The Importance Of Trust

Isaiah 26:4 - "Trust in the LORD forever, For in God the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock."

This verse was my theme verse for this missions trip. Everyone on the trip heard my testimony and they know that trust was something i struggled a lot with in the past couple years. The whole importance of trusting God did not really hit me until we were traveling the 9 hours (or however long it was) from Costa Rica to Nicaragua. I was eating an oatmeal cookie in my seat. (I always eat oatmeal cookies and nothing ever happens.) Well evidently, this cookie had treenuts in it. As most of you know, I'm allergic to treenuts. When I had realized this, I immediately got Kevin's attention and he gave me 1 benadryl. I guess my reaction was worse than i thought, because i passed out for about a minute. Both Mandi and Maddie Shover were trying to wake me up and they both almost started crying.

When i woke up from being passed out, my throat was swollen most of the way shut and I could barely breath. Maddie Shover got Kevin's attention again and he came up and sat beside me. He took my pulse and gave me 1 more benadryl and 2 prednisone. It took around 20 minutes for all that medicine to kick in. Then once it did, I could finally breath again. =)

The reason I told the above story was because when I couldn't breath, my first reaction was to panick and I got really scared that I was going to die. But then it hit me that worrying wasn't going to help. I began to trust God that he would take care of the situation and that He knew why I was suppossed to have an allergic reaction to nuts. Looking back, God used that scary moment to get ahold of me and to tell me that I needed to trust in Him for everything.

There were many other instances on the trip where not only I, but everyone had to trust in God. But I am so glad I went on this missions trip because I may have never learned that God can do anything. Dylann Hoover said in Costa Rica that God has the power to move mountains. God can do ANYTHING! We just have to put our mind to it and believe. And that was another thing that really got my attention.

Thank you Dylann Hoover, thank you Kevin for helping me stay alive :), and thank you God that you revealed yourself to me so I can trust you with ALL my life!!

HOOT HOOT MANAGUA

Wow. This trip would be the perfect example of a powerful first missions trip for me. I have so many "God Moment" memories that I would like to share. My first "God Moment" would be when we got to Managua and we went straight to the church we were going to be working with during our entire visit. As soon as I walked in there, I felt God's presence. I couldn't understand a word the people there were singing, I could tell that they worship the same, amazing God I worship. Then, I went to my host home. My host home was a family of 4. A daddy, mommy and two daughters. They obviously received the gift of generosity because they gave us a room with a ceiling, a fan, and the most comfortable bed Lindsey, Megan and I could have ever asked for. Another "God Moment" I felt was when I met this little boy named Marbon, who is in the picture on the left with me. He was probably about 4 years old and I met him at a kids club, which we held for kids in the neighborhood for three nights while we were there. At kids club we would make balloons for the kids, put on a puppet show, sing some songs, and give out candy and silly band bracelets at the end. I met my little buddy Marbon at the end of the kids club when he came up and asked me for a silly band. I gave him the one I had left and that's when he began to like me. We hung out for about an hour after that. We just laughed about nothing and danced and spun. Everything I did made him just laugh so so hard. At one point, he started to sing something in Spanish. I gave him my "I have no idea what you are saying face" and he laughed and started singing "LALALALALALA". Therefore, I sang along. Then, a woman (who I am guessing was his mother) came over to us, grabbed him in a non caring way and basically pulled Marbon away. Marbon escaped from this woman came over to me, gave me a huge hug, said "I love you" in Spanish and ran back over to this woman who then grabbed him by the hand and pulled him down this street. This was a huge "God Moment" for me because God is so powerful that he can connect a 4 year old Nicaraguan boy who needed some love to a 13 year old American girl who didn't speak any Spanish but knew how to show love to him. In the end, this trip has meant the world to me and I thank God everyday for providing me with the privileges to go.

Maggie Anthony

Memorable Moments and People

I thank God for sending me on this missions trip. God gave me so many great memories and God had me meet so many great people. I will always remember this missions trip because their were so many great moments for example the Jesus Walk we had at Purivida. This moment at Purivida really changed my look on my life and my look on others. I learned that night even though I may do the right things while others do bad things like drugs that does not make me better than them. God created us all equal and he has a plan for all of us even those who we might initially look at as horrible and hopeless.

