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