So, having said that, 2011 was amazing for The Isaiah Ministry.  Personally speaking, I am hoping that the lessons I learned in the past year and all the mistakes I made along the way, sometimes repeatedly made, will remain behind me as another  finished chapter in my life.  However, at the same time I pray the Lord bring to my remembrance often the wisdom gained from the hard-knocks of 2011 so that I am not one of those guys James talks about.  You know the one right?  Here’s a hint . . . he’s got issues with mirrors, so to speak.  For much of the 2nd half of the past year I felt as if I was cursed with a sincere desire to be a man of deepening resolve against sin, a man who’s character he would seldom compromise, if at all, for the pleasures of this age.  However, more than a few times I found myself repeating the apostle Paul’s famous words in his letter to the Roman church; “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”  If I could put a thousand exclamation points at the end of that sentence it would more accurately reflect my frustrations of this past year in battling my flesh.

Don’t worry though, it gets better:)  The last few months of 2011 I picked up some books by Andrew Murray; if you haven’t heard of him or haven’t read his stuff, you would do well to delay no longer in sharing in his wisdom and anointed writings.  God really began to speak to my heart through Murray’s teachings, especially his short book on submission to God entitled Absolute Surrender.  Pretty early on into  reading Absolute Surrender I recognized my immediate need of some time to meditate on what I was taking in.  It was like drinking from a fire-hose and I didn’t want to miss a drop.  I could see the severity of my sin against God in having not sought out and embraced this truth upon coming to know the Lord.  Be it as it may, the Lord has His purposes and all happens in His timing, but I knew that I needed to take some time apart from ministerial duties for a short time and let the Spirit really minister to my spirit on surrendering absolutely.  So, I took 3 days and shut myself up in a hotel room to be alone with my Creator.  I won’t get into the details of what transpired over those 3 days, but what I will say is that I came away from that time under the strong conviction that I had not been submitting absolutely, wholly, daily to the Holy Spirit.  Withholding absolute surrender to the Holy Spirit was at the root of all my failings to get rid of certain plaguing sins, doubts, and growing apathy that seemed to be creeping up my frame with full intention to swallow me whole.

Well, I’d love to tell you that since learning this truth and having it penetrate deeply my heart and mind everything has been squeaky clean; however, I think you and I both know the Christian’s journey is never that easy.  The devil is still roaming about and tempting me to buy into his lies that pleasures of the carnal nature will satisfy me more deeply than practicing patience, having faith, living self-controlled, and most importantly, remaining absolutely surrendered to the Holy Spirit.  This year, however, will be different.  This year, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I will abide in the Vine. Crazy isn’t it?  We can read something so many times and acknowledge with our minds the truth behind the words of Jesus, without ever actually putting them into practice ourselves.  I admit this as my sin and only lament that it took me over 6 years to discover it as the root of my shortcomings in living a righteous, fully submitted life for Christ.  Realizing this only makes His grace that much more beautiful and makes me that much more thankful for His patience with me.

Jesus declares; “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)  If there be one thing that I have learned this past year it is the truth behind these words; in my own strength I can do no good thing, nothing, nothing that holds any real eternal value.  So, I leave you now with some wisdom of Andrew Murray that has already been put into practice in my daily life, I encourage you to do the same in 2012 before another year slips by;

“When doubts arise and temptations come, I say: I am in Christ, this the place God has given me.  I accept it; here I rest; I do now abide in Jesus.”

-Andrew Murray; Abide in Christ

Here is a link to a page where you can find a good portion of Murray’s most widely read books online for free.

http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/bookcat.htm

Right now we are closing in on the end of the school year, so I find myself having many conversations with kids about finishing the year strongly with much studying and single-minded focus on fulfilling scholastic responsibilities.  This year, the 2nd year of The Isaiah Ministry’s existence, has been a rough one for us concerning our kids.  This year we’ve had 9 kids leave the Project for various reasons; some for religious differences, some because their families just picked up and skipped town with no notice, and others just because they no longer desired to obey rules and adhere to our expectations.  It has been difficult for me to see these kids leave us, but perhaps even more difficult for Franklin and Patricia, the two daily task masters of the Project; difficult because all of the kids that were or are enrolled with us live in the same community in which we are located.  Therefore, just because a child no longer comes to our Project on a daily basis doesn’t mean we don’t see them often.  Three of the teenagers that left the Project this year quit going to school very shortly after leaving us as well; we continued to see these kids just about everyday in the streets, a direct result of their decision to not receive and take advantage of the help offered to them with an open hand.

So . . . thinking about all this can really be depressing if you allow it to weigh on you and cause you to replay scenarios time after time in your mind about what you could have done differently and if you had done something differently would things have turned out any better.  The point is, in our case at least, I know that we did all we could here at the Project to encourage those kids that left, to plead with them to make good decisions and not abuse the blessings they were being afforded by our loving donors and supporters.  I have always said that the main thing that we require from our kids and families involved is that they have to want to be a part of what we are doing here.  There is only so much you can do for someone; there comes a point when it depends on them.  How much do they want what you want?  How much do they respect what you are trying to accomplish?  How much do they respect you?  Well . . . in my opinion once they child and/or his parents can’t answer those questions positively you are in trouble and it won’t be long before you’ve lost that child.

That’s what has happened with these 9 in one way or the other.  It isn’t what we wanted, but it wasn’t in God’s plan for them to stay with us.  That’s about as simple as I can put.  Like I said, a bit depressing eh?  That’s why we have to persevere through those times where it seems like we’re wasting our breath and beating our own head up against a wall trying to be heard and really understood.  Because even during those times when it seems like everything is coming against what you’re trying to do, like you’re a minnow trying to swim against the rushing current of a strong river, if we look hard enough there are beautiful things taking place in the lives of those around us.  In my case here are a few that come to mind that I might have overlooked a bit that stand out:

1. One of our two high school graduates, Alex, being on the honor roll every report-card; not only that but will graduate as valedictorian of his class.

