3 Testimonies as Told By Scott...

Alicia

(From January 25, 2009)

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. -Romans 8:26-27

Our team left Managua, Nicaragua early Sunday morning for Houston and then home to the Detroit area. We had an incredible week in seeing God's glory. There were numerous significant events and we all shared them Saturday night as we debriefed, encouraged each other, discussed re-entry into our culture and 'reverse' culture shock which is an aspect of the short term mission experience.

Prior to our leaving El Ayudante, our host and Mission Director, Bill Cox, shared and told us of the miracles that have happened after people had left the base. As it true with our God, His work for us is never complete.

After a short ride from the El Camino Hotel to the airport, we cleared check in and security without challenge. As I was walking to board the flight I noticed an older Nicaraguan woman in a wheelchair and her husband at her side. I noticed too she had what seemed to be a gentle spirit and I immediately thought of my mother who spent the greater part of her life disabled and too spent time being transported in a wheelchair.

Most of our team was in the middle of the plane, and once we the pilot turned off the fasten seatbelt sign, this woman began to labor back to the bathroom in the rear of the plane. I kept my eye on her as her gait was very choppy, slow, and deliberate much like my mother's had been during her life. As she past my seat her hand slipped off the top of my seat and fell upon my shoulder, she said she was sorry in Spanish and I told her it was no problem. I made eye contact with her, smiled, and put my hand on her shoulder and seemed to rub her shoulder as she past me.On her return to her seat, she again stopped by my seat, as she wasn't moving very well. I again put my hand on her shoulder and told her I would pray for her. She said thank you very much and I watched her as she labored again back to her seat. I prayed for her and asked God to keep her in His grip and asked for favor to rest upon her.

A short while later, I was returning to my seat and I was lead to give Alicia my last disciples cross I had brought on our trip. She was sitting severalrows ahead of me on the aisle. I took my cross off, knelt down to her level, and told her I wanted her to have my cross, told her I would continue to pray for her, asked her her name and again rubbed her shoulder. She looked at the cross, smiled, and thanked me. I could now see that gentle, lovingspirit in her eyes. As I went back to my seat I again prayed for her.

We landed in Houston exactly on schedule and as we taxied to the gate the lead flight attendant announced and asked all passengers to stay seated as one of the passengers needed medical assistance and the medical team would come on the plane to assist. I then looked at my friend Tammie that was sitting next to me and told her that I thought Alicia may be that passenger and told her that I was lead to give her my cross . . Tammie had seen me give her my cross.

As we got to the gate there was an ambulance next to our plane waiting and as they came to get Alicia, she labored with help to the front of the plane . . . as Tammie and I prayed for her.

We serve a GREAT BIG God. He knows our needs, He reveals Himself always, He so loves His children . . . Bill too, has seen and heard of God's miracles right to the end of many short term mission trips. God is so good. We have all heard the saying: God is good, all the time, all the time, God is good . . . it is so true. How did He know Alicia needed prayer? Easy, he's God. And we need to finish the race. God too, knows what each of us are struggling with today and He too loves us more than we can ever imagine. Let the Spirit lead us in prayer and lift up those we know need prayer and pray for each other. And while you are at it . . . say a prayer for Alicia. Thank you Lord for revealing yourself in a mighty way. Thank You Lord for revealing yourself. We love you Jesus!

-Scott

FRANSESCO OF WILLIAM FONSECA
(From January 23, 2009)

Jesus answered, " I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and Spirit.Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ' You mustbe born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear the sound, but you cannot tell where it comes fromor where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. "-John 2:5-8

Last night, the men on our team went to have bible study and fellowship with the men at Inglesia de Mount Horeb ( church ) in the barrioof William Fonseca in the northwest area of Leon, Nicaragua. Last year, we too met and had bible study and fellowship with these men.

Last year was the first time this church had met as a group of men. Last night our time started with worship and we were blessed, again, with worshipping with our friend Clara, who leads worship, and we again were overwhelmed with God blessing us with her spirit and her incredible gift of voice as she sang and worshipped. The worship band consisted of a drummer, a young man on the bongos, and an organist. Worship here is an integral component of all gatherings in the church. It is common for the worship time to last over an hour and the time is their time to truly worship God.

Last night we had bible study with about 50 men. We chose to form a circle to maintain a more personal, intimate type gathering. We began in prayer. I was the first to speak, I welcomed them and asked how many were present last year and there were about 15-20 that acknowledged.

