Richness for the Good?

For the majority of my time in ministry I've mainly worked with families and students who are abundantly blessed. In fact, I coined a phrase "silver-spoon ministry" in efforts to describe what it was like to minister to students of privilege - students that regularly received a brand new car for their 16th birthday, usually much nicer than the one I was driving. Silver-spoon ministry has it's challenges for sure... and then one day, I started to look deeper into the Scriptures (and in turn my own heart) to discover if there was any possibility of harnessing materialism for the Kingdom. Could materialism somehow be for the good?

I'm no different than anyone out there really. We've all been subject to the indoctrination of the American Dream as an active or passive part of our education. It's said many different ways: be self-sufficient, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, make a name for yourself, have it your way, get rich, get stuff... and as a result: be happy. And even though I learned early on lessons from Scripture to the contrary, the American Dream mantra is a tough one to overcome. Let's face it, we do like stuff and we'll do whatever it takes to get it so we can be happy.

But where this American Dream intersects with the Kingdom of God is of great interest to me and has recently been a place of great tension in my heart. Even in knowing that the American Dream has no power to save - and actually has the opposite power of destruction - we continually find ourselves lying prostrate before that idol in worship. And I am guilty of that. And over and over again in the Gospels we see encounters with the hurting, homelessness, poverty, outcasts, social injustice and the like. And there standing in the way of those encounters are selfishness, greed and materialism.

In the summer of 2005, I led a group of high school students to the second poorest country in this hemisphere: Nicaragua. I had never been to a third world country before and didn't really know what to expect. One morning we loaded the bus to head to La Chureca - the city dump. I've written on it numerous times here before, so feel free to search through any of the summer archives here on this blog to read more. So in driving through the deplorable conditions of humanity that were living in abject poverty, I still knew that I would get on an airplane and return to the comforts of my home and American way of life. Or would I?

I returned not knowing what to do with the amount of "treasure" that my family and I possess. Things that seemed common like a vehicle for transportation, food in the pantry, clothes in the closet and clean, hot water for a shower and a bed to sleep in began to feel like a luxury. I didn't dare venture to actually think of my "luxury" items. I thought that everything had to go. I didn't know where to start. The American Dream started to look less like a dream and more like a nightmare.

The goal then became to try to understand how to live the Gospel in a world that I, and the students I seek to minister to, is riddled with narcissism, materialism, greed and entitlement. And those values are sought after and even rewarded. And then one day I came across a quote that read, "The most serious problem facing the church today is materialism - materialism not as a philosophical theory, but as a way of life." And it isn't going away anytime soon.

My initial inclination has always been to simply vilify this American Dream. And don't jump too far ahead, because I intend in no way to excuse sins of greed, materialism, etc. that Scripture condemns. But I began to wonder if the American Dream could be rescued and renewed for the Kingdom? And so while I do my best to understand my wealth and resources from a global perspective and even strive to bring that understanding to my students... rather than getting stuck in guilt or moving towards manipulation... maybe the answer is a both/and. A rejection of the sinfulness and selfishness of the American Dream, while at the same time, an understanding that what we do find that we have (in our time, talent and particularly treasure) can be used in an amazing way for the Gospel around the world. I can do something about the children in La Chureca even if I can't physically be there to help. God has resourced me well - and many around me - to finance the efforts of the Kingdom.

Then the gospel and our desire for live it out missionally moves from simply being about going, to being about going AND sending. How can we not only go and serve but also funnel our possessions into service devoted to God's glory and advancing the Kingdom? So maybe the silver-spoon that looked problematic can be redeemed by removing it from our mouths and using it to feed someone else's mouth! Now that's richness for the good!

Where is the longing?

"As a deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:1-2). Not only did I learn this verse as a young child, but someone along the way put it into a song that I remember singing a lot. Needless to say, it is not only a verse, but a concept that is very familiar. There in would lie the ultimate problem. Could the idiom, "Familiarity breeds contempt" apply to Scripture? Or worse could it apply to our relationship with God.

Obviously if it does, it points out where the problem lies... within our own hearts. At moments like these when my heart seemingly drifts away from the one and only source of life and from the Creator God who loves me and is constantly pursuing me, I am reminded that my only source of satisfaction is found in Him. My only source for life comes from Him. I need Him and should desire Him as much as a deer longs for water... or as much as I need water. The Psalmist goes on to say in Psalm 63, " O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory" (vs. 1-2).

That is the essence of what it means to love God - to long for Him and find satisfaction in Him. John Piper says it well, "God is most glorified in me, when I am most satisfied in Him." It seems so simple in concept yet so amazingly difficult in application.

