Mission Guatemala :: Day 1

There isn’t too much to say today regarding our first day here as it was a full day of travel… that started early (like 4 am early) and ended late (like arriving to our facility at 8 pm or 10 pm on our body clock time).  So needless to say we are tired.  We had two flights and then about 5 hours of driving from Guatemala City to Gualan, where we will stay and serve this mission.

All in all, it was a relatively uneventful day, but one full of new experiences as this is the first time in Guatemala for everyone on the team.  But if you are a bit unsure how we got here – especially if you are reading this on our Mission Nicaragua page, allow me to explain.

For the last 14 years, we have been sending mission teams to Nicaragua to partner with the Buzbees and Open Hearts Ministries.  However, after some policy changes were made in April by the government, and the people of Nicaragua erupted into PEACEFUL protests of those changes.  Unfortunately, the government responded with oppression, kidnapping, violence and even murder.  And there is seemingly no end in sight.  The numbers continue to rise, yet the people continue to seek to stand their ground peacefully.  Please stay up on the situation and please continue to pray for our friends there.

Seeing the situation worsening, we decided to pray and ask God to open other doors for our team to serve this summer.  We started immediately exploring Haiti (where I’ve led a college team) and also Guatemala, where our church has sent two teams.  Haiti seemed to continue to have closed doors with each opportunity we looked at, and then just recently, their country erupted into violence after some government decisions.  Please pray for our friends and ministry partners there.

Interestingly, one of our Haiti team members is Guatemalan and serves the ministry here that God led us to connect with.  Sarai has become a dear friend and it is so cool to see how the connections in serving together have led us to serve with her and serve her community this summer.  So here we are, partnered with His Hands International and we will be serving here for the next 10 days.

That’s the story how we got here, now the story of how God will use us, change us and shape us remains to be written.  Thanks for following along and most importantly, thanks for praying with us and for us.

Don’t forget you can follow us on Instagram, Twitter and on our Facebook page for more pictures and updates.  We’ll also do our best to blog here each evening.

Pausing and Reflecting

Our memories are funny things.  I’ve often noticed we hold on to and can recall the bad memories considerably easier than we do with the good.  I’m sure there is an physiological and psychological reason that people much smarter than I can explain.  But I’ve also found that bad and good memories rarely exist apart from each other.  It would also seem those two divisions are feeble at best to categorize all memories, but I’ll just go with those for now.

Today, June 19, 2018, marks four years of memories.  Some bad and some good.  And a good mixture of thousands of other feelings between those two.  But what happened 4 years ago today was predicated by some bad news.  News that would change the trajectory of our son, Cole’s health, when he was diagnosed with the rare, Perthes disease.  A diagnosis so difficult and seemingly “bad” that we for multiple moments lost our faith perspective and hope.  I guess diseases tend to do that to us.

But as I just took a moment to pause and reflect today, I thought it best to also write.  And to write about how good “good” really is when we best see and embrace the bad.  In fact, without the perspective of the bad, would we fully be able to see and understand the good?

Four years ago in some ways seems like just yesterday.  I can recall the emotions, the surroundings, the family, the fears, the faith and the prayers like it was yesterday.  But in other ways, four years seems like a lifetime ago.  Cole has come so far.  Truly beyond what we ever could have imagined, but most certainly what we prayed for that day in 2014.  

He is now 9 years old and rarely stops moving (which reminds me how amazing God was to give him the patience and stillness to stay in that spica cast for so long).  He does well in school from a natural curiosity and love for learning.  He loves all things outdoors, but especially fishing.  And he runs from sport to sport – competing in flag football, soccer and baseball again this year.

So, today, I’m grateful for the memories.  The bad and the good.  And really I hold them all in the perspective of what we are reminded of in James 1:17, that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…”

What a good promise, from a good God.  He loves to shower down the good even in the midst of living and fully experiencing the brokenness of this world.  And make no mistake… there is plenty of bad!  But it just makes the “good” of the Good News, look that much better.  Because we know the bad and the good point to the even greater reality… the best good is yet to come.  Our hope is in a King that is coming to fully restore His Kingdom.

