Wise Investments in Dirt That Matters

Isaiah 55:10-11  "As the rain and the snow come down from the heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

Approved producers with team

There are many stories that I will collect on this blog, some what God did in the span of seven days with one team in Nicaragua.  My heart is full of so many greater works through a team of ordinary servants.

One story from the field is one of the major reasons our trip leader, Lynn Kinder, continues to go back year after year.  Lynn is a banker, an investor and makes deposits for a living at Payne County Bank but he also makes spiritual deposits into the lives of Nicaraguans.

Because of his background in business and banking he knows values of education and application of making investments for future growth.  He, along with the support of his home church First Baptist Church in Perkins, Oklahoma, have made a significant deposit in the lives of farmers (producers) in the fertile soil of Somotillo.   He joined in with the vision of Pastor Diomedes to help the leaders of many communities better themselves by developing the CEDIR program.

CEDIR stands for Central Educational Development Integral Rural.  It is a way to train and equip producers (farmers) sustainability to take care of their families plus an opportunity to give back to their neighborhood and surrounding community.  The purpose is to help them produce more crops, such as vegetables and fruit to feed their family and sell the excess to improve their quality of life.

57 families are in the program, a select number have chosen to adopt and apply what they are being taught about agriculture AND attend church, then nine were selected to apply for the CEDIR program.

A rural homestead and trees cleared for planting

Last year the team had the opportunity of visiting with a few of the producers and it was an eye opening experience to the needs that existed in every day living in Nicaragua.  There are many needs that are not affordable for so many families.  Lynn asked the question if they would be interested in a way that would enable them to acquire the tools or equipment needed to develop and improve their farms.  They were in agreement with a resounding "yes" but completely understood that it came with a commitment to work together to make this happen.

Many farms have only oxen to work the terraces 

Team listens to a producers vision for his family

Lynn developed a grant program that allows the producers to obtain up to a $600 loan for various needs to help pay for the development with a three year commitment to pay back half of the amount over a span of 3 years.  The plan isn't a hand out but a hand up.  Through the application process, there were evaulations about what resources are needed to create sustainability within their community.  For example, what kind of soil they have, what kind of tools are needed to work the soil, and what kind of commitment needed to invest in making the plan adaptable for their needs.

The team saw it as a great opportunity to improve the farmers quality of life but also create a community of hope.  Most of the producers are pastors who have been disciplined by leadership within their churches and communities.  As leaders many look to them to know and learn the way in their community, and spiritually are in a position to show hope to their neighborhoods.

El pollo (the chicken) pen

Making small investments in the physical realm make a huge difference in the spiritual realm.

This is why Lynn continues to invest in a way that is making a difference.  He has seen the results of making deposits and investments and know that God has equipped with him knowledge and a desire to give hope to many families.  

1 Corinthians 9:10 "Now he who supplies to the sower and bread for food will also supply and  increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness."  

Water is a valued commodity

The goal is lead the way in love like Jesus did by making deposits into the lives of people.  He walked the path and scattered seeds looking for fertile ground to develop growth.  He met physical needs and supplied spiritual needs.  He healed people from the inside out, thus the heart of the community from the inside out.  CEDIR promises to produce crops that better families but also build stronger communities.  Stronger communities develop leaders and give back to their lives in a way that makes a difference.

Hope develops a stronger faith, but a love of people endures.  Faith hope and love, but the greatest strongest, and most influential type of difference is a love that endures through hard soils, and softens hearts for the harvest.

What ministry looks like

How often we make ministry too hard.  I laugh at this because really it means we need to be more available and flexible to God's plans over our own.  Ministry can happen when we simply get out of the way and let God work through us.

Here's what ministry looked like today:

- the contstruction crew made concrete forms for the cement roof but ended up bailing out the flooding radio station.

- the student minister mentored two young leaders by sharing his testimony and then inspired the two youth alongside of him to share their faith, 3 youth prayed to receive Christ.

- the women's team painted fingernails and prayed for each finger that received a new look.

- the children's team sowed seeds by reading the Bible story book and left the book on the chair for a dad to read.  Someone prayed for him from across the room for his searching heart and then connected him with the pastor, who led him to Christ.

- a small school full of children who see too much too soon, needed the gift of play instead of a bible lesson.  

- sometimes God can do more with a lighter heart than a heavier burden we tend to carry.

- we can make the best laid plans but God always has His way in us and through us.

- I had the opportunity to speak encouragement on Nicaraguan Christian radio today and God orchestrated the four stories together in a way that I can't describe.

- over 80 or more people were seen in the medical clinic today.  Many waited in line to talk to the pastor after recieving their medical care, total decisions for today were 7 adults and 3 youth.

- the Ag team looked at dirt and determined how to grow the best crop, and the rain brought a great examination of drainage issues.  

