Part II- Heart of Nicarauga

 So part two-

Here is my heart:

I can hardly believe I’m already going into our third country! Some days I do feel as if I have been gone for six months, but at the same time it feels like so much has happened in such little time.

Simple fact of life- Life doesn’t go on pause. Things happen, seasons change, and there is a lot of change and transition at home even when you’re gone.  Let’s be real, I miss home.  I miss my Arwood girls, the Weeks, The Roberts fam, Walters, Wiggins, Sarah Taylor, Lanes the list goes on and on.. I miss nights on the couch watching Netflix, sugar popcorn, grassroots etc etc.. It’s no wonder I miss these people, and these things. I love home. I love my community. 

If you read my last blog you know that I have seen a miracle in these last two months! I have seen a man healed from sickness! I have been growing in abilities to lead, and have even helped out in worship

So, with all these amazing things going on I ask myself why does my heart hurt so bad sometimes?

The simple answer I can give is that I am on a journey. I am on a journey of my heart, a pilgrimage if you will. I am in a process with the Lord that deals with my heart in the wilderness- through the messy, broken and gory bits of me. I am having a complete overhaul of my heart country to country, month by month, day by day..

"Not all who wander are lost"

Colossians 3:2 MSG says this- “Don’t shuffle along eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ-that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective. Set your mind on things above”.

Col 2:11 says this- “Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve.”

I want to revert back to a message I am chewing on currently and speak about a mind, body, heart and spirit at rest.

One quote from it says this- “a mind, heart, body, spirit at rest gives the capacity to deal with what’s right in front of you and then beyond it.”

This is where I’m at.. Currently in this process..and here is a heart check question that I read from Kacie Lynn's Color Me Captivated Post- what if this process is lifelong? Check it out online (Purpose in the Process-colormecaptivated.com)

I am learning trust, I am learning love. I am learning how to not depend on my own understanding, but depend on the Lord. I am learning that to truly enter into fullness, it can't be something I strive for. It can’t be achieved that way. To enter into the promise land you just have to believe the promise.You have to commit yourself to the process. I'm here in this process for a purpose, for a calling. I'm where I'm at right now for a reason. Only good can come from this season. 

I am learning how to trust in the Lord’s promises to me. I am speaking back His truths when I hear the lies, I speak back His promises over me- over my future, over my heart.

I am learning to grieve, and yet also learning how to cultivate thankfulness.

I am in one of the best seasons of my life. This is the reality I’m in. This is the Lord’s best for me in this season. This race, this community, these people, these kids..

This is a once in a lifetime season. I will never have another chance to share in these great stories and these great adventures with these great people ever again. This makes me purposeful for my time here, in ministry and within the squad. As I have talked to all of ya I believe this applies for all my peeps back home too.  I am learning how to “Be here now”, and so are many of you. I miss you all, and I love you all..And I'm proud of you, and I am proud of me.

Our lives are becoming works of art. Yours, mine. Our lives are becoming a masterpiece that the Great Artist heart has His hand to. I see random brush strokes, and can’t see the whole picture just yet, it looks all distorted to me, but soon my life- our lives, they will be a beautiful a tapestry of love formed into such beauty and splendor that will reflect the Great Artist that started the good thing in us, in me..

To all my friends, all my family

“Serious art is born form serious play”.. so play! That is what I’m doing.

Even the days I don’t believe. The days I struggle to love, struggle to pray, struggle to trust. I repeat back to Him I love Him, I trust Him, and I will say it until I believe it. Then I go play..

Remember and bring to mind that we are His craftsmanship, His handy work. Our lives, our future, our hearts, In His hands are where those things are safest.

Enjoy today

Stories From Nica the Beautiful Part I

To all my friends, my family, and all the wonderful people who chose to support me during this journey,

I just wanted to spend a few moments to update you guys on what is happening here in Nicaragua. I want to update you with informational stuff about the ministry here, but also just want to share my heart with you.. So, because I have so much to say, so much that has went on this will be a two part blog. So part 1 begins in 3, 2, 1.. go!

Have you ever seen the movie Holes? 

Yeah, that has been a lot of what this month has looked like.. lol I have dug so many holes for poo spots for homes, or leveled out mountains so houses and bible schools can be built there. This month has been a month of many days of long hard physical labor, and I have loved it.

I love seeing so much progress in physical labor, in something being accomplished. I love the hard work. I actually got a compliment from one of the contacts we worked with; he said I worked like a Nicaraguan.

In our days working we have met some pretty incredible people. There not the most efficient people when it comes to work, but they will outlast anyone you put next to them on a day of work. They are some of the most innovative people I have ever met. Their hearts are beautiful and they love to laugh. They also love making us gringos famous. The other night at our service we were recorded during worship, and come to find out later that evening we found out it was a live broadcast and we were on television! Crazy eh?

Funny story to tell ya:  So me and my team are working hand in hand with another team this month, and we had been working all week leveling the ground at this site to get ready to build an adobe house next week. The contacts and our Pastora,  Pastora Louisa mentioned to us that morning we were going to clean some walls at some point during the day, but because we barely can speak or understand Spanish we misunderstood what she said. What we heard was “we were gonna put up some walls, and she wanted to bless us, so she told us after lunch one day we were going to go swimming”. We were stoked! So lunch came and went, and we all got ready to go swimming. We had a truck pick us all up and drove 3 miles out of town, the truck parked in the middle of the road and we all got out and begin to make our trek down this mountain of a hill. At the bottom of this hill you could see this beautiful oasis, a pool, a Pavilion that could hold our whole squad and a little bar area. Me and Gabe were so excited we were considering running down and diving in removing clothes as we ran; however it became apparent the closer we got this little oasis was void of any water.

