Dear Child

Dear Child,
I love you.  Simple words.  Spoken too often?  Can they be?  Even though we have had our moments, I do dearly love you.  The greatest day of my life was the day you were born.  All three of you have brought such joy to my life.

When we brought you home from the hospital, we were given a new purpose in life.  Now you are all gone, out of the house and it is an adjustment.  I miss you.  I miss hanging out with you and being invested in your life.  I am however, we are, very very proud of you. 

I want you to know that I would do anything to help you.  I would give my life, I would take a bullet for you.  Today.  Now.  You are so very very valuable.  I love you so much.
Dad

[for those of you not in my family, I suspect there is a spiritual moral of the story here.... if I feel this way about my kids, how must God feel about us?]

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

I don't know

So it has been a heck of a week.  I had six days of vacation last week, but had to preach the Sunday before and after.  I have some challenges at church that I am working on.  You have to keep working on the challenges so that things stay on track.  A young man died this week and we will hold his funeral this coming Monday.  My son fell off the roof and broke his back.

All of a sudden, I am thrust into multiple situations that are beyond my control and outside of my abilities to resolve.  You start to stress out, then you finally realize that there isn't anything to gain from that.  So, you go with the flow.  You lean into the river and let the current take you.  I can't fix it, I don't know what to do, so I just have to get up every day and put one foot in front of the other.

And I get to trust God.  Actually trusting in God means more, it means a great deal more when there is nothing left of your strength to trust.  And so maybe I thought I was in a bad place, but really, if I can rest in God, I am in a good place.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

I heard a story

I heard an amazing story the other day about a person who was healed of an unbelievable illness.  The story brought me to tears.  The speaker said, "with God, all things are possible."  I was so glad to be reminded of that.  Sometimes, I think that my problems are so big, but none of my problems are as big as this persons problem, and God healed them.

If God can heal that, then God can do anything.  If God can help them, then my problems have hope.  With God, all things are possible.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

why I love our church

A woman walks into my wife's office and asks if it isn't her church in Lee's Summit that does the prom dresses?  Cathy says yes it is, what's up?  Well evidently there is a cancer patient that needs a prom dress.  The prom dress ministry is over for 2013, but the question is asked if the church will help.  Cathy says, she will see.

She calls the church.  She has an "in."  I find the person in charge of that ministry and tell them the story.  Prom dress ministry is over for 2013, but we have this girl with cancer.  Can we help.  Of course the answer is yes.  YES.  YES!!  The staff person calls Cathy and visits with her. 

Within 30 minutes of asking the question in my wife's office, the other employee is told by Cathy that our church will roll out the red carpet.  The ministry may be over for 2013, but a cancer patient will get whatever she needs.   I was not surprised.  I love this place.  I am the most fortunate pastor that I know.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

T-10

T-10.  It's a vertebra in your back.  In the middle.  Not lower lumbar, but middle.  Yesterday, my son Scott fell off a roof and broke his back.  T-10.

He could have been killed.  I went to meet him at the job site and called the ambulance.  When you hear the siren coming for your child, there is a fearful shaking in your soul.  It was horribly traumatic.  I saw the place that he fell from.  14' from the gutter to the ground.  His side hurts, his mouth hurts, his teeth hurt.  Everything hurts. He could have broken his neck, he could have been killed. 

Instead, he has a broken T-10.  Wear a brace for 6 weeks.  heal. Rest.  Then back to normal.

I just want to take a moment to thank God.  THANK GOD!  Will you thank God with me?  Oh, the sobbing fears of a parent were so on display today.  Thank God, it is only a broken T-10.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

discrimination

Lately I have experienced some discrimination and I have to tell you, I don't like it.  I have experienced a bit of what I would call "elder discrimination."  I have found myself in situations where young people greet one another and love one another and are excited about seeing one another, and when they got to me, they saw an old man.

Now I know that I like to dress down.  On my day off I don't like to shave.  I wear hats and jeans anytime that I can.  My skin is old and I could be a member of AARP if I wanted to be one.  But that does not mean that I am not a person. 

I would like to be welcomed with the same joy, the same excitement, the same happiness that you greet your young friends with.  If they deserve the extra attention, so do I.

