god help us...

Last Friday, I traveled out with the short term trip to Jinotepe, the other property that Arms of Love has out in the jungle a little over an hour out of Managua, to help paint some rooms in the team house that will house future short term teams that come to volunteer. Sunday morning, after breakfast, we all (all = the girls and boys, young and old, the short term team, all the staff that lives in the homes, and me) loaded up to head out. There were probably about 50-60 of us on one dilapidated school bus now referred to affectionately as Maltez. We are on an adventure to San Juan del Sur, a beach on the southern coast of Nicaragua, close to Costa Rica for a day of fun. Yet, we get not even three minutes out of the gate and find ourselves stuck. Keep in mind that it’s been raining for the past week straight and not just raining, but pouring (kind of like a Bellingham downpour). The dirt road leading to the houses is completely thrashed and flooded. It looks like one giant mud pit. The tires have found themselves in a losing battle against the mud and there is no way we will make it to the paved road. So, all of us adults jump out in an attempt to lighten the load, but that’s just the beginning. We all end up pushing, pulling, tugging and leaning every which way in attempts to free our only mode of transportation. Meanwhile, all of us are slipping around in the mud, our shoes, clothes and bodies covered in the liquefied mess. The men take over, and tell us ladies to stand back. So, as I’m watching, I can’t help but laugh and realize how ridiculous we must look to ever passersby. I also can’t help but think how something like this would never happen anywhere in the States. At this time, on a Sunday morning, most everyone is sitting comfortably in their church somewhere listening to a pastor speak or singing some worship song. And yet here I am out in the middle of the Nicaraguan jungle worshiping the sovereign Lord in a completely different way. I send up a prayer asking the Lord to please help us and provide some way for us to get out of the mud because the kids have been looking forward to this trip forever and would have been crushed if anything had happened to stop it. And before I know it, a car drives down the road, complete with 4 Wheel Drive. We explain to him our predicament, but I have a feeling our words were not necessary with the sight we were! The Nicaraguan man driving says he’ll help pull us out w/ his hitch. So, we get positioned correctly and 1…2…3… PUSH! Before I know it, we have the bus rolling and in the right direction! The Lord is good and faithful to answer prayers! We made it safely to the beach and enjoyed a great day of fun, food, sand, and lots of salt water. it had been a long time since i'd frolicked in the waves... and contrary to beaches in oregon, the water was actually warm enough to swim in!

On the return trip, we were stopped by a police block and detained for a while. After our driver disappeared out to the back of the bus and was not seen for a while, I was told the police were looking for a bribe. The policia got on the bus and Emilio went to negotiate. During the absence of our driver, all I could do was pray that we would get out of there somehow and as soon as the police started talking to Emilio, Emilio explained that we were just from a children’s home and were just going home from the beach. And the police said ok and got off! We didn’t have to bribe anyone!

I’m telling you… this weekend was a reminder that men make plans and the Lord sometimes has other ideas. But He is faithful to reply when you ask and petition.