Don't Waste Your Life!

j1.27

2011-12-21T00:19:00.000-05:00

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." (James 1:27)

To be honest, as a Christian and a pastor, this verse has always troubled me a bit. Not on the truth side or the understanding side, but more on the application side of it. It doesn't take but a few chapters into the book of Acts to see that the early church got it when it came to the application. They understood the 'least of these' and caring for those in their community. Fast forward 2000 plus years and it would appear the Church has abdicated its responsibility in large part and handed it over to the government. So what would it look like for the Church to reclaim James 1:27's mission? More specifically, what would that look like for individual Christians, like me?

We were grateful to our friends on the West Virginia team for allowing us to travel with them to Veracruz (outside of Managua) to visit the Remar Orphanage. This team has been working in Veracruz and with the orphanage for over 10 years and it was exciting to see some of the fruit of their labor. We traveled around to see some of the homes they had built there and handed out hundreds of pounds of rice and beans to families and coloring books/crayons and candy to children in the community. Word traveled fast (which happens with a team of gringos walking down the street) and we were quickly mobbed.

After returning to the orphanage, we loaded up the bus with somewhere around 60 orphans in tow to take them Christmas shopping at Wembes Market - a huge, local market that I take my teams to each year. They had a blast picking out their gifts and were so grateful. But to look deeply into their eyes and even through conversation with them revealed that even though the gifts were great, the orphanage is really top notch, their is a deeper longing... for family. So we hosted a Christmas party for them that night and tried to be their family. But as I walked away to load the bus, with my family, my heart was heavy. We visited the orphans in their affliction, but are we called to do more? We think so and we are praying about what that "more" could and should be.

We finished our time in Nicaragua in worship... which couldn't have been more appropriate. Once again we were at Verbo Church caught up in the worship of Jesus with voices in Spanish, some English, but more importantly our hearts humbled in service before our King.

It was a difficult drive to the airport... not physically, but spiritually and emotionally. It's always that way for me and the teams I bring, but now my whole family was experiencing it together. You always feel like you leave a piece of your heart in Nicaragua, but what you leave behind pales in comparison to what you bring back with you. God has been so faithful to my family and I to allow us to be a part of His global purpose of inviting the nations to give their lives to Him and find their greatest joy in a relationship with Him. We saw God work through us, but more importantly, saw Him work in us.

The mission never ends...

for the sheep

2011-12-17T00:20:00.000-05:00

Today was another awesome day of ministry! We were blessed to be able to join another team from West Virginia and head over to Los Brasiles, where my buddy Coburn has an expansive ministry - providing education, meals, after school programs and spiritual development to this little community. Our camp team had the opportunity to fall in love with their kids three years ago, taking them down to to Campo Alegria on Lake Nicaragua.

I can't help but wonder what impact it makes for these kids to see familiar faces again. I have no intentions of heaping praise on our teams, since we can't take credit for anything good at all. Christ is deserving of all the glory! But to see the face of a child light up and begin to talk about their camp experience from years ago shows the power of relationships and more importantly the love of Christ that binds hearts together. "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony." (Colossians 3:14)

So today, we threw a Christmas party for the morning kids (preschool), complete with some time coloring, playing on the playground, a pinata and cake! We then walked one of the poorer (a relative term for sure) sections of the community handing out coloring books, crayons and candy. These families live in very tiny single room homes made of scrap metal or plastic tarping, with few have running water or electricity. Seeing such a great need, we left to return with bags of rice and beans and water jugs to hand out. The people were very grateful to receive these gifts and it was a tremendous blessing just to be able to give so freely to people with such need.

One of my prayers, in returning here to Nicaragua so often, is that I never get used to what I see. The sights, smells, poverty, trash and most importantly the people. It is so easy in Western culture to forget how the rest of the world lives. In our family devotion time tonight we looked at Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.

I always want to see people the way Christ sees people. Even beyond their physical need to the reality that in the depths of their souls there is a great spiritual need. That is why He calls them sheep without a shepherd - scattered and helpless. And He has given us the great privilege to introduce them to the Great Shepherd - Jesus Christ. May our time, energy and attention - our full lives - be given to this one resolve. That we would be the workers that the harvest so desperately needs. That our time, talent and treasure would be given to be used at the Master's pleasure. That we would daily understand what it means to deny ourselves - our plans, dreams, hopes, schedules, safety, comfort, etc - and take up the cross of Christ which is the Good News!

The night couldn't have had a better ending. The boys from Casa Robles and girls from Casa Havilah (rescue homes) were invited to the Buzbees for their Christmas party. We had a blast swimming, eating dinner together and then giving each one a gift. To see these kids outside their normal environment - most come from La Chureca (the dump) - and see how they have grown physically, emotionally and spiritually in the rescue homes is so encouraging and a testimony to God's love and grace to the least of these. They too were once sheep - scattered and helpless and many have met the Shepherd.

God is at work. I am so honored, along with my family, to have this opportunity to join God at work here in Nicaragua. So let me say a big thank you to those of you who are following us on this journey, but also those who are supporting us in prayer and through financial resources. Soli Deo Gloria!

it was just a little seed

2011-12-14T23:39:00.000-05:00

Today was an amazing day. We loaded up our family, with Brinson leading the way and Moses in tow, to head out to the Ruby Ranch to put on an afternoon block party for the kids from the Las Parcelas community. For those up to speed on our Nica Missions, these are the same kids that our summer missions team took down 40 of them to Campo Alegria and put on a camp and then returned to their community for our Extreme School Makeover: Nicaragua Edition. To read more about what our team did this summer, click here.

Las Parcelas is a very poor and rural community. Some will never leave their community, swim in open water, ride a bus or even travel to Managua. Now that we have started a relationship with them, that the Buzbees are continuing to develop, we are continuing to look for ways to make an impact for the Kingdom on this community. And we knew this party would be a big draw, since the schools are out and the gringos were coming!

We arrived and got to work getting ready about 15 bikes - which all needed air in the tires or small tune-ups. Then we headed over to the playground area to set-up tables for the cookies and cokes we would have later. I had many "moments" today, but an early one for me was just watching everyone in the family helping in their own way and working together to get everything ready for the party.

Then the first group of kids showed up, probably not knowing what to expect. But within a few moments we had 50 kids and few adults running around going crazy. We introduced them to trampolines which was hilarious to watch as the realized they could fly up in the air as they jumped. Then they became true Nica trampolines, each with about 10-12 kids all trying to jump together! We also hosted bike races around the field for prizes (that my little boys had a hard time giving out since they were former toys that they "donated"). Turn #2 on the bike race course was a tough one that gave us many laughs as the kids would fly uncontrollably from the downhill (mainly due to brake problems) into the turn and miss, landing in a pile of grass, hay and sticks. The would disappear for a minute and then pop back up and rejoin the race.

In the middle of the craziness and fun... I had a God-moment. Or God had a moment for me. Either way, I was standing in the middle of the playground when I remembered the day our team spent out there this summer. We spent all day in the hot sun chopping down trees, clearing brush, leveling ground and digging up stumps. Another team prior to us had come in and installed all the playground equipment and then we were there to get the area ready for us.

But it was a hard day for everyone on the team. We had just spent 4 days at camp investing in relationships and loving on kids and there we were - just us - working on a project that seemed a little tedious and probably less important. In fact, I remember fielding some "concerns" about the work we were doing during the day, and then at our team time at night, hearing the struggle to find value in what we had done that day.

And so there I stood today, when the light bulb turned on and God brought to mind what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building."

Little did our team know... and little did I know that the work we were doing that day was in preparation for the great day of ministry that my family and I had today. We were just a part of the seed planting process. The mundane task of clearing a playground area that would later culminate in a block party before the year was out! God made it grow. And when I think of what ministry will continue to take place at the Ruby Ranch - God will be continuing to make the seeds that teams are planting or watering to grow into fruitful ministry.

The kids and parents all came up to thank us today for coming out and putting on the party. And they even asked if they could have another party really soon. And so I sit here writing this tonight, thanking God for giving me a glimpse into the big picture. Thanking Him for inviting me in to a moment with Him when I see a bit clearer than normal. And thanking Him for allowing me to serve on a team this summer that was just a small planting a seed in the larger plan of God of revealing His love and grace to a tiny, rural, farming community in Nicaragua.

another son in the family

2011-12-13T23:42:00.000-05:00

As if we didn't have enough boys in our family already, we've added another son to the family, however, today was the first day we got to meet him in person... Nelson David - our child that we sponsor through World Vision. We regularly pray for Nelson as a family and we are always excited to get updates, photos and letters from him. We've had the privilege of sponsoring him since he was about 3 years old and now he is 7 years old. We also met his mother and almost 2 year old sister.

Nelson is from the town of Nandaime, which was a pretty good drive for us from Managua, but I started to see familiar sights and realized we were in an area near Granada and Rivas, which is not too far from where I take our camp team each year. We arrived at the World Vision complex to see a shy Nelson sitting quietly with his mom and sister. (Oh, we have loads of pics, I just didn't get around to uploading them tonight). He seemed a bit overwhelmed, which would be expected when my three boys come crashing in a room! But his eyes lit up when he started to look through the Christmas bag we brought him that was loaded down with toys and goodies.

Hearing his story was difficult, but unfortunately, it's one that I've heard many times over here in Nicaragua. His mother is only 22, which means she had Nelson at the age of 15. The "dad" was likely never around, but after the second child was born, she found herself without a job and a single-mom to her two kids. So she is living with her family to survive. But she seems committed to being the best mom she can and is striving to raise her children in the faith.

World Vision was amazing in hosting us and showed us what they do and even drove us all around to other areas where they are working, so we got to see them in action. We also had a great lunch with Nelson's family. I was really impressed by the WV staff and how they are using their resources to bring Gospel hope and healing to the communities where they are working. They are meeting more than just physical needs for these children and families participating in their programs. In the Nandaime area along, over 3,600 children are sponsored.

I'm coming away from our time today just amazed at how God can so quickly graft hearts together. Our families couldn't be more different. We're separated by miles, countries and even language... yet the love that we already had for Nelson and his family has now only grown deeper. They boys now have a better understanding of why we support Nelson and what life is like for him here in Nicaragua. We all walked away wishing we could do even more, but realizing God is a faithful God and we will continue to pray for His protection and purposes for Nelson and his family!

what a dump

2011-12-12T23:41:00.003-05:00

No mission trip I've ever made to Nicaragua has been complete without a visit to La Chureca (the city dump in Managua). Over the last seven years I've made numerous trips there to get a better picture of "the least of these." The numbers are continually changing, but there are well over 1,000 people, with a majority percentage of children, who call La Chureca home. The Buzbees have a long standing ministry presence there - caring for the sick and malnourished and also educating the children in their school.

So this morning, we all loaded up the van with the whole Buzbee clan to visit the school for their Christmas party. Even though I had just visited in August, I was amazed at the transformation that is taking place there. The government of Spain has taken on the project of taking a census of the residents, building temporary housing in preparation for the final goal of moving every resident out of the dump to a new housing area. They are even transforming the mountainous piles of burning rubbish into a modernized facility complete with recycling.

However, the drive to the school is still the same - a narrow dirt road, lined with houses made of scrap metal and plastic sheeting. The stench of burning tires and trash is still overwhelming. Children with open sores and rag-tag clothing are out either rummaging through the trash or playing in it on the streets.

But today was different. There was hope. We pulled up to a mass of children and their families waiting to enter the school. The Christmas party offered a respite from the daily routine. For a brief period of time you almost forgot that you were in a dump. Christmas music was playing, the children were performing in their program, presents were wrapped and ready to hand out and everyone was seated at tables with white table cloths waiting for a catered lunch.

Hope. It's what this advent season is all about. We celebrate the arrival of Hope. Hope that came in the form of a baby boy born to a young, rural, virgin girl named Mary. A Savior called Immanuel - God with us. Jesus. He would enter our dump and bring hope. He would walk through the refuse, sickness and disease that our sin created and offer life. Life that only is available because He gave His life for ours. Rescued. Ransomed. Redeemed.

You don't have to stay in the dump. As C.S. Lewis says, "He [God] offers us a holiday by the sea." An open invitation. A free gift. The best gift you will ever receive this Christmas!

Are you ready to move out of the dump?

beauty

2011-12-11T22:19:00.003-05:00

But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. (Romans 1:19-20 MSG)

I'm always amazed at the sheer physical beauty of the country of Nicaragua every time that I'm here. Volcanoes, craters, Lake Nicaragua, the beautiful countryside of mountains and valleys, the waves of the Pacific crashing on the dark sand beaches and sitting on the third floor with a cool breeze watching a thunderstorm roll in over the mountains. The list could go on and on.

But the beauty is marred. It's stained by sin. We've lost Eden. That's also easy to see as you drive around. The beautiful view literally littered by trash. Discarded items mixed in with the seashells. And I imagine to those who call Nicaragua home, all of this is seen and yet hardly garners a passing thought. But for some reason, God has pressed it into my heart all day today.

This Lord's Day started by joining my brothers and sisters in Christ at Verbo Church. I love how physically, passionately and jubilantly they sing and worship. Of course, fist pump guy was leading the charge, but young and old are fully engaged. I love to sing with them in Spanish (when it's a slow enough song that my Spanish can keep up). The message was solid and I left with a full heart. All the while thinking... people from every tribe, tongue and nation are lifting up praise and honor to God. I can only imagine what that sounds like in Heaven. And then can only imagine what it will be like to participate in that in Heaven one day.

What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon His face, the one who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand, and leads me to the Promised Land. What a day, glorious day that will be!

Eden as it is meant to be. True beauty. No more sickness, pain or death. No more trash or garbage dumps. No one who walks around there will be blinded to the beauty. What our eyes see dimly now, we will behold in full glory. And that's what our current creation does. It cries out, "Look at my Creator." There is a greater beauty than what can be seen with earthly eyes!

The beach actually had some people there today. Most times I've been out there it is usually just our team. So it gave me a moment (after some failed attempts at surfing) to watch as some walked up and down the beach. Do they see what I see? Do they know what I know? Can they look around as the mighty waves of the Pacific pound the volcanic sands on the shore and exclaim, "There is a God!"

Earlier in the first chapter of Romans, Paul says, "I am proud of the good news! It is God's powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The good news tells how God accepts everyone who has faith, but only those who have faith." (vs. 16-17)

May we add our voice to the song of creation, boldly and proudly proclaiming the powerful saving message of the Good News of Jesus Christ. There is beauty here... He is the Beautiful One... and His name is Jesus!

for the nations

2011-12-10T22:54:00.001-05:00

The love of God extends salvation to all. Everyone who believes on Jesus has eternal life with Jesus, and everyone who doesn't perishes. Missions is the answer of our heart to that love. (John Piper)

I find myself more and more praying for a heart for the nations. At our family devotional/debrief time tonight, I was so encouraged to hear my boys start to get a glimpse of God's heart for the nations and our role to have that same heart and by living out God's mission. Watching them play at Casa Robles this morning (the Boys Rescue Home) was awesome. They found themselves restricted by language, yet found a way to share Christ's love. They played and laughed, explored their home - and I could tell they were just taking it all in. A flicker of the flame of having a heart for the nations was starting to burn. That's a flame that I want to fan into a great fire!

So, I'm praying that God's heart continues to grow inside them... and me. I have been praying that God would allow this generation to be the one that sees the completion of the Great Commission. That is a monumental task and at times seems like an overwhelming prayer to pray. Especially in light of the statistics.

The Joshua Project reports that there are 15,988 distinct ethno-linguistic peoples in the world. Of these, fewer that 2% are Christians (6,572 unreached people groups). In those unreached people groups they account for an estimated 2.6 billion people. Of the 100 largest unreached people groups, 44 are in India, 8 are in China, and 7 are in Indonesia and Pakistan... 43 are Muslim, 36 are Hindu and 9 are Buddhist. 22 of them have populations over 20 million. All that to report, there is great work to be done in obedience to the Great Commission. So what are we waiting for? What am I waiting for?

My prayer is that my life would be consumed in not just going... but studying, praying, preaching, leading and speaking in such a way that results in passing on a passion to this next generation of middle, high school and college students - that I'm privileged to shepherd - who would recklessly abandon their lives for the sake of the Gospel for the nations - whether near or far. It's a continual call on my life from God not to waste it. And one I want to shout to this next generation: don't waste your life!

And this great zeal, passion and heart for the nations can only come from catching a vision of the greatness of God and His great design for this world that we call home. May we see God for who He is, believe Him for what He says and live for what He loves!

thoughts on Germany

2011-12-09T23:25:00.001-05:00

Well here I am sitting here in Nicaragua (up on the 3rd floor for my fellow Nica peeps, with a great breeze blowing) and I'm thinking about Germany. It's taken me a bit to process our time there and I'm sure more thoughts will come - at least I hope they do before I start to forget the details!

These two countries couldn't be more different. Just driving around today with my family the fact that this is the second poorest country in this hemisphere is so evident. The landscape is different, the cultures are different. You don't see anything like the Cologne Dome here. But you know what? The people look amazingly similar if you look behind their eyes. Sure the skin color is different, hair color, complexion and even language. But the deeper longings of the heart are revealed through the eyes.

The German people are a quiet people. Saying "hi" on the streets is uncommon. Hearing even quiet talking on the trains is unusual. They are seemingly devoid of national pride and some of that is understandable considering the monumental dark spot and atrocities under the oppression of Hitler. They were taught under communism to be needy without being "needy." So to reveal a need - like a spiritual need - is a difficult conversation to get in to. Many of the pastors and missionaries we had an opportunity to serve shared how long they often labor (years and years) to see a convert.

I was told that 2 out of 100 Germans are Christians. The harvest is plentiful for sure. It pained my heart to see these beautiful, giant cathedrals and churches that were once overflowing (post-Reformation) now either virtually empty or simply turned into a tourist attraction. But there is hope. Isn't there always! The Gospel always works and I was so encouraged to meet some of these laborers for the Gospel in Germany. My prayers are with them and for Germany that God's Spirit would fall in power and bring another reformation - a reformation of the heart!

I am so grateful to have had yet another opportunity to go and serve with my fellow a cappella alums. Bringing the Gospel through music is a strategic point of entry to the German's hearts. I was so honored to have the opportunity to preach the Gospel each night as well. My prayer is that the seeds that were planted will be watered and bear much fruit.

And so here I am in Nicaragua. Different country with the same need. The reality is everywhere we go, people are hurting. And the even greater reality is everywhere we go, the Gospel always works. Jesus is always the answer.

a new kind of busy

2011-12-06T23:59:00.000-05:00

"When does being curious distract your heart away from what God wants you to focus on?" There the question was... in big, bold, red letters just seeming to flash at me from my laptop screen. A question that, oddly enough, I wanted to be distracted from answering.

To frame out the question in context, it came from an excellent and thought-provoking article that I came across on The Resurgence, which regularly provides some great material for learning, reflecting and in this case, some heart searching.

In Paul's first letter to his young apprentice Timothy, he writes, "Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to." (1 Timothy 5:13)

I've typically quickly passed by this verse, thinking it had more application to the "town gossip" and not something I really struggled with. And besides, "idle" is hardly an adjective that would get ascribed to my life... but "busybody"... what exactly is Paul talking about here?

Trisha Wilkerson says, "I hadn’t identified much with this particular sin until God gently revealed the Internet is my "town" to meander. I have found myself "going from house to house" or "website to website" seeking something. Information, book reviews, blogs, Facebook, email, all sucking my time and seducing my attention.

To ignore this comparison is, for me, choosing blindness. Blindness to the fact that I’m tempted to neglect the people and gifts God has called me to pay attention to. Sin is giving in to the temptation to be a busy-body by giving my attention to worthless and sometimes meaningless information that swirls around in my head, taking up mind and heart space that should be occupied by prayers and purpose."

Ouch. Hits too close to home for someone who not only enjoys technology, but finds it a useful tool for ministry. But where is the line? To be honest, I hadn't really given much thought to the fact that there actually is a line. In fact, there is a line that when viewed in light of this Scripture, becomes sin. And this isn't just a sin of time-management. This is a sin of misplaced desire. Idolatry. Finding someone or something else that we think will ultimately fulfill desire or satisfy, yet always ultimately fails us.

So instead of being more deeply connected to God, Wilkerson says, "... we slip into false intimacy and gather knowledge that doesn’t grow us, but instead wastes time. Like greed or lust, busy-bodying is a thirst for more. We are saying to God that he doesn’t satisfy our hearts."

God came to redeem our time and our time spent on the internet. So that means email, texting, facebooking, blogging and web surfing can and should be redeemed. They should be guarded against trivial idleness or busybodying. Our time and attention are gifts that must be stewarded. Boundaries must be set. Our attention must be refocused on the all-satisfying Christ.

This no doubt will be challenging. It already is as I sit here, oddly enough, on the internet to write a blog post.

You can find Wilkerson's complete article here... but beware... it's a challenging read!

Germany Bound

2011-11-17T22:02:00.000-05:00

Germany is calling again. This will be my third mission over to Germany. I've grown to love the people and culture. I have great respect for the missionaries and national pastors giving their lives to the Gospel in such a spiritually dark place. Many will labor years to see a single convert. But there is always hope when the Gospel goes out. But the Gospel must go out. Romans 10:14, "But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?"

We will use music as a means to evangelism. We'll be partnering with local churches and missionaries to do concerts to open the door for relationships to be formed. The Germans love music and we'll have the opportunity to present the Gospel through song. But I'll also have the opportunity to share the Gospel each night. Our travels will take us throughout Germany to the following cities: Munich, Hohenfels, Cham, Nurnberg, Seigen-Geisweld, Cologne, Bruhl, Seigburg, Rudesheim, Mainz, Frankfurt.

I would greatly appreciate your prayer support for our team as we travel, sing, build relationships and look for opportunities to share the Gospel in word, song and in deed. I'll do my best to get some updates posted as I have the chance here (toddveleber.blogspot.com) and on Facebook.

a superb exchange

2011-11-15T23:57:00.002-05:00

Every day so far has presented a challenge and a choice. How will I spend my day? What will I invest in today? Not that those questions don't matter every day, in fact, so much of this journey so far has really revealed how closely my identity has been tied to my ministry. Waking up and wondering, "What will I do today?" has been a bit unsettling.

