One of the most frequently asked questions I hear when I get back from a mission trip is, "Why Nicaragua?"
If you would have told me 4 or 5 years ago that I'd be passionate about the people, the kids, in Nicaragua, I would have told you you were nuts. In fact, there was no way in God's green earth that you'd get me south of the U.S. border, let alone well into Central America.
Mind you, I wasn't actively discouraging people in their travel plans south for the winter. I just didn't think it made any sense to do so. I mean, who puts themselves in a situation where your highlight of the vacation is your gastronomic discontent, then tell all your friends about it when you got home?
Whenever someone would tell me of their vacation plans to head to Mexico or wherever, my voice said, "Good for you!" while in my head I'm thinking, "Better you than me!"
Then there was the people I had a problem with, taking all our American jobs, living off our welfare, being here illegally. "Really, stay home and fix your own country," I'd say to my friends and acquaintances who all agreed.
Little did I know that God had a different plan in mind.
Praying a Dangerous Prayer
As time went on, I was drawn closer to God, praying more and becoming a voracious reader. Over the course of a few weeks, we were discussing with our pastor how we could donate some money to someone in need at our church. As we continued our discussion, none of the options seemed specific enough since we wanted a clear purpose to donate to. Then we left town.
One weekend, my wife and I visited some friends in Northern Minnesota (out of cell phone's reach) for a much-needed time to unplug and recharge. Our friend's home sits on about 40 acres of forest in the middle of almost nowhere - nowhere enough, though, to provide peace and quiet.
A huge chunk of the weekend was devoted to reading "Crazy Love" (Francis Chan), praying, listening, and being with dear friends. The whole weekend, my prayer was "God, I stand here open to whatever you have for me to do for you and for others, all for your glory. Show me what you want me to do, and I'll do it."
One morning, I remember going for a walk with the dogs alone in the woods, and the sun had just come up. Thin wisps of cloud were the only other color in an otherwise perfectly clear, deep blue sky. "Lord, here I am. I lay my self and my pride at your feet. What is it you'll have me do?"
Later that day, my wife and I headed for home. About halfway, we stopped at the Sturgeon Lake rest area on 35 (some of you may know that stop). As my wife climbed out of the truck, she said, "Remember, you're still on vacation, so no checking your email. Got it?" Like any good husband, I said, "Yes dear" and proceeded to turn my phone on when she was out of sight.
I checked my email. There was a message from our pastor saying, "Jon, how about you use the money to go to Nicaragua. Just a thought."
That was all I needed. An overwhelming sense of purpose came over me and I knew, plain and simple, clear as the day, that God wanted me to go to Nicaragua.
A few minutes later, we were on our way home again. "You're kind of quiet," my wife said. "Umm hmmm," I replied. "You checked your email, didn't you!" she said. "Yup," I said, knowing halfway that I was in trouble, but also knowing what I had just experienced.
"What's wrong?" she asked, thinking something had happened at work (see, in my work, I usually worked 12-18 hour days and was on-call 24/7/365, so she thought something bad happened that I'd have to deal with)
"I'm going to Nicaragua this summer," I replied.
"What!? Nicaragua?"
"Yes, Nicaragua." Then I told her about how I had prayed for the previous several months, that entire weekend, and how I had a clear direction from God.
When we got home, I completed my trip application and emailed it around midnight. I began reading books like "The Hole In Our Gospel" (Richard Stearns) where I learned (among other things):
- 26,000 kids will die today of preventable causes
- We are commanded by God to care for orphans, widows, the poor
- Around half of the world's population lives on less than $2 a day
One verse that grabbed me in particular was Romans 10:13-15:
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
So if we don't go and make disciples, there are people that God loves that will be left uncared for and not even knowing that God loves them; that He loves them so much that he sent his Son to die for their sins, and so that his name can be proclaimed for his glory.
Because I am a Christ follower, I don't earn my salvation by serving others with less material wealth than me - we are saved only by God's grace. Rather, my service is the outward expression of the transformation that took place inside.
From then on, I got in to missions in a big way, experiencing a faith in the Nicaraguan people that I wish I had. We established relationships with kids and caregivers we served.
I can't wait to go back.