I find that I can be so easily drawn into the trappings of this world and consumed with the ritual of 'life' that I lose the longing. I dream of the day when creation is reordered and our lives truly find and reach complete satisfaction in Him... in His presence. Until that day, we are challenged to live a life of longing... of continual pursuit of a God who loves us and gave Himself for us. By His amazing grace, He is sanctifying us and creating a deeper thirst in us as our journey continues. I have tasted that the Lord is good and I want to spend my days in a satisfied relationship with Him, all the while inviting others to come and find satisfaction in the living water that never runs dry!

Eyes for the Future

"Only when we have come in touch with our own life experiences and have learned to listen to our inner cravings for liberation and new life can we realize that Jesus did not just speak, but that he reached out to us in our most personal needs. The Gospel doesn't just contain ideas worth remembering. It is a message responding to our individual human condition. The Church is not an institution forcing us to follow its rules. It is a community of people inviting us to still our hunger and thirst at its tables. Doctrines are not alien formulations which we must adhere to but the documentation of the most profound human experiences which, transcending time and place, are handed over from generation to generation as a light in our darkness." -- From Reaching Out by Henri Nouwen

After my time in Nicaragua, and really my journey through this summer, God has been working in my life in a powerful way. It seems He is calling me out for something much bigger than myself, and then through people and circumstances keeps affirming that calling. To be honest it is scary and exciting all rolled up in one.

This morning during my TAWG, I read this quote from Nouwen and it really put into words my journey. At times I feel like Jeremiah responding to God with, "Who me?"... surely there could be someone else! Yet God replies, "This is what I created you for!"

I love the Gospel. I need the Gospel. I'm aware of that more and more everyday. I love the Church and have given my life to it, and by God's grace will continue to. I often ache when thinking about the future of the Church - especially the generations present that are walking away and the future generations that will start with no connection. Yet the power of the Holy Spirit is alive and active. There is a message to take to the nations. Light will always pierce through the darkness... and we are called to be the light bearers.

So where do I fit into this Gospel community? What is God calling me to? I can't say I have complete answers to all the questions I have, but I pray God will continue to form and shape a moldable heart and spirit in me. I desire to live a life characterized by obedience... to life a life that matters... to live for eternity.

God I pray You would continue to be faithful to guide me into what lies ahead! Soli Deo Gloria!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 16

Our camp team has made it back home safely... after a long day of traveling that literally started with a 'bang' this morning. We had to be up by 4am to make the journey to the airport for the first leg of our flight back to the States.

I would say that most of us have all returned with mixed emotions. I know for me after being in Nicaragua for the whole sixteen days I feel like I am back in the States physically, but I have left my heart in Nicaragua. God always does such an amazing work in my heart through the beauty of the country, the time and space with Him and His Word and the amazing relationships we are able to form and forge with each visit.

Both of our teams this year served faithfully the call of Christ to take the Gospel to the nations. Whether through the work of our hands, the utilization of our spiritual gifts/talents/abilities, the communication of a smile, hug or our spanglish or even having the opportunity to present the Gospel in Word and deed - our prayer is that God was honored and glorified in both of our teams. I consider it such a blessing to be able to lead these teams and serve alongside our students.

Wildwood has been providing this opportunity for our students to go on mission in Nicaragua for the last six years and I pray for many more to come. This mission has truly been a turning point for so many of our students through the years. Some have received Christ, others baptized and still others hearing God's calling to full-time service on the mission field for their future.

Our partnership and friendship with the Buzbees/Farringtons and Open Hearts Ministry has been so unique and rewarding. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be poured out for their ministry and for the Kingdom work in Nicaragua. We consider it a privilege to be able to partner with them each and every summer.

There are so many more thoughts, stories, prayer requests and praises that need to be posted that I probably will need to come back for another update as God continues to work in our hearts and allow us to process what we saw, felt and experienced.

My prayer for our students is that they would realize that the mission never ends. What God has done in our hearts in Nicaragua should continue to spill out of our lives right here in Tallahassee. Many thanks to our students who went, our leaders who served, our church and families who supported us and most of all to our God who says, "Go!"

Mission Nicaragua: Day 15

Today was our last full day here in Nicaragua so that always comes with mixed feelings. All of us have been so impacted by our time here that we want to stay, but we know we must return. We will definitely be building some mental 'altars' like they did in the OT to remember the work that God has done in us and through us.

We started off our day by heading down to Los Cedros. For our camp last year, we took 40 kids from Los Cedros who had never been to camp before. So we were blessed to be able to go to the school in Los Cedros (were we have served before in construction) and see many of the kids who went to camp last year. We also took the tour around the community to see the houses we built in '05 and '08 and visit with the families.

After Los Cedros, we loaded up and drove back into town to do our zip line excursion at Tiscapa, which is a national park here in Nicaragua. It featured three really long runs - two over the canopy of trees and one across a lake. We all had a blast!

