Missions: Nicaragua, Part 1

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by Greg Lilly

As I put on my dress casual shoes this morning, I realized that this is the first time I had worn them since being at Verbo Church in Bluefields, Nicaragua. Dust and dirt from Nicaragua were still on my shoes. I had carried a physical piece of our mission trip back with me, but the residue on my shoes was nothing compared to the residue and impression left on the hearts of our team.

What an amazing experience it was. I’m a little disappointed with myself that I waited this long to go on a mission trip (but all in God’s timing, not mine). Instead of being drained by the trip, I was energized. Don’t get me wrong it was physically tiring! But spiritually I felt more connected to God than I have in a long time. The people there amazed me with their genuineness, their warmth, their welcoming natures and their vulnerability with us in such a short time. I made the comment to many people there and since returning that in our culture, we seem to fill our lives with so much “stuff” – houses, cars, stress over bills and life in general – that we sometimes end up crowding God out. What I witnessed on our mission trip was that it seemed like because they had so little, their hearts were wide open for God to be present in their lives.

So tonight as I put my shoes away, I’m not going to wipe them off. I want the dirt to stay on my shoes as a reminder of where I’ve been as much as I want the people I met in Nicaragua to stay part of my heart and to always remember to lift them up in prayer.