Serving at the trash dump

"Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" -Isaiah 58:6-7

Anyone that has fasted, gone without food or water, for a day or longer understands it's a sacrifice. There is a great lack of appreciation for food until we're hungry. Similar to many aspects of life, we have a difficult time appreciating what we are blessed with until we don't have it anymore. To fast is to deliberately give up something we enjoy for a period of time. Biblically it is used as a way to seek God, as often times his presence is much more obvious in our weakness. In the case of Isaiah 58, the Israelites were fasting as a way to receive blessing from the Lord. The above passage is God's response to their fast. What is the point of giving up food if you're not going to provide those in need of food? Why would you set aside your own need if not to tend to the needs of others? Personally, I have a long ways to go when it comes to sacrificing to provide for the needs of others, but I know when we set our own personal desires aside God opens doors for us to provide for others.

 Today was a tremendous blessing to be able to provide food for 30 or so people who spend their day digging through the trash dump for things to eat and recycle. Unfortunately it began pouring rain as we got to the dump, so we were unable to drive all the way down the hill to where all the kids were digging through the trash. All those still digging through the garbage as it poured rain eagerly sprinted up to us when they saw we were giving them food. I can't say I've ever seen or experienced hunger in the way these people were hungry. Rice, beans and a tortilla, a meal that most of us Americans would pass up, was treated as if we were handing out T-bone steaks and lobster. It's difficult to imagine a day to day life of digging through garbage to survive, but it's the lives of hundreds of Nicaraguans just in Matagalpa. You can see in one of the pictures below a group of about 100 scavenging birds along with several stray dogs that are feeding on the outskirts of the dump. It's a humbling experience to see human beings digging through what most have thrown away, along with stray dogs and birds, to survive.

All of the food we provided, along with the styrofoam containers and spoons, cost about $20 in total to provide for 30 people. If you would like to help in this ministry you may donate through the link below or send a check, with a specified note for this ministry, to the Laurel Church of Christ, 714 East 5th St, Laurel Montana 59044. Thank you all for reading. May God bless you and open doors for you to bless others!

Poor picture taking is enhanced in rainy conditions haha

What rules your heart?

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." -Colossians 3:12-15

"Forgive as the Lord forgave you." To forgive as God has forgiven us is to forgive completely. Anyone who has been hurt by another individual understands that it is often times nearly impossible to forgive completely. It's easy to mouth the words "I forgive you", and quite often it is not the truth. We spend time holding both big and little things against people frequently. In order to forgive completely we must understand that we've been forgiven completely. All of our selfish negative thoughts, all of our hurtful words spoken, all of our quick reactions we immediately regret, all of our sins, big and small, have been forgiven by Christ. To not forgive completely is to not fully accept the gift of forgiveness by Jesus Christ. On our own, this forgiveness is impossible. We might claim forgiveness, but there always seems to be hurt and resentment lingering in our heart. The only solution to ridding ourselves of these burdens called "grudges" is to pray that we might be filled with Christ's Spirit to forgive. In Colossians, we are instructed to "let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts". Peace does not exist where there is turmoil. Peace does not exist where there is hurt and anger. A peace that rules our hearts can only exist if Christ rules our hearts. To allow Christ to rule our hearts we must clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These are qualities that only Jesus possessed to the full, and if we desire to possess them, we must fully possess a heart for Jesus. Above all we must put on love. To love is to know God. 

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name...Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." -Matthew 6:9,12

Below is a link to donate to the support of the Nicaragua Ministry.

Tres M English Classes

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." -James 1:27

It never used to make a great deal of sense to me why the care for widows and orphans would be so important as to be described as pure and faultless religion, almost as if it is summing up the act of "religion". Spending time with over 70 young students while teaching English as a second language classes in Tres M, Nicaragua has given me a greater understanding of the innocence of youth. There is a great sense of dependence among them. Not to say that they're helpless, but they are certainly in great need of guidance.
Why do we see signs, newspaper articles, and all sorts of propaganda against abuse of women, animals, children, etc? It's because as humans, who are created in the very image of God, we sympathize with those who cannot defend themselves, just as God is a defender of the defenseless orphan and the widow.

"Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" -Matthew 19:14
The kingdom of heaven belongs to those like children because of their blind faith, their humble dependence on their Father. But what about the children without a father? Who are they to have faith in? Who is to show them love? "A father to the fatherless, a defender of the widows, is God in his holy dwelling." -Psalms 68:5 The reason looking after orphans is pure religion is because God is their Father, and someone needs to reunite them with their true "birth dad".

I view it as such a privilege to spend time with these kids at Tres M, some with fathers and some without. In my service it is my honor to help others to see there real Father, their Father in heaven. Right now we're barely through the numbers, the alphabet, colors, and the months of the year, but I eagerly anticipate developing relationships with many students who are in great need of being served and of better seeing what pure and faultless religion is; not in need of being "converted" but shown compassion, just as God has on all of his children.

Below are some pictures of the students and a link to donate for school supplies and aid to the children in Tres M. God bless!

