Teach Me Jesus Thursday: Family Missions

“You can pray for my health and my faith, my relationship with God.”

“Everything else,” her hands swept the air, gesturing to her home and belongings, “everything else is extra.”

As she said this, between the little Spanish I knew and her body language, I knew just what she was saying before my friend translated for me. We stood in what might be called her living room, really it was space in the open air with a few plastic chairs. A structure with three walls constructed out of pieces of wood stood to one side, used as a kitchen. There was another structure, no bigger than the guest bathroom in my house, that housed her sleeping quarters. She invited us in to see where she slept, pointing out the rotten wood and voicing her fears about the rainy season looming on the horizon. The roof was made of metal sheeting, held into place by rocks and other heavy objects. Bowing our heads, we prayed with and for her, praying for her health, her faith in God, and her need for a safe shelter in which to sleep. (Later we learned that a local ministry had raised the funds to build her a safe structure out of bricks. That should be completed in the next couple of months).

We were in Nicaragua on a family mission’s trip. Friends of ours live there and they took us to visit local villages where they have been building relationships and helping those who need it. Though we were only there for four days, our trip to Nicaragua was full. We went into the local villages, met the people who lived there, and learned about their life. They showed us their homes, the places where they cooked and slept. Some sleep in plastic houses, structures made out of branches with black plastic stretched from post to post. The main source of work is fishing. The men go out and fish at night and sleep during the day. Trucks come in from Managua to buy the fish and bring them back to the city. Many of the people in the villages don’t have safe drinking water or enough money for health care. One morning, my husband accompanied the friend we were staying with to take a very sick family from the local village to the clinic. It costs a few dollars to see the doctor there, money which this family did not have. The mother and her children had multiple infections, were malnourished, and wearing rags for clothing. For the cost of a co-pay here in the states, the family saw the doctor and received needed medication. When my husband returned, he said, “I think we need to leave the boy’s clothes behind when we leave for these children who have nothing to wear.” How could we not?

Our boys passed out toothbrushes and toothpaste to the children we met until we ran out. They also gave away coloring books in Spanish that explained how much Jesus loves them.

Our children learned that though the children there do not have the same advantages or toys or experiences that they do, they are content. They share what they do have with others and look out for each other. As our kids met children their own age, they realized that they really are not all that different. Though there was a language barrier, they could still laugh and play together. One afternoon, we went to a local community center, run by a gentleman from the states who provides an after school program to the area children. Our kids played legos with the children there-any child, anywhere can speak the language of legos! We went to an orphanage to love on the children there and instead they showered us with hospitality, love, and kindness. One little boy grabbed my husband’s hand and walked him around, showing him all his favorite things. We played a game of soccer and toured the facility. The girls were so excited to have visitors, proudly showing us their rooms and making immediate friends with all our kids. We left some of our Jesus Storybook Bibles behind for the children to read. Another day, we went back to the village and took a group of kids surfing. Though they live on the ocean, most didn’t own swim shorts. When they go out surfing, they usually use a log or a broken surfboard they’ve found. A nearby resort loaned us surfboards and everyone got a surf lesson, rash guards, and then spent the afternoon catching waves. The grins were wide and the sound of laugher rose with each wave that came ashore. Our kids surfed side by side with the local children, sharing boards and cheering each other on. On Sunday, we handed out the rest of our Storybook Bibles. One man was so excited, he asked me to inscribe the inside with the names of each of his children. Thank you for praying for our family during this trip. To be honest, the two hour drive to the closest hospital had me a little nervous! But God brought us home safely and today we thank him for the opportunity to go and share the love of Jesus with the beautiful people of Nicaragua. What a blessing to meet them, be welcomed like family, and know that God can use even our little family to spread his glory and fame.

Has your family had the opportunity to do mission’s work? Planning to? I would love to hear your stories!