But until that day, I’ve found it’s a good practice to pause, reflect and remember.

Oh, and one other thing I’ve noticed about memories is… Facebook clearly has a better memory than me.

Mission Nicaragua :: Recap

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 12

Today reality set in.  We woke up and realized everything was going to be different as we were wheeling our suitcases down to the Rancho for breakfast.  I guess it is true that all good things do have to come to an end, but we were doing pretty well ignoring that reality.  So, team breakfast was a bit more somber than usual.  The morning greeted us with a rain shower.  The feelings of “see you later” started to permeate the air.

But, after breakfast, we got to see the Ruby Ranch Master Plan.  We got to hear the vision and see what the finished project may look like (and the sooner $2 million dollars come in, the faster it gets done)!  Seems crazy, but God we remember that nothing is impossible with God.  It was encouraging for our team to see that the work we accomplished this week plays into a larger vision with a far-reaching impact.

No trip to Nicaragua is complete without a trip to the market.  The running joke is the market is where you can get everything that was made in China that says “Nicaragua” on it.  But it is a tradition.  We didn’t have much time, but everyone got to make it around to pick up their souvenirs to take back home.  The market is home to just about everything, including food, but we didn’t make it back to the food section (an experience you never forget).  Crazy for me is seeing some of the kids that sell in the market that I’ve watched grow up there over the last 10+ years.

From the market, we were off to the airport to run through the gauntlet of the Managua check-in process.  It was crazy as usual and that left us only a little bit of time to scarf down some lunch before going through security and on to our gate.  But we all made it and had a good flight back into Miami.  Immigration and customs went well for all but two (something always happens) and then we were back on US soil.  The next choice is a big one… what kind of food does everyone want to eat for dinner.  We had a decent layover and had plenty of time to grab and meal.

From there it was our last leg back to Tallahassee.  An uneventful flight is a good thing and next thing you know we’re walking down the hallway and spotting friends, family and loved ones that were waiting to greet us.

Mission Nicaragua 2017 is officially behind us… however we know that the mission never ends.  God has brought this chapter to a close but the Great Commission stands before us as a goal we continue to strive to complete.  Until all the world knows…

Thanks again for your continued prayers and support this mission!  We felt the love and support  May God be glorified and the Gospel continue to go out in word and in deed.

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 11

Today’s update should contain many words, yet I sit here to write and struggle to find adequate words to capture what we experienced today.  Everything about our day started the same, but nothing about our day finished that way.

After closing the chapter on both our camp week and construction projects, today we had a different day in store.  For our last full day here, we headed off in the morning to Ruby’s House of Prayer.  I’ve written before about Sister Ruby and won’t go into much detail other than to say, (1) I really miss that dear woman of God and (2) her legacy lives on in the very upper room where God’s Spirit blows through like a gentle breeze.  Sister Ruby was one of a kind and had a profound impact on my life and ministry.  Many things she prayed over me through the years continues to live on and develop.  The Buzbees have faithfully carried on this ministry of prayer.

We gathered in the upper room of Ruby’s house and started a time of worship and prayer.  God met us in that place and moved powerfully in our hearts.  Encouragement happened, tears were shed, anointing took place, dreams and visions were birthed and faith was strengthened.  How do you put into words such an amazing experience?

After being spiritually hit by a Mac truck, we loaded up the bus for some much deserved down time.  We made our traditional PB&J lunch for one last time (on a moving bus) and ate on our way to Lagoon de Apoyo.  Faced with multiple options for our fun time, this is what the team chose again this year.

The Lagoon is a beautiful resort with dining overlooking the crater lake that was created by an exploded volcano tens of thousands of years ago.  Now it is filled in with a cool, beautiful blue water that was a blast to swim in and just relax as a team.  God knew what we needed after having such an amazing, yet spiritually exhausting morning.