Simply put ministry happened today God's way.  Love in any language looks like love when lead by the only Love we know.  And there are many days that we make our plans, our programs, our own agendas and then God sends the rain to wash our structured hearts and brings us a refreshing to our souls that does more than any best laid plans.

People may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.  (I think Maya Angelo said that).  

A flexible team is a team available to be used by God in ways of divine design.  We can plan all we want but when we get out of the way and let him work through us, it's always better than we could ever think or imagine.  Always better.  The gifts God gives on a daily basis bring opportunities to experience Him in ways that are specifically designed according to His wisdom and what He has established in our hearts and lives.  Our opportunity is to respond with kindness each time, no matter your mission field today.  That's the way of love, Jesus looked at some hard places of life and touched each and everyone of them with His grace, and left them all a better place.

First Full Day On the Ground

"You may not change the world, but your actions may change someone else's world." ~ said by a 2015 validictorian.   

There were a lot of worlds changed today.  First and most importantly we are so grateful that God is using the team to impact Somatillo, Nicaragua for Christ.  Seven more lives were changed by the gospel message and now their worlds are changed.

The team split up to work effectively today.  We had carpenters laying the ground work for new cement to be laid for the church office plus roof preparation for the radio staton.   God brought a hard-working team of men to work along side our guys to help lay down a great foundation.  The medical team lead by our team nurse saw a record number 111 patients.  These people wouldn't have sought medical help had there not been a mobile clinic going to their community.

The kids ministry team painted fingernails, played a lot of soccer, and shared Christ with a paper airplane.  The women's ministry was encouraging and encouraged with prayer about their prayers for their community.  The language of the Holy Spirit transcends every language barrier.

We met Pastor Martin who simply loves people in his community and wants them to know Christ like he does.  In fact, this pastor walked the dirt roads of his small community inviting everyone to a special church service this evening.  I got to tag along and invite too.  It was a joy to see the faces that he prays for.  It was a greater joy to share in the vision of this pastor at the sight of the new church bulding.  He says they have out grown what they are using right now.  He is believing and hoping for many more.

While walking, he turned to Pastor John, from Sugar Grove Church, and he said, "We are very small."  But I love Pastor John's reply..."you are very important to God."  That spoke a word of encouragement to me too.  There are times when doing what I do feels small and insignificant.  But God spoke quietly to my heart as well in this little community of growing faith to say "you are important and what's important to you is indeed important to Me."

The community of faith maybe small in Somotillo, but it's growing by leaps and bounds.  Tonight Pastor John told the group that it was time "to fight in faith for their families, their community, for their world, for change, for justice, and for what matters.  God encouraged us all to be warriors in the world.  He told of the warrior builder Nehemiah.  I'm always inspired by Nehemiah's service to the Lord.  He fought for righting a city that had gone to ruins.  He helped restore a place that need re-building.  He championed through with a plan to involve everyone inspite of the enemy attempts.  He fought for what mattered.  

Every warrior has a cause to fight for whether it be good or bad.  God wants us to fight for love and justice.  Every warrior without a cause fights for the wrong thing.  Pastor John also encouraged us that we can't  do this faith fight on our own and can only fight with God's power.  He then asked for the men in the church to step up and stand in the gap for their community.   There was silence, but then one man came forward and said..."I will be that man!"  

Our lives were changed when we saw the bold people stand in the gap for their community here.  They are standing on faith, in prayer, and sheer strength that rises up from the inside and a supernatural kind of power that comes from the Lord.  They are not only changing their world, but changing ours too.

It was a good day!

The Journey Begins

This begins a journal of God's work in Somotillo, Nicaragua with the Four Corners Missions Team 2015.  A team of willing hearts set to serve and to love the people of Somotillo, Nicaragua.  Follow this blog for team updates and stories from the field.  And keep the Four Corners Missions Team in prayer for God's work to be established and accomplished.

It's a honor to serve in missions and it's a thrill to see God at work among His people everywhere we go.  We take off early Friday, June 5 to our destination.  For some it's a first time trip to see God at work internationally.  I remember how much God taught me in my first trip overseas to the Dominican Republic and I haven't been the same since.

Our team is made of members of Sugar Grove Baptist Church in Goshen, Indiana and First Baptist Church in Perkins, Oklahoma.   The team members are from both places are  bringing the unity of Christ's love to a lovely established church fellowship in Nicaragua.

God will expand your borders in faith when you let Him, and He expands our hearts to love those who need it.  It's His love that compels us to go and share it.  It's His truth that we share, and it's real change from the power of the Gospel that propels us to go.  Changed lives....have the opportunity to bring change into so many people.  And there are so many people who are looking to change their lives for the good.  I want to be a part of God's change in this world and be a world changer.

Join us as we take God's amazing power to change lives with us to this special place for the hungry and hurting in Somotillo, Nicaragua.

Our team Facebook page is located here and many photos will be posted as internet access allows.  Thank you for your prayers.