All of the sudden in a split second our plans of swimming bombed out as we saw these guys in the pool void of water scrubbing walls.. hahahaha “they got jokes eh?”

Here is the beautiful thing about this: Our teams didn’t miss a beat. We all were laughing at how funny it was that we misunderstood what was said to us, and just like that within 2 min both our teams jumped in the pool and begin scrubbing the walls.

Another quick story for you (pics later): On one of our work sites there is this sweet lovely lady named Martinez. She is frail and weak, skinny as can be, but her spirits are high and is always smiling when she sees us. We are working on a site next to her home, so one day during our lunch we ventured over to her little adobe home and begin to talk with her. We found out she had no food, no water, and her son was sick. Our hearts were moved by the poverty of this woman and her situation. We went to the Lord and asked how we could bless this woman and her son. With the Lord placing this family on our hearts we went to a local store and bought this woman bags of rice, beans, gallons of water, and soap. When we came back to give her these items we spoke with her, and told her how our hearts were moved to bless her out of the abundance that the Lord has for her. We then asked her if we could pray with over her son as he slept in his bed, unresponsive due to his sickness. She agreed and we begin speaking life into this young man. We simply asked the Lord to move on our behalf, to move at the sound of our voices. We thanked Him for His faithfulness, and how He loves to heal, how He loves to set free, and how He has given us the authority to perform miracles, signs and wonders.. Then we left.

The next day we came back to the work site Martinez son was not only healed, but was not even at the house. He was gone out into the town with some of his friends. The Lord moved and not only healed this man, but gave testimony of His goodness, of His faithfulness to all of our contacts and everyone within this city. There are many more stories I could tell, and many stories you shall hear maybe over coffee or something when I get home eh eh? This next part, part two- will be to tell you of my heart, and where I’m at within these stories.. 

I Encountered The Lord In The Mountains Of Nicaragua

There is such beauty in this place. We came from Granada (pic above) we debriefed there for 6 days after our ministry month in Costa Rica. It was a wonderful time of resting, relaxing and inviting Jesus in to the hard places of our broken and weak hearts. As a squad we shared some of our biggest secrets with one another, we became open vessels for the Lord to pour into. We took away the enemy's power to lord over our lives because we became real, we became vulnerable, and we postured our hearts in such a way to treasure and honor the Lord in our lives in the way He is worthy. 

We moved away from the beauty of Granada and came here to our next stop, our next home for the month- Palacaguina. This place is also filled with beauty, but its in the mountains where I find Him. 

This month my team and I are paired up with another team from our squad and we are doing construction on a bible school, we are pouring tons and tons of concrete daily, we are helping teach English in schools, doing skits, leading youth services, and visiting with local university's to share the gospel and love of Jesus. 

We are here to immerse ourselves  into the culture and that's what we are doing. I am learning Spanish slowly but surely, and honestly I really haven't ate anything that has been real gross or anything. This month our contacts are so good, and such lovely, humble, giving people they are the ones providing our every meal. They work so hard to feed all of us- we are all camping at a church this month all 50 something of us.. So they have their hands full. Anything I have ate that I didn't like I'd never tell anyways lol .. Seeing their heart and their love to do all they do you just chew real fast, swallow and smile. Trust me though I'm sure you will hear about some food experiences soon. 

Even though you cant see him here, I tried to feed a monkey. He was sexist though and would only take crackers from the girls among our squad. "He aint got time for that" lol I have had a lot of really cool, amazing experiences since leaving the states. Some of these have been experiences has lead me to great joy, celebration and lots of laughter, and then others have lead me deep yearning, crying out to the Lord, and many tears. 

I know I am on this race because of the Lord's great leadership. In His leadership it is perfect and there is now flaw. The two things I am learning on this race, in this wilderness - on my walkabout with the Lord is TRUST and LOVE. I am student of these two things, and I think this is what a lot of my race is for. 

I have encountered the Lord in the mountains of Nicaragua, and He has captured my heart. I wake up some mornings, and my heart is weak. I wake up and worry, I fear, I doubt and I simply realize I am human. 

Then I get away with the Lord on this little hill that overlooks the many mountains that we are surrounded by, and I simply talk with the Lord. I tell Him my fears, my worries, my doubts, my insecurities..  Then I declare Him Lord over my life, I sing to Him- I sing all the old school classic worship songs on this hill: "pour my love on you, All who are thirsty, Here I am to worship".. etc.. 

Then He does something lovely..

He comes and He spends time with me. I feel His delight in my heart even if my feelings don't change at that very moment. I feel how happy He is with me, and how much He loves me. 

As we continue our ministry here I will share stories and people, I will share pictures and memories, but most of all I will share the encounters. 

I am here in the mountains of Nicaragua seeking intimacy with the Lord. I don't know any other way to say it than that. I love/hate the process I'm in. Sometimes my feelings don't match the truth that I know to be true, but I am allowing my heart to catch up. 

Its because of you beautiful people and your lovely hearts that I am able to take this journey. This journey of love, this journey of trust, and in learning these things. In learning this things I am impacting my team, my squad, the people of Nicaragua and ultimately I am pleasing the Lord's heart. 

He is happy with me!

Today is Valentines Day and I am in celebration. He is my bridegroom, and I His bride. Today I lean into love, I dive into His affection today. I purpose in my heart to seek out intimacy with Him today. I posture my heart before Him today and before you. I want to be real, authentic and transparent. 

I miss you all, I love you all 

I am truly living a great story out here, and I know to look for beauty around every corner, after every encounter. Beauty will chase you and me down. Smile today and celebrate that someone special, but also celebrate the great love that surpasses all understanding. Celebrate Him and His affection for you, towards you as He sings over you and dances over you. 

Mucho Gracias Amigo's/Amiga's 

Love you all- till next time

Dev