We had our last team time tonight and unfortunately had to start the packing process. Reality us starting to set in that we leave in the morning.  In the morning, we’ll hear about the Master Plan for Ruby Ranch and then head to the market (a team favorite) on the way to the airport.  Please be praying we finish well and travel safely back to the States.

 

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 10

Well, today was certainly bittersweet as the day was coming to a close and the bus was pulling out of the Ruby Ranch driveway.  We’ve invested the last 9 days there – between camp and construction and honestly, it was hard to leave.  We also had to say goodbye to the kids that came to play after school.  Goodbyes aren’t natural, so we like to say, “see you later.”  And we truly mean that.  By God’s grace we want to continue the relationships we have formed this year.  Our prayer and hope would be to always return and keep investing in the people of this country.

Today was our last full day of construction, so we were working hard to complete as many projects as possible that we had our hands in at some point.  We weren’t able to finish the interior of the cabin or the porch underneath, but we got them both as far as we could and others will pick up where we left off.  We also prepped for another sidewalk that will be completed after we have gone.

But we were able to finish the posts and totally enclosed the area for the deer (aka The Deer Sanctuary).  We got all the chainlink fencing in place and custom built the door frame, but the door needs to be completed and hung.  We also laid the piping for water for the deer after tying in at the chicken coop.  But in a big surprise, the deer actually made the trip out to Ruby Ranch from the Quinta.  Despite them not enjoying their car ride, they are loving their new enclosure.  The kids are going to love this addition to the Ranch and getting the chance to interact with the deer.

We completed yet another trenching project to help control water (a common goal around here in the rainy season) around the bathrooms.  More mixing of concrete after some digging and the project was done.  Some landscaping work was also in the works today as well as some playing with kids when they arrived after school.

There was an unexpected “project” (I use that term loosely as it was really a person) that was brought to our attention and the story is worth sharing.  We were presented with the opportunity to help Henry (aka the Nicaraguan Chuck Norris).  We work alongside him (literally) every year and he is amazingly strong and a hard worker.  Honeslty, he puts us all to shame and we can never keep up.  But this year we got to see the strength of his inner character.

We offered to pour concrete to build a porch at his house.  After thinking about it, he called to say that he knew a woman in a wheelchair that would need the blessing more that him.  We had two of her granddaughters at camp last week.  Henry was so selfless and so yesterday we went to her home to meet her.  We learned that she has been paralyzed for the last 26 years after falling off a horsecart.  She was smiling the entire time she shared her story.  We returned today, this time with the whole team to present here with a carload full of groceries and household items.  More that she probably has ever had as she lives a very meager existence.  We prayed over her and her home and are hopeful to have some money left in order to leave so her dirt floors can be poured into concrete.

We leave sweaty and exhausted, but the bus ride home always offers some amazing vistas.  From the volcano in the background, to the beautiful sunset or the view of Managua lit up as darkness falls… God’s handiwork is continually on display.  We are amazed, also, at what He has done in us and through us.  And we know He isn’t finished yet.  Tomorrow, we head to Ruby’s House of Prayer for a special time of worship and prayer.  Be praying God meets us in that place and shows us His power and healing.

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 9

Paul reminds us in Colossians 3, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (vs. 17).  This isn’t just a “if you can” kind of verse, but a command for us to put into practice in daily life.  And it affects all areas of our life – both words and actions.

As a team, we work hard for unity through a common vision and purpose, but sustaining team relationships with our words can always be challenging when we are pressed toward our physical or mental limits.  But God is gracious to forgive us and strive to forgive one another.  We are learning better as a team how to speak, challenge and encourage one another with our words.

Likewise, our actions are a reflection of the work of Christ in our hearts.  So whether we are digging holes or a trench (which we did plenty of today) or even playing with the kids – both are to be done for God’s glory.  So, we are learning that even in the mundane tasks that may seem menial and small, our actions (and attitude behind our actions) really matter based on this challenge from Colossians.