2. The maturing and dedication I’ve seen in Patricia and Franklin in the lives of these kids and to the purposes of The Isaiah Project; growing and reaching deeper each day.

3. Getting Jahaira(8) and Maria(6), two somewhat newly sponsored sisters who were not previously in school but in the streets always filthy and without care, in school and seeing them bit by bit begin to enjoy going to class and really take hold of the opportunity given them.

4. Watching Eva(12), probably the closest one to my heart here out of all the kids, go through a terrible few months where I really thought she might get lost back in the streets or fail out of school, begin to smile again and change her behavior.  Actually, as I was just writing the previous sentence she called me and probably told me she loved me like 5 times, haha.  God is so good

5. God providing a safe and Godly home for three girls that have weighed upon my heart this year as I have seen the state of their home deteriorate from horrible to downright dangerous.

I mention these things because these have all come to fruition recently, but I still had to pass through a season of waiting and laboring without seeing much fruit in the physical.  Obviously that doesn’t mean that nothing was going on in the heavenly realms, its just so easy to get brought down by our circumstances around us that we forget that God is not bound by earthly circumstances.  Sometimes affliction and suffering have to transpire in our lives and the lives of those we love for true faith and dedication to hold fast to that faith to be formed and grasped.

Anyway, I didn’t really put much thought into this blog entry before writing it, I just felt the desire to communicate with all of you what I felt God placing on my heart in this moment.  Remember, there is always hope, even when it can not be easily seen; actually, especially when it can not be easily seen.

“For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”  Romans 8:24-25

Hope in Christ my friends!

Michael

What I need is a Savior who truly saves, not ideals.  Ideals never saved anyone.  Ideals never lifted anyone out of the miry pit of sin and evil.  Eloquent moral principles never healed a broken marriage. Religious catch phrases and legalism never inspired a victim of a heinous crime to truly forgive and embrace the unrepentant guilty.  This type of power only comes from something that is much deeper than some religious text or well-delivered sermon.

Jesus.  Oh Jesus, my friend, my Lord, lover of my soul.  There is none like you!  Friends, even though this life is wrought with pain, unbelievable, life-altering pain, still there is Jesus.  Oh praise God for Jesus!  Jesus the man; Jesus our Lord and King.  The same Jesus who lived a life filled with temptation and pain, yet overcame it all by his love for his Father and me.  I’ll tell you plainly right now that I love the Bible, I love reading it and meditating on it, but if all that is in that book points to nothing more than ideals and moral principals, we’re all doomed; there is no hope for victory in this life over our trials and seemingly endless mistakes and shortcomings.  I would rather die now and save myself the coming years of anguish and pain if all I have to hope in is my own strength and ability to grasp a theological perspective or some spiritual principal.

I am vile.  I am lustful by nature.  I am jealous, greedy, and slandering.  To be truthful with you, if it weren’t for the person and saving work of Christ in me, I shudder to think at all the evil I would commit without remorse.  Every single good thing I have ever done, do, or will do come from the only source of good that has ever existed since the beginning of time, Christ.  And if this Christ doesn’t overtake the monster that is who I am in my flesh at the most real and personal level imaginable, I am lost.  It happens so fast, but is so destructive that only the power of the Holy Spirit can detain it and change its course.

In this reality that is made all the more clear to me as the days roll by, I have never seen more clearly my need for Jesus Christ.  I simply must have it, more than food, shelter, or relationship, I must have Christ!  Sadly, desires ebb and flow, fade and intensify with time.  Unfortunately, my relationship with Jesus is something I have a responsibility to nourish with intention and effort; God doesn’t just do all the work for us.  This is one of the things I love most about Jesus, that He asks us to follow Him.  We can go as deep into His love, peace, joy, and freedom from sin as we desire.  There is no limit . . . I am my biggest obstacle.

I guess in sharing this I am hoping that in writing it down publicly the Holy Spirit will use it as He chooses.  I take NO credit.  As I mentioned, any “good” thing I do is only from Him who works in me.  Friends, family, whoever may be reading this, look to Christ.  Cry out to Him who is worthy!  Pour out your souls at His feet!  Let His Holy Spirit come and wash over you.  He cleans, restores, and brings life to what is dead or maybe not dead, but barely breathing and clinging to life by a thread of hope.  I don’t know where you may be in reading this, but I know no other answer for this life to give you, no hope to speak of outside of the Jesus.  He is the answer, there is no other way by which we might be saved.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us . . . Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 5:8 . . . Romans 7:25)

The picture to the right is a photo of one of two mini-construction projects that sprung up during the summer as the rainy season was laying waste to the tin roofs on some of our kid’s/family’s homes.  The first roof that was in dire need of repair . . . actually, complete replacement, was that of Kenner and Kevin, two of our boys enrolled in The Isaiah Project.  These poor boys and their family were forced to leave their home most nights in May and June due to the afternoon rains that would sweep in and fill their home with water and soak everything.  Thankfully, the Ancient Path boys, i’ll explain who they are a bit later, were serving alongside The Isaiah Ministry for the month of July and were able to provide some labor and in just about 2 days we were able to put a new roof on and give Kenner, Kevin and their family a dry and more safe place to call home.  What a blessing!  As always, a most grateful thank you goes out to Kenner and Kevin’s sponsors and to all of you who donate to The Isaiah Ministry from your hard earned salaries to make little projects like this one possible.  Yes, it only took us a few days to accomplish, but the lasting effects of construction outreach projects such as this we may never fully realize.

