Day 7

EYES OF HOPE

We see many beautiful eyes in Nicaragua. When I close my eyes they all pass in front of me.  I see large, round innocent eyes of children; eyes full of hope and expectation, full of joy and anticipation. I also see eyes of the elderly. These are eyes on faces that are 70 but look 90 years old. That is until they look at you and smile. Then a brilliant light and love shines through their eyes. These eyes have not had an easy life anywhere in Nicaragua, but they have hope in their faith. They know they have a good God who loves them.

Then there are the eyes without hope. We found some in the prison. However, surprisingly, we also found hope in these same jails. They were clearly encouraged that we took the time to visit and bring small gifts such as T-shirts and toiletries but their real hope came from faith. It seemed in each cell there was a man of faith to encourage and teach the others. Imagine a small cell, maybe 10 by 15 feet with CEMENT bunks. No wonder they have pains yet when we prayed they were healed. There were 4 bunks but 12 men. Where do they sleep? We found one on the floor under the bunks. That was his spot. Another jail had wooden bunks. Again, not nearly enough for all the men stuffed in the cell. Is wood softer than cement to sleep on? That is where we gave out Bibles. One man showed me his book that had some of the Bible included. It was so worn it barely held together. He was overjoyed to receive a Bible. I was overwhelmed to see the hope these men had in Christ.

We have seen many amazing things here. I have seen people go pain-free and healed by God under the touch of my hands and the words of my mouth. “Wow!” as my sister Ruth Ann would say. It is all beyond words, but I keep coming back to hope, and what is my part, our part now as we begin to look towards going home.

In talking to others who have been coming to Nicaragua for several years they see changes for the better. I see signs of hope. God is still honored here. God and Jesus are glorified everywhere from statues to names of pharmacies to the back of cars and buses. Unemployment is as high as 70%. This does not mean that those 70% do not work. I believe they often have unreported jobs such as selling something on the street or living in the countryside where they work to gather their sustenance. Yes, there is a need for massive overhaul of infrastructure. When I see the pastor’s son splash his ball in what they call “black water” (“don’t step in it,” we were told) in the barrio then this need comes right to my face. Yet we went to a church yesterday and found the dump across the street is going to be plowed over by the city. What a joy for that barrio! People care for each other here. So far they have kept out the large gangs because they pull together to keep them out. Education is free. Not being able to afford a uniform and supplies is what keeps children out of school. If at all possible people seem to want their children to study more after secondary school for a better chance at a job. University is free, but transportation and books can be costly. To us, none of these things are costly, but here they can overwhelm. Yet I still see the hope as people come together in faith and love.

Blessings, Joan

Day 6

Hope for the Hopeless
In all my years of doing missions, today was one of the most challenging days ever. We went to visit three men's prisons and I use the term prison very loosely. They were really more like large cages full to capacity. These are not prisons as we Canadians understand them to be. There are no comforts to speak of. Concrete bunks with two men to a bunk, no mattresses or pillows, absolutely no privacy, and not even the luxury of toilet paper. No exercise yard, no basketball court, no TV to watch. There is nothing to pass the time except making bracelets and counting the days.


The first prison we visited had two cells about 10ft. x 15ft. each and 8 men per cell. This mothers' heart was broken in an instant to see these young men in such despicable conditions. Little did I know that this would be the "best" of the three prisons, but only in terms of light and air circulation. I did not give a moments thought to what these young men had done to be in this horrible place. Somehow I knew that in the eyes of God it did not matter. They are his dearly loved children and it grieves the Fathers' heart to see His children living anything other than the abundant life Jesus came to give them.


As we approached the cell my eyes connected with one of the men and I was drawn to him in a way I cannot explain except that in those eyes I saw such sadness and longing. I later learned that his name is David and he is 40 years old. We asked the men in the cell if any of them were sick or in pain and five of the eight said yes. So we began to pray for them, asking the men in the cell to place their hands on each other and to pray along with us, repeating our prayer as we prayed with the power and authority that we as followers of Jesus have been given. Their physical pains were healed but more importantly these men received a touch from their Heavenly Father that showed them how very much He loves them. There was a deeper, more profound emotional and spiritual healing that took place in that very crowded cell.


