Buenos Dias de Nicaragua!

I only have a moment to type, but I really wanted to post something while I'm down here. In an effort to stay true to the blog, I will reference Crazy Love. In the Preface, Chan talks about how his experiences on a mission trip to Africa really helped to change his perspective on his faith...on what was missing. Well, if I didn't understand that before, I definitely do now. There has been so much and I honestly feel like I've been on an emotional roller coaster the past few days.

On Wednesday, we went to La Churecha, a dump in Managua. Over 1,000 people live on the outer rim of the dump. As we rode in, it took all of one minute for me to break down in tears. I tried my best to contain them, but the impact of what I saw was so profound...SO profound that I am crying as I type this right now. NOTHING could have prepared me for what I saw. But what broke my heart the most, and simultaneously melted my heart, was the reception we received from the children in the dump. They literally flocked to us as we walked into their school. They wanted to be held, wanted to the picked up, wanted us just to pay some attention to them.

One teenaged girl came over and asked if she could have my prayer bracelet. When I gave it to her, she instantly gave me the warmest hug and the brightest smile. Thanking me profusely, her joy at this simple gift was indescribeable. Later that afternoon, I called my husband and tried to explain everything that I saw, but it was truly too much for me at the time...and it still is a lot for me.

Right now is the calm before the storm. In about 1 hour, the kids from the dump will be coming to camp. They will spend the next 48 hours with us. Our group has been praying about this encounter for the duration of our trip. A lot of the members of the team have been praying for our hearts to be protected during this time...but as we go off for alone time, I secretly ask God not to include my heart in that protection.

In The Hole inOur Gospel, by Richard Sterns, it talks about how, as Christians, we should be asking for our hearts to be broken by the things that break the heart of God. Think about the implications of that! How would our lives change if our hearts were broken by the things that break the heart of our Savior? My life has already changed...and we really have only begun to break the surface here!

I can't wait to share more with you when I get back. Sorry, I can't write more. I'm borrowing the computer that belongs to one of our translators...and I'm having a really hard time typing on the mini-keybord! Thank you, so much, for your continued prayers. They mean the world!

His Faithful Servant~

Deirdre