El Delirio visit

We visited the community of El Delirio again this week to spend some time with those who we were unable to visit last week. Along with supplying many people with New Testament bibles, we were able to bring up some multivitamins for many of the children. There seem to be children in about every home we visit. In fact in one of the homes that is pictured below there are five kids who live alone with their mom. Honestly, I have no idea where they all sleep. Their house is no bigger than 400 square feet and there were two slabs of wood that they use for beds. You've heard the expression "when it rains it pours", well that is literally the truth when it comes to rainfall in Nicaragua. It blows my mind to think of what these families do when water leaks through their barely standing roofs as they sleep. I'm sure that this exposure to the weather along with an insufficient diet plays a large role in the fact that so many are often sick.

One particular man, Santos, was in particularly bad health. He had epilepsy along with some other forms of illness. There was significant muscle atrophy on the right half of his body, making his right arm and leg about half the size of his left. He described a pain he often experienced that started in his intestines and shot up to his throat, making it almost unbearable. Pablo and I cried and prayed for him, along with many others, asking God to do what is out of our hands. Little by little we hope to make an impact on this community meeting various needs upon each visit. Prayer is of the utmost importance, as God is capable of multiplying our efforts beyond what we're capable of doing on our own. If you would like to help contribute money to help meet certain needs of the people of El Delirio, you are welcome to send checks to the Laurel Church of Christ, 714 E 5 st, Laurel, MT 59044. Or you can donate through the paypal link below, pictured as a "donate" button.

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call on the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." -James 5:13-16
I am not an elder of the church, nor am I a righteous man. But Jesus said that, "where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20) Jesus is not just an elder of the church but the head of the church, and is all that is righteous. When it comes to healing, there is a great deal that is outside of my understanding. However, I have experienced healing that can only be credited to God himself. And I fully expect healing as a result of prayer, in both El Delirio and the rest of the world.

Home to six

                                         These kids ran up asking us for bibles as we walked through

 The houses are lined up on each side of this small field with a small school room between

Submitting to the truth of God's word

"what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord ’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?" -Deuteronomy 10:12, 13
 What does it mean to "fear The Lord"? To many it may seem contradictory to be required to fear the God who sums up love itself. The actual Hebrew word, "Yir'ah", which is translated to mean "fear", means to fear, to respect, or to be in awe. When we think of things in life we're fearful of, we can conclude that they are things that our mind is submissive to. Someone might say they're fearful of their future, fearful of an individual, or fearful of an animal. The statement "I'm afraid of", can be exchanged for "my mind submits to". To be afraid, even in a modern context, is essentially to allow our thoughts to be controlled by whatever it is we are afraid of. So when we are told to "fear God", we are being to told to give up control. We are being instructed to set our pride aside in reverence to the only being who's pride is justified. I fear God because he is all powerful. I respect God because he is my Lord. I am in awe of God because he is my creator. A great deal of people choose to overlook the entirety of the bible because there are concepts and passages that are difficult to understand. The truth is that if the bible were 100% comprehendible by anyone, that would imply that it is not the divinely inspired book that it says it is. If the bible truly were the inspired word of God, many of its concepts would be over the head of even the highest level intellectual thinker. Why write it then if even the most intelligent is incapable of understanding its totality?...
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." -1 Corinthians 1:27-29
 God doesn't work on our level of thinking. God doesn't exist for us to understand him. We exist because God understands us. No individual can obtain the wisdom to fully grasp the depth and complete meaning of the bible, leaving an absolute need for interdependence upon both others and, more importantly, God himself. God's word does not contradict itself. God's word fulfills itself in totality through the lives of those who submit to its truths.

El Delirio update

This past week Pablo and I visited El Delirio again, the small village 60 or so miles from Matagalpa. We brought many New Testament bibles and spent a few hours in prayer with individual families. There are around 46 families in the community and we were able to visit maybe 11 in the few hours spent there. Unlike our last visit when we brought food, we actually entered their homes this time. I knew it was a poor community, but I was even more humbled as I entered each house. All of the houses have dirt floors, which are most often muddy due to the heavy rain. Most of the houses are made out of sticks and plastic, with poor roofs and open doorways. No house there is bigger than the typical American master bedroom and most of the homes house 5-10 people. The community is without electricity and has limited running water. The place where most families shower is inside a square fence of barbed wire covered by cloth, with a bucket of dirty water.There was at least one sick family member in every home we entered to pray for and spend time with. Although around 50% of the community is illiterate, those who could read were eager to take as many bible as we could give. Despite our minimal help, they were encouraged by our presence and our hearts of concern for their well-being. Every family was eager to allow us to pray for them, for their physical and spiritual health, as well as blessing the harvest in months to come, as most men farm in this community. I know God has the ability to work miracles through our simple act of prayer, but I cannot feel satisfied without sacrificing more of my time to help those people in need. Bringing food can help for a few weeks, but I would love to find a way to help them sustain themselves more long term. As Pablo and I plan to go back weekly to help teach the bible, we hope to think of a program or way to help regularly in their physical need. Walking out of the village, I couldn't help but thank God for how richly I'm blessed with even the simplest of things. My words don't begin to describe the emotions that arise when you enter a home like those in El Delirio. I ask everyone who's reading this to please take time to pray for this community.