We also managed to squeeze in time for our annual visit to the market and our team dinner at Dona Haydees. This construction team has really grown closer to the Lord and each other this trip and I consider it such a privilege to have led both these teams down here. We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of the Spirit on our lives and on the mission God had for us here. Please pray for us as we leave in the morning (4am no less) and that we would have safe travels as we return to the States.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 14

Our day got off to a great start after our team devo time with all of us being able to continue to pursue the Lord in time alone with Him in the mornings. Being in such a beautiful place that is free from our normal routine and distractions seems to give God much more space and stillness to speak to each of us through His Spirit and the Word.

We knew today would be a challenging day, knowing we would have some goodbyes to say... again. But it was worth every moment that we got to spend with our Campo kids from Las Brasilles. It was very cool being able to go to their community and to see them at their ministry/feeding center and then to walk around and go to their homes. They were so excited to show us their homes and introduce us to their families. It was also quite humbling, because we got to see the poverty and home situations that they are living in. They didn't really understand that we wouldn't be around and that they would have to wait a year to see us again. But God just opened my eyes to the beauty of the kingdom today. We've formed relationships here in a country in Central America and may not get to see the fruit of the investment or even to build upon the relationships formed. Yet as believers in Christ we have the promise of eternity together. So our goodbyes are really just 'see you laters'!

After our visit we headed over to Casa Robles one last time. I have been really motivated to finish painting the house and we were able to get the majority of the house finished today. We painted the long hallway and the final boys' bedroom. So we are leaving the house with only a little exterior painting in a courtyard and one front bedroom unpainted. It's hard to describe the difficulty of the painting and the size of the house, but praise God we are leaving it in great shape! We always have fun hanging with the Robles' boys and giving them some toys to enjoy when we leave. Again we had to say some goodbyes, or rather see you later!

We managed to make it back to the compound for a little swim time which we proudly continued our tradition of a guys game of animal ball. Any of our mission alumni know the fun and the pain of this pool game! Then after dinner, we had another annual tradition of the clothing sort and fashion show. We managed to get all the clothes bagged and sorted and are leaving close to 1,000 pounds of clothing and shoes for the ministry here! Praise God!

So we had a pretty huge day as our last work day here. Tomorrow is our tour day and we are trying to jam pack it full of some visits around town and some fun. This team definitely deserves the day off as it has been some long days of work and investment in the Kingdom. God is working and feel so blessed to be able to join His work here in Nicaragua and are continually humbled that He would choose to use us!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 13

I woke up thinking about the last images of the campers leaving Campo Alegria. It was such a powerful and emotional moment. The kids had their faces either pressed to the windows or had their heads sticking out of the windows with arms outstretched. I can only imagine what was being processed as they had to say goodbye. But we sent them out in true Nicaragua fashion as we chased the bus out of camp.

But after the kids left and we returned to the compound, we were looking at a new day as we turned the corner from a massive group effort where teamwork, purpose and the priority of the children was paramount to more individual time before the Lord. God took me to Matthew 23 and spoke to my heart as I challenged our team to move into a closer evaluation of our hearts before the Lord for the remainder of our time here. And so God began a good work last night during our group and family group time. But with God working, many of us felt Satan rising up against us. The spiritual battle has definitely intensified.

Today we made our pilgrimage to La Chureca (the dump) where we saw the sights, smells and got to engage up close - away from the comfort of the bus. We walked around to see first hand the living conditions. And then God opened our eyes as we climbed the hill to see the bigger picture of the dump. As I looked out and saw the masses of people rummaging through the trash, God reminded me of the verse in Matthew 9 where Jesus describes the crowd He saw as sheep - harassed and helpless without a shepherd. My heart just began to ache with a desire to help the people find the Shepherd who can lead them to life!

After our time in the dump and visiting the school, we loaded up to visit Sister Ruby, who lives and ministers just outside the dump. God definitely met us there and had a word for all of us during our time of worship and prayer. Our heart and faith was challenged to be bold on this journey God has called us join Him on. We are so grateful to Ruby for her ministry and her obedience to be used by God during our team's visit.

God wasn't finished with us yet as the camp team transformed into the construction team for the remainder of the day. We went over to Casa Robles (the boys home) to continue the massive painting project that was begun by our construction team. We were able to make great progress by painting the kitchen, master bedroom, one child's room and the exterior planters, walls and entry doors. It's hard to believe that there is still more to paint, but both teams have done amazing work there and that house has been truly transformed. We also had a great time playing with the boys and were blown away by their gratitude for our work.

Tomorrow we are so excited to be able to reconnect with our campo kids as we travel to their community of Las Brasilles. We will hopefully get to see them at their feeding program and also visit with some of the families. God truly knit our hearts together and we are excited to continue to build on the relationships that began at camp.

We appreciate the continued prayer support of our church, our student ministry, our families and the supporters of Mission Nicaragua! We love you all and will see you soon!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 9-12

The anticipated update is finally here. The internet at Campo Alegria wasn't working so I'll have to do a multi-day update tonight. I'm sure it will be lacking details as we are all running off very little sleep from an awesome time at camp.