In some ways, connecting with the Lord without my daily routine has been difficult. I always knew I was a creature of habit, but probably not to this degree. In the absence of a "schedule" the battle ensues... the battle of choice. The challenge to stay connected or to abide (as John's Gospel would say) is always a difficult one. But doesn't that seem counter-intuitive? Abiding/resting is challenging... it does take work. But to start, it takes a choice.

One of the more difficult pieces to this process of abiding/connecting with the Lord is surrendering my desires and confessing my failed attempts. It plagues me that I often choice leisure over the Lord and fail the challenge of connection by succumbing to the giant of distraction. But when I make time for Him, He is so faithful to supply more than my every need. He truly does fill the cup to overflowing. Unhurried time with Him is more than a gift... it is life.

And then the gift of unhurried time with my family has truly been amazing. Even though today consisted of mopping, vacuuming and picking up toys, I'm treasuring my time at home. Most of my time with Brooke has been doing whatever I can around the house so that she can recover and heal. The time with my boys has been filled with football, food, laughter, tears, stories and outside fun. We've even had the opportunity to spend time with extended family.

This sabbatical is proving that every day there's a challenge and I have a choice... which is really true of every day - sabbatical or not. I want to choose to reject the lesser, so Christ can fill me with the greater - Himself. Now that is a superb exchange.

to sabbatical

2011-11-04T12:38:00.003-04:00

Sabbatical (from Latin sabbaticus, from Greek sabbatikos, from Hebrew shabbat, i.e., Sabbath, literally a "ceasing") is a rest from work, or a hiatus, often lasting from two months to a year. The concept of sabbatical has a source in Scripture (Leviticus 25, for example, where there is a commandment to desist from working the fields in the seventh year).

I find myself struggling to get into the rhythm of my sabbatical, which points to a deeper problem that has given me much to reflect on over these last few days. See the concept of taking a sabbatical, actually comes from a practice of sabbath, which we are all commanded to as Christians. From creation itself, we see the practice of Almighty God (Genesis 2:2-3, in which God rested - literally, "ceased" from his labor after creating the universe) the importance of 'spiritual rest' - one day where we cease from worldly labors for the purpose of surrender and focus on God. And then of course in the New Testament, Jesus further explains the purpose, "Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27).

Jesus knew our greatest need and then fulfilled it. It wasn't that we simply needed one day of the week, but rather that we daily need Him for our very life. Not that we simply honor Sunday (and really on Sunday morning since we have NFL to occupy our minds in the afternoon), but that as Colossians 3 exhorts, "Set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth..." All the time. Every minute of every day.

The deeper issue is always idolatry, pride, self-sufficiency... at the core: myself. I need to constantly be reminded that I'm my own worst enemy. "I can do this myself, with my gifts and my abilities - so why would I need to 'rest and refocus?'" It's a battle of Lordship.

And so the calling of Christ is "abide in me" (John 15). Find not just your center in me, not just a day in me, but find your very life in me. Exist in me. Everything must be re-examined, re-evaluated, re-focused and ultimately restored in Christ.

John Piper, one of my favorite pastors and authors, recently announced an 8-month sabbatical from his pastoral role at Bethlehem Baptist. In his words he needed a sabbatical, "because of a growing sense that [his] soul, [his] marriage, [his] family, and [his] ministry-pattern need a reality check from the Holy Spirit."

That is a powerful admission. I find it most difficult, not to be that honest with others, but with my own heart. I need a "reality check from the Holy Spirit." And truth be told, I need it every day.

I'm sitting here in the hospital writing this (Brooke's procedure went great... thanks for praying) which brings a greater focus to what really matters in life. And, no, it isn't our health, not physically anyway. James tells us that this life is but a mist, a vapor - here today and gone tomorrow. I need reminding of this. That is the refocus all of our hearts need.

My life is hidden in Christ... I know that intellectually, but do I live that daily? Do my values, priorities, thoughts, behaviors and words reflect that reality? I pray that God will bring that into focus during this sabbatical... as I learn how to sabbath. Something my soul needs daily in practice for what I will have the privilege to do for an eternity.

People.

2011-10-10T11:42:00.002-04:00

"I came to a new understanding why Jesus passed up the religious establishment of his day, the economically secure, the socially prestigious, and sought out the poor, the outcast, the sinner, the broken, the sick, the lonely. He felt, as we so often do not feel, their sorrow. He was acquainted, as we too seldom are, with their grief. On Calvary he died of a broken heart. But that heart was broken long before Black Friday, by the desolation of the common people. “In all their afflictions, he was afflicted.”

Most of the time we are not. We seem to have quite a different conception of life. We avoid as much as possible the unpleasant. We shun the suffering of others. We shrink from any burdens except those which life itself inescapably thrusts upon us. We seek arduously the wealth and power that will enable us to secure ourselves against the possibility of being involved with another’s affliction. Lazarus sometimes makes his way to our door step. We toss him a coin and go on our way. We give our charities but we do not give ourselves. We build our charitable institutions but we do not build ourselves into other’s lives." (From The Captivating Presence by Albert Edward Day)

My prayer is every increasingly growing that I would see people through the eyes of Christ. I used to hear my pastor say, "Every person is a candidate for Christ." I don't want to see people as scenery on my highway of life. People matter to God, so people should matter to me.

I've come to realize that everywhere I look people are hurting. People have physical, emotional and primarily spiritual needs. I'm continually reminded where Jesus spoke about looking out at the crowd of people as "sheep that were harassed and helpless... sheep without a shepherd."

What a great responsibility and privilege I have as a Christian who the Shepherd rescued, to point other sheep to that same Great Shepherd. To walk with people through the difficulties of life to the place of entering in to those difficulties... in order to share the hope that I have found in the Gospel.

I've got a long way to go... but praying that day by day the scales fall off and the captivating beauty of Christ and the power of the Gospel would first impact my heart so that I can love God and love others.

A Cry for Mercy

2011-09-12T11:04:00.002-04:00

There isn't much I have to say. Actually, I feel that is the way it should be most of the time. During my time alone with God this morning, I read this prayer by Henri Nouwen from his A Cry for Mercy. I'll let his thoughts and heart desire speak for me today...

O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I am impressed by my own spiritual insights. I probably know more about prayer, meditation and contemplation than most Christians do. I have read many books about the Christian life and have even written a few myself. Still, as impressed as I am, I am more impressed by the enormous abyss between my insights and my life.

It seems as if I am standing on one side of a huge canyon and see how I should grow toward you, live in your presence and serve you, but cannot reach the other side of the canyon where you are. I can speak and write, preach and argue about the beauty and goodness of the life I see on the other side, but how, O Lord, can I get there? Sometimes I even have the painful feeling that the clearer the vision, the more aware I am of the depth of the canyon.

Am I doomed to die on the wrong side of the abyss? Am I destined to excite others to reach the promised land while remaining unable to enter there myself? Sometimes I feel imprisoned by my own insights and "spiritual competence." You alone, Lord, can reach out to me and save me. You alone.

I can only keep trying to be faithful, even though I fell faithless most of the time,. What else can I do but keep praying to you, even when I feel dark; to keep writing about you, even when I feel numb; to keep speaking in your name, even when I fell alone. Come Lord Jesus, come. Have mercy on me a sinner. Amen.

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 12

2011-08-08T01:03:00.003-04:00

Today was our final day in Nicaragua. We started it by joining the nations in worship at Verbo Church. This is the church the Buzbees attend in Managua. So after picking up the neighborhood kids on the bus, we headed in to Managua. I love going to Verbo Church. Their worship is exciting and contagious and on the slower songs, we can actually read the words fast enough to sing along. I'm always amazed at how freely and exuberantly they worship. It's also so cool to think about the fact that while we were worshipping in Spanish in another country, our church family was back in Tallahassee worshipping. And that's just a small glimpse into the reality that Christians worldwide - from every tribe, tongue and nation were lifting up songs of praise to our Awesome God!

We had to cut out of church just a bit early to make it to the airport in time for our departure. After grabbing a bite to eat we all made it through security in time to board to find out that weather in Miami put us under an hour delay. We then made it to Miami only to sit on the runway for another hour before a gate opened up. So our planned 4 hour layover quickly disappeared. We had just enough time to clear customs and immigration, run back upstairs to make it through security, grab a bite of food to-go and then make it to our gate. Our flight to Jax was also under delay but we finally landed around midnight.

I'll take some time with a later post to really debrief and recap the mission. But a huge thank you to all who supported the team financially and through prayer. We definitely felt carried on the prayers of our supporters and through the power of the Holy Spirit. God did such a good work in us and through us. Soli Deo Gloria!

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 11

2011-08-07T00:35:00.003-04:00

There will be no way to put into words how God moved mightily in our team today. We got off to an early start to head over to Sister Ruby's house for prayer. It has been a year and a half since Ruby died, but her ministry and upper room prayer time still live on. Mike and Coburn joined our team for prayer at Ruby's. This is always such an amazing time for our team as we come expecting the Lord to show up and speak to our hearts. We had a powerful time of worship and prayer and God was faithful to move in our midst. We all walked away from that time rejoicing and praising God for His love for us and for uniting our hearts in greater unity. I will be excited to see how God continues to reveal Himself and glorify Himself through our team. We are claiming His promise that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to bring it to completion.

After our team prayer time, we made our annual trip to the market for some shopping Nica style! All our teams have enjoyed this excursion and we figure it is our way of supporting the local economy.

We were then able to return to the Buzbees to sort and bag all the clothes that we brought this year. Even though we weren't able to bring nearly as much as in years past, we still ended up with a great amount of clothing to give. Most of the clothes we brought will go to the El Caimito community which is right adjacent to the Las Parcelas community where we were working this year. Brinson has developed a relationship with a woman who owns a small "convenient store" and now we will be blessing her with clothes to sell. This will not only support her family, but also be a great resource for both communities.

Team dinner was the end to a great day. We went out to La Plancha which is a great restaurant in Managua. We all enjoyed a plate of sizzling steak, chicken or fish... well, except for Katherine, but she found a veggie dish she liked. It was not only delicious, but a great time to simply celebrate with each other what God has done in us and through us this mission.

Tomorrow we will be up early and packed so we can go to Verbo Church. We'll be joining the nations in worship of Almighty God! We'll then head straight to the airport to head back to the States. It's hard to believe our time here in Nicaragua is almost over. The mission isn't over though, as the mission never ends!

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 10

2011-08-06T00:42:00.002-04:00

Every time I visit the dump, I can't help but think of what C.S. Lewis said, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." This is such a vivid picture of our lives and we see it, smell it and even taste it when we visit La Chureca (the city dump). An estimated 1000+ people live in the dump, making their homes out of whatever they can find and making their living out of what ever they can rummage and then sell. It is a horrible existence full of poverty, dysfunctional families, drug & alcohol problems, physical and sexual abuse and so much more.

The Buzbees have even rescued families and children from the dump and over and over again they return. Mike will often say, "You can take people out of the dump, but you can't take the dump out of people." How true this is of our lives as well. We look and see all that God has to offer and our complete joy would be found in our satisfaction in Him, yet we find ourselves in the dump making mud pies, every time we turn back to sin and self.

La Chureca always has a big impact on our team and this year was no exception. We were able to stop in at Collegio Christiano de Esperaza (the Hope School) that the Buzbees run right inside the dump. These kids are so precious, but every scar tells a story and every deep look into their eyes shows their inner hurt and pain. But praise God they are hearing the Gospel and receiving an education. We had fun joining them for recess and spreading some Gospel love their way.

After our time in La Chureca, we headed back to Las Parcelas for our time of dedication. But first we had to walk the playground equipment (it did get delivered, just to the wrong place) from Ruby Ranch to the school. We set it in and then had a time of dedication and prayer and shared our love and gifts with them and they did in return. The leader of the community was there and spoke on behalf of the children, the school and everyone in the community. They were so grateful and said they will be anxiously waiting for our return with open arms.

After the dedication, we took a road trip to the beach! Stepping foot into the Pacific and then swimming in it was a first for many on our team. It was a beautiful afternoon and sunset there.

We returned pretty exhausted, but full spiritually. We are all learning better how to walk in the Spirit, hear Him and join Him where He is working. It is excited to see all that God is doing in us individually and also corporately as a team. But our night wasn't complete without a little birthday celebration! It is Elise's birthday and so we had the whole team sneak down to the Rancho with the lights out and then had someone bring her down and "SURPRISE" - a party Nica style complete with birthday cake!

God is so good. We are so humbled and grateful for His presence and power. Please join us in prayer that God would move mightily for our last few days here! We will see you all soon!

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 9

2011-08-05T00:47:00.004-04:00

Today was a long day! We are a bit on the exhausted side after a long day out in Las Parcelas. This was Extreme Makeover School Edition day. We hit the ground running with paint, paint and more paint. We were able to re-coat the whole school and all the retaining walls around the playground. We installed the teacher's desk and chair and also the two whiteboards we purchased. The kids were so excited that they blindfolded the headmistress/teacher and did the big reveal for us.

These people in this community are so humble and grateful. It has been amazing to get to know them and play with their kids. The relationships we are forming will certainly last a lifetime. As Brinson told me today, this camp and then our work in their community has swung open the doors of ministry for the Buzbees in the Las Parcelas community.

Our team is doing great work and God has gifted us with a spirit of unity. It was so great for me as their leader to look out at different moments today and see the body of Christ at work. Without any direction - some painting, others fixing a swing, others playing with kids, others helping clean-up or get water for other team members.

God is so good. This mission continues to go beyond our expectations and we aren't done yet. The only disappointment of the day was that the playground equipment we ordered wasn't delivered. But we are trusting God that He is setting us up with another ministry opportunity to return when it does arrive and to install it. Thanks for your continued prayer support!

Mission Nicaragua :: guest blogger - Katie P

2011-08-04T09:32:00.002-04:00

Sunday was really fun and crazy but also a very powerful day. One of my favorite moments was after swimming I hung out with some nica chicos. We were having so much fun giggling, practicing English, and taking endless pictures and videos with my camera. It was such an awesome connection. I could be in the moment forever.

Sunday was also powerful because we presented the Gospel and how the kiddos could become part of God’s family. After we finished for the night we asked if anyone wanted to stay and talk. A group of girls were in the corner crying. No female translators were available, so knowing the little Spanish that I do I went to try and talk with them. God showed up in huge ways . A couple other girls on our team came over and prayed over the girls in English. Then each of the girls prayed for themselves in Spanish. I ended by praying for them in Spanish, saying, “God, thank you for accepting these girls into your family and for dying for them. Thank you for the gifts that you’ve given us through salvation, like peace and eternal joy. Bless these girls. Amen.” It was incredible seeing the girls so overcome by God’s power. They also said they were crying because we meant so much to them and they were sad to see us leave. We told them that we’d see each other again because God’s family will always be together in Heaven. Hermanas en Cristo para siempre!

Another day that meant a lot to me was Tuesday. Early that morning I sent the team off for a day of construction while I waited for Lila, a Nicaraguan artist that Masterpieces for Miskitos is collaborating with. She arrived at the compound about midmorning. She showed me some of her art and I showed her around the compound. We went up to the third floor, prayed, and discussed some ideas for the paintings. God really inspired us with his beautiful Nicaraguan landscapes and nature. We’ve decided to use that as the inspiration. God was prevalent throughout the day. He really showed me that He has big plans for this ministry and that He has brought Lila to us. I am so excited to see how God is going to use her and also touch lives in the process.

Being in this place, surrounded by so many people who are loving and serving God, with no distractions, and seeing God work so clearly; it’s an amazing place to be. Hey mom and dad, I wouldn’t come home if you’d let me (haha just kidding. Kind of) Love you! All is good here. Obviously.

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 8

2011-08-04T00:51:00.002-04:00

God is proving Himself faithful and working beyond our expectations and today was no exception. Our day started off with the routine of breakfast and team devotions and then time in His Word. God woke me up early again today and it wasn't too much later that I figured out why. I had an opportunity to connect with a friend down here who "randomly" showed up in the cabana where I was. It was such a God moment as I had the opportunity to listen and pray for this friend. We are all learning to hear the Spirit and follow His leading better each and every day.

While the team headed off to work at Las Parcelas, Brinson and I headed into Managua to grab some supplies for our surprise "Extreme School Makeover". Through our support raising as a team, we were able to purchase 2 whiteboards, 1 teacher desk and chair, paint for the playground, 2 new pieces of playground equipment and a few other supplies. God met us at each location by providing great deals on everything we purchased.

Taking these kids to Campo has really opened up some amazing doors of ministry. While we were shopping, the team was serving at the school by cleaning up the trash and landscaping Nica style. Parents of some of the campers brought corn and cheese as gifts to our team. Then they also surprised us by cooking a hot lunch for the team. This is a poor, rural farming community with generous and grateful hearts. We are praying about a strategic and long-term relationship with them and are excited about what the future could hold. You could definitely join us in praying for God's will in this!

After lunch, we played with the kids while painting their existing playground equipment. Nearly all of the kids we took to camp stuck around after school and the older kids that go to secondary school even came to hang with us. It was so much fun catching up with them and playing with them. We are all amazed at how quickly and deeply these relationships are forming.

Tomorrow we will present all that we have purchased and begin the installation process. We are also hoping to purchase more paint to update the exterior of the school building. Our time is running short and we are trying to accomplish all that God would have us to, so please continue to pray!

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 7

2011-08-03T00:30:00.003-04:00

We have successfully made the transition from camp to construction. It was a good transition for most. We went out to the Ruby Ranch, which is the Buzbees latest ministry venture. God has provided them with over 400 acres that they are hoping to develop in a number of ways to expand their current scope of ministry with outdoor activities, camps, recreation, farming and more! It is located right in the heart of Las Parcelas, which is the community where we took kids to camp from. We did see a few of them just traveling through, but our efforts were focused on clearing an area around the playground and then also one of the trails that leads to the top of a beautiful ridge. It was a day of hot, hard work, but God would renew our spirits with a breeze when needed most.

This community will benefit greatly from the Ranch and the Buzbees doing ministry out there. Our camp really opened some doors and I'm sure will continue to. Brinson and I went over to reconnect with the Headmaster of the school (who camp to camp) to see about projects we could do at the school. She told us how much camp impacted her students and how the parents can't wait to meet us and thank us. So we are looking forward to working there tomorrow and seeing where God's Spirit is leading us to serve.

Our team time at night has been really powerful as we are opening God's Word together and having 'iron sharpen iron' in our small group time. It is evident that God is working in our students hearts... and our leader's hearts as well. Also, our time alone with God each day has been so incredible. To sit in silence and solitude - with God's Word open and in prayer - in such a beautiful place is renewing. I'm so encouraged to see our students taking this time seriously and asking God to meet them and speak to them each morning.

We are past the halfway point in our mission. I'm sure it is getting hard on some of the students being away and I'm sure on some of the parents and families who are back in the States. Please continue to pray for the unity of our team and for God to strengthen us (and the families) for the remainder of this mission. We are still praying big prayers and asking God to do a big work in us and through us. Thank you for standing with us in prayer!

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 6

2011-08-02T00:29:00.002-04:00

This blog entry brought to you the word of the day: emotional rollercoaster. OK, that's two words, but you get the point. Today was our last day of camp. It started by introducing the campers to the Great American Polar Bear swim. They didn't quite get the concept since I'm guessing they've never seen a polar bear. Of course we are in Central America in the middle of summer, so the weather not winter-like and the water not freezing, but they had a great time doing a 6:30am swim in the lake.

We had abbreviated sessions this morning to fit everything in our half-day of camp. Each station allowed the Nica kids to pick their favorite thing from the week to do for the last day. Then we brought them all back together for our closing assembly where I shared a little challenge and prayer of blessing over them and then showed our end-of-camp slideshow. The kids loved seeing themselves on the big screen. Our last gift to them was to give them the backpacks we brought down that were loaded down with school supplies, toys and some personal hygiene items.

We went from smiles and excitement to tears as the realization that the bus was on the way. What an emotional day for all of us. God really allowed us to develop relationships with these kids and it was very difficult to say goodbye. We shared many hugs, exchanged tears and also prayed over the kids before we sent them on their way back to Las Parcelas. They were so excited to hear, though, that we will see them again soon when we go to their community for some construction projects and also to meet their families. But we finished off in true Campo form by chasing the bus down the driveway to say our goodbyes.

God truly answered our prayers in such a huge way with this year's Campo. He moved in power in all of our hearts and we are grateful!

On our return to the Buzbees, we stopped by Granada and the Catarina viewpoint. These are two historic (and very touristy) areas of Nicaragua. Granada is a colonial town that survived many of the bombings and wars in Nicaragua's history. It is known for it's beautiful architecture and friendly atmosphere. It was a good break for us prior to returning to hit the ground running again tomorrow. We aren't exactly sure what the Holy Spirit has in store for us personally or for our team to accomplish the remainder of this mission, but we are excited to follow His leading. Please continue to pray for our team and the work God has for us.

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 5

2011-08-01T08:38:00.000-04:00

God is so good. He has gone above and beyond all that we could truly ask or imagine. Our last full day of camp was amazing. Throughout the day I could sense that God's Spirit was moving in camp and He most definitely demonstrated that to us last night. I had the privilege of sharing the Gospel and inviting the Nica kids to respond if they had never trusted Christ as their Savior. After praying, seven kids stayed behind to talk with our team about the decision they had just made. When the other kids returned we had a big celebration for the ones who now have new life in Christ!

I am always so amazed to see the body of Christ at work. Our students ran their stations amazingly, loved the kids unreservedly and showed the Gospel through their lives. It is such a joy to serve as the pastor to these students. The Holy Spirit is at work in them here and I wait with anxious anticipation to see what God will continue to do through their lives.

Tomorrow is a half day for us at camp and one that is always a tough one. We have finally broken through some of the relationship barriers to grow to love these kids and them reciprocate that love. Camp isn't over and God isn't done working yet, so we appreciate your continued prayer support!

