Greetings brothers. It is the eve of of my 5th mission trip to Nicaragua. YHC did not intend to saying that to brag, but to encourage. Back in the beginning of 2009 I never would have imagined I would take 5 trips to this county. It was CSAUP.
In 2008 and the beginning of 2009 I was part of a bible study group for police officers. One officer, Scott, brought up the idea of going to Nicaragua to deliver body armor to this 3rd world county as he had heard from a missionary friend some officer would like to have body armor. However, the Nicaraguan National Police could not afford such equipment for entire force. In fact officers have to purchase some equipment on their own. I later learned they do so on roughly 30 per month. When Scott brought up this idea others naturally said, “yes, lets do this.” Including me, but I didn’t feel it inside. The devil put every excuse imaginable. “You don’t have a passport.” “You don’t have experience outside of the US.” “You don’t speak any foreign language.” This was on April 26, 2009.
On the way home I felt convicted. I asked for forgiveness for letting the devil lie to me. I then felt a sudden urge to pray for some of the people I had heard Scott talk about. I was in tears knowing very well what the word says about the Lord’s provision. When I got home naturally my wife asked me what was wrong. I told her about the events that took place over the past few hours about how I suddenly had such a heavy heart for people i have never met. She said simply that if the Lord was going to send me then He would provide. I went to bed to get ready for night shift.
On the next day, April 27, 2009, while on night shift I prayed for God to provide $100.00 for a passport to go on the trip. It was simple prayer in the early morning hours that simply went something like this, “Lord I need $100.00 to get a passport in order to go on this trip. I pray you would place it in my lap.” And that was the end of it. That was on a Sunday morning. As I always do while working night shift I went to bed after duty and I missed Church just like I always do after working all night. Later that afternoon when I woke up my wife tells me, “I think the money for your trip is going just start coming in. Here’s why.” She then showed me a check written out to me in the amount of $100.00. I was in tears. She did not know about my specific prayer earlier that day. She went on to tell me a lady at Church approached her and at first, after seeing the check in her hand, declined saying that we were OK. The lady told her, “You have to take it because I have a feeling somebody needs it and I want to be obedient to what the Holy Spirit is telling me to do.” From that point on the finical support for the mission team poured in.
The first day of the trip the team of five met the Chief of Police for Rivas. He had been eagerly anticipating our visit. A missionary friend, Mike Vilasi, had met with him a few times and he helped to open the door for us. That afternoon we met approximately 35 officers and shared the Gospel with them. Over the course of the next few days the mission team went on side trips around the countryside. One day we traveled, with some of the officers we met, to the customs checkpoint at the border of Costa Rica where we shared with officers at the police station at the border. Members of the team also went just across the border and shared the Gospel with a few members of the Costa Rican National Police. On another day we traveled to San Juan Del Sur on the Pacific coast and along the way we stopped at police stations where we met more officers. The next day we traveled to Rancho Santana and again some of our new friends accompanied us as we stopped at police stations in remote towns and villages to share the Gospel. Manny of them were in awe and extremely appreciative that police officers from the US would come so far just to share the Gospel with them. The members of the mission team were happy to do it. The first trip changed me and I gained some important and meaningful relationships with some amazing people.
As I look back on those events in 2009 I see it as somewhat of a catalyst that got me started on these trips to Nicaragua. Each time I have gone the Lord has provided me the funding without really having to do too much work.
I relate this experience to my F3 experience which is only a little over 8 months in it’s infancy. In 8 months I am 30 pounds lighter. I feel better. I have gained meaningful and important relationships with some amazing men. If you were to tell me 8 months ago I would loose weight, feel better and learn from some amazing PAX I would have told you that’s CSAUP.
Thank you for taking the time to pray for us and I ask that you continue to do so in the following particulars:
1. Safety,health and protection for my daughter and I.
2. Pastor Francisco is who I will be working with to do home outreaches to the poor on the island of Ometepe.
3. Mike and Joan Vilassi are missionaries who do a variety of things. We will be working with them at a school for hearing impaired kids and at a trade school on the island.
4. For the meeting I will have with the Nicaraguan National Police. They graciously opened to door for me to encourage them and evangelize them on the first trip and on all the trips that have followed.
5. That all the people we come into contact with will be impacted and touched.
6. That my daughter and I will be impacted and touched as well.
T-claps for those who have supported us financially. T-claps for your prayers. I am going to miss you guys, but I will look forward to re-joining y’all back in the gloom.
AYE!