I departed on Friday to join our camp team while our construction team finished some construction/roofing/painting projects in Los Cedros. Then on their final day they were able to go back to Casa Robles and dedicate the house and pray with the children and house parents. After their visit they had their 'tour' day and got to visit Volcan Messiah and the city of Grenada. We praise God for the work He did in and through our construction team and for also taking them safely back to the States.

About two and a half hours from Managua, forty children from Las Brasilles made the journey to Campo Alegria. Our construction team built a home in Las Brasilles in 2004 so we do have some connections to that community, but all of the kids were new to us and all were brand new to camp. They arrived for orientation and the relationships began to form as we divided them into their teams for the week. Little did we know what God had in store.

As the camp progressed I was able to learn more about these kids and the homes/situations they come from. Hearing so many stories of abuse, abandonment, missing fathers, lack of education and forced labor was heartbreaking. It was no surprise many of the children had trouble with the structure of camp and just listening in their center time. But God broke through in a powerful way as time went on.

I must brag on our students on this camp team for their preparation and leadership in the areas of arts/crafts, drama, Bible, music, sports and being team leaders. God has blessed them all with not only a heart for children, but has given them some spiritual gifts and talents that they used for His glory this week. Some of the camp highlights were swimming in Lake Nicaragua, the awesome water slide, hearing them learn and recite their Bible verses, watching them sing and praise God and of course our famous last morning polar bear swim.

It's amazing how quickly we all bonded and formed relationships with the children. I just couldn't help thinking what this time at camp meant to them. To be removed from some tough home situations and to come to such a beautiful place, be fed three meals a day (with seconds!), hear the Word of God, join in worship and make friends with a group of gringos from the States made for a super camp.

Even though 5am came really early everyday and we had some challenging moments - God did a great work at camp. And God gave us a glimpse into the seeds that were planted in these kids lives as we gave them their backpacks today (loaded with school supplies, t-shirt, toothbrush/paste and even a toy) and their faces actually showed hope, gratitude and emotion. In fact, it was an emotional day for all of us as we had to say our goodbyes.

Hopefully as we all take some time in our group time to process camp we can give a more detailed update and recap to the camp experience. But there is no doubt that we are all walking away changed. Please join us in praying for these children as they have returned home - that God would seal this experience in their hearts and minds - and that He would especially continue the work He has begun!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 8

It was definitely an exciting morning today with our two teams sharing breakfast together. Our camp team finally made it despite airline delays and even a re-routing and got settled in here at the compound, but only for a brief time. They hit the ground running today by prepping for camp, unpacking and sorting all the donated clothes (nearly 1,000 lbs.), gathered fruit and then headed off for Campo Allegria after lunch. Last I heard they have made it and were getting set-up for camp to begin tomorrow.

Our construction team divided to conquer today. The girls went back to Casa Robles to finish the painting of the mural and to tackle the exterior courtyards and family room and they did it! Sorry for not having pictures, but I headed out to Los Cedros with the guys for a project. We worked in one of the more rural and poverty stricken areas of Los Cedros. In fact, some of the homes/situations seemed even worse than La Chureca. Our job was to help some of the church members by adding plastic sheeting over the tin roofs to prevent leaks.

One house led to the next as we walked through this section of the community. Children were coming up to us begging us to come to their casa to work on it. Some of the sights were absolutely heartbreaking. All of the homes were so small and some only built of nothing by plastic sheeting and sticks. We worked on a home that had three women and what looked like 12 children living there. Of all the homes we roofed today, we only encountered one male/dad at home. Many of the children were malnourished and barely clothed. Yet were were able to bring some smiles on a hot day by handing out some small toys and just playing with them in between jobs. This was an awesome experience today and the families we helped were so grateful.

We finished our day with an awesome celebration of baptism. Some of our team members have been believers, but have never followed Christ's command to be baptized. So we had a good crowd all gathered at the Buzbees' pool for a time of worship, the Word and the sacrament of baptism. Praise God for these three girls and the excitement of new life and the opportunity to walk in obedience and service to Christ.

Since it was my last night with the construction team, I took them out for our team dinner to La Plancha. This is a really nice restaurant and we all walked away really stuffed from our choice of pollo, carne or pescado. But somehow we managed to save room for some gelato for dessert.

This has been an amazing construction team this year and we've had some great projects to work on during our time here. God has definitely met us here and drawn us all closer to each other and His heart. I'll be leaving in the morning to head down to Campo to catch up with our other team, so I'll miss out on the remaining projects, dedication at Casa Robles and the team's fun day on Saturday. But my prayer is that God would continue to work as the construction team nears its conclusion and for the Campo team as the campers arrive tomorrow for a great camp! We appreciate your continues prayer support. For more pictures and updates (if you are reading this via Facebook, go to toddveleber.blogspot.com)

Mission Nicaragua: Day 7

To be honest, I don't think I will be able to totally put into words what our team experienced today. We put work aside for the morning hours and started our day with a visit to La Chureca (the city dump). I believe it is estimated that the dump has about 1000 residents, with the majority being children. They live in such extreme poverty it is hard to describe. They rummage for whatever they can find to sell or use. Most of their homes are made of discarded tin. There is a heavy spiritual darkness where physical, sexual and drug abuse is commonplace. Our team walked the "streets" of the dump and got to experience the sights, sounds and smells. We also visited Colegio Esperanza which is the school in the dump that the Buzbees run.