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 4

2011-07-31T10:44:00.000-04:00

Our first full day of camp is in the books. What an awesome day other than the time the Nica kids woke up. The boys started stirring (and by that I mean walking around talking loudly) at 4:52am. Apparently in their community they are up early to do chores and some have to then walk 4km to school. Most then go to bed when the sun sets, which would be around 7pm here.

But we managed with the lack of sleep and actually had a great day! We started off with the students leading their stations - arts/crafts, music, Bible, English and sports. Then on to lunch, swimming, dinner, chapel and a movie. It was a full day for sure, but one where God was definitely working! We are slowly seeing some of the walls come down when it comes to relationships and an openness to the camp experience. We are continuing to pray that the Nica kids see the Gospel through our lives, our smiles & hugs and when the Word of God goes out, we are claiming that it goes out and doesn't return void!

I think I can speak for everyone when I say that despite feeling physically tired, our souls are coming alive and being renewed by the Spirit. Not only are we having good time alone by being unplugged and having uninterrupted time with the Lord, but we are also having good team time together in the Word. Last night we tackled all of chapter two of Galatians and looked at the freedom we find in the Gospel. We talked about how the Gospel exposes our hypocrisy and we were all challenged to look into our hearts and as the question, "Where does hypocrisy manifest in my life? Where am I believing something that I'm not living?" And then how can I surrender that to Almighty God. How can we daily crucify our sin, our self our desires, our dreams, etc. in Christ so that we no longer live but it is Christ who lives in us (Gal. 2:20).

Please join us in praying that God will continue to work powerfully in our camp tomorrow and the rest of the time that we are here. We are believing that God is going to save souls and change lives this week. We are preaching the Gospel to ourselves and preaching it in word and deed every day! Thanks for standing with us in prayer. Don't forget that we have a prayer guide online at wildwoodstudents.com!

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 3

2011-07-30T13:58:00.004-04:00

We were off and running today with an early start finishing up some last minute details and preparation before the campers arrived. Then around 11am a bus full of children, their teacher and family and a few moms as chaperones arrived from the community of Las Parcelas. We found out that many of these kids have never left their community before and most have never swam in open water. They commented on how beautiful everything was on their ride up and then when the bus pulled up they were a little shell shocked! It's interesting how each group we've had a camp has had a different 'personality' and these are definitely more on the shy and reserved side.

But God has allowed us to start gaining trust and building relationships. After orientation and room assignments, we had lunch and then down to the lake to go swimming. Then comes a bit of down time before dinner. Our first evening session was a blast as we played a classic student ministry balloon game with them. We also had a time of worship and then Katie Robertson shared her testimony before I preached. I'm doing a series about "People who met Jesus." We are looking at the reality that when people met Jesus they always left changed. Please pray that the Gospel would be clear as I preach and that many students this week would meet Jesus!

Capping off the night is a movie, which gives our team a chance to get together and debrief, open the Word together and also have small group time. We shoot for getting the kids to bed a bit on the early side since they are usually up with the sun (which around here is around 5:30am).

God is already working and I've been so excited to see how hungry our students are to go deeper in their walk with Christ and also strive to live out the Gospel in word and deed. It is truly a picture of the body of Christ as the each work together to make camp happen. Tomorrow will be our first full day where they each run their respected stations and get to put into action everything they have practiced and prepared for.

Please continue to pray for us and don't forget that in addition to my blog, you can follow us at twitter.com/wildwoodstudent or facebook.com/pages/Mission-Nicaragua for pictures and updates.

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 2

2011-07-29T07:08:00.001-04:00

What an awesome day God gave us today. We were up pretty early after our first night here in Nicaragua - grabbing breakfast, having team devotional time and individual time alone with God. Then it was a quick repack to get everything ready to head down to Camp. We had an amazing ride on the Pan American highway which winds us up in elevation and through many different towns on the way to Campo Alegria. For many on our team, this was a great chance to see alot of Nicaragua! It's about a two-hour ride the finishes through a rural farming community that is loaded down with corn fields, sugar cane fields and banana fields.

We arrived at Camp pretty hungry, so after our famous Nicaragua lunch (PB&J) we took some time to get settled (aka take a nap, relax and swim in the lake) before having to get set-up. Our cooks prepared an amazing dinner of nacatamales, arroz blanco, ensalada, fruitas, y plantanos fritos. Delicioso! After dinner we had our nightly team time. God laid on my heart to walk the team through the book of Galatians this year. So after we do some in-depth time in the Word, we have some time in our small groups for discussion and prayer. God is already and work and we can all sense that He is going to do something great this trip!

The chiaulas (like a small gnat) were the worst we've ever seen down here. Sometimes you can see the wind carrying what looks like a brown cloud and it's them! The wind died down right before bedtime and they were everywhere in the rooms! We were all covered in them. Thankfully God sent an amazing storm across the lake around 2am, which was not only an awesome display of His power, but sent a breeze to move them along (except the ones already swarming the rooms!) Needless to say, it was an exciting night of sleep (or lack thereof) for most on the team.

We are excited about the kids from Las Parcelas arriving so we can start camp! These are children that have never been to any camp before and most have never left their community. I would imagine some have never ridden a bus before. Not only will they enjoy the beauty and activities of camp, but more importantly, we are praying that they would be met here by God Almighty and experience the gospel in word and deed. Please join us in praying to that end!

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 1

2011-07-28T06:33:00.002-04:00

We have made it and awoke to a beautiful morning here in Nicaragua! Despite being pretty exhausted we had a good team time in the Word last night looking at John 14. We are praying that the power of the Holy Spirit would fill us and do a mighty work this week. Our hearts are united and we are definitely praying for the "greater things". We are asking God to show up in power and do a work that could only point credit and honor His direction!

Our travel day yesterday was relatively uneventful. Our first stop after leaving Tallahassee was my parents' house in Jacksonville where they had an amazing spread for us for lunch (we'll do anything to avoid airport food & prices)! Then we were off to Jacksonville to find Chelsea and celebrate her birthday. Again this year, we overloaded the tiny prop plane with 50lb bags full of supplies and clothing. They asked 3 people to get off due to weight restrictions - luckily none were on our team!

Touched down in Miami with only an hour layover, which if you've ever been on Concourse D is about how long it takes to walk from one side to the other (which we had to do) and we had to grab dinner. Our plane was late to arrive so it did give us a delay in which to eat our dinner before boarding.

God gave us some great opportunities for our team to share the Gospel and about our mission on the flights and in the airport. I'm excited about this team's willingness to "be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope we have" and engage in gospel conversations. We've been strong on the "deed" and the "hands and feet" and now most are gaining the confidence to speak the truth in love!

Today we will get our supplies ready and head down to Campo Alegria. This will give us a head start on the kids from Las Parcelas who arrive on Friday. We'll spend the afternoon setting up our stations and doing some test runs so we will be ready to hit the ground running. Pray for our travels to camp and for these kids that will be coming!

Shameless Persistence in Prayer

2010-09-08T23:09:00.001-04:00

Grateful seems like a lackluster word when it comes to God's revelation and work in one's life. This summer was an amazing time that couldn't of come at a more crucial time in my journey with Christ. As draining as a summer in student ministry can be, it is always also such a rewarding time. So much prep and prayer goes into our camps, activities and mission trips that when God shows up and works powerfully in our students' lives... it is so encouraging. But none of that compares to being closely connected with Christ and personally renewed and challenged.

I wish I had been more disciplined to journal everything in real time, but now I'm looking back in a more collective way, but also want to hone in on one specific area. I went into summer with a desire to really hear from God and be better disciplined in prayer. And God was faithful to answer my heart's desire.

Learning to listen in my communication with God has been one of the more difficult tasks. I've always been good on the talking end of things. But thankfully God is in the process of sharpening my hearing to recognize His voice and notice His movement around me. But just recently He opened my eyes to another aspect of prayer that has largely been neglected in my life. And He did this through a familiar passage, and a real life example.

My three boys all share a common trait... persistence. All three are unique and persistence shows up differently and with different foci and what's interesting is I don't recall ever teaching them the value of persistence. My big boy is persistent when it comes to an activity he wants to do or something he feels he just has to have. The three year old, at this point, is the most persistent when it comes to my attention. It usually takes the form of "dad, dad, dad, dad..." until I respond. The little boy shows his persistence through grunts and pointing - especially when hungry.

Jesus actually explains a very similar father/son scenario in Luke chapter 11 when He was teaching His disciples how to pray (in response to their request). He likens God's response to His childrens' prayers like a father who hears His kids requests and responds.

But the verse that really captured my attention was verse 5, "if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence" (NLT).

Shameless persistence. Two words I would love my prayer life to be described with. Not whining, not nagging and not on the opposite end of thoughtless toss-ups. But a persistence that comes before the Lord, imploring Him to respond. A dedication to faithfully come into God's presence believing He hears us and stands ready to answer.

I am more and more aware that He is always speaking. The question now becomes am I willing to labor in prayer with a shameless persistence that is aligned with His will? Will my life be marked by dangerous prayers and bold dreams? Can I follow Christ's example of constant communication with the Father? Do I truly believe the more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams?

Shameless persistence in prayer... only by His grace and for His glory.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 17

2010-08-13T06:55:00.005-04:00

It is always a difficult day realizing that it is your final day on the field. Of course, at 4:30 in the morning - you aren't doing much processing. We had a long day of travel to return to the States and praise God a pretty uneventful one. We had two good flights and a really long layover in between to do some individual reflecting and to start decompressing a bit from the mission.

There is so much about these missions that breathe life into our soul and give us a glimpse of Heaven that makes it difficult to leave. They are mountaintop moments that create a greater longing for the things of God as we've labored for the Kingdom. I'm always amazed, year after year, how God shows up in power and meets our teams and works in and through our teams as we make our lives available to do His will.

This year was no exception. God has done a good work in our teams and in our hearts individually. He spoke and we listened, He loved and we loved in return, He gave and we received, He called and we answered. He allowed us to deepen our relationships with Him and each other, but also to form new relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ hundreds of miles away. God graced us to see the work of our hands - in the construction at the church, painting at the school and running the camp.

We're all a team together and we all work side by side, but there are some amazing leaders who labored for the mission and poured into our team that need my thanks... Debbie, Joel, Rhonda & Clay - you guys were awesome and I can't thank you enough for how you loved our students and stepped in to serve behind the scenes and without prompting.

To all of you that supported us - whether financially, through prayer or simply by reading and following our mission teams - we are very grateful for you. It takes more than our team on the ground to complete the mission and we realize that. So it is from the bottom of our heart that we first and foremost thank God for giving us the opportunity to go and the abilities needed to serve. We also thank our church family for the support and and all of you who stood in the gap for us. Finally, I can't thank my family enough for making the sacrifice to allow me to fulfill my God-given calling and to be away for extended periods of time. I know the sacrifice isn't always easy, but the rewards will be eternal.

At some point, we will all have to accept that Mission Nicaragua 2010 is over - our work is done - but we also know full well that THE mission is never over and we have MUCH work to be done! So let's not waste our lives!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 16

2010-08-11T23:28:00.001-04:00

Today we rode the wave of emotions in all of our activities and ministry time. We started our morning with a visit to La Chureca (the Managua city dump) which is always an eye-opening experience. There are so many parallels to the dump and the sin in our lives. It is heart-breaking to see the conditions that these families live and work in. But there is a ray of hope in the dump - Colegio Christiano Esperanza is the school in the dump that the Buzbees run. It was such a blast to stop by and see the children and to have some time to play with them.

After our time in the dump, we went over to Sister Ruby's for our time of worship and prayer as a team. God definitely met us in that upper room of her home and the Spirit was moving freely. God had many encouraging and challenging words for our team. Our hearts were drawn closer to the Lord and to each other as a result of our time there. Praise God that Ruby's ministry continues on after her death.

For our afternoon, we had our tour day and this team chose like the last to go to the market and then to the zipline. The market is an experience that you don't quickly forget and the ziplines were likewise, an awesome experience. We had to navigate them in some rain, but it didn't damper anyone's fun!

As if our day wasn't busy and exhausting enough, we capped it off with our team dinner out. We ate a La Finca and had a great meal and a great time of fellowship together.

It's always hard to come together after your last full day... especially knowing that the morning is coming really early for us. We'll but up by 4:30a to head out to the airport for our first leg. Please be in prayer for us as we travel and as we return. Pray that the good work God did in us and through us would be etched into our hearts and minds.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 15

2010-08-10T23:12:00.002-04:00

The camp team traded in their hats today for some construction helmets as we went to work in Los Cedros today. Our team divided and one half tackled removing rock from the new room at the church and then back filling it will dirt to prepare it for the concrete floor. The other workers were busy welding and getting the support beams in place for the roof. It's not quite ready to open for use, but it's getting closer by the day.

Our other half of the team trekked over the Christian school to help bleach the stone sidewalks that get algae growth during the rainy season. This team worked diligently spraying bleach and scrubbing to bring life back to the sidewalks. One of our construction teams laid nearly all of the sidewalks out at the school (some 450 stones) in 2006.

Both teams joined up for lunch at the school and to see many of the kids we took to Campo with us. The younger kids go to school in the morning and the older kids in the afternoon. We enjoyed seeing them in the classroom and also participating in recess with them.

As we walked through Los Cedros, we also found many of our kids at their homes and were warmly welcomed to come inside, have a seat and meet the rest of the family. We heard from the parents what a great impact the camp had on their kids and many shared stories when they returned all evening long. It was a great reminder that God only knows what an eternal impact that camp had on the lives of the kids and their families. God truly orchestrated these meetings as we really had no idea where any of the kids lived!

We also took the time to stop by Mauorje's house (2008) and Sylvia's house (2005). Three of Slyvia's kids came with us to campo. This is always a special time for me personally to spend time cultivating relationships that have formed through the years, but also special for the current team to feel the connection to teams of the past that have labored for the Gospel in Nicaragua and specifically Los Cedros.

Tomorrow is our last full day here in Nica and we'll start the day with a visit to the dump and to Sister Ruby's for prayer. Then we've got our tour day to have some team time together just having fun. Thanks for your continued prayer support!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 14

2010-08-09T23:04:00.002-04:00

We knew this day was eventually going to come... the last day of camp. As tiring as camp can be, it is always difficult to say goodbye to the kids. God has shown up in such a powerful way at camp. Not only has our team done an amazing job working together to pull off camp, but God really seemed to be at work in the lives of the kids. The kids asked great questions, listened well to God's Word and a good many even accepted Christ! And besides all of that we just had a great time with them and were honored to provide that experience for them.

I can't imagine the stories that are being shared even tonight as the children returned home. Some are definitely returning to less that ideal conditions whether it be family dynamics or socio-economic conditions. Yet what they have experienced and received can never be taken away from them. Our prayer is that they would always remember what God did in their hearts at Campo Alegria 2010.

After our morning sessions we brought everyone back together for a going away celebration. We started it off right with a whack at our pinatas. There's nothing more fun, yet scary than these kids with a baseball bat in their hands and swinging it around blindfolded! We then gathered together for our closing assembly. I was able to share a simple blessing and prayer for their lives. Then we showed the camp highlights slideshow - and the kids love seeing themselves up on the screen. Finally, we handed out the backpacks that we provided for them. Each one was loaded with school supplies, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, bubbles, t-shirt, small toy and a stuffed animal. They were so excited to open them and so grateful to receive them. What a blessing for us to be able to provide this for them.

Then in true Nica fashion we chased the bus down the drive to say our final goodbye. But it will be a short lived goodbye as we are going to their community of Los Cedros tomorrow to visit them at school and even visit some of their homes. I'm sure it will be an eye opening experience for us to see where they come from and how they live.

We also had a good team time tonight. Many thoughts and ideas where shared about camp and how we can improve for next year. We also talked through some expectations that weren't met and how sometimes God can show up in unexpected and unplanned ways. We are all trying to train our eyes to see God moments and train our ears to hear His voice. And above all we want to see and know Him for who He is and live our lives in obedience to Him. Please continue to pray for us in our remaining time here.

PS - A special anniversary shout out to Santee from Rhonda here in Nica!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 13

2010-08-08T23:06:00.001-04:00

With each passing day I believe I understand more what Jesus meant when He called to some little children who had gathered around and said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." There is such innocence and joy in the eyes of a child. Yet wrapped up in such a small package is a heart that is sinful and separated from God. But praise God for the opportunity to point them to Jesus!

Today was our last full day here at Campo Alegria. It's amazing how smoothly things are going and how well our students are doing in their various roles. We are really bonding well with the kids as we share life together here and I know tomorrow will be a tough day for all of us as we have to say goodbye.

This afternoon the camp staff created an awesome water slide that pumped water up from the lake. The kids flew down the dunes on plastic into a small pool at the bottom and had a blast! Our team joined in the action and amazingly we all walked away accident free. We also opened up the zipline again. These are activities that these children would have never normally had the opportunity to participate in and will give them lifelong memories of Campo.

Tonight was also a special night during our evening worship. The kids have been working on learning verses all camp during their Bible class and tonight they were able to stand before everyone and recite them. How awesome to see God's Word being hidden in their heart. Then I had the privilege to preach the Gospel tonight and give the kids an opportunity to pray and receive Christ. Many indicated that they were already Christ-followers but we also had about 10 or so kids pray to receive Christ tonight! We always love seeing those pass from death to life and become adopted into the family of God. Praise God!

We will be capping off camp tomorrow with a shortened schedule but a full one. We are praying that God does a mighty work on the last day of camp - in the kids lives and in our hearts as well. Thanks for your continued prayer support - it is evident all around us!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 12

2010-08-07T23:07:00.001-04:00

Today was our first full day of camp and we are thankful that God gave us the strength to make it considering the campers woke us up around 5:00 am when the sun is just coming up. Needless to say, no matter how much we "prepare" for this reality, it never hits you until it happens. Some of our teamies have the gift of being able to sleep through it... and probably a small tornado since that is what morning around the cabins sounds like!

I can't tell you how awesome it is for me as a pastor to see the body of Christ at work. After breakfast and our time of worship, our students started leading their respected areas (art/craft, Bible, sports and music). God has gifted our students and given them great abilities that come together to make a really fun camp. At times it is difficult to keep the Nica kids engaged, but between the zip line for sports and tye dying t-shirts they were having a blast. But they definitely look forward to their time down on the beach swimming in the lake. I don't think any of us have carried, thrown or been attacked in the water by more kids than we have here!

It would appear that we're starting to wear some of the Nica kids out (no comment about us yet). We were coloring after swim time only to look up and see Oscar asleep on the paper he started coloring. After dinner we do worship and teaching and then a movie where we lost a few more Nica kids to exhaustion.

So far so good - camp is off to a great start! God seems to be knitting our hearts together with the kids and for that we are grateful. So not only are they making friends, but hopefully they are seeing and hearing the Gospel from us. I had the opportunity to preach tonight and lay out the Gospel and they are also getting more during their Bible station. So please join us in praying that God's Word would land on fertile soil and take good root!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 11

2010-08-06T23:37:00.001-04:00

Our last relaxing morning where we could sleep in a bit is gone and will be replaced by the sound of children stirring around 5:30am. So while we could, we had some time to simply enjoy the beauty of God's creation here at camp and have some time alone in His Word... just desiring to hear from Him.

But shortly after... camp officially began! In the distance we heard the sound of the bus coming down the dirt road so we jumped up to form our welcoming line. We have 49 children that have joined us from the Los Cedros community. We put on a camp two years ago and we immediately saw a few familiar faces, but the good majority have never been to Campo Alegria before. We have Abran, Mahaila & Louie with us from a home we built in Los Cedros five years ago. It was awesome for me personally, to get to see them (even though we go see them every year) and have them at camp with us.

Camp went well for our first day as we got some of our activities underway, did our first evening session, had swim time, free time and just great chances to start interacting with the kids and learning their names. They seem to be a good group of kids and are incredibly excited to be here at camp. We're already bonding with them and communicating the universal language of love through physical touch. All of these kids long to be held, played with or to tackle you during swim time. Everywhere we go, we have little shadows.

It's such a amazing reminder that Jesus said that the Kingdom was for the little ones and that entry would be through the faith of a child. So following Jesus model, we are striving to love the kids and point them to Christ.

We were able to sneak away during our evening movie to grab some team time together. Camp is pretty fast paced and you are on duty 24/7, so having some time together or even individual time with the Lord can be a challenge. But God is already meeting us here in our time and we are seeing Him at work among us and the camp in general. Thanks for continuing to stand with us in prayer!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 10

2010-08-05T22:52:00.000-04:00

Well the transition has taken place and the handoff has been made from our construction team to our camp team. We sent our construction team off bright and early to the airport, despite the girls sleeping through their alarm and having to move very quickly to get moving!

The camp team was able to get a good night's rest and transition to Nica time. We had a good team time together as we opened the Word and accepted the challenge to "set our minds and hearts on things above" for this mission. Our prayer is that God would meet us here - in our time together and our time alone in the Word.

We loaded up the bus and left the Buzbees around mid-morning for camp. It's a bit over a two hour ride to camp, but we pass through many unique towns and get a beautiful view of Nica as we travel up in elevation. We arrived at Campo Alegria and had our lunch and some down time before getting unloaded and preparing for the kids arrival in the morning. We had great weather and the camp is located on Lake Nicaragua which is one of the largest freshwater lakes and also has Volcan Concepcion in the middle. The only drawback to the beauty is some of God's little creatures that are swarming, crawling and pretty much everywhere so most are having to get beyond their bug-phobias pretty quickly!

Our camp staff prepared an amazing traditional Nica dinner of nacatamales, rice, plantains, fruit and rice pudding for our dinner which was a great way for us to start camp together! After dinner we had our team time and took a look into God's Word before moving into our small groups for discussion and prayer. We hope to get one more good night of rest before the Nica kids arrive tomorrow and our sleep schedules change drastically!