"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied." -Luke 6:20-21

Below are a few pictures from the community

Above is a small hut used as a kitchen

Pictured above is a bathroom that many use to shower in

Above is one of the larger homes in the community made of plastic and tin

Witnesses to the ends of the earth

Acts 1:8- "...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Jesus's final instruction to his disciples was that they be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. We read later in the book of Acts, "On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria." (Acts 8:1). God's plan is accomplished regardless of what we do or what notions we act on. It is up to us to decide whether we want to be a component of God's plan or an opponent. What was meant to destroy Christ's church, ended up benefiting the very command Jesus gave before he departed the earth, for the gospel to be spread to all Judea and Samaria.

When the religious leaders wanted to kill the apostles in Acts 5, "Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin... Then he addressed them: 'Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.'" 

In the last two thousand years men have come and gone, but only one name has brought hope and salvation to billions all over the world, because only one man is of God's origin, Jesus Christ. Jesus has promised to return, to bring eternal salvation. Perhaps in his patience and love for all those in the world, he will not return until his name has been witnessed to the ends of the earth? The first century Christians spread the gospel through Judea, Samaria and the surrounding areas. Have you come to accept the saving grace of Christ? If so, where will you be a witness for his name? The name of Jesus will be known and praised in every nation by every race. It is up to us to decide whether we will be an opponent or a component to God's plan of eternal salvation. 

Tres M English class

Our first class to teach English to kids in Tres M, Nicaragua was last Saturday. Originally planning on 20-40 students, 71 showed up wanting to be in class on Saturday. Pablo and I separated them out into three different classes and will be teaching people from ages 10-20. We were able to hand out the 43 books we had printed and will be getting the remaining students signed up this week.  Not only are the students excited to learn, but the community was very appreciative of Pablo and my willingness to help. Thank you to all who have committed to support these students with materials and prayers. I will eventually post a list of names for people to pray for. I know this is a program that will open many doors for us to help out the community and be a positive influence for God's glory. The verse Pablo chose as a sort of mission statement for the students is, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." -1 Timothy 4:12. I look forward to being an encouragement and aid for the future of the 70+ Students we will be teaching.

Pictured below are some of the students that were able to fit into the classroom on Saturday. We will begin formal lessons this Saturday.

10/5 Nicaragua update-tres M water project

Today Pablo and I met with the families and community leaders in Tres M who are in need of running water. There are two community leaders we work with, Marvin and juan-carlos. Marvin is without legs and much of his body is paralyzed, as he was shot 5 times during war a while back. He is normally in a wheel chair, but we spoke with him today in his bed in his home as he has been experiencing internal bleeding and just underwent surgery. How humbling it is to see a man in his condition selflessly use his time to serve a community in need. Juan-Carlos helped better relay many of the hopes and goals of the people who have been without running water and so much else for so long. Pablo and I had the chance to speak directly to the people. We had to let them know that we don't currently have the money to begin this water project ($2800), and very honestly that we don't know when, how or if we can come up with it. This project is something that has been constantly on my mind lately as God has provided

many ways for me to sympathize in the slightest way during my time Nicaragua with these people who are in constant need. We let them know that they are in our prayers constantly and that we would do our best to relay the need to any and all that can help.

For me these problems have become so much more real as I've seen them face to face in the past couple weeks. It's not always easy to sympathize with problems we've never experienced. I challenge anyone reading this to go a day, two days, a week without running water. When these struggles are a constant on our minds we find ourselves not only wanting but needing to help. No great achievement is ever accomplished without sacrifice. Please keep the people of Tres M in your prayers and let me know if you would like to help financially.

"Bring the whole offering into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." -Malachi 3:10

A cup of cold water

While lifting weights I'm always amused at how little a spotter has to do when the weight is too heavy to be lifted. Sometimes only a finger has to be placed under a weight to help someone struggling to finish a rep. It baffles my mind that someone's full effort can be put into something such as this and all that is necessary for them not to fail is for someone else to be present and waiting for a time to help.

 "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." -Matthew 10:42

 If there's anyone who understands the impact of helping in the most detailed yet simplest of ways, it's Jesus. Jesus worked every day of his life, and a good portion of his ministry he spent walking on little rest. He understood the value of a cup of cold water as much as anyone. But to say giving someone a cup of cold water is worthy of great reward seems a little over the top doesn't it? Let's look at the recipients of this gift of water, Jesus's disciples. Jesus instructed them, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff." (Matthew 10:8-10) Jesus makes no mention of reward, only giving, only self sacrifice, only selflessness, long days of being under-appreciated and overworked. Not only would a cup of cold water be much needed after the servitude of these disciples, but also the encouragement that the gift entails. Sometimes the smallest of encouragement, the tiniest amount of help poured out to someone who is drained is all that is needed to keep them going. We may never understand the impact that these simple acts of kindness have, but Jesus has made it clear that they will not be without reward. Because of our own personal agendas, let us not fail to notice those around us who may be in need of "a cup of cold water" at the most opportune time.