Meeting and engaging with the people of Nicaragua has been a beautiful experience and has wonderfully challenged my faith. We have been blessed richly by our interactions with our new Nicaraguan friends. They display an unswerving faith and trust in God. In our many conversations, we hear repeatedly how God has provided and they know God will continue to provide. While the challenges they face are not unlike our schools - finances, facility needs, etc. - their complete trust shines through as they share with us their passion and commitment to Christian education. Many principals shared how the tuition they receive is often not enough to cover the salaries of the teachers so teachers are paid very little (and the principal will go without). They have huge hearts and remind us that our God is big and they trust that he will answer their prayers in His perfect way. They truly live out Jesus' words in Matthew 6:
“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Matthew 6:30-34 MSG)
God has provided beautiful schools, amazing opportunities, and incredible lives, all which are transforming Nicaragua. He is at work here and through the amazing stories we get to hear, God graciously reminds us that his grace is all we need. Together with the Nicaraguan people, we can sing "How great is our God!"
Submitted by Jodi Wildschut
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