Mission Nicaragua :: Day 3

It's Sunday and for us that meant an awesome opportunity to experience worship "outside our box." This morning we went to the Buzbee's church, Iglesia Christo Verbo. It is a modern church with full worship team, video screens and even A/C! What a treat. Of course, it is all in spanish, but that just made for part of the experience of joining in worship to the God of all nations, cultures and languages! Those of us that can read spanish were at least able to sing the songs and then Elizabeth translated for us into wireless receivers with earphones. It was really cool to think that while we were worshipping in spanish in another country, worship was happening at Wildwood and all over the world.

The afternoon was always a highlight of this mission... a trip to the market. It is hard to really describe the market since they have everything from clothing, to trinkets, hammocks to food. And by food I mean live iguanas, cow tongue and plenty of raw meat lying out in the open. Quite a sight (and smell) to behold. I'll just give you parents the heads up that your student has probably spent all the money you gave them by this point in the trip!

This evening was special for our alumni as we returned to the Los Cedros community (where we worked last year) to return to Pastor Mauel's church. It is a very different experience than Verbo. It is a small building with metal or plastic chairs, no A/C, no words, but filled with passionate people who love to worship the Lord! It was a joy to join them in singing the songs we knew (like Trading My Sorrows, Come, Now is the Time to Worship, Open the Eyes and others) in english while they sang in spanish.

After we returned we did our normal debriefing and I was excited to hear the responses to worship today. It was good to hear that some boxes were broken and that we could appreciate and join in with worship that is different than our tradition. Best of all, God was exalted and rocks didn't have to praise Him! After that we moved to our small group time - and just finished. What a powerful time of ministry as our students really laid their souls bare before the Lord and each other. God is doing a good work - please continue to pray that He will work in all of our hearts to make us more like Him!

Sorry - I didn't have time to upload pics... I didn't really take many today.