The Isaiah Ministry was able to not only reach out to meet some basic needs of some of our kiddos, but a few of our workers and their families as well.  To the left is a shot of . . . yup you guessed it, the Ancient Path boys, lending a helping hand yet again this time in placing a new roof on Franklin’s home.  It is always a real joy for me to make sure that not only our kids are cared for but the Isaiah Project staff as well.  Franklin is one of the hardest working, if not the hardest working employee of the Project.  God is doing a mighty work in this young man who lives in just as humble and meager, if not more so, surroundings that most of our kids.  Needless to say Franklin can relate to the poverty and despair our kids have grown up in a way I will never be able to fully relate to myself.  So, when Franklin asked me if I thought that the Ancient Path boys would be willing to help him with his roof we jumped on the opportunity to serve and work alongside with our Nicaraguan brother in the faith.  His big smiling face those few days after the roof was finished sure made it even more rewarding than it already was.

Two other employees of the Project that are near and dear to my heart are Guillermo and Maria.  I have known the two perhaps just about as long as I have known anyone here in Nicaragua and am thankful each day knowing that they are working alongside us in teaching the kids.  Guillermo and Maria have suffered a lot in their young lives and have pretty much been under Patricia’s watchful care for the last 10 years; therefore, to be able to come alongside Patricia and provide Guillermo and Maria with a payed job, one which they had already been doing voluntarily, is something that I have always been thankful for.  Recently their mom approached me about their roofing needs as well, as theirs was pretty much at the point of falling in at any time.  Needless to say it wasn’t a decision I had to take much time to ponder.  I personally feel that some decisions, maybe even most decisions, do require time spent in prayer and earnest pursuit of God’s will over the matter; however, sometimes you just know in your spirit right away that its what God would have you do or not do, simple as that.  This was one of those decisions.  To the right you can see Maria sitting in the chair, looking on as the old roof is taken off, and the new is about to be put on.  Thank you so much to those of you who, while not able to sponsor a child or family, still chose to donate towards the ministry; because of your faithfulness and trust in what God is doing through us, we can meet the needs of others such as in this case.

The biggest and longest construction project The Isaiah Ministry took part in this summer involved a home construction for a young family in a little town about half an hour outside of Managua.  The home that we helped build was for a family who had recently had their house burnt down and were having to split time in a little plastic and wood shack with their in-laws.  The couple, Luis and Marjorie, are new believers and have a newborn with respiratory problems.  You can imagine our thankfulness in being able to be a part of blessing them with a new home.  I say we played a part, because this home was made possible by donors all over who donated towards the mission team’s efforts of Forestburg Baptist Church who came to serve alongside me for a week in July.  Below are a few pics of the home being constructed, and yes, the Ancient Path boys did come a lend yet another helping hand . . . don’t worry, I’ll get around to explaining them shortly

The Forestburg Baptist team really came to serve and that was plainly evident in how they spent each day here with me.  While the home built for Luis and Marjorie was funded through the team, most of the time they spent here with me was in Bible instruction and building up the local church body here in Nicaragua.  I wasted no time in getting their feet wet, well . . . maybe it was more like just throwing them in the deep-end of the pool, by taking them to experience their first Nicaraguan church service out in the campo.  Bill preached, Thad worshiped, and God received the glory.  I know it was an experience that will not be soon forgotten; isn’t that right Kate?   We really enjoyed our time spent out in Xiloa with Mount Sinai Pentecostal Church, the church body you see in the picture there, visiting homes, praying with folks, and helping give the church a face-lift with a new coat of paint.  All in all the team from FBC was such a blessing not only to the Nicaraguans they served and bonded while here, but to me as well.

Ok, so what is Ancient Path?  My good friend Coburn spent the summer here with me and for one month we were living it up dorm-style in the house with 9 young guys.  No, Coburn and I weren’t trying to relive our college days, rather our purpose was pretty simply to chase hard after God together and bring in young men from the U.S. who shared this same desire to go deeper with God.  Let me just say that is was quite the experience, unique for many reasons, a few being flooded rooms with toilet water, riding in truck beds in the middle of torrential downpours with scorpions, and Ghost-Pepper hot sauce torture.  Seriously, would you expect anything less?  Well . . . as you saw in some of the pictures above, the guys had wonderful servant hearts and were up for anything.  Building homes, patching up roofs, prayer-walking, bible studies, home-stays, we did it all together.  As I am sure any of you know who have lived in such an environment for a week or more, it wasn’t all gumdrops and lollipops, as we all learned a bit more about ourselves during that month, our struggles, our strengths.  I for one was very blessed to see how God is working in these young men, all of which came to know the Lord at a younger age than I.  It was very encouraging to have these young guys around making the pursuit of God the center of our day and doing it together, learning from one another and sharing with them what little wisdom God has given to Coburn and me.