I spoke about the Armor of God, about character, about holy living, and about resisting the evil one. I stressed and challenged the men to find another man to be accountable to daily. I spoke about being a good person and segued to the ten commandments highlighting how much our God hates sin. At the end of my talk, I asked if there was anyone tonight who was being lead to accept Jesus and turn his life over to Him and that we would be honored and blessed to pray with them.

My friend Lynn shared his testimony and it was straight from the heart. Prior to going to study Lynn had told me he wasn't up for sharingas we had a long hard day and he wasn't being lead to talk. However, as God often does, Lynn knew he needed to share his testimony as there were many men who have lived Lynn's testimony or know someone who is living it now. He was rewarded with much applause.

We had a few Nicaraguans share their stories, stories of partying, stories of drugs and alcohol, stories of pushing God away, stories of emptiness, stories of denial and thinking that knowing who God is is enough to get to eternal life with Him . . . stories that we all hear in theUnited States when men ( and women ) become real and truly seek God.

Don shared his family life and spoke and read from Proverbs 5 . . . Warning Against Adultery . . . this is a prevalent issue here in Nicaraguaas it is in the United States, and all around the world as this stronghold, as most sins, has no boundary.

Mark shared how since he has cometo know Jesus how challenging it is to share Jesus with his friends who are on the wide path and who know not the love and strength of the Lord in their lives. I know there are many reading this now who too are on the wide path who know not this love. The love and power of Jesus Christ in your lives. Mark challenged the men to take advantage of opportunities to share Jesus when they have the opportunity not afterwards as is so common.

At the conclusion of our time, we thanked God and prayed. I began to close and asked once again, if there was anyone who wanted to commit to Jesus Christ, ask for forgiveness of their sins, invite Jesus into their hearts, and become a new creation today. After a minute or so, I began to close our time and a man raised his hand . . . I asked if he had something to share or if he wanted to commit to Jesus Christ. He indicated he wanted to accept Jesus. We invited him up . . . we had him in the middle of the circle, and we laid hands on him . . as I prayed for our new brother Francesco, the sounds of men praying in Spanish and our team praying in English was absolutely beautiful.. We welcomed our brother into the Kingdom . . . I told Franceso that I ( and our team ) would never forget him as God had given me a wonderfulbirthday present, in him, as yesterday was the 9th anniversary of accepting Christ and turning my life over to Him. Hallelujah. Francesco and Ishare the same birth date . . . January 22nd . . born again . . . in the love of Jesus Christ's eternal sacrifice. Amen.

After we prayed, I spoke to Francesco through our translator Luis, who accepted Christ a year ago while he worked with our team, and he told me that earlier in the day he felt a presence that told him he needed to come to church that night. He didn't want to but the presence was so strong he said he had to come. He said as he heard us speak he knew it was a divine appointment and he was to surrender to Jesus tonight. Hallelujah! I thanked him for his encouragement, his obedience, and him revealing the true nature of Christ to us tonight. I gave Francesco my disciple's cross, that my friend Pete makes for me, and we just, 'coincidentally' had one Santa Biblia left, and we wrote the date, Francesco'sname and that the bible was a gift from God through For the JOY, Brighton, Michigan, for him to always remember the day his life with Jesus began. Hallelujah! It was a glorious time and all for His glory not ours. He was glorified!

One last thing . . . there are many reading this devotional who have yet to turn their lives over to Jesus, to commit, to surrender, to ask God for forgiveness of their sins, as Francesco did last night. There aren't any sins that God will not forgive if we in our heart, and He knows our heart,truly seek Him, repent, commit . . . and fix our eyes on Jesus. If you too are being lead to accept Jesus . . . ask Him, invite Him in . . . let me know or let someone you know who knows Jesus. And as Francesco did . . start your new life in Christ today. Jesus died for our sins and our eternal invitation to spend with Him forever. We all make a choice even when we don't . . . no choice is still a choice. May God richly bless you.May the old disappear and the new rise in you. Make today the day you too accept Jesus and be born again. Your life will never be the same . . .and you will come to know and feel a love that you never realized existed.