When we were praying for David I looked deep into his eyes and watched as the light began to return to his spirit and his soul. His countenance was lifted and he expressed a sense of peace that had not been there before. He reached through the bars and placed a bracelet on my arm that he had made and gently fastened it. I will cherish it. While we were able to reach through the bars and place our hands on these men's hands or arms, I longed to be able to hold them in my arms as I do with my own two sons and love them with a Mothers' love. A simple loving embrace that they perhaps have not experienced for a very long time. While this prison is supposed to be only a holding cell until sentencing one of the men told us he had been there for eleven years.


The second prison was equally as small but even more crowded with over twenty men in one cell sleeping on crudely made wooden bunks, a step up from the concrete ones. However the cell was so dark we could not see into the back of it. Some of the young men here did not look much older than 17 or 18 years old and were proudly sporting their coloured bandanas, an indication that they were members of one of the many gangs in Nicaragua.


We were able to leave 15 mats behind that have been lovingly made by folks in Canada from milk bags. They provide a small amount of cushioning to the hard beds. The mats along with eagerly received bibles were left for those who have been "condemned", the harsh term used by those guarding the prison. The remaining prisoners are still awaiting their sentencing and were therefore not given these gifts as they may not be staying.


The third and final prison was definitely the worst consisting of a long narrow cell with a metal gate at one end. There were 18 prisoners in this cell but we were able to see only the six or seven who were high enough up on the pecking order to rate a position at the front of the cell. One can only imagine what the air was like at the back. The two cell bosses were firmly established in their place of importance seated on the floor with their arms and legs extended out through the bars.


Samuel, our translator read to them "The Father's Heart" which is a collection of scripture passages that speak of the Father's love and how He sees His children. It is very powerful. After he finished reading it one of the cellmates spoke words of thanks to the team and then he spoke of the faith that many of them have and the hope that they have for the future. This is probably in no small way due to the work of Pastor Julio who has a ministry to the men in all three of the prisons we have visited.


And then it struck me that in all three of the prisons, God has placed a mighty man of faith in every cell. A man who knows God's word, who has surrendered his life to Jesus, is a source of encouragement and who is speaking hope into what one could easily see as a hopeless situation.


God has been showing me on this trip His faithfulness and His incredibly, infinite, unconditional love for all of his children. And I have been forever changed. Praise God!!


Elaine Taylor

Day 5

Washed the feet of Jesús today as we ministered to a mentally ill  woman . She came late for the service and went up to the front of the church and laid her head on the steps. Her hair was unkempt , tangled with grass in it and she wore a shirt that was in English that referred to her beauty. I doubt very much if she knew what is said. She sat down in the row beside me and looked afraid so I moved my chair beside her and put my hand on her back. After the video was over, I moved my chair back while we started to pray.

The first thing I knew she was seating on Elaine's lap and Lynda and Elaine were ministering to her. Elaine left to find out about her as they were having a hard time understanding her. I went over to help Lynda. The woman this time looked into my eyes . I felt God's love and compassion for her. I or she and I am not sure which way it happened but as we held each other and we looked inot each others eyes . Her eyes were not clear but they reflected to me the hurts from her past and yet I saw love in her eyes and the need to be just loved. I stroked her hair and her face and she spoke to me in Spainish and told me her story. I did not understand a Word she said in my head but in my heart I Heard a story of severe abuse and mental illness. The holy spirit was present and Lynda and I prayed over her . This daughter of our King had no shoes and her clothes were not cleaned  and her skirt was dirty on the back. Her feet were cracked and dirty and in terrible shape, For some reason God had provided me with a face cloth at the start of the day wrapped in an afghan and Lynda had soap so we got a tub of wáter from the ministers wife and proceeded to wash her feet. As I knelt on the floor and washed her feet as gently as I could , we were surrounded by the Little neighbourhood of children. Everyone knows this woman but I think they probably ignore and avoid her.

As I washed her feet I was reminded of Jesús when he washed his disciples feet and told them to do the same. When I was done I wiped off her feet and gave her an afghan someone had given me to take and I know that afghan is covered in Godly prayers in every stitch. This lost sheep is the one that Jesús would go after. Today I hope that lost sheep  felt God's love through us . Please pray for Paula . We do not know all her needs but our heavenly father does.  