And as usual I will wrap-up this update sharing a bit of what’s on my heart in writing this.  To be completely honest with you, its been a difficult last month or so for me.  I believe this may be for various reasons, the details of which I will not delve into here, but if I could put a title on it I guess I would say that i’ve been experiencing somewhat of a “wilderness” season.  Its hard to explain what goes on inside, spiritually, when you find yourself in the middle of one of these difficult times in our walk with the Lord, but in my case it does have a way of leaving me a bit withdrawn and despondent.  I find myself struggling more with doubts, temptations, and lack of desire for God than is what I guess I would call the norm for me.  Yes . . . I did just say that I am lacking in my desire for God.  You may ask yourself,  “How can a missionary who’s vocation is to preach the gospel and serve the poor lack desire for God?”  Well, believe me, I have asked myself the same question; but you know what?, what I do for a “vocation” or whatever my calling may be has little to do with it.  An even better question would be, “How can Michael, having been saved from eternal damnation and torment by a loving God who willingly sacrificed His Son in his place, lack desire for his Creator?”  And I can’t answer that question and i’m not so sure it always finds its answer in something we are or are not doing.  Perhaps God just wants more; more of my devotion, more of my passion, more of my heart, more of well, me.  All I can tell you with certainty is that while wandering and searching for answers in the wilderness, we, or at least I am weakened in my defenses against the evil one and his ways.  Obedience out of a love for Jesus and a thankfulness that flows effortlessly from the heart seems to be replaced by some legalistic form of discipline that forever seems on the verge of tottering-over and breaking into a thousand pieces.

I don’t tell you these things to alarm you or make you worry, but to be as transparent as I can to those who pray for me and the ministry.  I am no super-human, extra-holy missionary man who has it all figured out; in fact, sometimes I feel like I’m just trying to keep it all together.  Yet, God’s promises are still the same and as true as they ever were, for you and for me; sometimes I feel like we just have to fight to get to them, to really take ownership of them on a deeply personal level that leaves us changed forever.  All this being said, I humbly ask for prayer from those of you who would.  Its not so much that i’m looking for specific answers from God, its that I need more power.  I need more of the Holy Spirit to be more devoted, passionate, compassionate, more radical and reckless in placing every bit of my being in loving and willing submission to the Father and His Word.  I have much to learn, even more yet to give.

Thank you for bearing with me.

Lamentations 3:19-24

Below you will see a few pictures of a house we recently reconstructed. This home belongs to the Luna Valle family and the kids you see in the pictures hopefully some of you will recognize as being enrolled in The Isaiah Project. Well, about a month ago we ran up against some attacks from the evil one who was trying to spread lies in order to place distance between myself/the staff at the Project and the Luna Valle family. Upon becoming aware of what was transpiring I felt troubled in my spirit and wondered what could be done to resolve and heal what had taken place; well, I didn’t have to wait long for the Lord to answer Within a few days of praying about it the Lord shared with me that He wanted us to rebuild their home, which was in probably the worst shape of all the homes of our kids in the Project at the time and the rainy season was quickly approaching. So, I am happy to report that as of last week we finished our work on the home and the family now has a roof that protects them from our Nicaraguan downpours, a cement floor, a toilet and shower of their own, and really . . . just something that more reflects a home. I am still not fully aware of what God intends to do on a spiritual level through this work of His, but I am praying that it has shown the Luna Valle family, which are not believers, His unconditional love for them and that it they can know that I, we, you, truly love them and care about them in word and deed. By the way, I have also posted a video on the “media” page of the website if you’d like to get a better view of how it all looked once we finished the construction.

Another victory that I am elated to report is that of the academic performance of our kids up to this point in the year.  Lets just say that I am more than pleased at how our kids have fared.  When we started the project last year the phrase that I heard from just about everyone, including the tutors, was “well . . . at least I or he/she didn’t fail the class or the year”.  As you can probably guess, I was not pleased with the minimal expectation of effort this type of statement underscores.  Since last year we have been fighting to expel this mentality from all of our kids’ minds, trying to show them that they are capable of so much more than they have ever believed possible, but although arriving at their full potential was possible, it would require more sincere effort on their parts. I am happy to let you know that the first report cards of the year were great!  We had only one student who received a failing grade out of the entire 34 students; this is a statistic more highly appreciated when you understand that last year at any given academic evaluation we would have over half of our students failing at least one class.  Not only did we have an almost clean slate of passing grades, our 5 high school students you see in the picture on the left that have been chosen to go to a more challenging, yet privileged private school that will offer them a better education, made the honor roll at the same time.  Praise God!  Alex, the boy on the right, is already known as the brightest student in the school and Nohemi, the girl second to the end on the left, was in danger of failing out of the last year, needless to say that now we no longer have that concern

We also put on a little celebration for the mothers of our kids the end of May as Mother’s Day here falls on the 30th. I gotta say, anytime I get to partake in any of Patricia’s special event cooking its a good deal for me . . . mmmmmm. The kids performed several dances, read some poems they wrote, and gave their moms some crafts they made for each mother and/or grandmother that is the primary female caretaker in their lives. To me it can often be a somewhat difficult lesson to teach our kids, that is to respect and show unconditional love to our parents at all times. Obviously the primary reason I give for this is that God requires it, no questions asked, but it can be a bit more difficult to explain this to kids who have parents that more often than not do not behave in a manner worthy of the responsibility and blessing of the calling. Nevertheless, its a step of obedience that was passed down to me from my parents and I strongly desire to have that be one of the things these kids can learn from me that sticks long-term. Of course I had both of my Nicaraguan motherly figures at the event as well in Patricia and Yelva to thank them personally for doing their best to stand in for my mom . . . although I think Patricia would tell you I am a bit hard-headed and too serious for her liking

Lastly we have also had several changes in enrollment recently that I would like to share with you. Sadly, Christopher and Leyla will no longer be enrolled in The Isaiah Project. Christopher decided to leave the Project due to time constraints, as he has become very active in the local church with the youth and a/v team. While we are sad to see him go, we are also happy to know that he will still be spending his time in a profitable way surrounded by believers. Leyla will no longer be with us due to her parent’s desire for her to be raised in a strictly catholic environment. As I believe most if not all of you know we are not catholic, but evangelical Christian at The Isaiah Project and therefore we do not teach certain doctrines that Leyla is learning in her local catholic church. Her parents explained to me that they were concerned that she was learning conflicting religious doctrines and practices and they feared she would be confused; so sadly they decided to pull Leyla out of the Project. There are no hard feelings as much as I would have liked to see Leyla stay with us, this was her parent’s decision and if this is the way they feel then so be it. However, we are still in close contact with Leyla and will continue to pray for her as the Lord leads.

