Mission Nicaragua :: Day 7

There is just something about just standing with your feet in the ocean, looking out to the horizon and hearing the powerful waves crashing all around.  As Scripture tells us, the wonder and majesty of creation just cries out worship to our Creator God.


For our last official day of camp, we took the Parcelas kids to the beach.  Not only was it a treat for them (many whom don't ever leave their tiny community), but it was also a treat for us (many on our team had never seen the Pacific).  So all of us together enjoyed swimming, playing in the sand and marveling at God's handiwork.  One of the verses we learned together (in Spanish and English) at camp is Psalm 19:1, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."  I love seeing Scripture in action.


We enjoyed lunch together in the Rancho at the beach and then we were back at it for some more swimming.  As we were tossing kids into the waves and bodysurfing them into shore (apparently I make a pretty good surfboard) I was just quite amazed at the bond we had created in just a few short days.  Here we are with all sorts of barriers - language being the biggest, but also social, economic, cultural, age differences, traditions and the list could go on - yet we feel united.  The Gospel does that in amazing ways.


Speaking of the Gospel, before we sent them home, I gathered everyone and shared the Gospel.  It seemed Satan was hard at work via gnats to distract (they hadn't been out all day) but the Gospel always prevails.  Callie shared her story and then I shared the Gospel story.  Many students prayed with me to surrender their lives to Christ and to walk with Him in new life.  What a great finish to camp.


We gave out their backpacks - filled with school supplies, a few toys and their arts and crafts from camp.  This year each camper got a picture of their group to fill the frame they made.  Since most don't have cameras and never see photos, this was a special treat for them.  The teacher and a few parents thanked us for the impact the camp had on their kids and remarked, "it's all they want to talk about each night."  God is good.


There's nothing like tradition, so after loading the bus, we chased it down the pathway as we said our goodbyes.  The goodbyes will be short-lived as we are right back in Las Parcelas tomorrow to continue working on the house.  We invited them to come see us, so we may have a bit of a challenge focusing on construction!  


We've got a few team members dealing with some small sickness or unsettled stomachs, so please pray for their healing and our health.  We are a bit nervous about getting the house done in time, so please pray for that as well.  Thanks for standing with us in prayer!