Life in Nicaragua - La Lucha . . . the Struggle

Guardabarranco - Nicaragua's National Bird

It’s closing in on 11pm here in Managua.  From our apartment I can hear an action movie going on below us.  Then there is the occasional sound of a whistle outside . . . long, loud blasts.  Some friends informed us that this is call of the ‘Guardabarranco’ Nicaragua’s national bird!  We've heard the whistles each night about this same time.  I took the picture on the right at the National Zoo, where we came closer to wild animals than in any other zoo! 

The time to reflect on what we have seen and experienced each day is so important . . . Driving through the battered streets of Managua with our taxi driver Johanna, listening to 'A Total Eclipse of the Heart' - each block has something new.  The fruit stands invite with their unique colors and shapes . . . papayas, mangos, bananas, guayaba, jocote and more.  The small children weave through the traffic at stoplights selling trinkets & candies or simply begging for money.  The horse drawn carts are common and mix with the crowded traffic of cars, motorcycles, trucks and more.  The 'Nicas' love to use their horns as they drive, some quick honks to say, 'Here I am' and others more robust that demand, 'Out of the way'.  The trash is like kudzu in Carolina and the people are

The people are super open to speak about Jesus.  I've been surprised with how many openly share their belief in Christ and in the same sentence state that they are not following.  Or better said, they have not yeilded to Christ.  They are still in the driver's seat.  The conversations are great and I've shared more of the Gospel with them trying to help them see the deception they've bought in to.

Worship at Cristo Rey ~ Christ the King Church in Tipitapa

Earlier this evening Eric Ferguson and I drove into a part of Tiptapa, just outside Managua. The wild dirt roads made me grateful for Eric's 4x4. We drove through dozens of blocks of homes, pieced together with tin sheets, cinderblock and scraps of wood. The electric lines were tied to the top of trees that had been cut for this purpose, no thicker than my arm and about 12 feet high. We pulled up to the church building which had 2 walls and a roof and 1 light bulb. The music was blaring, letting people know the worship would soon begin.  The Pastor, Alfredo has been walking with the LORD for 6 years, for 3 of those he has been a pastor!
There were no instruments, just the strong leading voices of the 'alabanzas' ~ praise songs.  The people seemed alive to the Good News and there was a real sense of celebration.  The little children were allowed to roam a little while some were gathered by a woman who was teaching them seated on the dirt.  It's Monday night too!  Pastor Alfredo shared his story with me a few days before.  Alcohol, drugs and a lostness overshadowed his life for years.  It almost cost him his family.  Now he and his wife and children serve Jesus!   They host two 'comedores' ~ feeding centers for children.  The one at Christ the King has more than 100 children coming twice a week for food and the Word of God. 
I was asked to preach a couple days before and was a bit intimidated.  What do I know of these people's lives?  Of their dreams and fears?  Of their struggle and family?  Yet the Holy Spirit can take the little we offer and add to it . . . so with that as my prayer, I preached from 1 Samuel 30.  I've studied the passage, but never preached on it, much less in Español!  I chose this passage because in talking to so many 'Nicas' they talk about life in terms of the 'lucha' ~ the fight.  That life is a struggle and they mean for the basics, to have shelter, to be clothed and to eat and provide for their children.  Here's the essence of the message . . .

David has been anointed King, though he’s not yet on the throne.  King Saul who has been rejected as King by God is running out of time.  David and his little army of 600 are returning to Ziklag, the Philistine city where they had taken up residence.  They find the city empty, their families gone and the city looted and burned! 
When the difficulties in life come, how do we react? 
When the crisis shows up, to whom do we go?

David and his men are in the midst of a crisis . . .
"Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept, until they had no more strength to weep." 1 Samuel 30:4 RSV

The situation is so bleak that David's faithful men are on the edge of turning against him . . .

"David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God." 1 Samuel 30:6 NIV 
People in a crisis, filled with fear and pain often look for someone to blame.  David has his own fears and pain and now the possibility of his men taking his life!
"But David found strength in the LORD his God."

Here is an example for us!  Here is someone who turned to the right Source in the time of crisis!  I know you struggle because we all struggle . . . are you finding your strength in the LORD your God, in the times of crisis?

David asks for Abiathar the priest and seeks a word from God. 
"And David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue." 1 Samuel 30:8 NIV
David does the right thing asking God for direction, not trusting in his own understanding or strategies.  The result is the promise of victory and the rescue of their families.  So David and his army are now in pursuit.
Do you know any captives? Not like David’s family and the families of his army, but nonetheless captive?  Jesus defined his mission in Luke 4:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."  Luke 4:18-19 RSV

People are captive to sin, to the enemy of our souls.  I remember my own captivity, the time before Christ was real to me, before he set me free.  Do you remember? 
Do we have compassion on those that are captives still? 
Are we willing to battle for their freedom as David was? 