This little cutie is our newest child to join us in the Project. Actually, Julielsca has been eating with us since the beginning of the year as we allowed her to do so since her three brothers and sisters are in the Project and we didn’t want her to feel left out. She has quickly won us all over with her little scruffy voice, sweet hugs, and big smile and when we realized we were going to have a couple spots open up we all immediately thought of Julielsca. Actually, beginning in the end of last year when I first met Julielsca I immediately felt a warmth in my heart for her and now I know why God placed her on my heart so. We are more than happy to welcome Julielsca into our family and pray that she feels God’s love through our service to her and her family.

So . . . as the title of this blog entry states, we gotta celebrate the victories in this one precious life God has given us. The struggles and set-backs can overwhelm us if we allow the evil one to place them in the forefront of our minds, clouding our vision and frustrating our purpose. I have learned in my short time with The Isaiah Ministry that it is essential that I not only recognize the good work that God has done in each individual involved in the Project, but that I also take time stop and thank God for what He has done. While it is unmistakably important for us to have vision for the future, we can not let our desire for how we long our futures to turn out to cause us to brush over what God has done in the past and is doing in the present. I have much to be thankful for, as God is ” . . . confirming the work of my hands.” (Psalm 90:17) And although good grades and good behavior are nice and encouraging victories for us that we can celebrate, that is not my purpose, or our purpose at The Isaiah Ministry. We want souls. I want souls. I want to see kids filled with the Holy Spirit, broken and repentant over their sins. I want to see children taken hostage by the knowledge of Christ’s sacrifice and love for them. This passion for Jesus and desire to live obediently according to His Word that He birthed in me 5 and a half years ago, I want to see this very thing in each one of them. That is the greatest victory there is to me, and so we press on in eager expectation.

God bless and keep you.

Michael

Personally, I prefer the dry season for several reasons: 1 being that it makes getting around on my moto much safer as I don’t have to worry about wet roads and eroding pavement. 2 being that you don’t have to worry about the rains pounding the tin-roofs at deafening decibels making it nearly impossible to think and quite impossible to talk. 3 being, to be completely honest, the waves out at the beach during the rainy season aren’t nearly as predictable and good for suring. I know I know . . . And lastly, 4 being that the bug/insect level increases drastically, the consequences of which I feel like you can probably imagine. Anyway, such is life here in Nicaragua and as long as its the place where you’re called to be you just take it all in stride and learn to be thankful for all the little things that make each day special and unique.

Early in the month of April I had the pleasure of being asked to preach in a church in a little town outside of Managua. The Isaiah Ministry has been developing a relationship with the elders of this church through an evangelistic outreach they have been holding in another little church-less community down the road from their church. What a wonderful thing to see a church body who doesn’t have much themselves, really just a small building and a few musical instruments, use what resources they do have to reach out and minister to others in Christ’s name. I accepted their invitation to speak at their church and was blessed to experience a good ole’ “oculto del campo” or” church service in the country” I think that my style and manner of speaking may not have been much like their pastor’s, actually I know it was not anything like his style, haha; but none the less it was a great experience for me and they have asked me to come back in the future to perhaps do some Bible teaching, Lord willing. What a humbling honor! I guess what impacted me most profoundly from that experience was the simple truth that worshiping God can be found in all styles and flavors. I guess its kinda like a rainbow, made up of many distinct colors that together form the beautiful arc we see in the sky. Similarly the worship of God’s children being so diverse yet all working together to bring Him the utmost glory.

A bit of sad news to report is the leaving of our cook Maura from the Project. For some time now Maura has been working at a level that has been against the doctor’s recommendations for her health. Maura explained her physical condition to me to me when we began operations last year, therefore I have kept a close eye on her and provided for her to have check-ups with the doctor every few months to get an update on her health issues. Not really having another option but to work to provide for her family, Maura signed on to work for The Isaiah Ministry out of desire but perhaps more out of necessity. Along with her health issues, Maura has also longed for some time to have a little business of her own to run out of her house that ideally wouldn’t involve her having to work as a cleaning lady or cook, which requires much work and physical labor. So, with her health issues still flaring up from time to time and this desire to break out on her own growing , Maura decided to resign from her position with the ministry. While I am truly sad to see Maura go for numerous reasons, I am excited for her courage and faith to step out on her own. I was personally very blessed to have witnessed first hand the power of God change Maura’s life when she received the Lord into her life as Lord and Savior. She has grown so much in joy and fulfillment since that time and for that I rejoice. Maura always put her all into her work for the ministry and kids; her gentle, serving spirit will be hard to replace.

I am also glad to report that the kids have just finished writing their sponsors and the letters should be on their way to those who are supporting a child or family in a week or so. This is always such a blessing for me to play the medium for communication between our kids and all of you. While it is quite the task in translating some 40 letters on my own, it is more than worth it in knowing that they are being encouraged by all of you and are more than willing to sit down and write a letter to say thank you.

Lastly, the 1st report card of the year is coming up soon for most of our kids and as usual I am quite nervous, yet hopeful to see how they fared. However, on a good note our 5 high-school kids that have been placed in a Baptist private school due to their performance and desire to excel shown in the last academic year have already received their report cards and I am pleased to see that over-all they did well, with two of them making the honor-role! Praise God! I may have spoken too soon, but in my excitement over their performance and in wanting to encourage the others to put forth their best I told the 5 that if they all made the honor-role for the next report card that I would take them on a day-trip to reward them. As you can probably guess they are all pumped to hit the books now and pushing each other along more than usual, haha; well, maybe not pumped to study but you understand.