I am just praising God for how He moved in our construction team and the work that we were able to accomplish and now we are praying with expectation for God to again meet us here and move through this camp team as well. We are looking forward to getting camp going and bringing the hope of the Gospel and the love of Christ to these kids. We appreciate you joining us in prayer!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 9

2010-08-05T02:10:00.002-04:00

Today really couldn't have been a better day for the construction team. We started with our annual visit to the dump (La Chureca) which is home to an estimated 1200 residents with around 800 being children. It is such an eye-opening and heart wrenching place to visit. There are many spiritual analogies that can be seen to our own lives and our faith journey. Then after the dump we all gathered a Sister Ruby's for a time of prayer and worship. Ruby was an amazing evangelist and prophetess who passed away earlier this year, but God continues to use her legacy and home as a powerful place of ministry. God definitely showed up and spoke into our lives. But we also celebrate the new life that came to our translators!

No visit to Ruby's is complete without stopping by our friend Damaris' home. We did construction on her home three years ago. She is a single mother of six and has a hard life, but is a dear sister in Christ. She welcomed us into her home and we enjoyed a few moments catching up with her and praying for her.

After Ruby's the team headed out to the market in hunt of good deals and in support of the local economy! Then it was off to the team excursion time. This year the team chose a zip line tour over the canopy and a crater lake. A great time was had by all... well almost all... the ones brave enough (or well enough) to participate!

We capped off the day with our team dinner out and had a great time together. We brought our translators and Santos (who is the Buzbees construction foreman) and his wife and two boys with us. It was fun to enjoy some of the local food and spend this last night together as a team.

Our camp team arrived safely and were pretty exhausted. I'm looking forward to jumping in with them as we will travel down to Lake Nicaragua tomorrow to prepare for the Nica kids arrival on Friday. Our construction team has to be up and moving at 4:30a to catch their first flight. So please keep them in your prayers as they travel and our camp team as we hit the ground running tomorrow!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 8

2010-08-04T06:15:00.002-04:00

It is always a bittersweet day when it is our last on the worksite. We were excited to complete the construction of the walls and begin the process of having the interior ready for a concrete floor. The only thing lacking is to put on the roof, which is a bit beyond our skill set! We also completed the painting project at the school and it looks great. The tough part of the day, however, is saying goodbye. So many kids would come by everyday to simply hang out with us and play with us during our breaks - and we had a blast building relationships with them. It's always hard to say goodbye.

Last night after dinner we had a very special celebration... a surprise birthday party for Debbie. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics because I went down pretty hard after the workday with some sort of sickness. I'm not sure what it is yet, but it wasn't fun for sure... but I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Rob Campbell of the FSU med team and his care and medication. While I was resting, our team had their group time of worship and prayer and I hear God's Spirit moved in a powerful way. Our times at night have been really powerful this year.

Tomorrow is our last day and looks to be a busy one! We will start the day with a visit to the dump and then prayer time at Sister Ruby's house. Then the team choose a zip line excursion for their afternoon fun time (after our annual visit to the market). We'll finish it all up with our team dinner out at a restaurant. Then we will be awaiting the arrival of our camp team later tonight. As always, we appreciate your continued prayer support.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 7

2010-08-03T01:23:00.003-04:00

After having a great morning of time alone with God and breakfast we were off and running in the van (which made for a crowded, bumpy ride) to Los Cedros. Today we divided to conquer our two projects. The patient type went over to paint at the school - finishing up the trim and working on a second coat in places on the preschool building. Painting is always more fun with school kids running around you and trying to help you paint! Actually, it was fun to be out and see many familiar faces from working in Los Cedros so many years and taking their kids down to camp.

Our hardcore construction crew really got to go at it today as the interior wall had to be demolished. Nothing like serving Jesus with a sledgehammer! We also got to most of the rear wall up to height and the side wall up to height as well. The final step today was removing some of the existing roof to prepare for the new roof to go up on the addition. It's definitely exciting to see both projects nearing completion.

And again, nothing helps the work go by faster than having some regular breaks to hang with the neighborhood kids. Most days we've had kids stopping by on their way to school and then hanging out with us after school. Some will even jump right in with a shovel and help mix concrete or move blocks. Of course, besides the help, we do love running around or playing some soccer with them as well.

Today we also returned to Rosa's home and then Aurela's home. We met these sweet ladies out prayer walking and had the med team come by and check them out. We also assessed some of their needs and were able to go to the grocery store and stock them up with some food which we delivered today. They were so grateful to receive it and we were honored to have another chance to pray and spend time with them.

Despite the rain, no day is complete without a guys' game of animal ball in the pool. We've introduced our translators to this game and they've paid the price for joining us!

God continues to show up and speak through His word in our team time and small group time each night. Tonight we looked at the reality that we are temples of the Lord and the implications on our lives. Then a few verses later in 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about being found faithful in the end and we made that our prayer not only for this mission, but our lives! We so appreciate your prayer support as we are in the homestretch of our mission here in Nica!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 6

2010-08-01T23:29:00.002-04:00

What a blessing to be able to join with the nations in worship of Almighty God today. For whatever reason, being outside the States helps give us a better picture of the reality that the nations are lifting up their voices of praise to God and we got to be a part of that celebration.

We went to Verbo Church in the morning, where the Buzbees attend. This church has a very international feel to it and is very familiar to what we would experience. And it is always cool to think that while we are worshipping in Nicaragua in Spanish, Wildwood is worshipping the same God hundreds of miles away in English. Verbo has a full praise band, screens and an translator for the many teams that join with the Nicas in worship there. We recognized a few of the songs and we able to join in English. The sermon was delivered by a guest speaker and gave the teams alot to talk about based on some of the Scriptures used and theology. But I was encouraged by our students discernment in listening.

After morning worship we just enjoyed our Sabbath by hanging out here at the Buzbee farm. It was a great chance to relax, read some and enjoy fellowship with each other before heading off to Los Cedros for evening worship.

Pastor Manuel's church in Los Cedros is quite a different experience. Thankfully God provided a nice breeze and the ceiling fans helped. This church is quite a bit smaller, but just a passionate in worship from the youngest to the oldest. Everyone in the church puts on their best and walks to church. Rain or shine and no matter how hot it is outside and inside the people gather with joyful spirits and spent a good hour in worship through singing. There are no screens, few instruments and a meager sound system, yet it seems none of that matters.

I had the opportunity to preach and was grateful to have Carlos translating for me. Carlos was a translator for our med team in April and an awesome young man of God. Oftentimes, the worship service in Los Cedros can last for 2-3 hours, so I'm sure it was a relief for our team to see me get called up to preach and then Pastor Manuel not preaching after I had finished! At the end of the service the whole team stood up front in a line and was personally greeted by nearly every member in attendance. They are so warm and welcoming and it is so great to grow the relationships we've built with that community of faith for the last 5 years.

Tomorrow we are back to work as we only have a few more days to finish the addition and the painting project at the school. We're grateful to God for the strength He is giving us and look forward to how He continues to work in us and through us. Keep praying!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 5

2010-07-31T23:30:00.001-04:00

It is pretty hard to believe that we are about halfway through our mission. This team has been hard at work on the church extension (and it has helped that we have some great brick masons helping us) so the back wall is almost complete! But today, we only worked a half day at the church and then went over to Collegio Christiano Havilah to do some painting.

Before we left to go paint, we had the opportunity to go around to some church members in the community to do some visits with Pastor Manuel. We met a sweet lady today who has some sickness and pain that limits her mobility and she, like most in Los Cedros, barely has enough money to feed herself or her children. Elizabeth (RN) came with us to see her and make a diagnosis. We brought her medicine back to her and spent some time praying with her and getting to know her story. We will also make a run to the store to try to stock her up on some food.

Over the past missions we have done multiple projects at the school. One year we laid nearly 450 concrete stones to make sidewalks, we've done the foundation for the preschool building, painted a mural in the preschool building and even taken some children from the school down to camp. The school is run by Pastor Manuel and his wife who love the community and especially the children.

Working at the school is always a blessing - especially engaging with the kids, but they were out of school today... which actually made the painting go by faster. We were able to get the exterior first coat done and will be back on Monday to do a second coat and also the trim.

Tonight during our team time we took a look at our responsibility and privilege to be a laborer for Christ. Matthew 9 tells us that the fields are ready for harvest, but the laborers are few. And I believe that it has always been the case that there are more loiterers than laborers! Our prayer tonight was that God would strip us of our excuses and rid us of our fear and by His grace and the power of His Holy Spirit would allow us to be faithful to tell those who haven't heard. And we realize that this is not just in NIcaragua, but in our families, friendships, places of work and even school campuses.

It can seem overwhelming to think that an estimated 4 billion people in the world do not know Christ and even an estimated 1.5 billion of those have never heard or don't have access to the Gospel. We prayed that we would have the "beautiful feet" that Romans 10 tells us "brings the good news of the Gospel."

God is doing a good work in our hearts individually and corporately. We praise Him for what He is teaching us, showing us and working through us. As always, we covet your prayers.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 4

2010-07-30T23:26:00.002-04:00

I wanted to start by simply saying what an amazing privilege it is to take these teams down to Nicaragua each year. This team has hit the ground running in so many different ways and it is such a joy to be able to labor together for the Kingdom. And even more rewarding is seeing God work in and through each and everyone on our team as their God given gifts, abilities and personalities are used for His glory.

We are making good progress on the two exterior walls at the church that we are building from the ground up. Once the process gets going, it seems to move a bit quicker each day. Today, we poured the forms for the columns and center rebar, so we are over halfway there on these two walls.

Today the FSU med team was serving at the same church in Los Cedros. This gave us the opportunity to see them in action, but also brought alot more people to the church that we could interact with and more kids to play with in our down time. We also took some time this afternoon to travel a few streets over to a home we build two years ago in Los Cedros. This was the home of Mauroje, a widow who is a member of the church. She lives at the base of a small mountain that after we spent some time with her and her family and prayed for them, we all decided to climb to get a view of all of Los Cedros. It was an exciting adventure to say the least and we all had a very challenging climb up a rock face to make it to the top.

We came back tonight and in the midst of God's fireworks show (lightning all around) we sang praises and opened up his Word up on the 3rd floor for our team time tonight. We looked at passages in Isaiah that show God's majesty and our necessary response and it seemed very fitting as He displayed His majesty all around us!

God is doing a good work. We appreciate and cover your prayers each day as we hope to see Christ formed in us and work through us. We're off to more brick laying tomorrow at the church and hopefully an afternoon of painting over at the Christian school where we have served before on two other trips.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 3

2010-07-30T00:03:00.005-04:00

Another hot but beautiful day working in Los Cedros at the church. We are really making good progress as we get a bit more handy at making the rebar, mixing the concrete, moving the block and making the mortar. God has definitely put together a great team as we all enjoy working together and serving each other. It is so awesome for me as a pastor to see the body of Christ at work and to be a part of it.

A special part of our time here in Nica each year is going back and seeing our previous team projects and families. Today we want back to a home that we built 5 years ago. No one other than myself was on that team, but we have seen this family each year. It was such a blessing to reconnect and hear how they are doing and their 5 children and to pray for them.

Today we hit a few slow spots which gave us some awesome opportunities to play with the local kids after they get out of school. I always come down loaded with trinkets, stickers, candy and more. We simply were sharing the love of Christ through the universal language of "playing" today and giving of gifts. Many of the kids just love hanging out at the worksite and even pitched in to help us move block today.

During another slower portion of our day, a segment of our team broke away to go on a prayer walk through Los Cedros. Many had never prayer walked before and came back very excited with stories of neighbors they met and prayed with. They were also able to give out a good many of the Spanish Bibles we brought with some of our team's testimonies that had been translated to Spanish inside. God's Spirit was moving ahead of this team and gave them many ministry opportunities as they walked the streets. Everyone is very community oriented and open to having someone approach their home and even pray with them. It is definitely a change from the way things are in the States.

Tonight after dinner we had our annual 'unpack all the donated clothes fashion show and dance party' in the Rancho. Many thanks to those of you who gave clothes to the ministry down here and also for our temporary enjoyment tonight. It's always a huge undertaking, but somehow the fashion show and dance party makes the tedious work go by a bit faster. The clothes are such a blessing to those down here who will receive them and have so little.

Our day tomorrow will bring us a bit closer to the completion of the back room at the church and we'll also get to see the FSU med team in action as they will be doing a clinic inside the church in Los Cedros while we are working outside. We might also be able to start our painting project at the Christian school in Los Cedros tomorrow as well. Thanks for your continued prayer support!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 2

2010-07-28T22:13:00.001-04:00

We have our first official day here in Nica under our belt. It was a hot, sunny day but I guess God showed us his favor with some rain that cooled us off... other than the rain later turned into a torrential downpour! But in true Nica fashion - the work continued! Today we worked at Pastor Manuel's church in Los Cedros. Pastor has become a dear friend to our teams as we have spend much time in Los Cedros. We've hosted med clinics, built homes, worked at the church, worshipped at the church, taken kids to camp and built and worked at the Christian school there. So being in Los Cedros definitely feels like home for us. We even got to see some familiar faces already.

We spent today building rebar, mixing concrete and painting some support beams for the roof. Our primary project at the church is adding a children's "wing" to the back of the church. There is already an existing small room that we are going to expand to the wall height and then build out new walls, while taking down the dividing wall. This will be a huge blessing for the church to give their children and young people a place to gather and be taught the Word.

The bus ride back from Los Cedros is always exciting, but more after we made our pit stop at the grocery store and some of our guys decided to have a hot sauce chugging challenge. Just thinking the the bus with limited water wasn't the best choice, but who actually thinks those things through ahead of time right?!

Our team time is always a highlight of our time together at night where we open the Word and open our hearts before the Lord and each other. We covet your prayer support!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 1

2010-07-27T23:57:00.002-04:00

Well it seems of late that my posting is only happening while on the mission field. I sincerely wish that weren't the case, but setting aside the time to blog has been on the back burner, but it a shame - not so much for my readers - but for me personally. It is always a great practice for me and an encouragement in my walk with Christ to be able to online journal what He is up to in my life and ministry.

I find myself here again in Nicaragua, this time down with two great teams of high school, college students and adults. The first team and I arrived safely tonight and are excited about what God has in store for us this week. It would appear that we have a few construction projects already lined up working in the community of Los Cedros where we have served for many years now.

Please be praying for us - that God's Spirit would move in a powerful way in and through our teams. Our desire is to be faithful to minister the Gospel in word and deed as we make new relationships and build on existing relationships here in Nicaragua. Don't forget you can follow us on twitter.com/wwoutreach as well.

Med Mission Nica: Day 7

2010-04-24T00:33:00.001-04:00

It's was a bittersweet day on our full last day here in Nicaragua. What a blessing to be able to make our annual visit to La Chureca (the city dump) even though it is a heart breaking experience. Over 1000 people call the dump home with many young children making their home there. The Buzbees have multiple ministries going on in the dump - from medical and re-nutrition to education with the Christian School. We were able to drive through this morning and then stop and the school and see the kids. After a visit at the school we walked around the dump to see some of the residents that Elizabeth ministers to.

From there we headed over to Sister Ruby's house. Ruby was a dear friend and awesome evangelist and prophetess who ministered right outside the dump in a neighboring community. Our teams have always visited for a time of prayer and this team was no exception. And even though it was different since Ruby's home-going, it was still a powerful time of prayer as a team. The Holy Spirit moved in a mighty way, speaking and challenging our hearts.

This afternoon we had our team tour day where we travelled down to Grenada - one of the only cities that survived the war with it's colonial style buildings intact. We took a boat tour around Lake Nicaragua which was a fun experience until one of the island monkeys visited our boat. After Grenada we headed up to a little area called Catalina which offered a change in elevation that gave us cool breezes and a spectacular view of a crater turned lake and some places to shop.

We returned for our last team dinner and Maria pulled out all the stops with a traditional Nicaraguan meal. Our time has truly been amazing down here. I know God has worked through us, but more importantly in us. Please pray for our travels tomorrow, but also pray that God would continue the work He has started in all of us!

Med Mission Nica: Day 6

2010-04-22T23:34:00.003-04:00

Well, I believe if we are able to be sad and glad that are clinics are over... I would think that is the case. On one hand, having a break from the near 100 degree temperature and long days will be welcomed, but then you realize that is why we came and we have had some great interactions and have built relationships with the patients, pastors and neighbors in these communities we are serving.

Today we travelled into Managua for our first "non-rural" clinic day. The people had greater access to healthcare but still faced the problem of not being able to afford the prescribed medicine. We set up shop today in a pretty tiny, but amazingly welcoming church called Iglesia Josue 1:9. The morning started a bit slow, but ended up being one of our more challenging days - in the sheer number of patients and some unexpected circumstances. It was around lunch time when we were thanking God for the fans in the church (at least air that is moving at 96 degrees feels better than stagnant air at 96 degrees!) and then the power went out. The pastor and his "staff" worked tirelessly to rig a small generator to the circuit breaker just to get our fans back going. But it was sporadic at best.

The neighbor across the street was incredibly generous to allow us to move our doctor's stations to the front of her house under a shade tree. So our doctors got a bit of shade and light breeze, but still had alot of heat to contend with and a growing line of patients. Our pharmacy and consult team had to endure the heat inside but thankfully had a few fans going. But it was amazing reflecting on the day. God continues to show us His power and plan and that He is in control. We can't even control the power in a church building! So we learned yet again that His purposes prevail and we are at best empty vessels that can only hope to be available and obedient.

On our way out, we got called upon to make a house call to an elderly woman who couldn't come to the clinic. She had been seen by a doctor recently and given meds - some good and some bad. It is always eye opening to go into the homes in Nicaragua and see how they live. It was a very tiny home with dirt floors, multiple family members and the elderly woman out on a cot in the covered backyard area. They thought nothing of welcoming our med team into their home and asking for help. We did have an opportunity to pray with her and treat her problems with limited resources.

God continues to show up - not that He isn't always present, we're just learning to recognize Him better - in great ways. This team truly has been unified in purpose and passion and it has showed this week! Praise God! We are excited about what He has in store for us tomorrow. In the morning we will visit the dump and school. We'll then go to Sister Ruby's house for our team prayer time. This will be my first visit since her death and I'm sure will be an emotional experience. But this time is always so valuable for our teams as God continues to speak into our lives.

After our prayer time, we'll have our tour day and get to relax for an afternoon before we have to pack to head back home. So far this has been an amazing trip, so I can only imagine what God has in store for us tomorrow. Thank you for your continued prayer support.

Med Mission Nica: Day 5

2010-04-21T23:43:00.002-04:00

Not that our other days haven't been hot, but we officially topped out at 99 degrees in the shade today at our clinic. God did provide an awesome breeze all day long, though. Today we travelled beyond Los Cedros to a community called Reyes del Sur. This is a community that has never had a medical clinic before and a place where Pastor Manuel from Los Cedros is trying to build relationships. And much to my surprise we did have some Campo kids from two years ago at our clinic today (4 of which were from a family of 11).

Our clinic was hosted at a widow's home who was also helping establish a church at her home. She thoroughly prepped her home and yard for the clinic and was an amazing host and a bread cook! She was a precious woman who, at the end of the day, invited us into her home and we had the chance to pray with her. Reyes is a beautiful place with a little river flowing nearby that we visited on our lunch break.

We set up clinic under this giant tree which gave us the much needed shade for the day. I'm not sure how many patients we saw, but our docs were presented with some interesting cases today and did their usual great job of connecting with the patients and ministering to them. Our pharmacy team had to battle the breeze but likewise got the job done. And no clinic would be complete without our consult team who explains the meds and tries to build relationships with the patients and even seeks to minister to them spiritually. We did have some good time in prayer with some of the patients.

God has been very present in our team time at night as we have processed the day and where we saw God show up. It's been a great time of connecting with each other and with the Lord to wrap our day. I've been personally blessed to be a part of such a unified and unselfish team. It's amazing what God can do and He deserves all the glory.

Tomorrow we will host our final clinic and I believe we are heading into the city of Managua. So please pray for our team that we will all have the stamina to finish strong and that we would be able to minister to the patients He brings us in word and in deed.

Med Mission Nica: Day 4

2010-04-20T23:58:00.000-04:00

I think we all have been a bit surprised on how tiresome holding a full day clinic is! Even though we do have chances to sit throughout the day, we are all in some form or fashion really engaged with our work and with the people and in a very hot environment. But what a blessing to serve again in Los Cedros and minister to the patients today. For me, it was a special blessing seeing two patients who happened to be ladies whom we built homes for on previous construction missions. Sylvia came in today to be seen in the morning and Maura came in the afternoon. It was great to get a chance to catch up on their lives and get the 'annual' update.

On top of all the medical procedures and dispensing of pills, it has been great for members of our teams (mainly the fluent ones) to be able to minister spiritually by praying for many of the patients who come to clinic. One such lady who was battling depression due to being out of work and having a family to provide for was able to receive counsel and prayer. It is such a blessing to enter into the lives of these Nicaraguan people and try to get a glimpse into their life and hear their stories while seeking to offer the hope found in the Gospel.

After clinic today, I took the team on a quick walk through Los Cedros over to the Christian school where Pastora serves. We have spent a few construction missions serving at the school laying foundations, building sidewalks and even painting. Class was still in session, so we were able to connect with many of the kids that have come with Wildwood camp teams down to Campo Alegria.

After our long day, we took our dear friend and favorite Nicaragua cook, Maria out to dinner. We learned this morning that it was her birthday, so we moved our team dinner up a few nights so Maria wouldn't have to cook for us and could be our guest of honor. We learned that she had never been invited out to dinner with a team before and was so excited that she went out and got new shoes (it's a big cultural thing here). It is always a treat for our teams to be able to go out and enjoy some local food and we discovered a new place tonight called La Finca.

We're back at it for day three of clinics tomorrow in a very rural area - so rural that we can't take all our supplies and can't travel in the bus. No one has ever hosted a clinic in this community before so we really don't know what to expect. So please be praying for us - that God would grant us patience and understanding and also the ability to build trust in our new relationships.

