Nicaragua Revisted

Nicaragua Revisited

My trip to Nicaragua keeps coming back to me. Sights, sounds, and tastes here in the Mission continue to bring me back there. Hearing the Latino music, hearing the Spanish, worshiping in Spanish, eating fried plantains and beans, ect.... Another thing has brought me back to my time in Nicaragua: our study of the simplicity and the Kingdom of God. It just clicked for me this morning as I read for our study The Freedom of Simplicity. It clicked for me why I loved NIcargua and it's people so much. They are living the Kingdom of God in true simplicity, maybe part of it is not by choice, but they joyfully live simply. As I read the description of the early church from Aristides point of view I said, that's Nicaragua. "They walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them, and they love one another......If they see a stranger, they bring him under their roof, and rejoice over him, as if he were their own brother...And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy, and they have not an abundance of necessaries, they fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with their necessary food." This is what we, and those that have come before and after of us, have experienced in the people of Nicaragua. I will never forget when we finally, after getting behind schedule because of things out of our control and driving through rivers that had been formed by the downpour that had began and realizing that we would be a some hours later then expected, arrived in the village of El Rodeito. It was dark when we arrived and the thought crossed my mind if those that were supposed to greet us and all gone home. It was still raining and after dark in a village with no electricity and only candles and a few flashlights to light their path and homes. But we pulled up and saw light in the darkness. There was a gathering of Nicaraguans waiting for us with candles and guitars. Our greeting as our tired, weary, and nervous bodies got of the bus was a song to welcome us as brothers and sisters. After the song and welcomed as brothers and sisters of Christ, we went into different homes. We were asked to sit on chairs like princes and princesses while the family worked around us, placing our bags just so, lighting candles, getting our beds ready, and fed a meal of rice, beans and tortillas. And then after some failed tries at communicating in my poor spanish slept on cots or hammocks that were given up by family members that slept on the floor. In the morning we were again fed while the rest of the family worked around us getting things ready for the day and eating what was left after we had eaten our fill. My host dad and me eventually realized that we had music and guitar in common and played guitar together and taught each other a song or two. We spent the day playing in the river, playing soccer, and learning what life was like in this village. We ended our day by sitting around sharing music with each other and worshiping our God under the stars. It was night that I will never forget and will hold close to my heart forever. I am continually encouraged by it. Nicaraguans understand the Kingdom of God better then we do I think. Yes, they don't have much, not by choice, but they seem to enjoy their life as the body of Christ. The focus in on people not things. They care for one another and the stranger with joy!
The Lutheran Church is only 17 or so years old. But it is alive and well. When a need arises in Nicaragua they go and meet that need. The Lutheran Church has been very important in providing aid after hurricanes that have hit. They have gone into the villages and helped rebuild communities. Much of this was started by the young people in the Church that said let's go and help, not someone starting a program for such and such like we would in the states. They just went and did it. The Lutheran Church has been asked into these villages to start churches because they came in and cared and helped rebuild. They are the body of Christ to the world of Nicaragua. The meet needs and because of that the country is seeing the love of Christ in them and inviting them into their villages to be part of their life. Amazing!! I can't wait to return to Nicaragua someday and continue to learn what it means to be the Kingdom of God. I have learned much from them and can't wait to learn more!!