Oh yeah, one more thing, almost forgot to mention how Alfredo and Elma, his wife, are getting along as newlyweds. As most of you probably already know, one of our staff members, Alfredo, got married about a month ago. They are doing well and are VERY thankful to those of you who sent a love offering to them to bless their new union together, and with that support they have been able to buy some land and are currently in the process of finishing their first little home. God is good

Take care all and please remember us in your prayers and as we continue to lift you up here at The Isaiah Ministry.

Con mucho amor y gratitud.

Michael

Well, about a week or so before returning to Nicaragua I received an update on our new kids selected to join the Project for 2011; three of them having left Managua or moved for an indefinite period of time and would not be returning anytime soon.  This was quite a shock as you might guess, but as we have always done with unexpected news, we took it in stride knowing that God must have other plans in store for us and had decided to open the door for us to consider offering a spot to 3 different kids we had not previously selected.  The 3 boys you see above are the 3 that were selected to join the Project in place of those who left; brothers Kenner and Kevin, and Raldal.  The 3 have fit in quite nicely amongst the class of 2010 and seem to really be taking advantage of the opportunity they have been given.  All 3 have found a sponsor as well, which is such a blessing as they already know their faces from the pictures we recently added to our “sponsor mural” in the Project.  The kids just love showing all the other kids and whomever will pay attention who their sponsor is, what their names are, and where they live.

Last week we were also especially blessed to have visiting us on a vision-trip a small group from Forestburg Baptist Church Forestburg of Texas.  FBC has recently decided to partner with The Isaiah Ministry in our efforts here in Nicaragua; very exciting stuff!  Their visit was a short one, planned and orchestrated with the idea of these FBC leaders gaining a better understanding of how The Isaiah Ministry operates on a daily basis.  As well, I and the group were eager to begin praying and searching out God’s will for them in service when they come back in the end of July with a larger group.  The few days they were here were spent in activities such as visiting a handful of families in the community to hear them describe their history and daily lives in poverty, and to pray with them and for them.  To say the least, these visits were a very blessed and eye opening time for the group.

While The Isaiah Project is located in Managua, I felt impelled to take the group outside of the capital city to visit a small little dusty town about half an hour or so from the Project.  While i’m still not exactly sure if the barrio we visited has a name, as it is located just down the road from a community called Mateare, it left an impact on the group for several reasons.  One being that the little town is kind of off on its own, not prone to many visitors, especially those of a foreign nature.  Most of the town’s inhabitants work down the road in a local clothing factory if they are employed at all.  What initially drew me to the area was that I heard about a struggling church-plant that was planted in the town about 2 to 3 years back.  Now when I say “church”, its not what most of you are probably imagining; no doors, no flooring,  basically just a few wooden posts and a tin roof up on a hill over looking the town.  It was pretty moving for the group to hear from the pastor, who is actually from another town but overseeing the church-plant, about how they had been coming to the town each Sunday to provide the people with a voice telling them to make straight the way of the Lord.  However, the pastor mentioned to us that it hasn’t always been easy; the people in the town were very resistant at first and in fact the battle still remains in trying to win the adults in the community over to the church plant’s presence.  The congregation each Sunday afternoon is primarily made up of children, and their hearts for these children and desire to see them provided for where there really has been no help offered to them by outsiders is apparent.

Above you can see a few pictures of the church-plant taken that day.  We also visited a family in the community as well to pray with them and talk with them.  It was such a blessing to be able to speak with them and hear of the hope and joy the father of the family has, even though he had recently been attacked by his neighbor a few months before which had left him practically blind in one eye and his vision severely impaired in the other.  FBC and I are praying about the possibility of spending a few days in the community in July, serving the people in a number of different ways.  Whatever God would lead us to do there, it will be a first for the community.

The group also wanted to do something for all of the Isaiah Project kids at one time, so they took all of us to the Masaya volcano about half an hour or so outside of Managua.  This was a first for most if not all of our kids that got to go and I still don’t know who enjoyed seeing and exploring the volcano park more, the kids or the group   It was a great way to end the group’s visit with us and the kids will definitely be looking forward to their return in July, and so will I.

I’ll end this update mentioning a change this year has brought of which I am very thankful, as well as our needs that come to mind as I am writing this.  My praise is that this year has begun with much more peace and patience amongst the staff at the Project.  The routine and discipline that was established last year through much labor with the kids and investing in our workers has really payed off; the daily activities flow so much more smoothly now.  My presence in the Project last year was almost necessary on a daily basis to ensure things went as planned and to be the disciplinary figure as well as decision maker on just about all issues; however, this year things are different.  Patricia’s confidence in her abilities and faith in God’s sovereignty is at an all-time high, which has enabled her to really flourish and evolve into quite the capable leader; although she has always been the consistent laborer, she has begun to accept her role as not only a disciple maker amongst the little ones, but with the teenagers and parents as well.  The addition of Franklin to our team last year was an immediate help, but the change of his role this year to that of an authoritative leader of The Isaiah Project has been nothing short of a God-send to me and to Patricia, not to mention all of our kids.  Even before he officially came to work at the ministry, I knew that God had great things in store for Franklin’s future and to be afforded the opportunity to see him really grow and meet the challenges of becoming a responsible, godly man is truly a treat for me.  The boys in our Project have really taken to Franklin, which is not surprising considering his servant heart and endless patience with them.  It is especially satisfying for me to see a young man of this character evolve in such a manner, considering how broken my heart is for the lack of male responsibility and leadership in Nicaragua.  I pray this is just the beginning.