There are so many spiritual lessons to learn from the dump. I am always overwhelmed that but for the grace of God, that could have been my home. But that doesn't ease the pain we all felt as we saw the residents there living in such deplorable conditions. Yet spiritually we relate pretty well to the dump. Just as some Nicaraguans live in the dump physically, many of us felt convicted of the spiritual dump we live in on a regular basis. God offers us so much more - like CS Lewis said, "a beautiful home by the sea" - yet over and over again we trade it for the dump that is our sin. I was reminded of the Scripture that compares us returning to our sin like a dog that returns to its vomit. It was an emotional visit and one that will stay with us for sure.

From there we went to see Sister Ruby for a time of worship and prayer and God definitely met us there! It was a powerful time in God's presence and we all walked away challenged and encouraged in our walk with Christ. I am always amazed at the unity that results of our time there. It is always a great picture of the Biblical community we should enjoy and practice on a regular basis. We are all still processing our time - even after we met tonight to debrief.

We did make it over to Casa Robles and got some afternoon painting done until we had a huge thunderstorm roll in. We were working exterior and with latex paint so you can tell that wasn't a good combination. Unfortunately we had to watch some of our work washing down the walls. But we did get to rest a bit after a spiritually exhausting day, as well as making more progress on the murals.

Our camp team finally arrived and everyone has been trying to squeeze in some time together before we head off in the morning to our projects and the camp team packs up to head down to Campo Allegria. The construction team will be dividing up with one team going back to Casa Robles to finish painting and others going out to Los Cedros to work on Pastor Manuel's church.

It is hard to believe that the construction team's time is nearing completion and the camp team is just hitting the ground running. We have all seen and experienced so much - especially today - that we count every moment here as a blessing from God. Please pray specifically that God would continue what He has started in our construction team and that God would open the hearts of our camp team for what He has in store!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 6

Today we were challenged to think and live like a Christian during our morning devotional time which was good to think on as we worked today. This team has really been amazing in the group effort and teamwork it is taking to tackle this projects. But it is going amazingly well - with no complaining and continual offers to pick up some slack by giving someone else a break.

We spent a full day painting at Casa Robles (the boys home) and I'm amazed at what we were able to finish. Of course, we have switched from oil based to latex, and that really helped. But we completely painted the exterior front of the house. Jonah was my painting partner for up on the roof as we had to avoid powerlines to paint! We also completed the front porch and carport area. We also managed to finish the entrance where Karen is already working on her mural. This is a huge house, so we do have quite a bit to go, but praise God for the hard work and teamwork that is taking place!

Tomorrow morning we are going back to visit Sister Ruby, but this time for our time of prayer. This is always a special time for us individually and as a team. Sister Ruby has a powerful ministry of prayer and we all anticipate coming before the Lord in worship and prayer tomorrow.

From there... you guessed it... more painting. But we are looking to line up some construction projects in Los Cedros. Pastor Manuel's church has been raising money and doing their own expansion, but when he shared they were out of money - I felt called to action! I'm not sure what we will be able to do, but we have such a great relationship with Pastor Manuel and the Los Cedros community that we want to help in any way possible.

Our camp team travels down tomorrow, so as you pray for us, please pray for them as well. We are excited about them joining us even if we only see them for a short while before they head out the next morning to get camp set-up and ready to go for a Friday start. God is doing such a great work here and we appreciate your faithfulness in lifting us up in prayer!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 5

We managed to get right back to the massive painting project and put in a long day today but made great progress! In fact, we are calling it "done" at Sister Ruby's as her nephew - who has been awesome in helping us - is going to finish the back part of the house. But we did manage to finish the exterior... complete with the 'Complaints of God' lettering by Karen, the upstairs interior, the stairwell and the bottom family room. And even though we pushed really hard today, we did manage to squeeze in some time to play with the neighborhood kids and give away some bubbles. We were able to get Ruby outside in her wheelchair to see the home and she was overjoyed!

Before we left, we went over to Diamaris' home one more time since she wasn't there when we visited earlier this week. Diamaris is a 'single' mother of seven who continues to amaze us with her strength and love for her family. We built her home in 2007. She was so excited to see us and said that she longs for our visit each year because we hold such a special place in her heart. I am continually blown away by the relationships we form here and the impact God graciously allows us to have on the people and families we come in contact with. Her children have been watching and waiting for us every day at Ruby's house. Her youngest daughter's health is not good so we finished our time visiting with a time of prayer for her and the family in general.