There.  I said it.  Now my pity party is over.  And I have to ask myself... do I do the same thing to others?  Are there those who feel like they get more or less attention from me than someone else?  Probably so I would bet.  Let us just take this moment to be mindful of every person, every human being, every soul,  regardless of their age, height, weight, etc.  They are all of them, everyone of them, delightful, valuable, children of God worth loving.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Mom

Happy Mother's Day.  To my mom who died in 1995, to my dear mother in law, to my sweet wife, and to all of you mothers out there.

Motherhood is not an easy thing.  Childbirth isn't easy [not that I would know] but the larger heartaches of life tend to be delivered to parents by their children.  There is an old saying, "when they are young, they steal your heart, when they are old, they break your heart."

Here are some words of encouragement for every mother that has ever felt that she did not do a good job.  For every mother who spends too much time in her doubts.  For every moment of discouragement, for every moment of regret.

Mom, we know you weren't perfect, but you have given us an amazing gift.  Life.  L-I-F-E.  LIFE.  I can wake every morning and live because of you.  That is pretty cool.  And yes, you weren't perfect, but when I was 24 it finally dawned on me that my life had become my responsibility.  My problems were then of my own making, and I know I have dealt you some grief.  That does not mean that you are not loved.  Speaking for children everywhere, I would like to say that I appreciate every thing that you have done for me.  Every effort, every thought, every kindness, every prayer. 

A mother truly is a gift from God.  Thanks for being you.  I am here today because of you!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

maybe they need you

So there is this person that doesn't hang out with you anymore.  Maybe a group that has left you behind.  You have felt a bit of rejection, you have felt set aside.  You wonder if you did something wrong.  Sometimes you have felt a little mad about it.  You wondered what happened.  Something turned in the relationship and now things are different.  You wondered what you did, you wondered if it was you, or your other friends, or your family or what.

You have thought many times about moving on.  Just let it go, you heard yourself say.  You might even have engaged in ignoring it.  You have begun to heal from the pain and the circumstance has a sense of distance to it.  You are feeling better. 

Today you have a new thought.  Maybe they are not rejecting you.  Maybe they are out there living life, and they feel funny too.  Maybe they moved on in their minds, but in their hearts they have not moved away.  Maybe they still love you and still need you.  Maybe one day they will lean back into your life.  If they do, what will your response be?  Will we hurt them back as we were hurt?  Will we ignore them so that they can enjoy the feeling?  Or is there a place in our hearts where Christ dwells, where he helps us understand that sometimes things change.  Sometimes change is beyond our control.  People need to be loved, whether they are hanging out with us or not.  They need our time and care.  I am sure there are many people that don't talk to God for a while and then after a time they ring him up to spend some time.  I am sure also that God opens the door and embraces them as an old friend come home.

Random thoughts.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

copy and paste

I love this feature. Although it sometimes makes me a little lazy it does have its place. Today is a day like that. Back in 2007 Jeff make a comment regarding my user name. The underlined part has stuck with me ever since. I hope you find comfort in it as well.

Yesterday, I read a comment that someone posted to the blog. I don't know who it is, but the user name struck a cord with me.

Lion's Den Man.

Wow! I make an inspection of the picture that conjures up in my head. Not just Daniel in the Lion's Den, but I am the man in the lions den. Lions, me, and the protecting hand of God. What an incredible message this person is sending about their life: "I have troubles, I find myself among the lions, but I am always protected by the unseen God!"

Thanks Jeff.

Peace,

Lion’s Den Man

a tough thing to ask

Ever wonder how people view you? Your good and bad. Your strength and weakness. Are you open to that kind of information? Would you hold harmless the person you asked to provide such information? If you took the step would you be willing to ask another for a second opinion and so on… When I hear the word humble I think of this. I wonder how open I am to change the things that need to change. To discover those things I may or may not be aware of. To drop my guard and listen and then do a self-evaluation. Although God accepts me for my flaws I believe he wants better for me. If I choose to not look for flaws and then work on them then how can I walk humbly with the Lord?

Proverbs 27:21

²¹ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
    but people are tested by their praise.

Peace,

Lion’s Den Man

what i need

I was listening to a song the other day and it brought to me a reminder.  I need to have these words written down.

“What I want is what I’ve not got and what I need is all around me”. 

Simple words that carry a lot of weight and truth.

