We have entered “winter” here in Nicaragua, which really means we are now in rainy season and we are so thankful that God is now the one providing the water we need for our grass to grow! During April and May we were able to complete the well and have grass planted on the whole field!
We are so relieved to have a well that will serve us during the 6-month dry season. Even during the driest month of April the well was producing plenty of water! Although we had a bump in the road when we had to terminate our relationship with the person we first hired out for the job, we were able to find a non profit organization called Amigos por Cristo who came and finished the well for free! It was a huge blessing to say the least! Once the well was completed we were able to start planting grass again. They were able to finish planting the grass in about the middle of May.
While some parts are coming in great, like the infield, there seems to be more weeds growing the grass in other parts. They used weed killers before they planted the grass because there was quite a bit of weeds that were on the field, but the weeds have come back and the battle against the weeds has begun! Although it is frustrating we recognize that this is a common struggle that anyone has when beginning to plant grass for the first time. While being out on the field pulling weed after weed and spraying weed killer all over the place it is easy to remember the parable that Jesus told of the sower that can be found in Matthew 13. To paraphrase the parable a farmer scattered his seed in multiple places including along a path, which was eaten by birds; in rocky places, which did not have soil; in thorns, which choked the plants; and finally in good soil, which produced a crop of a hundred, sixty or thirty times more than what was sown. Jesus goes on to explain that the places where the seed was sown are equivalent to people who hear the message about the Kingdom. This is a very well known parable that unlike others Jesus clearly explains the meaning, but recently I heard an interesting commentary about this parable that really made me think. Although Jesus knew very well that scattering the seeds along the path, in the rocks and amongst the thorns was not going to provide any sort of good harvest He still took the time to sow there. Be it out of His unsurpassing love for us or just out of the fact that everyone deserves to hear the Gospel, the seeds were scattered. It is not our job to decide for God who deserves to hear the Gospel and who does not. On the contrary Jesus says, “Go and make disciples of all nations”. It is true not everyone who hears will believe, but the important part is that they hear. The Spirit could very well prompt us to share the Good News with someone who would qualify as a path, rock or thorn. It is up to us to be obedient, and not to play the judge and the jury.
Another way we can relate to this parable is with how the practices are going. Due to the setbacks we have faced and also to the fact that we are working with communities where sometimes characteristics such as discipline, responsibility, and faithfulness seem to be non-existent there has been a steep fallen off amongst the children and coaches. We definitely scattered a lot of seeds and we have seen examples of each “place” mentioned in the parable with the kids. Some never showed up from the beginning, some showed up once or twice, some were faithful at the beginning and once they realized the league would have to be starting later stopped coming, and then we have the few, the proud and the faithful. And how we love the latter bunch! It has been a joy to see kids that did not really know each other too well develop friendships. While walking back from one practice there were 4 kids, who did not get along at the beginning, walking back with their arms around each other as if they were best buds. It was definitely what you would call a “kodak moment” but unfortunately there was no camera in sight. Yet that is an image engrained in my memory that makes one realize the reason you are here and the potential that is in this ministry. Working on their attitudes is definitely a work in of itself but through devotionals and discipline you can notice the subtle difference that is beginning to take place in the kids.
April and May 2015 Update
We have entered “winter” here in Nicaragua, which really means we are now in rainy season and we are so thankful that God is now the one providing the water we need for our grass to grow! During April and May we were able to complete the well and have grass planted on the whole field!
We are so relieved to have a well that will serve us during the 6-month dry season. Even during the driest month of April the well was producing plenty of water! Although we had a bump in the road when we had to terminate our relationship with the person we first hired out for the job, we were able to find a non profit organization called Amigos por Cristo who came and finished the well for free! It was a huge blessing to say the least! Once the well was completed we were able to start planting grass again. They were able to finish planting the grass in about the middle of May.
While some parts are coming in great, like the infield, there seems to be more weeds growing the grass in other parts. They used weed killers before they planted the grass because there was quite a bit of weeds that were on the field, but the weeds have come back and the battle against the weeds has begun! Although it is frustrating we recognize that this is a common struggle that anyone has when beginning to plant grass for the first time. While being out on the field pulling weed after weed and spraying weed killer all over the place it is easy to remember the parable that Jesus told of the sower that can be found in Matthew 13. To paraphrase the parable a farmer scattered his seed in multiple places including along a path, which was eaten by birds; in rocky places, which did not have soil; in thorns, which choked the plants; and finally in good soil, which produced a crop of a hundred, sixty or thirty times more than what was sown. Jesus goes on to explain that the places where the seed was sown are equivalent to people who hear the message about the Kingdom. This is a very well known parable that unlike others Jesus clearly explains the meaning, but recently I heard an interesting commentary about this parable that really made me think. Although Jesus knew very well that scattering the seeds along the path, in the rocks and amongst the thorns was not going to provide any sort of good harvest He still took the time to sow there. Be it out of His unsurpassing love for us or just out of the fact that everyone deserves to hear the Gospel, the seeds were scattered. It is not our job to decide for God who deserves to hear the Gospel and who does not. On the contrary Jesus says, “Go and make disciples of all nations”. It is true not everyone who hears will believe, but the important part is that they hear. The Spirit could very well prompt us to share the Good News with someone who would qualify as a path, rock or thorn. It is up to us to be obedient, and not to play the judge and the jury.
Another way we can relate to this parable is with how the practices are going. Due to the setbacks we have faced and also to the fact that we are working with communities where sometimes characteristics such as discipline, responsibility, and faithfulness seem to be non-existent there has been a steep fallen off amongst the children and coaches. We definitely scattered a lot of seeds and we have seen examples of each “place” mentioned in the parable with the kids. Some never showed up from the beginning, some showed up once or twice, some were faithful at the beginning and once they realized the league would have to be starting later stopped coming, and then we have the few, the proud and the faithful. And how we love the latter bunch! It has been a joy to see kids that did not really know each other too well develop friendships. While walking back from one practice there were 4 kids, who did not get along at the beginning, walking back with their arms around each other as if they were best buds. It was definitely what you would call a “kodak moment” but unfortunately there was no camera in sight. Yet that is an image engrained in my memory that makes one realize the reason you are here and the potential that is in this ministry. Working on their attitudes is definitely a work in of itself but through devotionals and discipline you can notice the subtle difference that is beginning to take place in the kids.