Liz

Day 4

Hope you are well today and we want to thank you for all your support and love!!!! We are experiencing God's love, power, protection, His faithfulness, through your prayers. We are well here, experiencing a cleansing of pouring sweat from every body part as we walk through a barrio in Lamas de Guadalupe. We met a beautiful family who has such a heart for this community, Pastor Carlos, his wife Girzelda and their children. We walk through this community visiting people in their homes to pray for sick and broken hearted. We experienced many people who were racked with pain and after being prayed for had no more pain in their bodies, praise God!!!! We prayed for people suffering from all different ailments. In one woman's life we sensed there was unforgiveness. She agreed that there was much unforgiveness with her neighbours in this community. She choose to forgive those who had offended her. At that moment there was a lady in the house who she forgave and there was a heart felt embrace with much acceptance of forgiveness between the two of them. If there is someone you have not forgiven today, I encourage you to choose to forgive. When we forgive our offences, we are freed from our offenders. Allowing no bitter root to grow and fester causing a  manifestation of sickness in our bodies. This woman who choose to forgive the people who offended her along life's journeys, was racked with pain in her entire body and she was completely healed with no pain anywhere. The joy and lightness on her countenance was truly remarkable. She was released of all pain in her body and we reminded her to keep short accounts each day, to forgive and remain free to love. In Gods word it says that Jesus has sprinkled his blood on our conscience so that we may remain free of guilt and shame.

Another vey profound encounter was meeting this beautiful young lady whose name is Maria. Maria is 15 years old and has a baby. She asked to have prayer for pain in her body and issues in her lower abdomen after having a caesarian. We prayed in the Name of Jesus for restoration for her physical body. She told us she felt tremendous heat in her body and felt the power of God heal her. She had tears of joy while giving us this testimony of what had happened to her. That was the beginning of her healing. She then asked if we would pray for her to have the strength as a single mother to be able to provide for her baby and still have hope for their future. I discovered that Maria was so deeply rooted in guilt, shame and a broken heart for having a baby at such a young age and being left as a single mother. This is where God ministers to set the captives free from that terrible bondage of shame and quilt. We prayed for God to heal her broken heart. She had tears running down her face as I spoke into Maria's heart about how the Father of heaven really sees her. Your baby was not a mistake, the God her Father thought of her and created her form before the earth was formed. He has a plan and purpose for her life and for your life. And that she needed to forgive herself for all that she had chosen and the outcomes of those choices. She was able to receive the Fathers forgiveness and to forgive herself, enter into Gods love and hope for her future and her baby girls future. She made a declaration to trust God to supply all their needs. Maria said this had changed her heart and her mind from a hopeless place to one of great hope and freedom of shame and guilt. She asked me if I would be her God mother for her and her daughters. I said, YES!

Beautiful Maria, baby Nikol and proud God mother Kim
For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.   Jeremiah 29:11

by Kim

Day 3

DAY 3

I jumped aboard this venture to Nicaragua at the last minute with some reservations but since being here have found many new and interesting aspects about the country, the people, the experience, and most importantly what we can achieve working together for one common cause.  It is day 3 and today our schedule was quite full, but our Mission is love - demonstrating the love of God to those we come in contact and to pray for the sick so they may be healed. 

With love at the forefront, we set out early for our first destination, Berta Calderon, a women’s hospital to visit women plagued with Cancer.  The adjoining quarters is where they stay during their treatment and when we arrived we were greeted with a most energetic spirit filled dynamo named Marta.

Marta is instrumental in helping the women cope by encouraging, bringing mission teams to the hospital, bringing gifts, songs, laughter, and encouragement to these lovely women who find themselves in this situation.  

I made my way to the back, which I often do, of an open styled patio where the women were gathered to join together in praise and worship.  As always, my heart and mind were drawn by the spirit of God to one or a few individuals that I feel lead to pray for, as Kim was leading by example and teaching the women how to pray for each other - instructing that God’s word is not just for us who come to visit but for all and that all can be in that relationship with our heavenly father…encouraging them to know they have the power over their illness and life in Christ. I started to pray for a woman on my right … I love how the Lord will direct each of us when we are willing to hear his voice … you know exactly who he wants you to pray for. The unction of the Holy Spirit is a marvelous guide - and one I could not do without. Many women were released of their pain and I am confident, in the weeks to follow, we will hear good reports of complete healings.

After praise and worship gifts were handed out and we said our goodbyes with hugs and tears.

We moved on to a Church in a town in the north called Ticuantepe where we were greeted by Pastora Doras and Pastor Erman.