Peace,

Lion’s Den Man

bad read

It happens sometimes. We think we know…. we think we have it or them figured out. We are working off our instinct or a past circumstance or a past relationship.  Our experiences guide us and that isn’t always such a good thing. We can never really know the entire story. The where or the why behind what made that person seem that way to us. We tend to forget it could be as simple as they are having a bad day or week etc….. It could run deeper.  We forget the time we were there ourselves. Bottom line is we don’t know. But it affects us. So it is our response that we need to consider before we make a mistake, a judgment….. a bad read.

Peace,

Lion’s Den Man

three words

I watched a movie the other night. The story revolved around a man’s struggle with an addiction. Many destructive things can surround such a problem. The turning point was when he finally came to terms with the fact he could no longer do it himself.... Do the addiction, do the lies and deceit. He knew his character and integrity were no longer intact. He realized he could no longer make the right choice on his own and so he paused and said three words, “God help me”……Then everything that he and God knew came to the surface and he began to heal. The movie wasn’t based on a true story but this part was very real. Everyone has a story, everyone can heal…..  

Peace,

Lion’s Den Man

Haven

The other day I heard the quartet "His Harmony" sing the song, "there is a Haven."  My online dictionary defines a haven as a harbor or port. Any place of shelter and safety; refuge; asylum. The words were comforting and delightful.  Here are the words, complete with guitar chords:

(G) There is a haven for every weary (D) traveler.
When the storm breaks the stillness of our (G) life.
There is a safe way for all the lost and (D) lonely.
Who’ll find shelter until the morning (G) light.

(C) There is a haven for the weary soul to (G) run to.
When you’re (D) tired of all the guilt and all the (G) shame.
(C)There is a Savior, and His open arms are (G) waiting.
There is a (D) haven and Jesus is His (G) name.

(G) There is a haven of comfort for all God’s (D) children.
You can find it when you speak His name  in (G) prayer.
He’ll give you rest, and from your cares and (D) labor.
There is a haven and the Lord will meet you (G) there.

There is a (D) haven and Jesus is His (G) name (C-G)

When I heard this song it spoke to me so much... we don't need a place to rest when all is well, but when the storms of life break the stillness, we have a place to go.  There is a haven, and Jesus is his name.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.

a man's greatest fear

I don't know if this is true or not, it probably cannot be applied universally to all men.  I also have no idea if women feel this way or not.  But I have this fear or this insecurity sometimes and I talk to so many others that have a similar feeling.  It goes like this.......just yesterday I was a boy...playing.....protected by my parents.....very few expectations.....now I wake up and I have a family and I am working and there is so much to be responsible for.  What happened?  Can I go back and be a little boy again?

What do you do with that?  I don't know.  It is a pain to bear when you feel it.  You have to keep going, you have to get up and go to work, no matter how you feel.  Thankfully it isn't something that I feel everyday.  Some days confident, some days not.  Some days innately joyful, some days not, but all days are good, very good.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

sorry

To err is human, to forgive is divine.  Apologizing is a pretty holy thing too.  Many humans are not very good at it, but it is very healing and very needful.

A simple apology can go a long way to diffuse a situation.  Even if you think you were not wrong, or if you think you are only 15% wrong, to take some responsibility and apologize will often open the door to reconciliation.  Isn't reconciliation more important than being right?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the way

I was  reading a bit of Peter Rollins the other day.  One of the things that he wrote went something like this: it is time that we Christians stop thinking of our faith as a way of believing, and instead think of it as believing in a way.

What does that mean?  Well, many Christians boil the faith down to a list of doctrines.  Believe this, this and this, and you are ok.  Rollins is suggesting that instead, we think of the faith as believing in a way of life.  So that the Christian faith is not a static thing that floats in our brain, but is instead a dynamic, organic thing that is lived out every single day.

Is my faith stuck in my head or is it pouring out of me toward others every single day?  Jesus said in John 4, "but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”


It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Nicaragua Question

Someone sent me a note after the Nicaragua presentation in church.....

 " I cant support this if we are making a material impact only. How will this have a spiritual impact? There was no spiritual content on Sunday. Why be in this line of work if not to proclaim the truth of Christ?"

Let me say a few words about the spiritual nature of the Nicaragua mission.  I guess this person wants us to go to Nicaragua and preach to them.