Our biggest need is simple, THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT; without Him moving in power amongst us we have no real hope.  Without the Holy Spirit tempers flare and pride gets the best of us.   Without the Holy Spirit routine becomes our focus and Spirit lead direction takes a back-seat.  Without the Holy Spirit our acts of goodwill become badges of self-righteousness.  Without the Holy Spirit the fact that most of these kids if they died right now would not be going to heaven would be forgotten.  Without the Holy Spirit The Isaiah Ministry is just another feeble attempt by human hands to make a truly desperate situation look “better”.  Please pray for an increase in the saving power of the Holy Spirit over The Isaiah Ministry in this year.  Please pray with us that our material needs continue to be met but that the spiritual depravity of the community in which we work and the families to which we minister would always be in the forefront of efforts.  Lastly, please continue to pray for unity amongst those who serve in the ministry.  The Devil is always looking to destroy, corrupt, and tear down; lift us up in prayer that we would seek truth and peace at all times.

As always, my gratitude to all of you who pray for us and for me overflows.  Your constant support and interest in what is taking place here in Managua always warms my heart and there are not enough words to adequately explain how thankful I am to all of you for enabling me to be here doing what I do.  May the Father of Glory richly bless you all with more of His presence.

Michael

I am really excited about the kids we selected to join us this year, well . . . actually we feel that the Lord did the selecting, we just asked Him to guide our hearts and to give us wisdom in the selection process.  We received about 50 applications or so of interested kids and their families, but unfortunately we could only accept a handful or two due to the limits we have on space and manpower.  Myself along with other selected leaders of The Isaiah Project went through each application and selected roughly 15 to 20 that we felt we were being lead to consider for selection.  So, in order to get a better grasp on the history and daily plight of those 15 to 20, we visited their homes and spoke with the families and kids.  After praying through the applications and discussing amongst ourselves we selected the nine new kids.  I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but in adding the nine new ones we have split the kids of The Isaiah Project right down the middle with 18 boys and 18 girls.  We now have 10 high-schoolers and 26 kids in enrolled in elementary school.

I had decided not to try and rush to find more families to be added to the Family Sponsorship facet of The Isaiah Ministry to open the year.  I guess for me I like to take a little more time when it comes to adding another family to be cared for and ministered to because it is not just one person we are placing under our care, but usually at least 4 more.  I just like to make sure that we can care for the family the way that we would like to and that we have a sponsor that is dedicated and sincere in their desire to support a family for the year.  It also takes a little longer to get to know a family and their history than it does one child, and its something I like to be a part of in the beginning, so we tend to take things a little more slowly.

I had intended to be back in Nicaragua for the beginning of the school year to oversee the start of operations for 2011, however, it seems that the Nicaraguan gov’t. has changed things up a bit on me and the kids will be starting school at the end of January rather than the 2nd week in February.  I will be returning to Nicaragua on the 3rd of February, but before I go back I have the opportunity of visiting Forestburg Baptist Church in Texas to share in person what The Isaiah Ministry is all about and what missionary life is like for me in Nicaragua.  I am really excited about the possibilities the Lord may have in store for my burgeoning relationship with FBC.  I pray that my visit is added salt and light to what I know is already being poured out by pastor Bill Kimbley, also friend, and the leadership of the church.

I am speaking at Faith Baptist Church here in Germany tomorrow morning and this Wednesday; I consider this opportunity quite an honor as well.  Up to this point in my time here in Nicaragua, Faith Baptist has been the only church supporting me and The Isaiah Ministry.  Truthfully I can tell you that this is not lost on me and I consider my time here sharing with the Faith family about Nicaragua very precious; their love and support, as well as that of others, have directly affected the lives of those less fortunate in Managua, Nicaragua.  Therefore, I am very thankful and take each opportunity given me to give back at least a portion of what the Lord has shown me and blessed me with experiencing on the mission field as I will be doing tomorrow and the following Wednesday.

And once again I’ll get a little more personal with ya.  How beautiful is God’s creation?  I mean really, when was the last time you stopped and just took it all in for a few minutes?  I for one am not usually one to be awed by nature, i’m not really sure why that is, but that’s just kinda the way I’ve always been.  However, this trip back to the US and Europe has really been different for me in this, that I feel like my eyes have been opened up a little more to the beauty and sheer brilliance of God’s creation.  Just about every walk i’ve taken or time spent outside, whether in North Carolina or in Germany, i’ve repeatedly found myself taken aback at how simple, yet striking are our surroundings.  Rolling hills with little towns nestled down in the valleys, ice-sickles adorning the roofing of an old wooden house,  the way the sky looks in the morning when the bright orange and yellows of the dawn collide with the various blues and grays that will dominate the day.  It really is amazing to think that the God who does that, just cuz He can and it pleases Him, takes the time to personally walk with each one of us and listen to our never-ending lists of worries and preoccupations day after day.  I don’t know about you, but that kinda puts things into perspective for me.  It really is all about Him, as much as I try to make it about me or the trials I may face, past hurts I may have, doubts about my future hanging over me like a plague, it doesn’t matter because it all just burns away in the light of Him who is, was, and is to come.  No matter what I do or feel inspired to do, if its not birthed in Christ and driven by a desire for Christ then it means nothing.  No matter how “good” it may appear or the need it may seem to be meeting, its just another human effort to appease and satisfy.