No words can describe the journey between destinations - all five senses are exaggerated by the sights, sounds and smells.  Our eyes were inundated with images of devastation, homes made of tin roofs and clay or concrete; smells of open fire pits and sounds of horns honking.  The ride in most cases is bumpy and rough because of the erosion from the rainy season which leave the roads a somewhat horizontal corduroy formation and in some cases, roads were washed away. You see shoes everywhere stuck in the mud from this wet season and debris that gets washed up.  This is a country where the rich are hidden but poverty is all around.

But with that said, in the midst of all the unpleasant and devastating imagery and smells - glows the hearts of warm and caring people - filled with acceptance, and gratitude.  They so blessed us with their show of love. I truly feel, even though we think we were there to help them, that they were the ones who helped us to see things in a new light. I thank God for this opportunity and all associated with the PAN Mission and all these gracious dear people I have met here.  And as for the routines and busy details of the day’s events – all that remains is remembering the love we shared one with another for we are all one in the Lord … His presence and love moves mountains … And I feel so blessed to be here …

 

Elke Dietz

Day 2

November 3, 2014

It's a honour and a privilege to pray for others.  To be called to hold the heart of another person and to bring their petitions and their joys, their hurts and their struggles before God is a profoundly vulnerable experience.  It is no wonder that people shy away from doing it.  The thought of saying the wrong thing or looking foolish is high on the list of excuses for not stepping into this sacred space but if you can get past the fear, I promise it will wreck you in the most incredible way.  The greatest piece of this honour is the revelation of knowing that as much as I stand with another in their time of need, I simultaneously stand with God and am a vessel who he chooses to use to provide comfort to others and to work miracles through.

We've only been here two days but yet it feels like we've been here two months.  Today we only had two places to go to but there was much to be done in those places and our day was completely loaded.

Our first stop was La Mascota Children's hospital - the cancer ward.  This can be a challenging place to go to as it is difficult to see listless children courageously battling for their lives and to see the hearts of their parents as they patiently wait with them.  We came with bibles for the parents, gift bags for the young children, and stuffed toys and blankets for the babies.....and we came ready. We came ready to hold the hearts of the people there and to petition before God and to work in partnership with him...and we came ready for miracles.

The first section of the hospital we visited we paired up and with gifts in hand, and followed our hearts to the rooms we needed to go to.  I, as well as most of us, do not speak Spanish so there is always an awkward introductory moment when I would stand with a big smile and say 'mi nombre est....' - all the while hoping  I'm saying 'my name is' and not 'my number is...' while eagerly awaiting our interpreter.  I made the universal sign for praying - putting my hands together and pointing them up to God, then would point at them, then make the 'ok' sign with my fingers as a way of trying to get permission.  Awkward - but effective.  I have not been refused yet.  Although struggling with the language barrier, I  tried to hear what God was saying and how I should pray.  It was difficult to press in as we didn't have a lot of time but wanted to pray for everyone and wanted to avoid 'drive by' prayer.  My partner Alanna and I stepped in and laid hands on each child and prayed for healing.  We embraced the moms and prayed blessings of strength and healing for their mother hearts and spoke words of encouragement to them.  At times I felt rushed, stammered on my words but prayed from my heart.  They seemed to be encouraged by our visit but part of me wanted something more for them and I felt I had fallen a bit short on the delivery.  Even though I know it has nothing to do with me, I still felt like somehow I had failed.  We also had little time with these dear people before we had to move on to the next room.  I felt overwhelmed by the amount of need versus the amount of people there who could minister to the people and do it respectfully by actually spending some time getting to know them, their stories, their hearts.  But alas we pressed on.

The next room we came to was a much smaller room with four babies and their parents.  My heart was heavy but I was drawn to the man before me who sat in a chair with his arm resting on his son in a crib beside him. His eyes were red, and his heart was notably and understandably burdened.  I couldn't stop looking at him.  It was then that I heard God say to me "he does not know me".  I wasn't sure if I heard that correctly or if that was just me because I had a bit of a panic thinking 'And?'  meaning -" what do I do with that or what do you want me to do with that and what makes you think I know what to say or do about that Lord?????"  I stood in that place of fear but thankfully for only a brief moment because my desire to be used by God overrode my fear and ego about myself and my shortcomings so I decided to surrender to the geyser rising up in me and let Jesus take the wheel, so to speak.