Another memorable moment I had was the day we got to Nicaragua the church community there accepted us and loved all of us instantly. I could not believe they loved us before they even knew our names. They just new that we were missionaries from the US and that we had come to help and that was enough for them to treat us like family. Their hospitality that night was only the beginning. Throughout the week their kindness and love shown to us continued.

Throughout the week my host family showed love to Jason and I and treated us like family. They were so hospitable to us. The night we got there they built a second bed for us because they were expecting a married couple but instead they got two guys and only one bed so they built another one that night. Also after finding out we did not like coffee they sent their 15 year old son Byron out to get us milk to drink in the morning even though we said it was ok. This love and hospitality continued throughout the week whether it be by giving us fresh juice or fresh mangoes. Another cool thing they did was they took our picture and when we left they were going to print it and hang it on their wall to resemble their extended family in the US. Overall, their hospitality I will always remember and cherish and I cant wait to go back at some point in the future.

My Missions Trip Experience

For a first missions trip this trip was AMAZING!! God was certainly present on this trip. One thing God did in my life was open my eyes to see that I was trying to control things. I had never noticed it before but I need to let go and let God. I finally fully committed to giving everything to God. He's a big boy he can handle it. We are just human after all and trying to control and fix all of life's problems weighs a huge burden for us to carry when we don't have to. Jesus died on the cross for us so why not take advantage of all the perks that come with it? Not only did God have spiritual purposes for this trip but it was a great bonding experience. I got a lot closer to people I normally don't even talk to. It was a beyond fun trip. One night Corinne and I were suprised to discover our host family driving us to the mall food court to go to Tip Top. For those of you that don't know (we didn't) Tip Top is a fast food resturaunt chain in Nigaragua. So good!! You don't realize how happy we were to see the grease glistening off the fried chicken; finally food we're used to! I also got to ride on a motorcycle driven bye Kenton no less! That was a fun and new experience. Overally, it was a great experience and I would definately do it again!

Maddie Lutz <3

Back Home Reflections

Well, this was my first youth missions trip and it was so amazing! I didn’t really know what to expect (which is a good thing I guess) and I had some fears about going. Also before going, it felt like there were some “issues” going on on our team. But, God resolved them and He definitely worked through our whole team!! It felt like we were all one big family and we were just so united. In addition to that, fears that I had (and other people had too) just vanished and I had a sense of peace about going. God also reminded me that He had complete control of this whole trip and that we were all in His hands, and quite frankly those are the best hands to be in.

Some things that really stood out to me while being in Nicaragua were the hospitality of all the people there and their love for us. When we first arrived at their church they were getting ready to have a service and they were all so welcoming. Then we got introduced to our host home families and eventually went back to their houses to get settled in. Personally (and I’m sure the rest of the team can relate to this as well) my family was just so welcoming and I could tell instantly that they loved us so much even though they had never met us. Throughout the week they were always making sure that we were comfortable and asked frequently if we needed anything. Also, most evenings when we went back to their house we would just spend time talking and hanging out with them. Even though we didn’t speak the best spanish, it was still really cool just to sit down and talk with them. This was definitely one of the highlights of my time in Nicaragua.

Overall though, when we were down there, what stood out to me the most was just how they didn’t take anything for granted, instead they thanked God for everything and cherished what they did have. Sure they don’t have as much “stuff” as we do, but they were all perfectly fine with that. They focus more on the relationships they have with people rather than what “stuff” they have. Being down there we didn’t have our phones, computers, video games, etc, and to be honest, I didn’t miss any of that stuff. The relationships that I built with the Nicaraguans and with people on our team are relationships that will last forever, where as “stuff” doesn’t last forever. I definitely came home with a greater appreciation and love for the people in my life and just being thankful for what I have and not to take things for granted.

