle Santa Lucia to the lake. It’s unusually cool as I approach the pier. I look up and there is a man dressed in dirty rags just standing there.

“Stop and talk to him” God says.

“But why? How? I’m not fluent enough to carry on a conversation. And what would I even say to him?” I say back.

“Tell him that I love him.”

At this point in the dialog I am well past the man and I tell myself, “Ok if he’s there when I run back by I’ll stop” and I keep running.

As I continue to run and think about what just happened I am sure that God was speaking to me so I am eager to get back to the man. I approach the spot where I saw him but he is no longer there. I missed my chance to see God at work. Was I supposed to pray for him? Was God going to set him free from some life-controlling addiction or illness? Was he going to speak to me through him? Was he an angel?

Angel
[Image Source]

I am filled with feelings of conviction. If only I had stopped and been obedient. What was it God was going to do?

I ask God to give me another chance. I promise him that next time I will stop. I will listen instead of doubt. He tells me there will be a next time.

Aug
7th

I’m Sorry, Did You Say Two Drill Bits?

Posted in: Community, Frank, Nicaragua Life, Stories | No Comments »

In case you haven’t followed the story of Juan and the process that he has been through, check out these posts before reading this:

We checked Juan into the hospital last week so that they could go ahead and do some new blood tests (the original ones they took are no longer valid due to the amount of time that has passed) and get some antibiotics going to help with the swelling in his leg. The plan was to operate soon but they did not tell me when so I wished Juan well and told him that I would call him later to check up on him.

Two days later I received this text message:

Hello, this is dr lopez from lenin fonseca, we need some things for juan’s surgery, a liquid called SOLETE, can be bought at ORTOMED in BELLO HORIZONTE, and two drill bits with diamond tip for concrete, can be found in any hardware store, please call me if doubts.

After reading this I thought, “So just to be clear, you want me to go to a medical supply store in a city an hour a way and find some liquid called Solete and then did you say you needed me to bring you two concrete drill bits?” FYI (and maybe too much info) the drill bits are so they can drill into his leg and clean out the years of infection that has set into his bone

concrete bone drill bitAs crazy as this request sounds (and maybe I’ve lived here too long) I immediately started to figure out a way to make this happen because if living here has taught me anything it’s that there is a system in place and you will make yourself crazy fighting this system with an American mentality. It’s best to figure out a way to work within the system. We’ve come this far with Juan and I’m not about to let this little  obstacle  debunk his surgery. Drill bits? Check. Now where is this Solete stuff and how do I buy some?

Yesterday, Milton and I hopped on a bus and then took a taxi around town and found the things we needed. We then went to hospital where we found the ever-smiling Juan patiently waiting in a 8′ x 10′ room with three other patients (and no dividing curtains). After visiting for a bit, we left and the doctor told me that they would be operating on Juan this Saturday or Monday at the latest with a promise of a phone call when the surgery was over to tell me how it went. Praise God.

I joke around about receiving a text like this because honestly I have no idea what else to do with it. It breaks my heart that this is the only viable medical option for most of the people here. Our roommates (who have good jobs) were forced to go to the “free” hospital to have their baby and the mother ended up with an infection that kept her in the hospital for an extra 2 weeks. It’s no wonder that Juan is terrified to trust the system that got him into this mess to begin with. I’m sure he has thought many times that he would have been better off having just dealt with bowed legs his entire life. Wouldn’t that be better than this extremely painful bone infection?

Update on Juan coming soon…

Jun
20th

By Chance or Divine Appointment?

Posted in: Community, Discipleship, Stories | No Comments »

As I think back over the past 4 years and I look more intently at events and the result of those events, I am amazed at how everything has come together. Let me trace back some of these events for you:

  • Down a broken road, I was led to this church.
  • Down a broken road, Rebekah was led to the same church.
  • We met during a time in our lives when we were finding peace, joy, and ourselves after many years of pain and struggle.
  • We married in March of 2007.
  • 9 months later we went to Honduras.
  • 10 months later we went Nicaragua.
  • 1 month later God told us to move to Nicaragua.
  • Our lives now have purpose and meaning and it is all because of God’s work in us.

But what we didn’t know was that while God was at work in our lives during this time, he was also at work in the life of a single mother of 2 in Nicaragua.

After arriving in Nicaragua in August 2009, we met Natalia. Rebekah began to build up a relationship with her and this led her to help Natalia start a sewing business to help her support her family. We decided to film her story and share it with our friends and supporters with the intentions of raising some money to help finance her business. After talking to her further, I was shown how God had woven our paths together. Here are some of the events that led her to where she is now:

  • Down a broken road, I was led to this church.
  • God began to show me who I was and how much he loved me.
  • God brought a Christian woman named Brittany into my life and she help me and discipled me.
  • God brought another Christian woman named Annie into my life and she helped me as well and discipled me.
  • And now God has brought another Christian woman named Rebekah into my life and she is helping me start a business and she disciples me as well.
  • My life now has purpose and meaning and it is all because of God’s work in me.

This left me wondering whether all this has happened by chance or by divine appointment?

Rebekah, Natalia and Dalia

As these three lives walked down broken roads seeking their identities, God was working in the midst of their brokenness in order to have those paths cross so that he would be glorified.

And for that I am eternally grateful…

May
15th

Meet Natalia

Posted in: Community, Discipleship, Fundraising, Stories | 1 Comment »

Natalia lives in Granada Nicaragua. She is a mother of two with an amazing heart and she wants to start a sewing business that employs women that are coming out of prostitution. With the average salary of $20-40 per week, its impossible for her to save the money needed to start the business. Loans from banks are very complicated and often the terms are hard to meet. We are attempting to raise money to help her start her business. If you would like to help, contact us.

Click here to learn more about Natalia and her story