-Scott

The sounds of Nicaragua
(From January 21, 2009)

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another --- and all the more as we see the Day approaching. -Hebrews 10:25

Each morning while we are at our mission base of El Ayudante ( www.nicamissions.com ) we have breakfast at 0700 and our worship and devotion time is at 0730. Each day when we begin to congregate for our worship and devotion time there is an array of different kinds of birds that begin to congregate in the rafters of the meeting area and the trees that surround it.When we begin to worship and sing it is incredible harmony. The different songs that the birds sing can only give us a glimpse of what the music may be like in heaven. The pitches of the songs sung by the birds are of every octave that we can hear and we are surrounded by their beautiful music.Most mornings before breakfast we will walk in the neighboring barrio called Ruben Dario. It is a great opportunity for those here for the first time to get immersed into the culture. We hear the sounds of the neighborhood ( barrio ) . . we'll hear manyroosters crowing, the sounds of people sweeping the roads and their yards, the tortilla lady making her tortillas and calling outto prospective customers . . . just Wednesday morning we heard the commotion of a chicken that was flying from tree to treeand a group of young men trying to shoot it down with their slingshots . . . we hear the sounds of motorbikes, children playing,and sounds of people cutting wood. There is an abundance of sounds and if you aren't attentive it is easy to miss them. When walking with Don and Mark this morning . . . we were able to point out different sites as we all were seeing different things. Itgot me to thinking about our walk with Christ. Walking through the barrio . . . being attentive and pointing things out to each other. Walking with Christ.How is our walk with Christ? What is it we miss when we are not attentive to the sounds ( God's revealing nature ) and to theholy presence of the Lord in our day? What is it we miss when we are not focused on Him? What is it we miss when we are not in the Word discovering our God? Do we hear the sounds? Do we fellowship with men and women so they can lift us upand point us in the right direction and hold us accountable? Or are we like my friend JT, who was a 'lone ranger', and if so arewe feeling as he did . . . . JT said that " this lone ranger thing isn't working "! How is it working for us if we too are a lone ranger? When we fellowship with ourselves we miss much . . . we miss the sounds . . . we miss the opportunity to learn and tosee what others see and hear from our God. The bible tells us to not stop meeting together. Do we meet with other Christianson a routine basis . . . or . . . do we miss out on what God has for us through our brethren? Do we miss the sounds . . . do wemiss the attentiveness of others who do positively affect and benefit our walks? Why not make today the day that we committo hearing the sounds and having greater attention through the fellowship of our brothers and sisters. No wonder Jesus hungout with His disciples . . . He was teaching them as He can teach us today.At night, it is very quiet at El Ayudante . . . but in the morning at 0725 our choir will appear and share God's gift of music onceagain. Hallelujah. We serve a great BIG God.-Scott

Martha of Nicaragua
(From January 20, 2009)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!-2 Corinthians 5:17

Last year while we were ministering in Nicaragua we met a school teacher named Martha. Martha had a strong appearance of unhappiness and had the look of someone who had no hope. She and a few of her fellow school teachers were watching our team paint her school. The Holy Spirit had directed us to work an additional day at Pablo Morales school and we had the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with Martha.

The last day, a day that we weren't scheduled to be at Pablo Morales, our friend Ayele lead Martha in her prayer of salvation. Later that evening a team went to Martha's home to pray with her.

Prior to our departure for Nicaragua last Saturday, our hope was to see Martha again and see how God has created anew in her.

This morning the men on our team went to share encouragement and the word with a professional baseball team in Leon. We shared with them accountability, what the bible says about 'bad company', we shared temptation, and we shared why being a good person will not get you to heaven . . . we walked them through the ten commandments.

After meeting with the ball team, we went to a rural area, near Pablo Morales to do Vacation Bible School with about 60 pre and early elementary aged children. Our host was Ramona, whom we first met in 2006, when we painted her school building. She, like many teachers in Nicaragua, use their homes to teach, get no funding, nor any pay for their work. Ramona is a true blessing to the area and the children she works. After the VBS, a few of us went to see if Martha was at Pablo Morales school as we were delivering teacher packs to them.

Martha was tutoring a few students . . . school is out until February; but, Martha and her team were there dedicating time to her students. She on the otherhand makes a minimal amount of money with no supplies provided. Martha looks amazing and she exudes hope and happiness. Martha shared with us that that day last January changed her life forever. She loves Jesus. Is happy. Attends church each Sunday and is content in knowing that Jesus loves her and she Him.

Last year, God directed us to spend time with Martha when we weren't even scheduled to be at her school, gave us the opportunity, obeyed, and here it is a year later and we see what a new creation she is in Jesus Christ.What about us? Are we a new creation? Have we, like Martha, taken the step to invite Jesus into our hearts? Is the old self, the dying self,still alive in us? If it is, and I suspect it is in many of us, why not make today the day that we too invite Jesus in our hearts and we too willfeel the kindling of the Holy Spirit in us and the old self leave us as it did Martha. Commit today and let someone who knows Jesus know about your new commitment.

-Scott