We did manage to squeeze a little down time in before dinner. Some of the girls on our team were surprised to be sharing their shower with a good sized scorpion. Then of course, the guys had fun playing with it and feeding it to Camillo (the monkey). Never a dull moment here in Nicaragua!

It looks like more painting and small construction projects for us as we move over to our next project at Casa Robles. God just recently provided the funding for the Buzbees to purchase this home for the boys of La Chureca (the dump) who have been abandoned, abused or neglected in some form or fashion. We are really excited about the opportunity to serve there and to get to know the boys.

God is so good and has been so faithful to meet us here. We are all being stretched and challenged and being able to serve on mission for God is amazing. Please continue to lift us up in prayer - that God would continue to draw us closer to Himself while serving as His hands and feet.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 4

The Lord's Day in Nicaragua... not that everyday down here on our mission isn't His, but it is definitely awesome to worship and enjoy the Sabbath God gave us. We joined in worship at Verbo Church where the Buzbees attend. Verbo is a very contemporary church and we were fortunate to recognize a few of the songs and then had Elizabeth translate the message for us. It was cool to think that as we were worshiping in Spanish here in Nicaragua, our friends and family back at Wildwood were worshiping... and likewise believers around the world. It was a great picture of the Kingdom for us and a glimpse of what's to come when every nation, tribe and tongue will worship God!

We truly enjoyed our Sabbath rest this afternoon on the compound before heading down to Los Cedros for evening worship. Los Cedros is a special place for us as we have served three of our years doing ministry there. It is a highlight of our trip every year to go back and see families we have build homes for and today was no exception. We started by visiting the school in Los Cedros where we laid the foundation for the preschool building, laid more stones than we wanted to count for sidewalks and later painted the preschool building.

From there we went to see Majore and the home we built last year. It is always great to see the home still standing! I guess we built well! I'm always amazed that the relationships we build span the language barrier and infrequent visits; however we were able to just spend some time with her and pray for her and her family.

On the way to church we stopped by the home we built for another Los Cedros family (of 7) back in 2005. We missed seeing some of the children and mother at home, but later reunited with her after the church service. Again, I'm humbled by the opportunity to share a spiritual connection with these families we have had the privilege to serve.

We did make it to Pastor Manuel's church in Los Cedros for evening worship. Church is very different - not just in style, but structure as well. And I always have to remember the verse in "being prepared in season and out" as I was called up during the sermon to share!

We had a great discussion during our team meeting tonight regarding the cost of the faith for believers in Los Cedros. All of them walk to church to stand for a long period of singing, sit in less than comfortable plastic chairs for a longer sermon, in a block church that is overcrowded and has no air conditioning. And they do it all with amazing joy and passion. It definitely helped us in our perspective of worship in the States where we often complain if we don't like a song or don't make it out in time for lunch.

God is doing a good work in our hearts - challenging us in how we think and live out our faith - not just here on mission in Nicaragua, but when we will return as well. We appreciate your continued prayer support on our behalf. Don't forget if you are missing the pics - head over to toddveleber.blogspot.com.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 3

One of my favorite aspects of our time down here is the morning (I'm quite sure not everyone on the team agrees) but it is just refreshing to have our TAWG after our morning devotional time as a team. We all are enjoying the space and silence to connect in greater depth with God and His Word as the start to our day.

I'm pretty sure that our bodies are getting adjusted to the time zone and the work load and even the food! We seemed to hit our stride as the "painting team" today. By the way, this isn't just like rolling up some latex paint in the States. We are working with a very thick oil based paint on very rough, uneven concrete walls and decorative concrete blocks. Most of us have a good indicator on when the fumes are getting to us and we need a break. It is hard work, but we are having fun while we work. We've been forced to get MacGyver creative in rigging ladders to paint hard to reach places and are grateful for God's hand of protection thus far!

And even while we work we are getting great opportunities to build some relationships in the community. Two years ago, we built a house right around the corner and so the word has spread that the 'gringos' are back in the neighborhood! One of the ways we are building relationships is through gifts - we bring goodies galore to give out. Today we created our first ever pinata (later called the Toddata) as I took a bag of candy and hid it under my shirt and after being hit with a baseball bat (softly, thankfully) sent it flying everywhere. Amazing what joy comes from a little fun (and candy) with the kids of the neighborhood. It's creative ways to share the love of Christ that have been the hallmark of our teams here in Nicaragua.

We had the rains shut us down a bit early today, so we headed back to the compound for some down time in the pool. We have some pool traditions in some of the games we play and even created a new one today with a frisbee. We are praising God for moments of down time right when we need them!