Today, we had another full day of construction at Ruby Ranch.  If we measured today by our sweat equity, we made a significant investment!  We worked multiple projects again: sandbagging and road repair; prepping fencing poles with chemical treatment and plastic wrap; digging holes for those poles and then in the afternoon we completed a 75 foot trench for a new water line and started placing the fencing poles.  We also had some kids join us in the afternoon which is always a great opportunity for continued relational investment and a break from some of the work!  If the bus ride home (we have about an hour ride to and from each day) was any indicator by those passed out from exhaustion, then we worked pretty hard today!

We make it back in with dinner waiting and so we march through the line pretty filthy but after the first bite is devoured, no one really notices the dirt or smell any more!  Then we’ve got a chance to get cleaned up before our evening team time.  We processed through our day and where we saw God at work today.  Then we took a practical look at the role of God’s Word in our lives and how to grow in dependency and hunger for God’s Word.

We are in the home stretch… and we try not to think about that.  We’ve got our final full day of construction tomorrow and would love to finish up as many projects as possible. Our team is all back to good health, so pray we would finish well!

 

 

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 8

Mornings in Nica are beautiful and the Quinta offers such amazing spaces to meet God and enjoy the beauty of His creation.  And I’ve been so proud watching our students take their TAWG time seriously.  And then to see them lead their peers in our morning team devo has also been encouraging.  God truly has put together a great team and we are enjoying growing in our love for Him and each other.

We are now settling in to a rhythm on our construction work and it’s been awesome to see this team transition from camp to full-time construction.  Each are finding what they are good at as well as trying to do some more challenging things.  It’s been really cool to have two or three projects at once (knowing I can’t oversee them all) and see students and leaders step up and lead out.  Everyone has been working really hard, no matter how mundane the task may be.

Today, we continued projects that were in the works.  We worked up at the cabin – on the exterior – finishing the trough and grading behind the retaining wall.  During the rainy season, ground water can do some serious damage and cause erosion.  On the interior of the cabin, we continued with electrical work and also prepping the framing for the coming wall board (like sheetrock but stronger).

Another project was water control and trenching around the newly constructed sidewalk (which indirectly caused another project).  Some of the dirt we moved in construction to fill some holes couldn’t handle the rain and turned into a wicked mud puddle.  First a delivery truck caused some damage to the drive due to the mud, then the bus got stuck in it dropping us off.  So the mud had to go, but not before one of our leaders decided to make a mud angel.  The craziness never stops.

Also in the works today was a team planting trees, another project involving prepping for a sidewalk and the digging holes and moving poles (think 8 ft tree trunks) for an enclosure.  All in all, the team is working hard and it’s fun to see these projects get finished.  And it’s always a blast when some of our campers and neighborhood kids show up to play or work alongside us.

Tonight during team time, we celebrated our mission trip birthdays.  We got a cake and sang to John Michael, Hallie and Autumn who got to have a birthday celebration here in Nicaragua!  We even successfully live streamed the celebration on our Mission Nica Facebook page.

God is doing a good work in and through us.  We are honored to be sent out to be used by Him and are grateful for friends like you who made that possible and are supporting this mission in prayer.

 

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 7

There are days when God opens the eyes of your heart and enables you to see better than others.  Honestly, I think His desire is that we see with our spiritual eyes on a daily – even moment by moment basis – as Paul prays would happen in Ephesians 1:18.  We looked at that passage and topic last night in our team time and then set out to continue to put this into practice.

With all of our mission teams, we ask the same questions with the last one being, “Where did you see God today?”  Our heart is to teach our students to start to see with their spiritual eyes.  We know that we worship and serve a God that is continually present and constantly speaking.  We want to see and hear Him and join Him where He is working.

Today, we headed out for our first full day of construction.  However, we made a change of plans for the community day and decided to hold off our our camp finale at Chapel Hill.  So we invited the camp kids back at 2p today so we could finish.