Med Mission Nica: Day 3

2010-04-19T23:55:00.001-04:00

We began our first of four clinics today. These clinics are a pretty massive undertaking as far as the organization and set-up is concerned. We arrived in Los Cedros to the church to find a line of people already waiting with their numbers in hand. You could see the appreciation on their faces before we even saw our first patient. After getting everything set-up, the process began. A patient first goes to triage to get vitals, medical history and pertinent information recorded. Then they are taken to one of our three doctors (Buddy, Lisa or Trisha) who begin the diagnosis and treatment process. They are then escorted to a waiting area while our pharmacy team prepares their medications per the doctor’s orders. Finally the patient is called up to have all their medication and treatment plan explained. It really is quite a well thought through (and executed) process.

But it is so much more than a process... and we are striving to remind ourselves that it is all about the people. And thankfully, God gave us many opportunities today to connect with people. Being one of the non-medical guys, I had the opportunity to man the "kid's corner" and had a blast giving away our famous trinkets, playing games and coloring to help them pass the time while waiting to be seen. Many others on our team had opportunities to engage the people to better understand their story and even to pray with them. It was great for me to see some patients today that were in church the night before and had come down for prayer. We even had a good few patients whom we had worked with in previous missions - either through construction or children that had come to Campo Alegria with us. In fact, during our lunch break, we went over to see Sylvia and her family but she wasn't home and the kids were in school, however one of her relatives came out to greet us. We built Sylvia's home a few years ago with one of our construction teams. It's amazing how the connections remain strong through the years.

No Wildwood mission day would be complete without a visit to the Stop and Go for the fruit popsicles. They are so good and were such a treat to try to cool off after a long, hot day! We are also having some great team time together at night reflecting on what God has been doing in and through us so far. Thanks for the continued prayer support!

Med Mission Nica: Day 2

2010-04-18T23:53:00.000-04:00

It will definitely be hard to put today into words. Sundays are great days down here in Nicaragua. It is always so amazing to have our perception and understanding of worship expanded by worshipping in a global context. We started our day of worship at Verbo Church. This is the Buzbees' church and shares some similarities with what we are "used" to. Many of the songs we sang today, we knew the English version and then Elizabeth even translated the sermon for us which was a blessing. After church we had the Buzbees join us for our Sunday lunch and had a great time sharing together. A good bit of our team are 'veterans' or have connections to the Buzbees, so our time with them is always treasured.

No trip to Nicaragua would be complete without the trek over to Wimby's Market. Anything you could think of is for sale there and they are ready to bargain. This team was spared my annual tour of the 'meat' section, though. We did have to make it a quick trip so some of the team could make it out to church in Los Cedros.

Brooke, Kathy, Buddy, Lil and myself made the trip down to Los Cedros for church. Los Cedros is a community near and dear to the Wildwood teams as we have built three homes there, taken the children to Campo Alegria and also worked in construction on the Christian school. Pastor Manuel and his wife have also become dear friends and partners in the ministry.

I was given the opportunity to preach tonight and really felt like the Holy Spirit had spoken to me in my quiet time this morning and so it seemed like He was preparing me for something - and then found out later that it would turn into a message. The worship service is so different in Los Cedros. It's not modern, no A/C, no words on the screen or other amenities, yet the people worship with passion! Nearly all have walked to church in the heat and work up quite a sweat in their passionate worship which lasts over two hours. I wonder each year if I found myself in that situation if I would make the effort to go to church.

After I preached, we invited anyone down for prayer. Our team came forward and we prayed individually for about 25 people. It was a powerful time of ministry and the Holy Spirit was palpable. God really challenged my heart during that time and I felt Him calling me to a greater ministry of prayer. I'm not sure what that will look like, but am trusting Him on that one!

We hit the road early tomorrow for what will be our first day of clinics. We will be heading down to Los Cedros for our first clinic day. Please be praying for our team that we would have the opportunity to minister physical and spiritual healing!

PS - if you are reading this on Facebook - head to toddveleber.blogspot.com to check out pics. You can also follow us in real time at twitter.com/wwoutreach.

Med Mission Nica: Day 1

2010-04-17T23:07:00.002-04:00

Well we have made it safely to Nicaragua and I can't tell you how excited I am to be a part of this team. It already seems like God is doing a good work in the hearts of those that are on the team, so I can only imagine what He has in store for us this week.

We had a pretty uneventful travel day and despite having only a short layover - managed to make it just in time for our departing flight from Miami. We then arrive in Nicaragua, in the middle of their hot, dry season (it hasn't rained since November) and it starts raining... and not just raining, but pouring for about two and a half hours! What a blessing as we ended up with much cooler temps than expected after the rain.

Today was a fairly relaxed, but important day for us as we had to prep all the supplies for our clinics that will be starting on Monday. All the pills and vitamins had to be sorted, bagged and labeled for distribution from our clinic pharmacy. This process took us over four hours, but we did get to take a break and enjoy a nice dinner prepared by our favorite Nicaragua cook - Maria!

Tomorrow morning we'll join the Buzbees for church at Verbo and then have a relaxing Sabbath afternoon to enjoy some silence and solitude before heading to evening church in Los Cedros. Our Wildwood teams have invested much energy and resources into the community of Los Cedros and it is always exciting to join them for worship and see families we have built homes for and children we have taken to camp.

We appreciate your prayer support and will do our best to have daily updates. Pray that God would work in us and through us in a powerful way. Don't forget to follow our twitter updates at twitter.com/wwoutreach.

A Cry for Mercy

2010-04-06T07:08:00.002-04:00

O Lord, who else or what else can I desire but you? You are my Lord, Lord of my heart, mind and soul. You know me through and through. In and through you everything that is finds its origin and goal. You embrace all that exists and care for it with divine love and compassion. Why, then, do I keep expecting happiness and satisfaction outside of you? Why do I keep relating to you as one of my many relationships, instead of my only relationship, in which all other ones are grounded? Why do I keep looking for popularity, respect from others, success acclaim and sensual pleasures? Why, Lord, is it so hard for me to make you the only one? Why do I keep hesitating to surrender myself totally to you?

Help me, O Lord, to let my old self die, to let die the thousand big and small ways in which I am still building up my false self and trying to cling to my false desires. Let me be reborn in you and see through you the world in the right way, so that all my actions, words and thoughts can be come a hymn of praise to you.

I need your loving grace to travel on this hard road that leads to the death of my old self and to a new life in and for you. I know and trust that this is the road to freedom.

Lord, dispel my mistrust and help me become a trusting friend. Amen.

- From A Cry for Mercy by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Reaching Out

2010-02-10T07:25:00.008-05:00

As my role begins the process of changing, it has led me to do some extensive and intensive prayer and study in God's Word, as well as research in areas that I feel the need to press into more deeply. Of course for all of us that claim to follow Christ, we are both equally bound and terrified by the word evangelism. No other word is seemingly so compelling and repulsive at the same time. It falls into that category of our life and faith where we go, "I know I should be doing something but I'm not really sure what to do, so I will put that one on the shelf for later."

But in thinking of our call to evangelism or outreach, I came across some great insight in writings from John Piper and Robert Coleman. They helped me see that really this concept of outreach is less about us and more about God... go figure. Seems to be a common reversal we make in most areas of life!

In Coleman's The Master Plan of Discipleship, he shows us something quite remarkable. In the book of Acts, evangelistic strategy seems to focus mainly on people who have been prepared in some way by God to be receptive to receive the Gospel. So God is the great evangelist - He is the one who prepares and persuades. "He awakens sinners (Ephesians 2:5), opens their hearts (Acts 16:14), draws them (John 6:44), empowers the gospel (2 Thessalonians 3:1) and calls the lost (1 Corinthians 1:24)."

So I simply have the privilege to join God in what He is already doing! I just have to be about the process of "outreach"... or as the great commission would put it... "as I'm going" to look for opportunities to make disciples of the ones God is already calling. Does that not seem a relief to anyone else?

Look at how this took place in the book of Acts:

• The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost unleashed the gospel on a host of spiritually sensitive Jews who had come from at least fifteen different nations to worship the God of the Old Testament

• The next big harvest came in Samaria (Acts 8:4-25), where Jesus earlier had laid a foundation by His witness (John 4:4-42)

• The Holy Spirit sent Philip to an Ethiopian eunuch who was reading the scroll of Isaiah and was puzzling over who chapter 53 was talking about (Acts 8:26-39).

• The evangelistic breakthrough with Gentiles outside Jerusalem came with Cornelius, who feared God and gave alms and prayed and had a vision of God's messenger (Acts 10).

• When Paul launched his missionary career, he followed the pattern of going first to the synagogue in search of some receptive Jews or God-fearing Gentiles (Acts 13:5, 14, 42f; 14:1; 17:1f; 10, 17; 18:4, 7, 19, 26; 19:8)

• On his second missionary journey, Paul's planning was checked twice by the Lord. The Holy Spirit forbade him (for the moment) to speak the word in Asia (Acts 16:6), and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go to Bithynia (Acts 16:7). Instead, Paul saw a vision with a man saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9). The focus again was on the spiritually receptive.

• In Philippi there was no synagogue. So Paul found a place where women prayed outside the city and joined them, where one was converted (Acts 16:12-14).

There were times when Paul argued in the marketplace or town center, but it wasn't a pattern like this. Yet the pattern of looking for the receptive or as Coleman says, "to look for those who want to move for Christ. Life is too short to expend excessive time and energy upon apathetic people."

This has really resonated within my heart. Not that we ever ignore or push any spiritually calloused people away - we are always called to pray for those outside the faith, but to search for those where God's Spirit is working and calling. God's purpose and mission remains the same - that the Gospel go to all nations - even to those who would be resistant. Piper says, "We become partners with the Holy Spirit, and we should be alert to those who are beginning to be awakened by His grace." And Coleman is right when he says, "I am convinced that a few such persons are within the influence of every Christian."

They are around me. They are around you. By the privilege and duty God has given us, let us relentlessly give our lives to this great calling... that the world may know Christ! As Jesus said of his mission, "To seek and to save the lost." We have the responsibility to do the seeking... to find those that He is calling and leave the saving up to Him!

Dying in Bed

2010-02-03T07:21:00.009-05:00

I've been studying the spiritual disciplines with a fellow sojourner and friend and we have been using Willard's Renovation of the Heart. Aside from being incredibly weighty and thought-provoking, it also has really pushed in on my heart in some amazing ways. Recently it has been with my understanding of Luke 9:23-24, Then he [Jesus] said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.

Now I've always wrestled with this idea of picking up an instrument of death as a means to truly follow Christ. And if I'm being really honest, at times, I've simply thought, said or even lived, "Well, I like the heaven part and having Jesus as Savior, but I'm not all in on this dying to self thing" and proceeded to live my life. That mindset has been unraveling, but now at a more rapid pace.

Then I came across an amazing excerpt in my TAWG the other morning, that helped me immensely try to visualize the reality of dying to self:

"Represent to your imagination that your bed is your grave; that all things are ready for you interment; that you are to have no more to do with this world; and that it will be owing to God's great mercy if you ever see the light of the sun again or have another day to add to your works of piety. Then commit yourself to sleep as one that is to have no more opportunities of doing good, but is to awake among spirits that are separate from the body and waiting for the judgment of the last great day.

Such a solemn resignation of yourself into the hand of God every evening, and parting with all the world as if you were never to see it anymore - and all this in the silence and darkness of the night - is a practice that will soon have excellent effects upon your spirit. For this time of the night is exceeding proper for such prayers and meditations. The likeness which sleep and darkness have to death will contribute very much to make your thoughts about it the more deep and affecting. So that I hope you will not let a time so proper for such prayers be ever passed over without them."
- From A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life by William Law

I had to read that a few times. I've even read it again the last few days. Mainly because I like thinking that lying in my bed is an enjoyable experience and one that will bring me rest - and something that I will wake up in. Not too fond of thinking of my bed as a grave or coffin. But to steal some phrases like... living each day as if it were my last or live like I'm dying have greater clarity. I'm not there yet... but I'd like to move, by God's grace, to such a place that has "excellent effects upon my spirit" because I understand and live more fully what Jesus taught in Luke 9:23-24. Then I can only help but wonder what it would look like to have a world of Christ-followers living the same way.

Richness for the Good?

2009-12-09T13:04:00.006-05:00

For the majority of my time in ministry I've mainly worked with families and students who are abundantly blessed. In fact, I coined a phrase "silver-spoon ministry" in efforts to describe what it was like to minister to students of privilege - students that regularly received a brand new car for their 16th birthday, usually much nicer than the one I was driving. Silver-spoon ministry has it's challenges for sure... and then one day, I started to look deeper into the Scriptures (and in turn my own heart) to discover if there was any possibility of harnessing materialism for the Kingdom. Could materialism somehow be for the good?

I'm no different than anyone out there really. We've all been subject to the indoctrination of the American Dream as an active or passive part of our education. It's said many different ways: be self-sufficient, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, make a name for yourself, have it your way, get rich, get stuff... and as a result: be happy. And even though I learned early on lessons from Scripture to the contrary, the American Dream mantra is a tough one to overcome. Let's face it, we do like stuff and we'll do whatever it takes to get it so we can be happy.

But where this American Dream intersects with the Kingdom of God is of great interest to me and has recently been a place of great tension in my heart. Even in knowing that the American Dream has no power to save - and actually has the opposite power of destruction - we continually find ourselves lying prostrate before that idol in worship. And I am guilty of that. And over and over again in the Gospels we see encounters with the hurting, homelessness, poverty, outcasts, social injustice and the like. And there standing in the way of those encounters are selfishness, greed and materialism.

In the summer of 2005, I led a group of high school students to the second poorest country in this hemisphere: Nicaragua. I had never been to a third world country before and didn't really know what to expect. One morning we loaded the bus to head to La Chureca - the city dump. I've written on it numerous times here before, so feel free to search through any of the summer archives here on this blog to read more. So in driving through the deplorable conditions of humanity that were living in abject poverty, I still knew that I would get on an airplane and return to the comforts of my home and American way of life. Or would I?

I returned not knowing what to do with the amount of "treasure" that my family and I possess. Things that seemed common like a vehicle for transportation, food in the pantry, clothes in the closet and clean, hot water for a shower and a bed to sleep in began to feel like a luxury. I didn't dare venture to actually think of my "luxury" items. I thought that everything had to go. I didn't know where to start. The American Dream started to look less like a dream and more like a nightmare.

The goal then became to try to understand how to live the Gospel in a world that I, and the students I seek to minister to, is riddled with narcissism, materialism, greed and entitlement. And those values are sought after and even rewarded. And then one day I came across a quote that read, "The most serious problem facing the church today is materialism - materialism not as a philosophical theory, but as a way of life." And it isn't going away anytime soon.

My initial inclination has always been to simply vilify this American Dream. And don't jump too far ahead, because I intend in no way to excuse sins of greed, materialism, etc. that Scripture condemns. But I began to wonder if the American Dream could be rescued and renewed for the Kingdom? And so while I do my best to understand my wealth and resources from a global perspective and even strive to bring that understanding to my students... rather than getting stuck in guilt or moving towards manipulation... maybe the answer is a both/and. A rejection of the sinfulness and selfishness of the American Dream, while at the same time, an understanding that what we do find that we have (in our time, talent and particularly treasure) can be used in an amazing way for the Gospel around the world. I can do something about the children in La Chureca even if I can't physically be there to help. God has resourced me well - and many around me - to finance the efforts of the Kingdom.

Then the gospel and our desire for live it out missionally moves from simply being about going, to being about going AND sending. How can we not only go and serve but also funnel our possessions into service devoted to God's glory and advancing the Kingdom? So maybe the silver-spoon that looked problematic can be redeemed by removing it from our mouths and using it to feed someone else's mouth! Now that's richness for the good!

Where is the longing?

2009-09-15T07:32:00.003-04:00

"As a deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:1-2). Not only did I learn this verse as a young child, but someone along the way put it into a song that I remember singing a lot. Needless to say, it is not only a verse, but a concept that is very familiar. There in would lie the ultimate problem. Could the idiom, "Familiarity breeds contempt" apply to Scripture? Or worse could it apply to our relationship with God.

Obviously if it does, it points out where the problem lies... within our own hearts. At moments like these when my heart seemingly drifts away from the one and only source of life and from the Creator God who loves me and is constantly pursuing me, I am reminded that my only source of satisfaction is found in Him. My only source for life comes from Him. I need Him and should desire Him as much as a deer longs for water... or as much as I need water. The Psalmist goes on to say in Psalm 63, " O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory" (vs. 1-2).

That is the essence of what it means to love God - to long for Him and find satisfaction in Him. John Piper says it well, "God is most glorified in me, when I am most satisfied in Him." It seems so simple in concept yet so amazingly difficult in application.

I find that I can be so easily drawn into the trappings of this world and consumed with the ritual of 'life' that I lose the longing. I dream of the day when creation is reordered and our lives truly find and reach complete satisfaction in Him... in His presence. Until that day, we are challenged to live a life of longing... of continual pursuit of a God who loves us and gave Himself for us. By His amazing grace, He is sanctifying us and creating a deeper thirst in us as our journey continues. I have tasted that the Lord is good and I want to spend my days in a satisfied relationship with Him, all the while inviting others to come and find satisfaction in the living water that never runs dry!

Eyes for the Future

2009-08-20T09:28:00.002-04:00

"Only when we have come in touch with our own life experiences and have learned to listen to our inner cravings for liberation and new life can we realize that Jesus did not just speak, but that he reached out to us in our most personal needs. The Gospel doesn't just contain ideas worth remembering. It is a message responding to our individual human condition. The Church is not an institution forcing us to follow its rules. It is a community of people inviting us to still our hunger and thirst at its tables. Doctrines are not alien formulations which we must adhere to but the documentation of the most profound human experiences which, transcending time and place, are handed over from generation to generation as a light in our darkness." -- From Reaching Out by Henri Nouwen

After my time in Nicaragua, and really my journey through this summer, God has been working in my life in a powerful way. It seems He is calling me out for something much bigger than myself, and then through people and circumstances keeps affirming that calling. To be honest it is scary and exciting all rolled up in one.

This morning during my TAWG, I read this quote from Nouwen and it really put into words my journey. At times I feel like Jeremiah responding to God with, "Who me?"... surely there could be someone else! Yet God replies, "This is what I created you for!"

I love the Gospel. I need the Gospel. I'm aware of that more and more everyday. I love the Church and have given my life to it, and by God's grace will continue to. I often ache when thinking about the future of the Church - especially the generations present that are walking away and the future generations that will start with no connection. Yet the power of the Holy Spirit is alive and active. There is a message to take to the nations. Light will always pierce through the darkness... and we are called to be the light bearers.

So where do I fit into this Gospel community? What is God calling me to? I can't say I have complete answers to all the questions I have, but I pray God will continue to form and shape a moldable heart and spirit in me. I desire to live a life characterized by obedience... to life a life that matters... to live for eternity.

God I pray You would continue to be faithful to guide me into what lies ahead! Soli Deo Gloria!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 16

2009-08-14T21:37:00.001-04:00

Our camp team has made it back home safely... after a long day of traveling that literally started with a 'bang' this morning. We had to be up by 4am to make the journey to the airport for the first leg of our flight back to the States.

I would say that most of us have all returned with mixed emotions. I know for me after being in Nicaragua for the whole sixteen days I feel like I am back in the States physically, but I have left my heart in Nicaragua. God always does such an amazing work in my heart through the beauty of the country, the time and space with Him and His Word and the amazing relationships we are able to form and forge with each visit.

Both of our teams this year served faithfully the call of Christ to take the Gospel to the nations. Whether through the work of our hands, the utilization of our spiritual gifts/talents/abilities, the communication of a smile, hug or our spanglish or even having the opportunity to present the Gospel in Word and deed - our prayer is that God was honored and glorified in both of our teams. I consider it such a blessing to be able to lead these teams and serve alongside our students.

Wildwood has been providing this opportunity for our students to go on mission in Nicaragua for the last six years and I pray for many more to come. This mission has truly been a turning point for so many of our students through the years. Some have received Christ, others baptized and still others hearing God's calling to full-time service on the mission field for their future.

Our partnership and friendship with the Buzbees/Farringtons and Open Hearts Ministry has been so unique and rewarding. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be poured out for their ministry and for the Kingdom work in Nicaragua. We consider it a privilege to be able to partner with them each and every summer.

There are so many more thoughts, stories, prayer requests and praises that need to be posted that I probably will need to come back for another update as God continues to work in our hearts and allow us to process what we saw, felt and experienced.

My prayer for our students is that they would realize that the mission never ends. What God has done in our hearts in Nicaragua should continue to spill out of our lives right here in Tallahassee. Many thanks to our students who went, our leaders who served, our church and families who supported us and most of all to our God who says, "Go!"

Mission Nicaragua: Day 15

2009-08-14T00:54:00.001-04:00

Today was our last full day here in Nicaragua so that always comes with mixed feelings. All of us have been so impacted by our time here that we want to stay, but we know we must return. We will definitely be building some mental 'altars' like they did in the OT to remember the work that God has done in us and through us.

We started off our day by heading down to Los Cedros. For our camp last year, we took 40 kids from Los Cedros who had never been to camp before. So we were blessed to be able to go to the school in Los Cedros (were we have served before in construction) and see many of the kids who went to camp last year. We also took the tour around the community to see the houses we built in '05 and '08 and visit with the families.

After Los Cedros, we loaded up and drove back into town to do our zip line excursion at Tiscapa, which is a national park here in Nicaragua. It featured three really long runs - two over the canopy of trees and one across a lake. We all had a blast!

We also managed to squeeze in time for our annual visit to the market and our team dinner at Dona Haydees. This construction team has really grown closer to the Lord and each other this trip and I consider it such a privilege to have led both these teams down here. We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of the Spirit on our lives and on the mission God had for us here. Please pray for us as we leave in the morning (4am no less) and that we would have safe travels as we return to the States.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 14

2009-08-13T00:52:00.001-04:00

Our day got off to a great start after our team devo time with all of us being able to continue to pursue the Lord in time alone with Him in the mornings. Being in such a beautiful place that is free from our normal routine and distractions seems to give God much more space and stillness to speak to each of us through His Spirit and the Word.