In the pursuit the little army of 600 stops and 200 of the men can go no further because of exhaustion.  So the 400 press on and find a servant of the Amalekites who had raided their homes.  This man led them to the Amalekite raiders and the battle began.  Scripture says it lasted all day long. 

So here is a lesson . . . the promise of victory does not mean the battle will be easy.  200 couldn't even make it and the others had to battle all day long before their families were safely returned to them.

There is a battle in this life.  David fought with a sword, we fight in a different way . . .
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."  2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Another potential crisis arises after the battle . . .
"Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Ravine. They came out to meet David and the people with him. As David and his men approached, he greeted them.  But all the evil men and troublemakers among David's followers said, "Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go." 1 Samuel 30:21-22
So David has division in the camp.  David has God's wisdom and speaks it with confidence.  David knows who gave the victory.

"David replied, "No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us.  Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike."  David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this." 1 Samuel 30:23-25

Are you ready for battle?  Do you know Who gives the victory?

Nicaragua

Wow, today marks our ½ way point for our time here in Managua.  It has been a very good and productive trip, so far!  The children have done very well.  It is fascinating hearing them process what they have seen and experienced.  The poverty is common and some of it has troubled the children as well as Eileen and I.  So what we see becomes the launching point for conversations about Jesus’ teachings and the question of ‘How should we live?’  40 years ago Managua was rocked by an earthquake similar in size and devastation to the one that recently hit Haiti.  It was 1972 and a number of Nicaraguans have shared where they were and what they experienced when I’ve asked.  They also remember the war here in the 1980s, yet in spite of all of this, the Nicaraguans are a resilient people.

There is tremendous beauty here with an amazing variety of plants, flowers and trees!  So much green with the palms, the brilliant flowers, seeming to be in every direction.  There is though the trash along the roads and the houses are often put together with so many different materials as they can be found.  In our two bedroom apartment, we cook & eat, play & pray.  It’s simple and comfortable.  We have been tremendously blessed by the Fanjul family who are staying across the street from us.  They are here adopting a little girl.  They have three boys as well, who are ages are close to those of our children!

Evangelical Methodist Church of Nicaragua – I met with most of the pastors from the Evangelical Methodist Church of Nicaragua on Monday.  There are less than 10 pastors shepherding 15 congregations.  It is a young church, only 20 years old.  They have some challenges that make ours look very small – and it is a joy to be with them.  We'll worship with one or two congregations on Sunday.  Then I will meet again with them on Monday morning.  You can see their website at: www.iglesiametodistanicaragua.com

Meeting Our Sponsored Child – Compassion International – With joy we met Christhian on Tuesday at the Compassion Project: “Dios Te Ama” translated “God Loves You”.  Christhian, his mother Arazeles, and his little sister Ruth were dressed up and happy to meet us.  Our children have written him over the years and he has sent letters as well.  This Compassion Project is the largest in Nicaragua with over 400 sponsored children.

Ruth, Christhian (our sponsored child) & Evie, Josiah & Luke

Eileen returned this afternoon from a Bible Study and support group connected with ‘Casa Esperanza’ (House of Hope) a ministry that helps women and children out of prostitution and human trafficking.  www.houseofhopenicaragua.com  It was a powerful experience as she was able to put faces with the women she has heard about.  Thursday and Friday of this week we’ll travel to Tipitapa to help serve in some feeding centers for children.

It's been a joy to share Christ with taxi drivers, people we meet along the way and be in fellowship with the 'Nica' believers here.  I've lined up many of the details for a Spring Break mission trip here with Virginia Wesleyan College and others - March 12 -19. 

On the edge of Lake Granada

We traveled to Granada on Saturday with Delia Gillikin’s parents.*  Granada was founded by the Spanish in the 1500s and is fascinating.  We went on a small boat to see ‘las isletas’ (the islands, there are 300!) that many believe were formed by the massive eruption of the volcano Mombacho.  Further off was the volcano Concepción, which is almost a perfect triangle in contrast to Mombacho which is distorted from previous eruptions.  Monkeys live on a couple of the islands.  The picture though is a captive monkey.  *Delia and Jason Gillikin were married last summer.  Jason and I went to Nicaragua together twice a few years back.  Once with a larger team from Grace Harbor Church.  On a subsequent trip, Jason met Delia.  I had the privilege of officiating at their wedding in the USA.
To experience the beautiful reality that our LORD transcends all geography, cultures and times is glorious!

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."   Revelation 7:9-10


Rejoicing in the LORD,


Greg, Eileen, Josiah, Evie & Luke