I have been so encouraged by our team time at night. We meet together to talk about what God has taught us and shown us throughout the day and then we get into our gendered family groups for some time of further discussion and accountability. I feel very honored to be leading this team that God put together and have been blessed getting to know them all even better.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to worshiping at church with the Buzbees and members from the other teams here when we go to Verbo Church. Then in the afternoon we are heading into Los Cedros - a community where we have been heavily invested over the years, building homes, taking their children to camp and working on the Christian school. We'll join those believers for worship in the evening.

We appreciate and covet your continued prayer support. And by the way, if you are reading this via Facebook, then you are missing out on some of the pictures. Just click over to toddveleber.blogspot.com to see the team in action!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 2

We were able to start our day together as a team up on the "3rd floor" which is a open air loft overlooking the compound and the beautiful countryside. Each morning we will meet as a team where we have a chance to connect through God's Word and to pray for our day.

So, today we got off and running on our first construction project. We were working outside of La Churreca (the city dump) at Sister Ruby's house. Sister Ruby has become a good friend to us as she has been serving here in ministry in a partnership with the Buzbees for many years now. She would have never asked for help but God has given us an opportunity to bless her and her ministry by painting her home.

God blessed us with some beautiful weather for most of the day and then the rains came in the afternoon. We figured that would be a good sign to get off the metal roof standing on a metal ladder. So we loaded up and headed over to Casa Robles. Casa Robles (the boys home) is the brand new home that was purchased by the Buzbees as a counterpart to Casa Havilah (the girls home). This is an awesome ministry where many abused, hurting or neglected kids can have a home to live in with a set of home parents and receive love, care and education. We will be doing some construction projects there later, but today we joined in a birthday celebration for Cesar. It was awesome to see how these kids' lives are transformed - many just by being able to leave La Churreca.

We are already being challenged as we've traveled around and seen different communities here in Nicaragua. It is eye opening to see how the rest of the world lives outside the States. Over the course of the summer I taught a series called 'Save the Planet' where we looked at the world from a global perspective with the challenge of living out the Gospel - the hope for the world. Most of the world lives on less than $2 a day and we are definitely being exposed to that reality here.

It can be easy to have compassion at the plight of the people here, but we want that same passion that we are seeking to live out the Gospel here, to come back home with us. Our desire is that God would allow us to see the world through the eyes of Christ. And we are eager to see what God will show us, teach us and do through us!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 1

Well our construction team has finally arrived after delays in the Tallahassee airport and then more delays in the Miami airport. Trusting in God is put into practice when the pilot gets on in Miami and says, "Sorry for the delay, but this plane had to get worked on a bit, but now we are good to go." And then later comes on the PA and says, "We've found some bags below that we don't know who they belong to." So we made it about an hour late, but at least we made it!

It has been a long day for all of us so we are looking forward to a good night's rest because we start early tomorrow on our first project. It looks like we are going to start with some home repair and painting on Sister Ruby's home right outside of the dump. We all love Sister Ruby and her ministry here in Nicaragua and are excited to serve her in this way.

Be praying for all of us - for our health and safety, but more importantly that God would do a good work in our hearts and through our team. We have some veterans on the team, but we have a majority that haven't been here before. So we are praying that God would meet us here and allow us to minister the Gospel in word and in deed. We appreciate your prayer support!

Kulauqa: Day 4

We have made it... almost! We had another jam packed day here at Kulaqua. After morning chapel our guys went to the guys only interactive to learn about being a dude in Christ and our girls went to hear Jen teach on body image and true beauty in Christ. Our hope and prayer is that they are hanging on to nuggets of what they are hearing since they have received alot this week.

Somehow we managed to go from 5th place to last place in true Wildwood fashion in competition for the all camp trophy. I guess I'll have to just accept this as tradition for the Wood. I'm guessing most of our lack of advancement came from our students who were too hot, too tired or didn't want to get wet or sweaty when it came time for our morning competitions!

During free time I took our group of students over to our snorkeling excursion to Ginnie Springs. This is always a fun bonding time for me and the guys that choose to go. It was cold as ever but this year the Santa Fe River is having some backflow issues and so it was so murky we couldn't see our hand before our face. So we spent the majority of our time snorkeling in the springs.

Chuck wrapped our chapel talks with the big picture of what is to come for eternity. He has done a great job presenting the meta-narrative (big picture) of the Bible, and it has given our students loads of information to process and understand about God.

Camp always wraps with our big hang night in the gym where we had inflatables, video games, basketball, soccer, dodgeball and other crazy games. I think it successfully wore us all out! But before that we did have a chance to celebrate our two camp birthdays - John Henry & John.

So, we've wrapped our last full day of camp and it was a roller coaster of a day. We've pushed through some tough stuff this week but we've also had some 'mountaintop' experiences where we've all felt closer to God. We wrapped up last night in our huddle times with a time of sharing and Q&A and I was really encouraged to hear our middle school students sharing what God has been teaching them this week and how their lives will be different. Sometimes it's hard for us to believe that through all the excitement, lack of sleep, camp food and high energy that our students are engaging, but I remember back to my time at ms camp and that's where God radically changed my life. So praise God for the work He has done and will continue to do in the lives of our students!