Before they arrived we jumped on multiple projects.  We had a team ripping down 2×4’s (which are nothing like the States) to prep for the interior walls of the cabin.  We had a team behind the cabin mixing concrete and preparing to lay the trough for water control in front of the retaining wall.  Then we also had to move around 50 cantera stones from near the gate all the way up (literally uphill) to the cabin.  This started as incredibly tedious and exhausting as we sent teams out (so they could switch) with the wheelbarrows.  Then Henry (our Nicaragua Chuck Norris) arrived with his horse cart and then we were loading 10 stones up at a time and following the horse who was doing the work.  It was a huge blessing and made the job go by much faster.

Then the rains came and came hard.  This turned parts of the Ranch into a mud bowl, but this didn’t affect the camp kids at all.  We still ran around on the playground and had a game of soccer going.  We also kept trying to work a few of the projects, but the rain made it challenging.  Needless to say, we were all pretty muddy and wet today.

But God was so good (and we noticed with our spiritual eyes) as He gave us a break in the rain and a window of dry and cool weather in order to make the hike up to Chapel Hill.  All the kids from camp with our team hiked up to this special place.  Our teams have helped develop Chapel Hill through the years, so it is always incredibly special to go up there and see the changes as we close out camp under the foot of the cross.  I (Todd) had the privilege to preach the Gospel and invite the kids to respond to in faith to the Good News.  It was so sweet to hear all of them praying out loud to receive Christ.

The hike back down led us to the difficult moment of saying “see you later” however, we feel certain that we will see a good many this week at the Ranch when they get out of school.  And before we said goodbye, we handed out the backpacks, full of school supplies and a surprise inside.  They were super grateful and we pray the backpacks are a blessing to them and their families.

From seeing God pause the rain, to seeing Him move in power on Chapel Hill, we have been grateful today for His presence and plan.  And grateful He gave us a glimpse of Himself.  We are praying we are growing in our joy as we seek to glorify Him.  Thanks as always for praying for us!

 

Mission Nicaragua :: Day 6

We are coming to the close of day 6 here in Nicaragua and it was a great Sabbath day.  It was breakfast, team devo and then TAWG before loading the bus to head to Verbo Church (that is the church the Buzbees attend).  We took a moment to pray for our Mission Atlanta team, which is our 8th and 9th graders that left today on their mission.

Verbo is pretty international in feel so we recognized some songs, but struggled a bit during the sermon.  But we truly were the ones blessed and had our eyes open by joining our Nica brothers and sisters in worship.  The Spirit of God was most certainly in that place!  We did our best to keep up with the energy of worship and to sing the songs.  We also did our best to understand the sermon that was preached.

Every year, I’m reminded of the reality that while we are worshipping here in Nica, our faith family was worshipping at Wildwood as well as those from around the world that gathered this morning in worship of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Scripture reminds us that the Gospel will reach and unite “every tribe and every tongue and ever nation.”  We got to experience a bit of that this morning as we were the minority in culture and in language.  I have a feeling the same will be true of heaven.

After a quick pit stop to the grocery store to load up on more lunch supplies for the week, we returned to the Quinta for lunch.  Then we took advantage of the Sabbath rest that we are called to.  From some reading and relaxing to some pool time, everyone enjoyed having a day off from work to rest up for what we have in store this week.  We had a few that needed the down time as we’ve had a bit of sickness start to spread around.  In fact, please pray for those that are currently fighting something off, but also pray that the rest of the team will stay healthy!

We also used some of the afternoon to sort and fold the donated clothes which resulted in yet another Nica fashion show.  Hopefully the pictures will never surface on social media!

Our evening finished up with dinner, team time and small groups.  God is doing a good work in our evening time as we are opening up our hearts to His pursuit and calling us to a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him.  Students are risking vulnerability as the Spirit moves in their hearts and stories are being shared

Today was much needed and we are prayerful all will heal and will be ready for a day of serving (construction) out at the ranch.  Thanks for continuing to pray with us!