Month Two of the Race is complete! We had quite the time in Ciudad Dario, Nicaragua. We stayed with Light and Salt Ministries and did a whole bunch of crazy stuff helping them out. The Squash Sisters were pretty split up between different jobs, so we didn’t get to see each other as much as we did in Costa Rica. However, God was definitely working in each of our hearts and teaching us amazing things.
Janine
Month Two was real challenging for me. We had 20 people stuffed into a small space and could barely leave the ministry site. I struggled to find much needed time to myself and a quiet space to pray or even hear myself think. On top of that, I was working with the boys formation program which was way out of my comfort zone. Navigating what it means to teach and love of bunch of crazy boys through a language barrier was a lot for me. I spent most of the month feeling overwhelmed, unqualified, and frustrated. Despite all this or maybe because of it, God kept His hand on me for the whole month and pushed me to grow. He taught me a lot through this chaos. He showed me what it looks like to find silence inside myself rather than relying on having it handed to me. He also taught me to seek out the little moments and take full advantage of them. It took a while for me to notice, but God touched my life through those boys and used them to open my eyes to what it means to have child-like faith and joy. When it came time to leave, I realized just how much I truly loved them.
It’s been such a joy to work with Light and Salt Ministries this month! I had the pleasure of working with Alex as part of the Construction Crew. He led our team with grace, kindness, and compassion He also encouraged us with Coke and Oreos! The Construction Crew broke up rocks and moved them, pulled lots of weeds, and flattened out the ground by moving dirt where the church will eventually be built. It was humbling to be apart of this process. We also helped paint the entrance walls. It was a lot of hard work and I got sunburnt A LOT but it was worth it to be part of this incredible ministry.
Two words I would use to describe my month in Nicaragua are transformative and redemptive. This month I assumed the role of Head of Marketing and Photography. I worked closely with Tara Germain, the Executive Director, which has been SO fruitful. I have not only gained a mentor, but also a friend. I have had such a blast learning more about nonprofit work and refining my skills as a photographer. This month, I slowly learned that I have a gift for creating online content! I found so much joy watching my creations come to life. I because more confident in my photograph and virtual designing skills and I learned how to express myself through these mediums. Also, I was able to collaborate with my squad mates to make bigger ideas come alive. Throughout all these lessons, the Lord slowly redeemed me of the life I believed that the only thing I’m good at is music. And at the same time, He showed me that I can glorify the Kingdom in many different ways. This part month was such a beautiful season of growing and blossoming.
During one of the weeks in Nicaragua, the ministry needed a group of us to go out and help with the Mercy in Action program. I wasn’t eager to do this job, but I decided to offer my help if needed. I ended up having to fill the position. I knew spending a long time in the sun carrying large sums of rice and beans was going to be brutal on my body. I prayed for strength and endurance for the day and headed out. Little did I know, God blessed me with the most wonderful day. I got to meet the locals, give food to the hungry, and pray over people. People invited us into their homes and were so welcoming. It turned out to be one of my favorite days at the ministry. I learned to take advantage of every opportunity offered because you never know how amazing it can be!
Nicaragua taught me how to let the new experiences be what they are and not compare them to similar experiences I’ve had in the States. This applied to both the good and the bad. I learned to enjoy what was happening instead of wasting time on comparison. In trying to let the experience be its own thing, I leaned into prayer more to ask the Lord to keep me present. I gave Him my past and future thoughts in order to be present where He has placed me in the moment. This is still a daily practice in letting go of expectations and asking the Lord what He wants to show me today.
This month I learned more of the phrase “Life is ministry; ministry is life.” Being on the construction and painting crew meant that there were a lot of seemingly mundane tasks that we did. One day, we moved rocks from one side of the yard to the other. Although it didn’t feel like something super needed, we were actually clearing land to build a church. This month, I chose to see God in the very mundane things!
I’m so thankful for our month in Nicaragua and I’m grateful for each one of you who has kept us in your prayers! For Month Three, we’re in Medellin, Colombia with Ciudad Refugio. It’s absolutely incredible here and really different from anything we did or saw in Costa Rica or Nicaragua. Please keep us in your prayers and be lifting up this amazing ministry and city!
Also, did you know that both last month and this month are All-Squad Months?! That means that all three of our teams (Bloom, Pinky Promise, and Squash Sisters) are at the same ministry. Check out Dana’s video from Nicaragua to meet all 19 of the amazing women I’m doing the Race with!
Thank you! We’re all doing so well this week!
Thank you! And yes!! I’m obsessed with this video – Dana did such a great job with it!
This is such a cute little check in
LOVE YOU ALL
Ahhh thank you! Love you too!
Incredible!! I love the video – you do such a great job showing the wide range of ministry opportunities y’all have had, and the importance of using ALL the gifts of the Body!! SO! GOOD!!
I loe hearin what y’all are doing and how you are growing. I’m so proud of all of you!!!!! We love you a ton! I watched Dana’s video a second time….so fun!