Reflection

 

I think the appropriate word for today would be relaxing. You’ll soon know why. We got a bit more sleep this morning than we normally do. The breakfast was delicioso, as per usual. Meals are always enjoyable; somehow we find a way to make each other laugh so early in the morning. Chris is not a morning person but we can all agree that here in Nicaragua, every morning is spectacular. After breakfast we all jumped in the van and headed to church. This church was very special. They were very welcoming of us and all the other people visiting. I say this because they made sure to say welcome at least 10 times. It was really cool to see and our team was really impacted by it as we think about how we greet people in our churches is an interesting contrast. We could definitely learn something from them. And there worship was powerful. It was joyful and the musicians were extremely talented, especially the drummer. Chris and Wes especially appreciated his style because he was absolutely extraordinary. But more than that, the passion that was behind the music was inspiring. It seems like a good picture of what worship should be; a true call to God.

 We went home for lunch which again was delicious. We then spent the day at a pool which was very relaxing and also provided us with the opportunity to reflect. We have been working really hard to connect with the students at Centro de Fe which is so rewarding, but is also a lot of work. We have been doing God’s work but today we got a chance to reflect on what that’s done for us. I thought about what God has been doing in my life here and I questioned how much I’ve been involving him in what I do, which I think is important. As we swam and talked we got to experience God’s amazing beauty through his creation and through each other. It was really just a good time.

 Over this trip so far we have come to fully understand what our efforts have done in this place. The pastor at the church this morning told a very powerful story. A boy spent his morning everyday picking up starfish that got trapped on the beach and throwing them back into the water. An older gentleman saw this and asked the boy “What are you doing?” and the boy answered, “I’m getting these starfish back into the ocean before the sun rises and dries them out.” The man looked confused and said, “Why are you doing this? This beach is huge and the world has many beaches, filled with starfish! How could you possibly think you’re making a difference?” The boy said nothing; he picked up another starfish, walked up to the water’s edge and tossed him in. He then turned around and said, “Now why don’t you go over to that starfish and ask what difference it made for him.” From that day on, both the man and the boy came to that beach every morning to pick up the starfish. The relationships we’ve made already mean a lot to these Nicaraguan kids and means the world to us. And we believe that our actions in missions should be to fix the problems that they have but that’s not true. Simply talking to them may seem like a small act but God reminds us that through him it can be a strong, impactful experience that can make a big difference for everyone. Tomorrow we’ll be waking up at six. It’s gonna be a hard morning for Chris.