If there has been something, some desire that has gripped me for a time now, its that I do not want to be just another Christian man, and I do not want to be just another ministry leader doing good things. It has to be so much more than that to me.  I serve a God who has called and still calls us to be ready to lay down our lives and all that we hold dear in this life for Him and His gospel at any moment, no questions asked.  Why?  Because He’s worthy; no more explanation is needed.  And the life that He has gifted us He intends for us to fill with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  These things have to be the characteristics that mark my life as a man of God, or I am no man of God.  These things have to describe my ministry, or else it is not one that glorifies the Father.  It’s not the goodness of the man or the fervor with which he serves that makes him a man of God, its the brokenness of his heart and the humility with which he comes before the Father in private and in public.  There are many ministries in Nicaragua, simply adding The Isaiah Ministry’s name to that list will not win any favor with the Lord.  I pray and please continue to pray with me that we will be different, that we will be holy and fervent always in prayer and service for those who are perishing or suffering.

I want to close this update by sharing something I read today by Charles Spurgeon, one of my favorites:

If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking unto Jesus.” Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.

May God bless you all this new year and as always, I thank you for your prayers and support of these families and children you are enabling me to serve in Nicaragua.

Michael

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. -Romans 12:11

How true these words from the apostle Paul really are; how often over these past few months I have found myself battling to stay “on fire” for the Lord and his work.  Its one of those things that I struggle to find words to describe.  How did I get so numb?  Where has my joy gone in serving others?  Why am I feeling so apathetic towards what I once felt so much enthusiasm in doing?  What happened?  When did this become such a struggle and why hasn’t this struggle not gotten easier as the days go by?

The simple answer to these questions is not a difficult one for me to find, although perhaps difficult to accept.  Over the last few months gone by I had let my life’s objective slip slowly out of its rightful place as all-consuming and all-satisfying; I had in some complacent and comfort seeking way forgotten that Christ HAS to be at the center of my every moment, of my every good work.  The troubling thing is that I would have never declared that He wasn’t my king and my Lord, but with my actions and attitude I had sad it all so clearly, and by this habitual backsliding I had lost the joy and the peace I had once reveled in.  When this happens to us believers, worry begins to creep in and doubting the Holy Spirit’s power begins to eat away at our faith little by little.  If this fall is allowed to gain momentum it isn’t long before we begin to act out in our own abilities, trusting in our gifts more than the gift-giver.  This is where I found myself.

Yah . . . you can look at all the projects, ministries, houses rebuilt, kids being fed and you can say but, but, but . . . but nothing, it will all burn in the end and all that will be left is the source of our divine motivation and faith, or lack their of.  Don’t misunderstand me, these “good works” are good, but only if they are done to glorify Christ and done in our weakness so that He may be seen as He intends to be seen, in glory and honor.  To my discredit I had allowed the evil one to chip away at my foundation in Christ alone, and I had begun to trust in the works themselves and their worth in the eyes of man.  Shamefully I accept my lack of faith and hunger for His presence, but I humbly receive the reprove and solemnly, but boldly turn to the rest of my time here in Nicaragua this year and onward with eager expectation and confidence that He will show himself strong and mighty to do new things, miraculous things through my weakness and dependence on his mighty right hand.  All glory be to God!

Since the last update we have had a couple projects that we have been so blessed to be a part of.  In October we had a mission team come down from The River Community Church of Cookeville, Tennessee to spend a week with us; what a blessing they were in several ways!  The team took the kids to spend 3 days out by Lake Nicaragua for some games, Bible study, worship and of course playing in the water.  The kids loved it, as this was just the 2nd time they had been treated to such a trip.  The team did a wonderful job preparing for the camp with a much smaller group to run the activities than normal, and less space and facility availability due to flooding.

Secondly, the team also provided the funds for The Isaiah Ministry to assist the local church in constructing a viable water source for a displaced community living in the local trash dump due to the flooding of the rainy season.   I really wanted for this group to get to know the local church in a more personal way and do whatever we could to build them up, after-all the church is the primary presence of aid in this specific community in the trash dump.  The project only took one day to complete, which can be primarily contributed to the people of the community and church supplying most of the manual labor needed.  As you can see in the pictures there was a lot of digging and we were sure blessed to be able to take part in project of the day, but were even more pleased to know that those living in the community would now have easier access to running water.

The team also did some street evangelism in the community in which The Isiah Project is based, Rafael Rios, and I can tell you without a doubt that the families and people they witnessed to were blessed as well as the team.  Thank you team for coming down and being so open to the Holy Spirit’s leadership and direction.  You were and are a blessing to us!

We are also in the middle of rebuilding a home for one of the families that we support through our family sponsorship program. This has been a great joy for me personally to see this project realized due to my close relationship with the family, Yelva (widowed grandma), Eva Maria (granddaughter) and Josúe David (grandson). The house was practically falling down around them and probably would not have stood up to the weather much longer. Yelva and the kids also live in what is the most dangerous neighborhood I have known in Managua, with gangs, thieves, and drug dealers on every corner. Needless to say, I am thankful that we are able to provide them with a safer place to call home. The construction should be done in less than a week and will tally all said and done at around 3,000.00 dollars. Honestly, I can’t think of a better way I would have wanted to see this money spent. Thank you so much all of you who have contributed to the ministry to make this possible! You will never know how much this means to them, truthfully.

To close, I’d like to let all of you know that we have begun the process of receiving applications and visiting families to feel out where the Lord would lead us in selecting the new kids for next year.  We are looking to add about 10 new kids to the child sponsorship program.  We would love to accept more, but as we are still operating out of a small home, even 10 will be a significant increase.  Please pray with us that the Lord guides us clearly in who will join The Isaiah Ministry family.  I am hoping that in the next 2 weeks I will have pictures and short biographies available on the website for those of you who feel lead to sponsor a child.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support throughout this year.  To God be the glory great things he hath done!

Michael