We knew today would be a challenging day, knowing we would have some goodbyes to say... again. But it was worth every moment that we got to spend with our Campo kids from Las Brasilles. It was very cool being able to go to their community and to see them at their ministry/feeding center and then to walk around and go to their homes. They were so excited to show us their homes and introduce us to their families. It was also quite humbling, because we got to see the poverty and home situations that they are living in. They didn't really understand that we wouldn't be around and that they would have to wait a year to see us again. But God just opened my eyes to the beauty of the kingdom today. We've formed relationships here in a country in Central America and may not get to see the fruit of the investment or even to build upon the relationships formed. Yet as believers in Christ we have the promise of eternity together. So our goodbyes are really just 'see you laters'!

After our visit we headed over to Casa Robles one last time. I have been really motivated to finish painting the house and we were able to get the majority of the house finished today. We painted the long hallway and the final boys' bedroom. So we are leaving the house with only a little exterior painting in a courtyard and one front bedroom unpainted. It's hard to describe the difficulty of the painting and the size of the house, but praise God we are leaving it in great shape! We always have fun hanging with the Robles' boys and giving them some toys to enjoy when we leave. Again we had to say some goodbyes, or rather see you later!

We managed to make it back to the compound for a little swim time which we proudly continued our tradition of a guys game of animal ball. Any of our mission alumni know the fun and the pain of this pool game! Then after dinner, we had another annual tradition of the clothing sort and fashion show. We managed to get all the clothes bagged and sorted and are leaving close to 1,000 pounds of clothing and shoes for the ministry here! Praise God!

So we had a pretty huge day as our last work day here. Tomorrow is our tour day and we are trying to jam pack it full of some visits around town and some fun. This team definitely deserves the day off as it has been some long days of work and investment in the Kingdom. God is working and feel so blessed to be able to join His work here in Nicaragua and are continually humbled that He would choose to use us!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 13

2009-08-12T01:18:00.001-04:00

I woke up thinking about the last images of the campers leaving Campo Alegria. It was such a powerful and emotional moment. The kids had their faces either pressed to the windows or had their heads sticking out of the windows with arms outstretched. I can only imagine what was being processed as they had to say goodbye. But we sent them out in true Nicaragua fashion as we chased the bus out of camp.

But after the kids left and we returned to the compound, we were looking at a new day as we turned the corner from a massive group effort where teamwork, purpose and the priority of the children was paramount to more individual time before the Lord. God took me to Matthew 23 and spoke to my heart as I challenged our team to move into a closer evaluation of our hearts before the Lord for the remainder of our time here. And so God began a good work last night during our group and family group time. But with God working, many of us felt Satan rising up against us. The spiritual battle has definitely intensified.

Today we made our pilgrimage to La Chureca (the dump) where we saw the sights, smells and got to engage up close - away from the comfort of the bus. We walked around to see first hand the living conditions. And then God opened our eyes as we climbed the hill to see the bigger picture of the dump. As I looked out and saw the masses of people rummaging through the trash, God reminded me of the verse in Matthew 9 where Jesus describes the crowd He saw as sheep - harassed and helpless without a shepherd. My heart just began to ache with a desire to help the people find the Shepherd who can lead them to life!

After our time in the dump and visiting the school, we loaded up to visit Sister Ruby, who lives and ministers just outside the dump. God definitely met us there and had a word for all of us during our time of worship and prayer. Our heart and faith was challenged to be bold on this journey God has called us join Him on. We are so grateful to Ruby for her ministry and her obedience to be used by God during our team's visit.

God wasn't finished with us yet as the camp team transformed into the construction team for the remainder of the day. We went over to Casa Robles (the boys home) to continue the massive painting project that was begun by our construction team. We were able to make great progress by painting the kitchen, master bedroom, one child's room and the exterior planters, walls and entry doors. It's hard to believe that there is still more to paint, but both teams have done amazing work there and that house has been truly transformed. We also had a great time playing with the boys and were blown away by their gratitude for our work.

Tomorrow we are so excited to be able to reconnect with our campo kids as we travel to their community of Las Brasilles. We will hopefully get to see them at their feeding program and also visit with some of the families. God truly knit our hearts together and we are excited to continue to build on the relationships that began at camp.

We appreciate the continued prayer support of our church, our student ministry, our families and the supporters of Mission Nicaragua! We love you all and will see you soon!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 9-12

2009-08-10T21:50:00.001-04:00

The anticipated update is finally here. The internet at Campo Alegria wasn't working so I'll have to do a multi-day update tonight. I'm sure it will be lacking details as we are all running off very little sleep from an awesome time at camp.

I departed on Friday to join our camp team while our construction team finished some construction/roofing/painting projects in Los Cedros. Then on their final day they were able to go back to Casa Robles and dedicate the house and pray with the children and house parents. After their visit they had their 'tour' day and got to visit Volcan Messiah and the city of Grenada. We praise God for the work He did in and through our construction team and for also taking them safely back to the States.

About two and a half hours from Managua, forty children from Las Brasilles made the journey to Campo Alegria. Our construction team built a home in Las Brasilles in 2004 so we do have some connections to that community, but all of the kids were new to us and all were brand new to camp. They arrived for orientation and the relationships began to form as we divided them into their teams for the week. Little did we know what God had in store.

As the camp progressed I was able to learn more about these kids and the homes/situations they come from. Hearing so many stories of abuse, abandonment, missing fathers, lack of education and forced labor was heartbreaking. It was no surprise many of the children had trouble with the structure of camp and just listening in their center time. But God broke through in a powerful way as time went on.

I must brag on our students on this camp team for their preparation and leadership in the areas of arts/crafts, drama, Bible, music, sports and being team leaders. God has blessed them all with not only a heart for children, but has given them some spiritual gifts and talents that they used for His glory this week. Some of the camp highlights were swimming in Lake Nicaragua, the awesome water slide, hearing them learn and recite their Bible verses, watching them sing and praise God and of course our famous last morning polar bear swim.

It's amazing how quickly we all bonded and formed relationships with the children. I just couldn't help thinking what this time at camp meant to them. To be removed from some tough home situations and to come to such a beautiful place, be fed three meals a day (with seconds!), hear the Word of God, join in worship and make friends with a group of gringos from the States made for a super camp.

Even though 5am came really early everyday and we had some challenging moments - God did a great work at camp. And God gave us a glimpse into the seeds that were planted in these kids lives as we gave them their backpacks today (loaded with school supplies, t-shirt, toothbrush/paste and even a toy) and their faces actually showed hope, gratitude and emotion. In fact, it was an emotional day for all of us as we had to say our goodbyes.

Hopefully as we all take some time in our group time to process camp we can give a more detailed update and recap to the camp experience. But there is no doubt that we are all walking away changed. Please join us in praying for these children as they have returned home - that God would seal this experience in their hearts and minds - and that He would especially continue the work He has begun!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 8

2009-08-07T01:10:00.000-04:00

It was definitely an exciting morning today with our two teams sharing breakfast together. Our camp team finally made it despite airline delays and even a re-routing and got settled in here at the compound, but only for a brief time. They hit the ground running today by prepping for camp, unpacking and sorting all the donated clothes (nearly 1,000 lbs.), gathered fruit and then headed off for Campo Allegria after lunch. Last I heard they have made it and were getting set-up for camp to begin tomorrow.

Our construction team divided to conquer today. The girls went back to Casa Robles to finish the painting of the mural and to tackle the exterior courtyards and family room and they did it! Sorry for not having pictures, but I headed out to Los Cedros with the guys for a project. We worked in one of the more rural and poverty stricken areas of Los Cedros. In fact, some of the homes/situations seemed even worse than La Chureca. Our job was to help some of the church members by adding plastic sheeting over the tin roofs to prevent leaks.

One house led to the next as we walked through this section of the community. Children were coming up to us begging us to come to their casa to work on it. Some of the sights were absolutely heartbreaking. All of the homes were so small and some only built of nothing by plastic sheeting and sticks. We worked on a home that had three women and what looked like 12 children living there. Of all the homes we roofed today, we only encountered one male/dad at home. Many of the children were malnourished and barely clothed. Yet were were able to bring some smiles on a hot day by handing out some small toys and just playing with them in between jobs. This was an awesome experience today and the families we helped were so grateful.

We finished our day with an awesome celebration of baptism. Some of our team members have been believers, but have never followed Christ's command to be baptized. So we had a good crowd all gathered at the Buzbees' pool for a time of worship, the Word and the sacrament of baptism. Praise God for these three girls and the excitement of new life and the opportunity to walk in obedience and service to Christ.

Since it was my last night with the construction team, I took them out for our team dinner to La Plancha. This is a really nice restaurant and we all walked away really stuffed from our choice of pollo, carne or pescado. But somehow we managed to save room for some gelato for dessert.

This has been an amazing construction team this year and we've had some great projects to work on during our time here. God has definitely met us here and drawn us all closer to each other and His heart. I'll be leaving in the morning to head down to Campo to catch up with our other team, so I'll miss out on the remaining projects, dedication at Casa Robles and the team's fun day on Saturday. But my prayer is that God would continue to work as the construction team nears its conclusion and for the Campo team as the campers arrive tomorrow for a great camp! We appreciate your continues prayer support. For more pictures and updates (if you are reading this via Facebook, go to toddveleber.blogspot.com)

Mission Nicaragua: Day 7

2009-08-06T01:35:00.001-04:00

To be honest, I don't think I will be able to totally put into words what our team experienced today. We put work aside for the morning hours and started our day with a visit to La Chureca (the city dump). I believe it is estimated that the dump has about 1000 residents, with the majority being children. They live in such extreme poverty it is hard to describe. They rummage for whatever they can find to sell or use. Most of their homes are made of discarded tin. There is a heavy spiritual darkness where physical, sexual and drug abuse is commonplace. Our team walked the "streets" of the dump and got to experience the sights, sounds and smells. We also visited Colegio Esperanza which is the school in the dump that the Buzbees run.

There are so many spiritual lessons to learn from the dump. I am always overwhelmed that but for the grace of God, that could have been my home. But that doesn't ease the pain we all felt as we saw the residents there living in such deplorable conditions. Yet spiritually we relate pretty well to the dump. Just as some Nicaraguans live in the dump physically, many of us felt convicted of the spiritual dump we live in on a regular basis. God offers us so much more - like CS Lewis said, "a beautiful home by the sea" - yet over and over again we trade it for the dump that is our sin. I was reminded of the Scripture that compares us returning to our sin like a dog that returns to its vomit. It was an emotional visit and one that will stay with us for sure.

From there we went to see Sister Ruby for a time of worship and prayer and God definitely met us there! It was a powerful time in God's presence and we all walked away challenged and encouraged in our walk with Christ. I am always amazed at the unity that results of our time there. It is always a great picture of the Biblical community we should enjoy and practice on a regular basis. We are all still processing our time - even after we met tonight to debrief.

We did make it over to Casa Robles and got some afternoon painting done until we had a huge thunderstorm roll in. We were working exterior and with latex paint so you can tell that wasn't a good combination. Unfortunately we had to watch some of our work washing down the walls. But we did get to rest a bit after a spiritually exhausting day, as well as making more progress on the murals.

Our camp team finally arrived and everyone has been trying to squeeze in some time together before we head off in the morning to our projects and the camp team packs up to head down to Campo Allegria. The construction team will be dividing up with one team going back to Casa Robles to finish painting and others going out to Los Cedros to work on Pastor Manuel's church.

It is hard to believe that the construction team's time is nearing completion and the camp team is just hitting the ground running. We have all seen and experienced so much - especially today - that we count every moment here as a blessing from God. Please pray specifically that God would continue what He has started in our construction team and that God would open the hearts of our camp team for what He has in store!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 6

2009-08-04T22:15:00.001-04:00

Today we were challenged to think and live like a Christian during our morning devotional time which was good to think on as we worked today. This team has really been amazing in the group effort and teamwork it is taking to tackle this projects. But it is going amazingly well - with no complaining and continual offers to pick up some slack by giving someone else a break.

We spent a full day painting at Casa Robles (the boys home) and I'm amazed at what we were able to finish. Of course, we have switched from oil based to latex, and that really helped. But we completely painted the exterior front of the house. Jonah was my painting partner for up on the roof as we had to avoid powerlines to paint! We also completed the front porch and carport area. We also managed to finish the entrance where Karen is already working on her mural. This is a huge house, so we do have quite a bit to go, but praise God for the hard work and teamwork that is taking place!

Tomorrow morning we are going back to visit Sister Ruby, but this time for our time of prayer. This is always a special time for us individually and as a team. Sister Ruby has a powerful ministry of prayer and we all anticipate coming before the Lord in worship and prayer tomorrow.

From there... you guessed it... more painting. But we are looking to line up some construction projects in Los Cedros. Pastor Manuel's church has been raising money and doing their own expansion, but when he shared they were out of money - I felt called to action! I'm not sure what we will be able to do, but we have such a great relationship with Pastor Manuel and the Los Cedros community that we want to help in any way possible.

Our camp team travels down tomorrow, so as you pray for us, please pray for them as well. We are excited about them joining us even if we only see them for a short while before they head out the next morning to get camp set-up and ready to go for a Friday start. God is doing such a great work here and we appreciate your faithfulness in lifting us up in prayer!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 5

2009-08-03T22:17:00.000-04:00

We managed to get right back to the massive painting project and put in a long day today but made great progress! In fact, we are calling it "done" at Sister Ruby's as her nephew - who has been awesome in helping us - is going to finish the back part of the house. But we did manage to finish the exterior... complete with the 'Complaints of God' lettering by Karen, the upstairs interior, the stairwell and the bottom family room. And even though we pushed really hard today, we did manage to squeeze in some time to play with the neighborhood kids and give away some bubbles. We were able to get Ruby outside in her wheelchair to see the home and she was overjoyed!

Before we left, we went over to Diamaris' home one more time since she wasn't there when we visited earlier this week. Diamaris is a 'single' mother of seven who continues to amaze us with her strength and love for her family. We built her home in 2007. She was so excited to see us and said that she longs for our visit each year because we hold such a special place in her heart. I am continually blown away by the relationships we form here and the impact God graciously allows us to have on the people and families we come in contact with. Her children have been watching and waiting for us every day at Ruby's house. Her youngest daughter's health is not good so we finished our time visiting with a time of prayer for her and the family in general.

We did manage to squeeze a little down time in before dinner. Some of the girls on our team were surprised to be sharing their shower with a good sized scorpion. Then of course, the guys had fun playing with it and feeding it to Camillo (the monkey). Never a dull moment here in Nicaragua!

It looks like more painting and small construction projects for us as we move over to our next project at Casa Robles. God just recently provided the funding for the Buzbees to purchase this home for the boys of La Chureca (the dump) who have been abandoned, abused or neglected in some form or fashion. We are really excited about the opportunity to serve there and to get to know the boys.

God is so good and has been so faithful to meet us here. We are all being stretched and challenged and being able to serve on mission for God is amazing. Please continue to lift us up in prayer - that God would continue to draw us closer to Himself while serving as His hands and feet.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 4

2009-08-03T01:25:00.001-04:00

The Lord's Day in Nicaragua... not that everyday down here on our mission isn't His, but it is definitely awesome to worship and enjoy the Sabbath God gave us. We joined in worship at Verbo Church where the Buzbees attend. Verbo is a very contemporary church and we were fortunate to recognize a few of the songs and then had Elizabeth translate the message for us. It was cool to think that as we were worshiping in Spanish here in Nicaragua, our friends and family back at Wildwood were worshiping... and likewise believers around the world. It was a great picture of the Kingdom for us and a glimpse of what's to come when every nation, tribe and tongue will worship God!

We truly enjoyed our Sabbath rest this afternoon on the compound before heading down to Los Cedros for evening worship. Los Cedros is a special place for us as we have served three of our years doing ministry there. It is a highlight of our trip every year to go back and see families we have build homes for and today was no exception. We started by visiting the school in Los Cedros where we laid the foundation for the preschool building, laid more stones than we wanted to count for sidewalks and later painted the preschool building.

From there we went to see Majore and the home we built last year. It is always great to see the home still standing! I guess we built well! I'm always amazed that the relationships we build span the language barrier and infrequent visits; however we were able to just spend some time with her and pray for her and her family.

On the way to church we stopped by the home we built for another Los Cedros family (of 7) back in 2005. We missed seeing some of the children and mother at home, but later reunited with her after the church service. Again, I'm humbled by the opportunity to share a spiritual connection with these families we have had the privilege to serve.

We did make it to Pastor Manuel's church in Los Cedros for evening worship. Church is very different - not just in style, but structure as well. And I always have to remember the verse in "being prepared in season and out" as I was called up during the sermon to share!

We had a great discussion during our team meeting tonight regarding the cost of the faith for believers in Los Cedros. All of them walk to church to stand for a long period of singing, sit in less than comfortable plastic chairs for a longer sermon, in a block church that is overcrowded and has no air conditioning. And they do it all with amazing joy and passion. It definitely helped us in our perspective of worship in the States where we often complain if we don't like a song or don't make it out in time for lunch.

God is doing a good work in our hearts - challenging us in how we think and live out our faith - not just here on mission in Nicaragua, but when we will return as well. We appreciate your continued prayer support on our behalf. Don't forget if you are missing the pics - head over to toddveleber.blogspot.com.

Mission Nicaragua: Day 3

2009-08-02T01:17:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite aspects of our time down here is the morning (I'm quite sure not everyone on the team agrees) but it is just refreshing to have our TAWG after our morning devotional time as a team. We all are enjoying the space and silence to connect in greater depth with God and His Word as the start to our day.

I'm pretty sure that our bodies are getting adjusted to the time zone and the work load and even the food! We seemed to hit our stride as the "painting team" today. By the way, this isn't just like rolling up some latex paint in the States. We are working with a very thick oil based paint on very rough, uneven concrete walls and decorative concrete blocks. Most of us have a good indicator on when the fumes are getting to us and we need a break. It is hard work, but we are having fun while we work. We've been forced to get MacGyver creative in rigging ladders to paint hard to reach places and are grateful for God's hand of protection thus far!

And even while we work we are getting great opportunities to build some relationships in the community. Two years ago, we built a house right around the corner and so the word has spread that the 'gringos' are back in the neighborhood! One of the ways we are building relationships is through gifts - we bring goodies galore to give out. Today we created our first ever pinata (later called the Toddata) as I took a bag of candy and hid it under my shirt and after being hit with a baseball bat (softly, thankfully) sent it flying everywhere. Amazing what joy comes from a little fun (and candy) with the kids of the neighborhood. It's creative ways to share the love of Christ that have been the hallmark of our teams here in Nicaragua.

We had the rains shut us down a bit early today, so we headed back to the compound for some down time in the pool. We have some pool traditions in some of the games we play and even created a new one today with a frisbee. We are praising God for moments of down time right when we need them!

I have been so encouraged by our team time at night. We meet together to talk about what God has taught us and shown us throughout the day and then we get into our gendered family groups for some time of further discussion and accountability. I feel very honored to be leading this team that God put together and have been blessed getting to know them all even better.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to worshiping at church with the Buzbees and members from the other teams here when we go to Verbo Church. Then in the afternoon we are heading into Los Cedros - a community where we have been heavily invested over the years, building homes, taking their children to camp and working on the Christian school. We'll join those believers for worship in the evening.

We appreciate and covet your continued prayer support. And by the way, if you are reading this via Facebook, then you are missing out on some of the pictures. Just click over to toddveleber.blogspot.com to see the team in action!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 2

2009-07-31T22:42:00.000-04:00

We were able to start our day together as a team up on the "3rd floor" which is a open air loft overlooking the compound and the beautiful countryside. Each morning we will meet as a team where we have a chance to connect through God's Word and to pray for our day.

So, today we got off and running on our first construction project. We were working outside of La Churreca (the city dump) at Sister Ruby's house. Sister Ruby has become a good friend to us as she has been serving here in ministry in a partnership with the Buzbees for many years now. She would have never asked for help but God has given us an opportunity to bless her and her ministry by painting her home.

God blessed us with some beautiful weather for most of the day and then the rains came in the afternoon. We figured that would be a good sign to get off the metal roof standing on a metal ladder. So we loaded up and headed over to Casa Robles. Casa Robles (the boys home) is the brand new home that was purchased by the Buzbees as a counterpart to Casa Havilah (the girls home). This is an awesome ministry where many abused, hurting or neglected kids can have a home to live in with a set of home parents and receive love, care and education. We will be doing some construction projects there later, but today we joined in a birthday celebration for Cesar. It was awesome to see how these kids' lives are transformed - many just by being able to leave La Churreca.

We are already being challenged as we've traveled around and seen different communities here in Nicaragua. It is eye opening to see how the rest of the world lives outside the States. Over the course of the summer I taught a series called 'Save the Planet' where we looked at the world from a global perspective with the challenge of living out the Gospel - the hope for the world. Most of the world lives on less than $2 a day and we are definitely being exposed to that reality here.

It can be easy to have compassion at the plight of the people here, but we want that same passion that we are seeking to live out the Gospel here, to come back home with us. Our desire is that God would allow us to see the world through the eyes of Christ. And we are eager to see what God will show us, teach us and do through us!

Mission Nicaragua: Day 1

2009-07-31T00:46:00.002-04:00

Well our construction team has finally arrived after delays in the Tallahassee airport and then more delays in the Miami airport. Trusting in God is put into practice when the pilot gets on in Miami and says, "Sorry for the delay, but this plane had to get worked on a bit, but now we are good to go." And then later comes on the PA and says, "We've found some bags below that we don't know who they belong to." So we made it about an hour late, but at least we made it!

It has been a long day for all of us so we are looking forward to a good night's rest because we start early tomorrow on our first project. It looks like we are going to start with some home repair and painting on Sister Ruby's home right outside of the dump. We all love Sister Ruby and her ministry here in Nicaragua and are excited to serve her in this way.

