Making Disciples of All Nations: Quick Update from Nicaragua - New Projects in the Works!

Greetings to the Impact Network,

Recently a team of 16 went to Nicaragua in lieu of the postponed JOC there. We were there for 1 week and served alongside Osvaldo and Rossy and the El Shaddai team. For those of you who are interested in the progress of God's Kingdom there, here are some highlights you might enjoy:

Projects we pulled off:

2 Feeding Centres - Limonal and Alex Centenos. At Alex Centenos we did face-painting which was probably the most dramatic social transformation of joy amongst the empoverished I have ever seen.

Harvesting Corn - This was previously the rice field

Prison Festival - 450 inmates in a baseball field with music & dramas - by my count close to 200 people accepted Christ and/or received healing. There were also some dramatic Holy Spirit manifestations. This was the first meeting of this size in the prison. Our team also played basketball and soccer with them. Over 1,000 inmates were fed.

100 Hygene & Toy Packages to Children - They actually bussed these kids out of Limonal and dropped them off for a night of games, singing and receiving goodie bags. So cool. We exchanged international versions of the chicken dance.

30 Prostitutes Fed & Given Food Hampers - About 20 of them accepted Christ and we connected them to the church and medical clinic. We worked with an organization there to urge the sex trade workers into jobs. Impact Nations funded a 17 year old prostitutes bean business. This was also the first meeting of this size from my understanding.

Construction in the Medical Clinic - They are expanding and renovating. We did as much construction as we could and leave the rest for the team there.

Here are my reflections:

AN INCREASED LEVEL OF RESPECT FOR THE IMPACT NATIONS TEAM

I did the best Steve Stewart impersonations I could everywhere I went and was asked to share. This stretched me. It also pushed me in terms of keeping up and being flexible with the El Shaddai team. Pulling off a Journey and leading the charge on the front lines is NO SMALL FEAT and my gratitude for Steve and Christina increased greatly. This also includes honour for the core team led by Doug Penner, Steve Casey and Grayson Bain who joined in on the action. There is a tremendous amount of strategy and discernment required to see a nation transformed. This team is very special.

MAKING DISCIPLES OF NATIONS CAN BE TEDIOUS & OFTEN BORING

How many feeding centres in ONE country do you pull off before you get bored and want to go somewhere else? Two? Three? Ten? Could you go to one nation every year for ten years? I have a new understanding of what this takes. The El Shaddai team feeds the same children across 7 feeding centres 2-3 times per week. For them it never gets old. I was challenged to make a commitment to Nicaragua for the next 5-7 years while I was down there.

Discipleship is a long process but it is worth it. I met people there I prayed for a year earlier for healing that are still physically well and now are serving in the community. We met a young man in prison who accepted Christ last year that has reconciled with his family and blessed us with his artwork. I saw a new business that had grown in the clinic which was now making 5 times more money and supporting small group leaders. This is all tedious work, and to us can be considered boring... but this is what it takes! God just needs a few to pay the cost.

CHRIST IS THE ONLY MODEL

It's interesting how we can get enamoured with big numbers and packing out events when Christ himself chose to just focus on twelve. What would it be like if we all just selected 10-12 leaders in one country and committed to their lives for at least 5-7 years? How long does it take to see disciples of Christ become fruitful and make other disciples? I can tell you personally it took way more than 5 years for me! Do we feel we can do this in just one visit?

While I was down there I committed to seeing Montse, Osvaldo's oldest daughter, graduate from medical school in three years. I pray that God lets me see this through because there are people who have impacted my life the same way. Are the people that we visit in these nations simply momentary aquaintances tied to a feel-good project, or can we make deeper commitments of friendship and mutual submission?

The more I reflect on the life of Christ, the more I realize that his prayers of his disicples being one, is an extremely costly proposition. One that can only be paid by being competely devoted to God, transformed in Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

This past time in Nicaragua really revealed things in my heart that I did not like to see. I was exposed in more ways than one and just thank God that He still used me and didn't make me look like a complete fool (although I did totally bomb a joke preaching in the prison!). My heart was hurt, challenged and ministered to many times. My hope is that being transparent about it will also stir yours. God challenged me by asking me, "Is going to Nicaragua about you and what you get out of it, or is it about ME and MY PURPOSES for a nation?"

Wow...

PROJECTS COMING

We will be presenting some cool projects in the near future. I had some great meetings about micro-lending and other sustainable giving we can ALL get involved in.

If you are someone who has gone to Nicaragua and know the very people I am describing, I look forward to sharing the ongoing adventure. Thank-you to everybody who supported our last "Journey of Discovery" and blessings to the entire El Shaddai team and their families!

Thanks for your time,

Ed Kang