Night with my Host Dad

First of all, I just want to tell everyone that this trip has been amazing and life changing for everyone that went, as well as the community in Managua. We made so many new friends and connected wtih the people so well that most of us consider them family now. God truly moved through us and the community in a way only He could do. We were all compassionate and loving towards each other and had a sense of fellowship that is unlike any other.

I personally had an experience while in Nidaragua that shows the power of God and His presence in all aspects of life. During the second night in Nicaragua after the day was over and we were all tired out from the baby shower fiesta, we were given more time than usual to be with our host families and spend time with them. After we got settled down, Kenton and I started talking to our host dad, Marlon (which turned out to be more hand motions than talking. haha). We were all laughing and enjoying each other's company as we were watching TV which turned out to be a movie with Arnold Schwarzeneger (spell check?) in it. Then I noticed Marlon got out his Bible and was reading it, and earlier that day he had shared in church and read Psalm 146 to the congregation. So I thought it would be neat if I would grab my Bible and point out that chapter to him and somehow motion or use what little Spanish I knew to say that it was what he had shared at the church earlier that day. He smiled and turned to it in his Bible and read it in Spanish and then he told me to read it in English. This went on for hours, going back and forth reading our favorite verses in English and Spanish in the Bible and spending time to converse and discover the true meaning and power behind the words. After we would read, Marlon would always comment on the reading and Kenton and I would listen attentively trying to pick out what he was saying and what his hand motions were trying to explain. At first I did not understand what he was saying, but then I started hearing a voice inside my head acting as a translator and I knew right away it was God telling me what Marlon was saying. I myself would not be able to understand a single word of what my host dad was telling me, but it is only through the power of God that the language barrier can be broken and that we can communicate with each other through Him. I was literally on the verge of tears. I was so happy that I was understanding Marlon and what teachings he had in store for Kenton and me!

I bet I can speak for most people when I say that spending time with host families was probably the best part of the trip. It was amazing to see how much they already loved us on the very first night of our stay in Nicaragua and how much that love continued throughout the week. They literally gave everything they had to satisfy us and make our stay more pleasurable. The first night I stayed in my host home I was so nervous and wondering how in the world was I going to survive a whole five days in this place. All those nerves were soon gone because Marlon made sure that I was at home and made sure that I felt at peace and was able to live normally like at my real home in the states. I just can't thank God enough for allowing me to go on this trip and I am praying that I would take everything I have learned from the trip and be able to apply it at home and be able to show the love of Christ to my friends and family just like the people did in Nicaragua.

God Bless!

Mitch Wirth

Reflection: The God of Testimony

Throughout the trip we had unforgettable times of testimony. During group training sessions in Costa Rica, after lunch in Nicaragua, on the bus and in various other settings team members volunteered to share his/her testimony. These times were extremely profound, and I came to love hearing testimonies. After someone shared, a handful of team members gathered around to lay hands on the individual. Ah, the beauty of prayer. The teens so readily stepped into their position of authority, as a child of the Living God, and asked God for all kinds of things. Unhindered prayer.
I recall one morning working at the church, and several girls from the team walked in and exchanged "good morning, how are you?" greetings. Several of the girls expressed feeling ill, exhausted and weak. Immediately, they began to pray for each other- even those who were feeling sick prayed for other girls who weren't feeling well. In that moment, the Kingdom of God was called down by a few high schoolers, does it get any better than that?

Therefore, a necessary 'shout out' to parents, Chad, youth leaders & mentors is due:
Though I'm only several years older than your children in some cases, they were a remarkable group of teens to serve with on this trip. You have raised up a Christ-loving group of teenagers and God was, currently is, and will be working mightily in and through them.

One final thought about testimonies: I've been pondering the idea of 'past.' I've been reminded afresh of the correlation between one's history and one's present (though we accept that our past does not determine our future, thank you Jesus Christ). When we take the time to listen to where someone has come from (the good, the bad and the ugly all included) the doors of empathy cannot help but swing wide open. When one hears a person's journey up until the very moment in which he/she speaks, respect towards that individual infinitely increases. I've been reminded of the power of testimony, both sharing and listening. God is every-working and I know that my faith has been bolstered by the delicate times of testimony we shared during this trip.