Be praying for all of us - for our health and safety, but more importantly that God would do a good work in our hearts and through our team. We have some veterans on the team, but we have a majority that haven't been here before. So we are praying that God would meet us here and allow us to minister the Gospel in word and in deed. We appreciate your prayer support!

Kulauqa: Day 4

2009-07-24T09:17:00.002-04:00

We have made it... almost! We had another jam packed day here at Kulaqua. After morning chapel our guys went to the guys only interactive to learn about being a dude in Christ and our girls went to hear Jen teach on body image and true beauty in Christ. Our hope and prayer is that they are hanging on to nuggets of what they are hearing since they have received alot this week.

Somehow we managed to go from 5th place to last place in true Wildwood fashion in competition for the all camp trophy. I guess I'll have to just accept this as tradition for the Wood. I'm guessing most of our lack of advancement came from our students who were too hot, too tired or didn't want to get wet or sweaty when it came time for our morning competitions!

During free time I took our group of students over to our snorkeling excursion to Ginnie Springs. This is always a fun bonding time for me and the guys that choose to go. It was cold as ever but this year the Santa Fe River is having some backflow issues and so it was so murky we couldn't see our hand before our face. So we spent the majority of our time snorkeling in the springs.

Chuck wrapped our chapel talks with the big picture of what is to come for eternity. He has done a great job presenting the meta-narrative (big picture) of the Bible, and it has given our students loads of information to process and understand about God.

Camp always wraps with our big hang night in the gym where we had inflatables, video games, basketball, soccer, dodgeball and other crazy games. I think it successfully wore us all out! But before that we did have a chance to celebrate our two camp birthdays - John Henry & John.

So, we've wrapped our last full day of camp and it was a roller coaster of a day. We've pushed through some tough stuff this week but we've also had some 'mountaintop' experiences where we've all felt closer to God. We wrapped up last night in our huddle times with a time of sharing and Q&A and I was really encouraged to hear our middle school students sharing what God has been teaching them this week and how their lives will be different. Sometimes it's hard for us to believe that through all the excitement, lack of sleep, camp food and high energy that our students are engaging, but I remember back to my time at ms camp and that's where God radically changed my life. So praise God for the work He has done and will continue to do in the lives of our students!

Kulauqa: Day 3

2009-07-23T07:51:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through our week here at middle school camp. We are really having a great time here as a student ministry - learning to love God and love each other. I'm really encouraged by this group of middle school students... even though we do have our 'moments'... it's a really neat group that I pray will serve as the core of our ms ministry as we move toward the new school year.

Camp is a great place. Yesterday we were challenged in so many different ways - from our chapel time in the morning and evening, our interactives and even our time alone with God. Our staff have been praying that God would speak clearly this week to our students and that they in turn would hear from Him and be changed.

We had a blast yesterday hanging out a camp and participating in everything from go karts, to horseback riding, to the blob and even the waterpark. I had a special treat in having my family drive over to see me and hang out with our students. I cherish every moment I've got since I spent most of my summer away from Tallahassee and my family!

We had some great representation from Wildwood in the dodgeball tournament as two of our teams advanced pretty far, but not quite enough to bring home the championship. Then for our late night activity we had church hang night so we took over the gym for more dodgeball, some hoops and some hanging out.

Thanks for checking in and for praying for us. Thursday will be our last full day at camp so we are trying to get it all in!

Kulauqa: Day 2

2009-07-21T23:57:00.000-04:00

We have wrapped up a busy, but awesome day today. Morning comes early for sure, but we are grateful to God for some great weather for camp so far. After our morning chapel time we go to interactives for a smaller type Bible study. You can be praying for Jen as she is doing an interactive for girls and me as I'm doing a co-ed interactive. From there we move to a personal devotional time.

Morning competitions were a blast today as we competed in a game in the wave pool and one in the lazy river. The majority of us stayed wet today as we made our annual tubing trip down the Itchnetuknee River. This trip always is a blast as our students enjoy flipping each other, jumping from some trees and spotting for some wildlife. This year we were able to see (but stay away from) some water snakes and we even spotted a wild boar eating right along the riverbank. A few students stayed behind to check out all that Kulaqua has to offer!

Tonight was a great time in worship and in hearing Chuck share about part 2 of God's story. We took at look at the fall - how sin entered the world through mankind's disobedience and how that continues to affect our lives. In our family groups we were able to go a little deeper and talk how we all struggle against our sin nature and what God would have us do.

Our late night activity was pretty spectacular as Ben Glenn (aka the messy preacher) did his amazing chalk drawing and presentation of the Gospel. We were all pretty amazed at his story and also his beautiful artwork. God continues to speak to all of us this week through so many different means and we appreciate your prayer support!

Kulauqa: Day 1

2009-07-20T23:46:00.001-04:00

Well here I go again... after just being home a few days from HS Camp, I'm back on the road at camp - this time with our middle school students. I always look forward to middle school camp at Kulaqua. It's a great place and God always does a great work in our hearts here.

We arrived in early afternoon to some rainy weather that cleared quickly so the students could get out and burn off some of the 'sitting on the bus' energy. They quickly took off for the blob, go karts, water park and sports activities. We all came together for dinner and then had our first worship time tonight. We are always excited to have Wayne Kerr as our worship leader for times of high energy worship! This year we have Chuck Berry speaking on the story of God in four chapters. Tonight we looked at creation and how we as unique and special creations fit individually into God's story.

After worship we have what are called huddle times where we meet together as a church and then we divide down into family groups for some in depth discussion and community time together.

Tonight was our annual huge game of counselor manhunt followed by our water park night. We had a great time but are all pretty exhausted and hoping the students are too. Please be praying for us and for what God has in store for us this week!

Elevate: Day 6

2009-07-15T22:25:00.001-04:00

The last morning of camp is always full of mixed emotions. It was especially for me as I would have to say goodbye to our students and watch them pull out and head down the mountain.

The mountain is a unique place... not just Lookout Mountain where Covenant is, but spiritually speaking. The mountain, even throughout Scripture represented God's presence and meeting place with His people. Even in the New Testament, Jesus often withdrew to the mountains to have time with His Heavenly Father. So, it is very fitting for our hs camp to be 'on the mountain.'

But it is always hard to come down from the mountain spiritually speaking. And it's even harder in a 56-passenger bus overlooking the sheer mountain face, but Darryl did a great job for us! Anyhow, there is something within us that longs for the mountaintop and doesn't want to leave. I think that is because we experience what we were created for and we long for that communion in the kingdom to come.

We finished our time at camp literally on the overlook of the mountain. It was a beautiful place to meet with God this morning and to take a spiritual snapshot of camp. I pray that all of you hs students would remember what God has shown you, taught you and challenged you to. I pray that you would treasure Him above all else and readily lay down your idols. I hope we will be able to look back on this camp and remember what God called us to both individually and as a high school ministry. I pray that your hearts would long for the connection you had a camp and would realize God always stands willing and ready to meet you "on the mountain"!

Elevate: Day 5

2009-07-15T22:11:00.001-04:00

I'm finding that writing these updates a few days late is a bit more difficult. But weighing the options between writing a current update (at 3:30am after tech load-out) or waiting until later... well, you can see what won out.

Tuesday was our last full day at camp and it was a jam packed day. It was a typical day as far as schedule went, but a very special day when looking back on it all. Everything from morning worship to the interactives, evening worship and even our closing time together during our huddles were powerful moments where we felt the presence of the Lord and a real sense of community together.

During our free time, we made our annual pilgrimage to Clumpies Ice Cream in downtown Chattanooga. We have created a tradition of sorts as we make our way from the riverbank, across the footbridge and then over to Coolidge Park. As you will see in the pics - we had a great time together enjoying some beautiful weather!

The last night at camp is always a special night. Adam and the band led in a Spirit-filled time of worship and Brent brought the message and continued to challenge us to a life that pursues Christ above all else. During our huddle time, I had the privilege to share a challenge with our students and also allow them to share what God had been showing them and teaching them at camp this year.

Our already full day went even longer with our first ever "Southland's Got Talent" Show. We had great representation from the Wood with a solo act, a duo and even an 'everyone's in' rap. We do have some talented students!

Elevate: Day 4

2009-07-14T00:56:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe that we have crossed the mid-point of camp already. And I know I promised some more pics, but I can't seem to find the USB cable so I figured I would get a text update and can maybe do some pics tomorrow.

Today was a big day for the majority of our students that braved the cold water and rapids of the Ocoee. I've heard some good stories about some students taking an unexpected swim, but thankfully no rafts taco'd on rocks like last year! We did have a few chickens... I mean some leaders and students stay behind and took their own excursion downtown to see some sights.

I made it back to camp right when our evening worship was beginning and am so glad I did. Adam and the band led in a powerful time of worship and Brent again did a good job of helping the students see the pitfalls of idolatry. One of the verses from Isaiah 46 that really stood out to me says, "To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?" (vs. 5). We have this idea that these idols in our lives can satisfy or bring happiness, yet God clearly sets Himself up in a way that no idols could ever compare. And for the most part, I believe we know that in our head, but His majesty and sufficiency doesn't always impact our heart.

Tomorrow will be another full day of activities here on campus and then in the afternoon we will head downtown for our free time. Tomorrow night after worship we will cap off camp with our "Southland's Got Talent" show. Our students have been hard at work on a musical number that they are very excited to perform.

I would ask that you continue to pray for all of us and pray that God would speak to our hearts in a powerful way that changes our lives!

Elevate: Day 3

2009-07-12T22:50:00.002-04:00

HIgh School Camp has been a definite change for me this year with my increased responsibilities being the director of Elevate Camp 2009. I've been quite a bit more removed from our students' lives as I've had to manage the behind the scenes and day to day operations of the camp. But this gives me a great chance to brag on the Wildwood student staffers that are serving as counselors this week to our students. They have done an awesome job leading in my absence but also in investing in the lives of our students this week!

God has been actively challenging us through Brent's messages each night regarding our idols - not the little statues, but rather the many things in our lives that take our time, energy, attention and even top priority away from Christ. As Brent shared - the antithesis of Christianity isn't atheism, but idolatry. He also shared that most of our pursuits can generally be "good" things, but they become idols when we elevate them to "God" things. So we are all trying to examine our hearts this week in our time alone with God and family group time.

It's been cool having our own Adam & Teri Hill lead us in worship and today was no exception. For our Sunday morning worship, we loaded all 300+ at camp and headed into downtown Chattanooga to worship outside on the riverbank at Coolidge Park. This was a logistically challenging, but rewarding experience to worship out loud downtown! God held off the rain just long enough for Trey to finish sharing about how we find our strength and identity in Christ.

We took it easy this afternoon and didn't venture off campus for any excursions, but tomorrow is our big Whitewater rafting day on the Ocoee River. I apologize for not being about to upload any pictures tonight, but I've had to fly back to Tallahassee to preach in the morning at a funeral and will fly back tomorrow afternoon to rejoin camp. Please pray for me, but also continue to pray for our students and leaders that God would continue to shake us up spiritually! I'll do my best to catch up on some pics tomorrow night!

Elevate: Day 2

2009-07-12T00:46:00.001-04:00

Our first full day of camp is under our belt and we are having a great time so far. Today was a full day both spiritually and activity-wise. I'm just flat out exhausted and since it's late I'm not going for a full write up, but here's some pics to enjoy.

Elevate: Day 1

2009-07-11T00:37:00.003-04:00

It has been a long day and trip, but I guess it wasn't as bad for us as those from South Florida who had to leave at 3:30 in the morning. I was excited to see our students and staff when they arrived. From what I understand it was a pretty uneventful bus ride which is always a good thing. We had a good first session tonight with worship and our speaker, Brett, who spoke about the idols which take priority over Christ in our lives. I'll try to get some pics posted soon and don't forget you can get more updates at twitter.com/wildwoodstudent.

Reflections on Fatherhood

2009-06-28T22:52:00.000-04:00

I'm a dad to three boys... called me blessed or call me crazy. Actually it is mostly both at the same time. We don't really hype holidays or special occasions all that much in our home, so this post isn't too linked to Father's day, but it did get me thinking on the subject. And since I've been re-reading Wild at Heart, everything came together in thought one night and now I'm just getting around to putting it down.

To be honest, I'm a little amazed at this whole concept of fatherhood. To think that I have direct responsibility (or better privilege) in shaping the hearts and lives of my boys is at times overwhelming. I've thought back quite a bit on my own father (and Happy Father's Day and birthday, Dad) and the relationship we have now and what it was like growing up. It's kinda funny how it took becoming a father to realize how much I was shaped and influenced by my father. Needless to say, some of the shaping came in the form of a thick leather belt traveling at the speed of sound towards my backside.

I realized this Father's Day that Brock has already crossed the halfway point in his time in our household. Man, the time has flown by. Jake's in the middle and appropriately usually in the middle of trouble. But he is in the "I love Daddy" stage. I'll remind him of this stage when he becomes a teenager. Bringing up the rear is my newborn, Cole, who just looks at me and smiles... until Brooke goes to work and then he cries... and cries some more. Such innocence is amazing, though. What a gift God has given me in these three.

Thankfully the whole understanding of my spiritual Father overshadows my fears, insecurities and inadequacies of being a father to my boys. As if the promise in 1 John 3, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called sons of God..." isn't amazing enough. Proverbs 14:26 says, "He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge." It is so comforting to know that I'm not in this alone. I run in pursuit of God so that my boys can be challenged by the potential of likewise knowing, loving and serving God.

I can only pray that my boys will come to the realization of Christ's presence in their lives so they may discern that being a Christ-follower is infinitely more about a heart relationship with Jesus than simply trying to live a meager existence of Christian duty. I desire that they would give their lives away for the sake of the Gospel. I hope that the things of the world would pale in comparison to the joy of being found in Christ. I pray they understand their lives will be measured by how well they love. I want them to know that God desires our best, deserves our best and will ultimately demand our best. I pray they would know that following Christ isn't something that can remotely be done halfheartedly, but that it is central to all that they do and all that they are. I want them to know that the greatest fear in life shouldn't be failure, but of succeeding in life in things that don't matter for the Kingdom.

Ultimately, I don't want to have to read these things to them in an effort to teach them... I simply want them to look at my life, and like Paul, be able to say to them, "Follow me as I follow Christ."

Consuming Love

2009-05-07T23:05:00.001-04:00

So I ran across this quote from David Shibley the other day. Not sure where I read it, but I hung on to it and have been processing it for a good while now. "God is not calling us to win the world and, in the process, lose our families. But I have known those who so enshrined family life and were so protective of ‘quality time’ that the children never saw the kind of consuming love that made their parents’ faith attractive to them. Some have lost their children, not because they weren’t at their soccer games or didn’t take family vacations, but because they never transmitted a loyalty to Jesus that went deep enough to interrupt personal preferences.”

To be honest, family life and ministry life has always been an interesting and challenging combination. I have been doing ministry quite a bit longer than 'family', so I knew there would be a definite adjustment factor for me. Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 7 speak about it being good for a man not to marry. Most theologians have traditionally interpreted the first two verses of the passage to show that Paul is suggesting celibacy as a higher calling than marriage. The usual explanation - especially for those in ministry - is the greater opportunity to dedicate themselves entirely to the Lord. The church fathers taught this view and it impacted the Roman Catholic Church as they forbade their clergy to marry, so as to not keep them from their higher calling.

This explanation has always been troublesome because at the beginning of time God said “it is not good for man to be alone” and in a sinless world instituted marriage. Since then it would seem that marriage has been the norm for Christians.

But there is little doubt in my mind that a life lived on mission can quickly and easily be distracted... by so many things, family being just one of those. Yet the calling to mission includes the family and I would say even goes out from the family. How can I lead others to do what I'm not leading my family to do?

I desperately desire for my wife and children see the consuming love I so often preach about. A love for Christ that compels my life and calling as a husband, father and pastor to go into the world with the love of Christ.

Caught rather than taught... it's a great teaching principle that has to be applied to how I live out my faith before my family and those around me. Words become meaningless devoid of action. God asks for the faith He has given us to be expressed through a life of selfless devotion to the cause of Christ and for the sake of the Gospel.

Jesus trained His disciples in an amazing way for the work He would have them accomplish following His departure. He did not gather His disciples in a formal classroom and begin to lecture. Instead, Jesus did His teaching “on the way” (and thus explaining why the early Christians were called "Followers of The Way"). The roadways of life was Jesus' classroom. He communicated His principles, values and mission right in the middle of daily experiences. The real beauty of our Lord’s teaching is that He taught and led by example. He fleshed out in His own life what He expected His followers to do.

Shibley's final sentence, "A loyalty to Jesus that goes deep enough to interrupt personal preferences"... even family life is so incredibly challenging. But if I want my three boys to 'get it' than I have to 'live it'... only by His grace and solely for His glory!

We want A king... not THE KING!

2009-04-15T23:14:00.001-04:00

So I realize I haven't been as active in the blogging world as of late. It probably has more to do with the addition to the family, ministry responsibilities and other things that would make a pretty long list, but I'll spare you. And I don't ever write feeling I have something to say that others need to read, as much as I write because I need to read! This serves as my online journal I guess.

Anyhow, I was reading in 1 Samuel 8 the other day and was really struck by the request of the people... God's chosen people for leadership. In verse 5 the elders met with Samuel and said, "Give us A king to judge us like all the other nations have." Seems an innocent request at first glance. We want to have a king to rule us, and why not, everyone else does.

But then Samuel's reply, "Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance." I just have to wonder why the elders from all the tribes didn't do this in the first place. For generations, God had spoken to, led, provided for, instructed and cared for His people. Yet the lure of "having what everyone else had" became too great, yet again, in their life. God answers Samuel by saying, "They don't want me THE King any longer. So give them what they want."

Before I get to critical of the Israelites, I had to do a little soul searching. How many times have I said - verbally or non-verbally, intentionally or non-intentionally - "I want A king, not THE King!" So, thousands of years later, not only does the pattern continue among God's chosen people, but it is even evident in my own life. It is so tempting to look around and see what the world offers and desire their king(s) over the one and only King.

For as much as we all push against authority, we're still always asking for it. As much as we want freedom, we ultimately by our choices end up as slaves. But the distinction isn't in having authority - it's being able to select what authority we fall under. Do we live in humble obedience, a life pleasing to THE King? Or are we out looking to set up our own kingdom with our own king? It doesn't matter what king we are bowing down to - the king of popularity, power, prestige... the list goes on and on and on.

As that passage continues you can hear the heartbreak in God's response. He basically recounts His faithfulness and love for His people and their continued fickleness, abandonment and downright rejection. How it must break the heart of God when we decide we would rather have a king over the King of kings!

Welcome to the world Cole Hunter!

2009-02-05T18:24:00.002-05:00

Well allow me the "proud papa" moment to share the exciting news. At 1:24pm we welcomed into the world Cole Hunter Veleber. He weighs 6 lbs 12 oz and is 19 inches long. What a blessing from the Lord! Here's some pics!

Time

2009-01-13T11:06:00.002-05:00

Four letters that make up the word 'time'. A pretty small word with pretty big implications. I guess the word time has hit me this morning due to circumstances. I woke up with no real schedule today, no giant to-do list, having some goals for today and in a different city. I'm writing this sitting in a Starbucks in Vestavia Hills, Alabama after taking a cool journey down memory lane last night with a good friend of mine here in Birmingham.

It is perplexing to me, yet refreshing at the same time. I had some great time in the Word this morning continuing looking at the life of Job - which by the way, I had an awesome opportunity to preach on in church on Sunday. If you're interested in hearing what God put on my heart, click here: http://www.wildwoodpca.org/230444.ihtml

The title of my sermon was "Comfortable Suffering" an oxymoron I guess. Yet so much of what my heart desires when I think suffering. Remember God brought me on this journey after reading the words of Paul in Philippians 3, "I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead! I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be."

I must say it is pretty difficult for me to get away from this concept of suffering when you look at the life of Christ, his followers, early church fathers and really the rest of the world (outside America) where authentic Christianity is lived out. God is still teaching me and speaking to me through this passage, but more on that later.

Back to time. I really believe God called me to get away this week. I do have some things to do... I'm taking a class on the Westminster Confession back at Beeson with Dr. Bray. I'm using this week to study for my ordination exams. UGH. But I really believe it will (and already has been) more than that.

God's been calling me to some unhurried, uninterrupted (as you could imagine is pretty difficult in the life of student ministry and even at home with 2 boys and another on the way) with Him. Jesus journeyed into the wilderness for some intense time of prayer and fasting with His Father. He often retreated to the mountain for times of reflection and prayer. Retreat. Renewal. Refuge. And then this 't' word... Time.

I must say that this journey has been difficult so far, but very refreshing to my soul. I've seen God sustain me in ways I haven't in awhile. I've heard Him speak to my heart more clearly. His Word has come alive to me in so many ways. Ultimately I've rediscovered my need for Him and to be with Him. And I say rediscovered because it's not like I didn't know that before, but you know how that goes.

My prayer today is that "we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The Journey

2009-01-04T23:44:00.000-05:00

God has called me to follow Him a journey this New Year. Not that I haven't always been on a journey with Him, but I guess to travel down a new path. I've been sensing the calling and restless for a little while now, but in my true, typical nature... trying to out-think and maneuver things on my own. But God even this morning confirmed that He wants me to go. I don't know much beyond that, but am excited about what He is calling me to and hope to be able to share more as the journey continues.

This New Year, God put before me Paul's words in Philippians 3:10-11, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." I haven't been able to move from the thoughts of what it means to really know Christ and can't even really get my mind around the idea of sharing in His sufferings. I think that is in part to being an American Christ-follower.

And I've had to face the natural trepidations that come with the idea of going on this journey knowing the word "suffering" is potentially on the path. Then in doing a little more exploring God led me to an earlier passage in Paul's same letter where he said, I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. (1:20-24).

Ah, much more comforting... moving from suffering to simply facing death. I read passages and statements in Scripture like these and sometimes have to wonder if the modern church, average Christian or closer to home - even myself can even grasp what it means to follow Christ. I almost said to follow Christ at that level, but realized for Paul it was just following Christ they way Jesus intended and even modeled for us Himself in His relationship with the Father.

