Maddi & Nicaragua's Excellent Adventure

Hello blog readers! This blog post is going to be about my first 12 days in Nicaragua while the team from my church was here. I want this blog to be truthful and I want this to be a place for me to be able to share not only the wonderful things God is doing down here and with me but also the struggles and the hard times as well. These first two weeks here have been incredible and some of them have been very difficult.

The first day we were here in Nicaragua consisted mostly of getting here. The plane ride was very smooth and was my first plane ride as most of you know. As we drove from the airport to the Kolb’s house and we drove through the city of Managua I couldn’t help but think that the plane ride was not long enough for things to be this different and sometimes I still think that. That night was difficult. It was hot and I was in a new place. I had spent so much time planning a preparing to get here and then I was and it still felt like I should still be planning. It was just so strange but I was able to talk to Carrie and share these things with her and she prayed for me. I knew coming here that if I wasn’t open and honest with Carrie and Preston I wouldn’t make it, so I knew I needed to share that with her.

 On Saturday we went to visit this city about 3 hours away called Juigalpa. We took face paint and a piñata to a church up there and spent about an hour or so with the children. I was so relieved that we were doing things was kids because I feel comfortable with kids. It was a little frustrating to not be able to talk to the kids and it was a little uncomfortable because I felt as though I had no idea what I was doing. It’s difficult not knowing the language and not being able to communicate, but then again with kids it’s just easier for me. All these kids wanted was love and attention, just like any other kid and that is something I’m good at. I taught the kids to sing Head Shoulders Knees & Toes in English and the guys played some balloon games with them and then Tricia and I did face paint. It didn’t matter that we couldn’t talk to them, the kids loved every minute of it. And they really loved the piñata! Afterwards we prayed for the leaders of the church and the kids came and gave us hugs. On the van ride back to Managua I got to know some Preston’s team from his church better. They have agreed to help me learn Spanish while I’m here and I’m going to help them to learn more English. Altogether, it was a great day.

On Sunday the Kolb’s and a few members from their Church and the team and I went out to feed the homeless lunch. We walked to a park a few blocks from the house and fed a few guys and then walked around Managua a bit and fed a few more. I feel like we feed more every time we go. We also, of course, had our first church service and Preston’s church. It was great. 

Monday and Tuesday were spent painting the Kolb’s house and getting ready for our trip to the Nicaragua Vineyard National Conference in Blue Fields. Monday and Tuesday were also spent fighting off a serious spiritual attack. It seemed like all of us were under some kind of spiritual attack. Caroline was sick, Brian was sick, Tricia was sick and having horrible dreams, even the team from Preston’s church was getting sick. It was like the enemy was doing everything in his power to keep us from going to Blue Fields. 

On Wednesday we left at 7am to drive about 6 or 7 hours to Rama to take a 2 hour boat ride to Blue Fields. The drive to Rama was interesting. As I looked out the window at this beautiful country all I could think about as how much I loved this place and this country and how right I felt about finally being here which was nice because the past few days I had struggled with adjusting and being okay with the fact I wasn’t in Texas anymore, I wasn’t with my friends or my family or my church family, save the few who came for a couple of weeks. So after the drive to Rama we got on this tiny boat that could hold maybe 24 people. It was pouring rain and the boat wouldn’t start. We had to pull this black tarp over us so we wouldn’t get wet. I was so scared that something was going to go wrong, we’d already been under spiritual attack for a few days and it just felt like it was never going to end. Kim started to pray, she prayed the boat would start and the rain would stop and as soon as she was done the boat started and as we began to move the rain stopped. 

Eventually we made it to Blue Fields and put our stuff in the rooms we were staying in at this motel across the street from the La Vina where in conference was being held. Those few days of teachings and worship were really great. I saw the spirit move in those people there and in me. The teachings were great and the people there were so nice. It’s interesting because before we left Preston talked to us about the tension between the Managua side of Nicaragua and the Blue Fields side and as we were there it really seemed like the people from Blue Fields were doing everything they could to make the people from Managua feel comfortable. You could tell that the Pastor of the Blue Fields Vineyard, Norman and his wife had put so much effort into having us there and the plays and songs and presentation of it all. 

I would like to add the story that is the more comical side of our trip to Blue Fields. They motel the Kolb’s, Kim, Tricia and I stayed at was not the best of motels. There were cockroaches and the showers smelled like Iron. I liked to think that after I shower I simply smelled like Iron Man after he’d been in his suit all day. Anyway, just thought this needed its own paragraph.

Pastor Norman talked a lot about how he believed that The Vineyard was to be God’s hands and feet. The Lord needs our hands and feet to reach His people. He said that God is taking us, The Vineyard, out of our comfort zone. The Vineyard is powered by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not going to be a doormat. He’s going to speak His word with power and take us places we’ve never been. I really feel like that’s true for the Vineyard and I feel like that’s what he’s doing with me. The Lord has and is taking me out of my comfort zone and putting me places I’ve never been before. I’m going to be doing things I never thought I was capable of doing, serving in ways I never thought I would and I am so very excited. 

When we got home from Blue Fields the team only had 2 more days in Nicaragua and I was already dreading them leaving. It had been so nice to have people from my church here with me but I knew it was going to be hard saying goodbye to them. We spent their last day, Monday, at the market buying souvenirs and just spending time together. They left that Tuesday morning and I thought I was going to be able to make it through the goodbyes without crying but I was so very wrong. I cried when we said goodbye and I cried on and off the rest of the day. It was sad to see them go but then it was also as if reality punched me in the face. My team had left and I was still here.

It hasn’t been easy since they left and it’s taken almost a week for me to finally stop feeling depressed but I have and I’m here and I know that I don’t need to be anywhere else. This is where the Lord has called me to be and I have grown to love it here. I want to thank all of you for your love and support and please keep your eyes peeled for another blog post.