I beckoned our interpreter over to translate for me and then squatted down and looked the man's eyes and smiled at him.  I told him I was there to pray for him and his son and sheepishly asked him if he knew Jesus.  He shook his head 'no' which brought confirmation to what I had heard an although comforted by confirmation, I still felt ill equipped.  I looked at him then found myself sharing the gospel to him.  A boldness rose up in me and a joy came upon me as I told him that today was the day of his salvation and of his new beginning with Christ and that the Lord wanted to be in relationship with him - today!  I shared with him what Jesus did for him, for all of us and how the Holy Spirit wanted to live in him and live through him and that by having faith in Jesus - the power of the living God that raised Jesus from the dead would live in him and that with God's grace and power, the man could lay hands on his son and pray for healing in Jesus' name.  Then I looked at the other three parents who I realized were also listening and said -" if any of you don't know Jesus - today is going to be the best day of your life".  I shared with them how God loves them and their children and that he would provide for them and that they could trust him; that he is good - very good and that and that all God wanted was for them to come to him...and believe.  I told them I was no different from them and that I didn't have special powers but that it was only my faith in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit IN me and that this is the gift for all who believe.  All the things God promises in his Word are there for them to receive, grace and life and hope abundantly ...  I found myself taking them through a prayer of faith acknowledging the gift that was freely given to them - a new beginning in Christ and reiterated that as of that moment - by the grace of God, they were now new creations in Christ - the old was now gone - and the new was here... and I don't really remember much after that because I had pretty much got swept up. Basically I had a mini church service for the parents and made them lay hands on their own children and showed them how to pray with the authority that they now had in Christ for healing for their children and that the love they had for their children was how God felt about them, and more. I felt God's heart for these people, although I'm sure it was only a fraction of it as I imagine I would burn up completely had I been able to feel his full love for them. The experience left me in complete awe and humbled me as I also felt his love for me - the stammering broken vessel.

Our afternoon was equally moving with a church service where the children stood together and prayed for members of their congregation. Elaine did a wonderful job preaching and shared a good word with the congregation and Kim shared testimonies and demonstrated how to pray for healing.  A girl with a twisted foot was healed and a woman who was experiencing headaches and pain was prayed for by the children of the church and was also healed.  As well, a girl with a fever was also prayed for by the children and her fever left. God is amazing...He loves us, oh how he loves us...

Although I have faith for healing, I do not have satisfaction alone in being the one who prays. Many times I feel like I stammer and stutter and blank out on words but I will do that for you and do it confidently because I know that I am not the one who heals - I am merely a conduit for the one that does.  If you want prayer for healing, I will absolutely pray for you but truly my heart is that you capture the revelation of the Love of God in your life for personal healing and for his desire and purpose to use you to hold and heal the hearts of others if you too be willing. It is a complete honour and it is why I do this and the Lord also reminds me that this is now who I am. Why else do I do this?  Because I have been justified freely by his grace... and the truth is - so have you...

Romans 3:22

 This righteousness is given through faith in^[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

May you truly receive the revelation of God's deep and profound love for you.

Bless you richly,

 

Haidee

Day 1

For those who are reading this, we arrived safely in Nicaragua last night at around 11:30. Annette picked us up at the airport, along with our amazing driver Chepe. The car ride to PAN Missions facilities was quite the adventure due to all the bumps and decaying road.
For those who are unaware, Nicaragua is hot (this is an understatement). This morning we woke up to a scorching nice day of 45+ degrees and a 5am sunrise.

We started the day with a lovely breakfast of beans, coleslaw and tasty quesadillas. In the morning we attended a small church service where Annette did the first teaching and Kim gave a moving testimony. From there we spread out into small groups and welcomed the locals up for prayer. Our team then prayed for a plethora of different people and illnesses. By the grace of God, many people were healed instantly and discovered the power of the Holy Spirit.

After we came home and had eaten lunch, we went off to the zip lining course. A group of very enthusiastic and friendly professionals took us through the rain forest flying through a canopy of trees. At first I was sure that as soon as I was harnessed in, it would break and I would fall to my death, but luckily it ended up being extremely safe and a ton of fun! The scenery was absolutely beautiful and I felt invincible. While many people went zip lining, others decided to watch while walking through the jungle. Where a family of monkeys were spotting and adored. The sun set through the trees was a unforgettable view and once in a life time opportunity.

Feeling blessed.
Alanna and Carolyn