But the journey starts with the first step... so, off I go.

Germany Mission 1

2008-11-23T17:07:00.004-05:00

Well I've made it over here to Germany and have finally adjusted after being awake for about 30 hours or so. The time change was pretty killer and the plane ride was not all that relaxing. But God has been so faithful so far in giving us opportunities to praise His name and share the Gospel. The context for being a pastor here seems incredibly difficult. Many small churches and seeing a convert not only takes a huge commitment of time, but from what I hear are few and far between. Tomorrow we sing in the Cologne Dom which is an incredible privilege. Not many groups get the opportunity to sing in such a historic place. I'm praying it will generate some good conversations afterward, but I'm finding my German to be pretty rough since the last time I was here was about 4 years ago.

The weather is freezing and it has been snowing off and on since we have been here. I've taken some great pics, but forgot my USB cable to do some uploading so I could post them. Maybe I can find someone else with one. If you are reading this, say a quick prayer for me and our team that the Gospel would go forth whether in word or song and we would be faithful laborers to sow the seeds of hope! Prais sei zu Gott

The Pursuit

2008-11-17T08:08:00.002-05:00

Everyone wants to be a hero... to make their life count... to do something with their life. I'm no different. I tend to dwell on this theme of significance, as does this generation that I'm tasked to minister to. There is something God-given and God-inspired at our very core that desires to matter.

Sadly we search for significance by pursing pleasures in this world, gathering 'toys', seeking prestige, positioning for power and the list goes on and on. We miss that our significance is found in Christ alone - in a person, but I would argue in our pursuit of Him as well.

In 1 Timothy 4:10 Paul writes "For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."

That verse is incredibly challenging to me in my journey. My pursuit of Christ will not be easy! Living a life that matters will be filled with toil and strive. Why do I do the things that I do? Why do I want my life to matter?

I continue on in the pursuit because in it is this unbearable weight of His presence. This overwhelming thought of being found in Christ and made like Christ makes me want to smile, cry, rejoice, feel crushed, rejoice and mourn all at the same time.

The thing that is disturbing to me about making our goal = significance is that our very attempts to matter and achieve oftentimes fight against the very simple truth that Christ simply wants us to pursue Him. Period. Be found in Him. Period. I'm learning that it isn't that He doesn't care about the results or the goal, but that He is the result and the goal!

A lot of our heroes of the faith that loved our great God and King and were obedient beyond the norm didn't quite get the goal they were probably hoping for:

* Moses spends his whole life with grumbling, whiners and dies without getting to walk into the promise land.
* Samson suicide bombs the Philistines and when the dust settles he is dead and the Philistines still rule over Israel.
* David's son rapes his sister and leads a rebellion against David, dethroning him for a season.
* Jeremiah ends up in exile with the rest of the country after repeatedly getting beaten for preaching what God commanded him to preach.
* John the Baptist is beheaded by a pervert who gives his head to a 15-year-old stripper.
* Peter is killed, reportedly crucified upside down.
* Paul is killed in Rome but only after he spends his life (with thorn intact) being beaten, rejected, lost at sea, and consistently dealing with people coming in behind him and destroying what he built.

I read it this way recently, "If your hope is set on anything other than Him, how do you survive when it goes bad? If He is the goal, the treasure, the pursuit, then those things are fuel that presses you into His goodness and grace all that much more. I am not saying they are pleasant or enjoyable but only that if He is your goal you will find your faith sustained."

My I be found obedient and passionate in the pursuit of a God who is more faithful in pursuing me than I ever could be in pursuing Him! Soli Deo Gloria!

God Change Things? God Change Me!

2008-09-23T23:22:00.000-04:00

I had the awesome opportunity to preach at Cru (Campus Crusade @ FSU) tonight. I am always grateful for the chance to preach the Word, but I'm always encouraged speaking to this generation of college students. Most that are following Christ, are doing so with a hunger to be different and make an impact and desire for God's name and renown to go to the ends of the earth.

God has really been challenging me with the notion of desiring God to change things rather than changing me. Too often I'm looking at circumstances, pain, temptation and my surroundings and looking for those to change rather than asking God to change me through them. Too often I think we are always looking to God for answers rather than just knowing and resting in the fact that He is the answer. I've been challenged to start praying God change me instead of God change things.

I have a desire to be consumed and thus satisfied with Christ. He is my sufficiency and portion forever. It must become less about what He offers or even where He is taking me and just more about Him.

A story I read this week really hit home. It is the story of Dr. John Kavanaugh’s visit to Mother Teresa’s “house for the dying” in Calcutta, India. Kavanauh had traveled half way around the world seeking a clear answer on the direction his life should take. He met Mother Teresa, and she asked what she could do for him. He asked her to pray for him that he might have clarity. Mother Teresa responded firmly, “No, I will not do that”. Surprised by her quick denial, he asked her why. “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of,” she said. Kavanaugh looked at her and responded that she always seemed to have clarity about her purpose and mission. Mother Teresa laughed and said, “I never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God!”

If you choose to walk with God, you may not find the clarity that you seek about your future, your dreams, or even any decisions you need to make... and you don’t get to be in control either! But what He offers is a relationship with His Son and our Savior. A life changing relationship where He is at work molding us and shaping us into His image. I pray my heart would find satisfaction in no other and my life would be consumed in knowing Him, loving Him and making Him known. Soli Deo Gloria!

Happy Bday Jake Taylor!

2008-09-22T23:04:00.002-04:00

I guess this post will be one of those self-indulgent, proud daddy-type entries. But I did want to take a moment to celebrate the blessing God gave Brooke and I two years ago when our Jake Taylor entered the world. It has been so amazing to watch him grow and develop. He's quite a character and is all boy for sure.

It's hard to believe that we were celebrating his first birthday a year ago already. Time has sure flown by. Fortunately this birthday was uneventful (in a good way) and we didn't end up in the ER like last year. If you missed that story, click here.

Thanks to all the relatives who made the trek over to Tally to celebrate with us. We had a great time sharing the day with the ones we love. So let me wish a big happy birthday to my little man... Daddy loves you!

Becoming like Christ

2008-09-09T18:09:00.003-04:00

What a second day it has been for me during this time of 'Refuge' here in Bham. I had a great start to my morning by getting some free Starbucks (thanks John) and then getting to check out a Bham staple... the Rick and Bubba show. They've got a new studio that was pretty sweet. Refill on the Starbucks, some conversation with God and then I was on my way to Refuge for the morning session.

Kristan Stanfill and band lead in worship this morning. We started off by singing "Oh Happy Day" the way it was meant to be sung. It was great to sing it and mean it! What an awesome morning to come into God's presence. His Spirit was thick in the room and that was refreshing. Randy Hall came up next to speak and challenged us to redifine student ministry as simply "Helping students become like Christ." Then the second part of his definition was "By leaders becoming like Christ." Simply, yet profound. And in reality that's the goal. I've always heard it said and strive to live by, "Follow me as I follow Christ."

No trip to Bham is complete without a visit to Milos. Milos is hard to put into words, other than saying, "Everybody goes to Milos." Everyone reading will know my love for Sonny's sweet tea. In fact I attribute most of what hangs around my waist to Sonny's sweet tea. Don't burn me at the stake for heresy, but Sonny's sweet tea can't even hang with Milos' sweet tea. I think Milos invented sweet tea. Milos sweet tea will be in heaven. Great cheesburger and the famous fries to go with it... what a great lunch.

After lunch I swung by both my alma maters, Samford and Beeson Divinity. Man, I felt old walking around there. I got to catch up with a former student that just graduated and is a freshman and SU and that was fun. Alot has changed on campus. I spent some good quiet time at Beeson... good time in the Word, polished up my sermon for tomorrow night and worked on material for the SLT retreat this weekend. Slow paced for a day - what a relief.

After that I was able to hit the pavement on one of my favorite running greenways. I typically have a pretty rushed 3 mile run each morning, but today I was able to have about an hour for a 6 mile run. Maybe I shouldn't have picked the hottest part of the day, but I didn't have much of a choice. But it was great to get out and enjoy the beauty of God's creation and enjoy a Driscoll sermon on my iPod. The run was great and my legs feel good, but I'm betting the morning will be a different story.

I about to head out a grab some dinner and then back for the last Refuge session. Can't wait to hear Dr. David Platt tonight. The guy knows, loves and brings God's Word. I'm praying God has a word for me tonight.

Unfortunately I've got to make the drive back tonight. That means 5 hours are ahead of me starting about 10 CST/11 EST. Looks like I'll be pulling back into Tally around 4 am. Not so excited about that.

God knew what I needed by providing my this rest, renewal and place of refuge. He is so amazing to call me away and renew my spirit.

A place of Refuge

2008-09-08T23:24:00.004-04:00

Tonight was a bit of a homecoming for me. I've traveled 5 hours up to Birmingham, Alabama for Refuge '08... a retreat, rest and renewal for student pastors. I come to Bham pretty often to see Brooke's family, but somehow traveling alone brought back alot of memories and a good feeling as I drove in this afternoon. I guess all in all I spent about 10 years of life, college, seminary and ministry here in Bham.

I knew it was going to be a great evening when Ponzee (one of my former students and interns) wanted to grab some Dreamland for dinner. I opened the door to a smell that was almost heavenly. Full slab of ribs, white bread and sweet tea. Pretty sure all 3 of those will be in heaven. But while here on earth and especially in Bham, Dreamland is a must visit. What a great start to my trip.

Headed over to Brook Hills for Refuge after dinner. And by heading over I mean 280. That won't mean anything to you unless you know Bham. I don't miss 280. Bumper to bumper and they keep building new stores along the way... as if 280 needs more people driving on it.

Awesome to be back a Brook Hills. I spend a good many Saturday nights there for Saturday worship while living in Birmingham. It was always great to go to a church and be able to worship in a place where I wasn't on staff and didn't have responsibilities or keys to the building.

Refuge started out with Chris Tomlin leading in worship. The sound that followed was incredible. Over 1000 student pastors lifting up praise to a holy God. I hadn't become that emotional in worship since being in Nicaragua earlier this summer. It was such a blessing to sing with people of like mind for the Kingdom and a passion for the worship of God Almighty. Tomlin introduced "Jesus Messiah" from his new CD. Powerful song.

Louie Giglio was up next with the Word. He said something that I'm still processing. When talking about our role as pastors in the Kingdom he said, "It's amazing that we aren't necessary but we are invited." The idea was that God in no way needs us but rather chooses to invite us into the work that He is doing... the work of the Kingdom. Giglio went on to share out of Colossians 2 and 2 Corinthians 5 about grace. It was so refreshing to hear the word and feel the grace of God pour over my heart. "I can't". That had to sink in. "I can't, but He can." "Christ IN us - the hope of glory."

I thank God for giving me this opportunity for rest and renewal. I wish it was longer, but I'm waiting in anxious anticipation to hear what He has for me and to spend some time seeking refuge in Him!

Nicaragua:: finally home!

2008-08-09T08:20:00.002-04:00

Back on US soil... I'll admit it was refreshing but also a little bit of a weird feeling. Especially for me since I stretched across both teams and was in Nicaragua 18 days I guess. For the first time I won't be eating gallopinto for at least one meal (I had an 18 day streak going). For those of you reading this that were on one of the teams... you'll laugh to know that I had to remember to actually flush the toilet paper when I got home.

We had a pretty easy day for our travel day home... other than waking up at 4 in the morning. That's never fun. But we made it out of the Managua Airport half asleep and without breakfast, then we landed in Miami and it was lunch time. Fortunately this year, we had enough of a layover not to have to run through immigrations and customs trying to catch our next flight. Some took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep and we all had tough decisions to make about what was going to be our first taste of US food... most chose pizza. One other thing we noticed was how cold we all were in the Miami Airport... from this strange phenomenon called air conditioning. A hot shower will also probably be an adjustment.

I know I leave a little piece of my heart in Nicaragua every time I leave (this year was number 5). I suspect after going on enough missions there I won't have any heart left to bring home and I'll just have to stay and minister there! God has and continues to grow inside me a heart for the nations... so that the world can hear, know and experience the good news of the Gospel of grace.

God deserves all the praise and glory for what He did through both of our teams in Nicaragua. We train and prepare as best we can, but ultimately it is God who chooses to work through us. We don't have anything to offer other than our availability. And God likewise deserves all the praise and glory for what He did in our lives. I can honestly say that everyone on both teams was powerfully impacted by our time in Nicaragua - the time we spent with God everyday and also what God showed us and taught us about Himself.

We had an opportunity to live out Jesus' mission. In Luke 4, he reads a prophesy about Himself from Isaiah that says, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Our worship of Almighty God must propel us forward with Jesus' mission at heart. I'm so grateful to Wildwood for being a "sending" church and being a church that not only supports, but values student mission trips. And I wait with anxious expectation for the opportunity to return next year!

Nicaragua:: Day 15

2008-08-08T02:03:00.002-04:00

It is going to be difficult to summarize all the happenings from today. We started our morning by visiting the city dump - home to about 1200 residents (800 or so being children). The dump is a working dump and the residents that live their make their living sorting through the trash - looking for food, things to reuse or even sell. They make their homes out of whatever they can find to construct with. I am always overwhelmed with emotion just thinking about these peoples lives and God's grace to me in the fact that I wasn't born there. It is difficult to understand and wrap my arms around for sure. I always pray that God would allow me to see the world (and the people there) through His eyes. I was reminded of the verse where Jesus looks out and has compassion on the crowd as they looked like helpless, scattered sheep without a Shepherd.

After the dump we visited Sister Ruby for a time of prayer. Time with Ruby (see previous post from the construction team) is always a powerful time of ministry. It was so refreshing to just spend time in God's presence, hearing from Him and praying for one another.

We returned to the compound for lunch and then had a special time down by the pool. God put in on Ginger's heart to be baptized, so I had the privilege of baptizing her in the Buzbee's pool. It was a joy to celebrate in the sacrament of baptism here in Nicaragua.

We then loaded up the buses and headed out to the market and then out to dinner. This seems to always be a highlight of the trip. It was fun to just end the trip together celebrating what God has done here in Nicaragua.

Unfortunately our time here on this mission is over, but we know God's mission always continues. We do have to be up early - 4:30 am to be exact to head back to Tally. Please pray for our safety as we travel!

Nicaragua:: Day 14

2008-08-07T00:32:00.002-04:00

Today the campo team transformed into the construction team. We started early with our breakfast and team devotional time and then headed out to Los Cedros to work on the house that our construction team started. It was awesome to arrive to see everything completed... almost! The house had all the walls up, the roof on and just lacking a door, 3 windows and the concrete floor for the main house and the porch.

We got right to work on making sure the interior was level and ready for the concrete. The main home was pretty ready, but the porch required about 40+ wheelbarrows full of dirt. It was a lot of hard work digging more of the trench (for water runoff) to give us dirt for the porch. After the level was set came the mixing of the concrete. We got a good start on the concrete before heading to Louisa's house for lunch. Going to Louisa's is always a treat - a break from PB&J and having a hot meal for lunch. What a blessing and it was delicious!

God gave us another blessing at lunch when we rounded the corner and saw about 15 kids from camp on the way to school. Their faces lit up when they saw us coming. It was a sweet reunion in the streets of Los Cedros. It was an awesome addition to our day. Many of the kids came to the worksite after school to hang out with us.

After lunch we had loads of concrete to make and bucket lines to form! But everyone worked really hard and by God's grace we were able to complete the flooring in one day! Majoure and one of her sons came to the house to see the completion as well. It was a treat for me to talk with her and even though we had already dedicated the house - to encourage her to use her new home for God's glory.

On the way out we stopped by Collegio Christiano to say goodbye to Pastor Manuel and his wife, Pastora. They presented us with a letter, which they read, thanking us for our investment of time and energy into the camp and the construction of the home. It was a touching time to spend together. I have had the privilege to get to know Pastor Manuel over the past 5 years and it was a God moment for me to realize that I have a brother in Christ and in ministry - though thousands of miles apart - we are connected in friendship and the desire to see people come to know Christ and see His Kingdom come!

Tomorrow is our last full day here in Nicaragua. I know that we are all anxious to be home, but at the same time it is always hard to leave. God is doing a great work in our hearts, but I know He has more in store for us tomorrow!

Nicaragua:: Day 13

2008-08-06T00:19:00.001-04:00

This morning we had to load the bus and say goodbye to Campo Allegria. We were all feeling the exhaustion of running a camp and the emotions of having to say goodbye to the kids yesterday. So today became a day of rest for us. It was great to be able to sleep beyond 5 am without a Nicaraguan camper waking us up today!

We loaded up the bus for our journey back. The bus ride back to Managua is a little over 2 hours so we made it back to the compound for lunch.

The afternoon was spent relaxing in the hammocks, swimming in the pool, reading, having some quiet time and even catching a nap if needed. It was good to have the down time after giving so much over the last few days.

We had dinner here and then had to tackle the project of re-sorting and bagging all the clothes that we brought. Thank you Wildwood for the donations of clothing. We brought 17 huge 50-pound duffle bags full of donated clothes. This clothes will be sold by the teachers of Collegio de Esperanza (School of Hope) that is in the dump. So not only will the clothes go to needy children and families, but the school & teachers will make some added income to continue their work in La Trudecca.

The sorting wouldn't have been complete without the annual Mission Nicaragua fashion show. Fortunately, (for those involved) I didn't take any pictures of that!

Tomorrow we start bright and early as this team transforms from the camp team to the construction team for a day. We are going back into Los Cedros to complete the house that was begun last week. The construction team was able to totally build the house from the ground up - but didn't have the time to pour the concrete floor. So tomorrow will be a day of hard work and mixing loads of concrete!

Please continue to lift this team up in your prayers. We do have some team members with a stomach bug that makes for some additional time spent talking to John - if you know what I mean. Please pray that God would heal them quickly and that He would continue to work in and through us!

Nicaragua:: Day 12

2008-08-04T23:48:00.000-04:00

Camp is finished. Those are hard words to type. Even though we are all pretty exhausted from days that started way to early, fun in the sun, swimming, serving meals, facilitating stations, carrying kids around, to just trying to love like Christ - it was very difficult to say goodbye to the kids today.

We ran a normal day's schedule except we introduced the "polar bear" swim to those brave enough (only the boys were) to go for a dip around 6:00 am this morning. We do polar bear swims at MS Camp where the spring is cold, but really cold in the morning hours. Here it wasn't the water temp, but the lack of sun and heat! But it was a blast.

We wrapped up our time before lunch with a special movie of all the pictures we had taken of the kids all week. They were so excited to see themselves up on the big screen. Then we gave the kids a chance to speak about anything they had learned. A few got up to thank us and God and even the food - just for a great camp this week. I had the opportunity to thank them for coming and to challenge them to continue to grow in what that had heard and learned this week.

Before they were ready to go to the bus, we pulled out our surprise of the week. Thanks to the Wildwood VBS, we had a brand new backpack full of school supplies and a new pair of flip flops for every child at camp. I can't even describe with words how excited they were... their eyes lit up as they received the backpacks and looked at he contents. It was truly a greater joy to give than receive.

Although we have received. We have been so blessed to have been a part of these kids lives and to spend this time with them. Who would have guessed how attached you can get in just a few days. It was also heartbreaking to think about some of the family situations and living conditions they will face when they depart the bus. We laughed, hugged and cried one last time and then chased the bus down the road in true Nicaragua fashion.

We spent the afternoon relaxing, swimming some and then had a nice team dinner and debriefing time. God has truly been doing a good work in our hearts and we pray He will continue to do so. PS - we also caught a really big tarantula tonight!

Nicaragua:: Day 11

2008-08-04T00:22:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that camp is almost over for us and the children. God has really blessed our time here - not only in through the activities, lessons and fun, but in the relationships we've been able to build. We ran our last full day of camp today. Tomorrow the children will leave after lunch.

We had a pretty routine morning with the stations, dance time and then swimming time in the lake. However our evening worship time was a little different. In fact, it started with a pretty spectacular showing from Volcan Concepcion. From what we could tell (we're on the other side of the lake) a steam pocket exploded. You'll see in the picture a steam cloud going up into the sky. It seemed pretty ominous and it did send ash sailing our way, but from what we hear, it is a fairly regular occurrence.

Tonight during our worship time, both the ballet girls and hip hop boys got to showcase what they've been learning and rehearsing. It was truly a God moment to see the beauty and joy on the faces of the girls in their outfits performing their dance. Likewise, the boys had a smile ear to ear when they were up front strutting their stuff. Knowing that most have never experienced an opportunity like that before made it even more special.

We capped off our night by throwing a surprise party for Debbie. This is her second year in a row to celebrate her birthday here in Nicaragua. We had a Nicaraguan cake and a time to sing to her and celebrate.

Tomorrow is our last day at camp... please pray that God continue to reveal Himself to these children and that He would use us in a powerful way!

Nicaragua:: Day 10

2008-08-02T23:32:00.000-04:00

5:10 AM. Why is that significant? That would happen to be the time that the Nica boys at camp decided to wake up today. Apparently they get up when the sun does. Me, not so much. But anyhow, that is when our day started today... and from the looks of things, when it will start tomorrow.

Today was our first full day at camp and I think it is safe to say that we are all exhausted. Everything went very well - from the team leaders, art, music, dancing, Bible story, sports to our evening time.

God is blessing us with the ability to gain trust and build relationships quickly despite the language barrier (most of our attempts at "Spanglish" isn't all that great). But just loving these kids with the love of Christ is proving to be good communication!

I am pretty familiar with the community they come from and their way of life, but we are starting to learn more of their stories, which can be hard to process. A brother & sister that are here were abandoned by their mom which forced them to live on the streets. Later an aunt took them in, but couldn't handle it and tried to give them to Pastor Manuel and his wife. A few others only have an older sibling to take care of them. It is pretty heartbreaking, but it reminds us that we - in and of ourselves - don't have much to offer them, but the love of Christ and His healing is powerful.

Please join us in praying for the children that don't know Christ - that God would open their eyes to see their sin and need for a Savior. Pray that we would represent Jesus well and see them through His eyes!