Kulauqa: Day 3

It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through our week here at middle school camp. We are really having a great time here as a student ministry - learning to love God and love each other. I'm really encouraged by this group of middle school students... even though we do have our 'moments'... it's a really neat group that I pray will serve as the core of our ms ministry as we move toward the new school year.

Camp is a great place. Yesterday we were challenged in so many different ways - from our chapel time in the morning and evening, our interactives and even our time alone with God. Our staff have been praying that God would speak clearly this week to our students and that they in turn would hear from Him and be changed.

We had a blast yesterday hanging out a camp and participating in everything from go karts, to horseback riding, to the blob and even the waterpark. I had a special treat in having my family drive over to see me and hang out with our students. I cherish every moment I've got since I spent most of my summer away from Tallahassee and my family!

We had some great representation from Wildwood in the dodgeball tournament as two of our teams advanced pretty far, but not quite enough to bring home the championship. Then for our late night activity we had church hang night so we took over the gym for more dodgeball, some hoops and some hanging out.

Thanks for checking in and for praying for us. Thursday will be our last full day at camp so we are trying to get it all in!

Kulauqa: Day 2

We have wrapped up a busy, but awesome day today. Morning comes early for sure, but we are grateful to God for some great weather for camp so far. After our morning chapel time we go to interactives for a smaller type Bible study. You can be praying for Jen as she is doing an interactive for girls and me as I'm doing a co-ed interactive. From there we move to a personal devotional time.

Morning competitions were a blast today as we competed in a game in the wave pool and one in the lazy river. The majority of us stayed wet today as we made our annual tubing trip down the Itchnetuknee River. This trip always is a blast as our students enjoy flipping each other, jumping from some trees and spotting for some wildlife. This year we were able to see (but stay away from) some water snakes and we even spotted a wild boar eating right along the riverbank. A few students stayed behind to check out all that Kulaqua has to offer!

Tonight was a great time in worship and in hearing Chuck share about part 2 of God's story. We took at look at the fall - how sin entered the world through mankind's disobedience and how that continues to affect our lives. In our family groups we were able to go a little deeper and talk how we all struggle against our sin nature and what God would have us do.

Our late night activity was pretty spectacular as Ben Glenn (aka the messy preacher) did his amazing chalk drawing and presentation of the Gospel. We were all pretty amazed at his story and also his beautiful artwork. God continues to speak to all of us this week through so many different means and we appreciate your prayer support!

Kulauqa: Day 1

Well here I go again... after just being home a few days from HS Camp, I'm back on the road at camp - this time with our middle school students. I always look forward to middle school camp at Kulaqua. It's a great place and God always does a great work in our hearts here.

We arrived in early afternoon to some rainy weather that cleared quickly so the students could get out and burn off some of the 'sitting on the bus' energy. They quickly took off for the blob, go karts, water park and sports activities. We all came together for dinner and then had our first worship time tonight. We are always excited to have Wayne Kerr as our worship leader for times of high energy worship! This year we have Chuck Berry speaking on the story of God in four chapters. Tonight we looked at creation and how we as unique and special creations fit individually into God's story.

After worship we have what are called huddle times where we meet together as a church and then we divide down into family groups for some in depth discussion and community time together.

Tonight was our annual huge game of counselor manhunt followed by our water park night. We had a great time but are all pretty exhausted and hoping the students are too. Please be praying for us and for what God has in store for us this week!

Elevate: Day 6

The last morning of camp is always full of mixed emotions. It was especially for me as I would have to say goodbye to our students and watch them pull out and head down the mountain.

The mountain is a unique place... not just Lookout Mountain where Covenant is, but spiritually speaking. The mountain, even throughout Scripture represented God's presence and meeting place with His people. Even in the New Testament, Jesus often withdrew to the mountains to have time with His Heavenly Father. So, it is very fitting for our hs camp to be 'on the mountain.'

But it is always hard to come down from the mountain spiritually speaking. And it's even harder in a 56-passenger bus overlooking the sheer mountain face, but Darryl did a great job for us! Anyhow, there is something within us that longs for the mountaintop and doesn't want to leave. I think that is because we experience what we were created for and we long for that communion in the kingdom to come.

We finished our time at camp literally on the overlook of the mountain. It was a beautiful place to meet with God this morning and to take a spiritual snapshot of camp. I pray that all of you hs students would remember what God has shown you, taught you and challenged you to. I pray that you would treasure Him above all else and readily lay down your idols. I hope we will be able to look back on this camp and remember what God called us to both individually and as a high school ministry. I pray that your hearts would long for the connection you had a camp and would realize God always stands willing and ready to meet you "on the mountain"!