These people are already Christians.  They have churches.  They are largely Catholic, Assemblies of God and random protestant.

The y have pictures of Jesus on their walls. They pledge to pay back their loans before God and everyone.  They talk about God.  They are conscious of their faith in ways that we are not.

 Will we preach to them?  We will probably do a vbs.  We will discuss faith.  We will have a relationship with them as with other Christian people.  We are not the great spiritual American Christians who have so much to teach the rest of the world.  My guess is that we probably have spiritual things to learn from them.  I think we can learn from people who love God even though they have nothing.

 The gospel is about actions as much if not more than words.  John Wesley said, - "preach the gospel, when necessary, use words."  In the story of the Good Samaritan, the Good Samaritan does not preach to him, he binds his wounds.  Those that wanted to preach passed by on the other side.  He was an example to us all because he stopped his life to help.  In 1 jn 3:17 we find these poignant words, "if you have the world’s goods and see your brother in need, and hold back your heart of mercy, how does the love of God dwell in you?"

Finally in Mt 25- Jesus says, "I was hungry and you fed me."  He does not say I was hungry and you preached to me.

Words of love and acts of love.  They are all spiritual.  I hope this helps.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

accountability

In seminary they said, "never trust a shepherd that isn't someone else's sheep."  The statement was meant as a reminder to us pastor types that we always need to sit under someone else's ministry.  We always need to have people that see into our lives and can comment freely.  Folks that will hold us accountable.  I think this is good advice for everyone.

So here are some questions to ask yourself.  Do you have a counselor?  Do you have a friend that you tell everything to, that knows the best and worst of you?  Are you reading, growing changing?  Are you in the habit of allowing your thoughts and life paradigms to be challenged?

Actions like this can be difficult and painful, but life is better when we areopen and learning, when we know that we have progress to make and we are not offended by the process.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

it was cold

It was cold last week.  Unseasonably cold.  There was a freeze warning.  It was raining.  I had been at lunch.  I came outside the restaurant to go to my car.  It was cold and windy and rainy.  The twenty feet from the door to the curb was enough cold and wet for me.  I needed to hurry to my car.  I stepped off of the curb into the shopping center driveway.  That is when we met.

You were well far enough back to stop.  You did not want to stop.  I tried to make eye contact, but you avoided me.  I stepped back out of the street so your car driving by would not splash me.  To you, I was no one, but to me, I was someone.  A cold, wet, wanting to get to my car someone.  I was the pedestrian, you were already in the safety of your car.  It would not have hurt you to stop for me to cross the street.  I thought that was what should have happened. 

You went on your way and probably thought nothing of the event.  I waited in the rain for you to drive by.  Then I made my way to my car.  I got in and started it up.  I turned on the wipers and the heater.  I was finally safe from the elements.

What is the moral of this true story?  Poor me.  I had to stand in the rain while someone insisted that their car get to it's destination in a timely manner.  Poor me.  The other moral of this story is that we should never pass the opportunity to put someone else first.  To exercise a little chivalry.  The person that you stop to let cross in front of you just might be someone from church, they may be having a bad week or a bad month.  They may be discouraged.  Don't make them stand in the rain any longer than needed.  Let them find shelter and safety.  Stop your car and let them pass.  A simple act of kindness goes a long way.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

why I can't be at every event

Many programs will tell their leaders that in order for their program to succeed, they need the direct involvement of the senior pastor.  This can lead to many situations where good folks end up putting lots of pressure on Jeff to show up for their event.

There is too much going on at WCC for me to show up at everything.  If I tried, I would die.  It is also important that I have down time and quiet time and time with family and friends.  All of these things make for a balanced spiritual life.

Just for example, here is what I was supposed to do last evening. 

• Keep score for the church softball team. 
• Visit Disciple Bible Study
• Camino closura
• Choir concert
• meet with a couple about their wedding.

Sometimes life is busy crazy.  I hope everyone understands.  It is hard to be 5 places at once.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

God

We like to talk about depending upon God.  We also want an easy life.  One of the surest ways to learn to depend upon God is to run into trouble.

I don't mean the kind of trouble that you can fix, or that will fix itself, I mean the kind of situation that is beyond one's self.  You find yourself flabbergasted, at the end of yourself, no clue of what to do, out of ideas, stumped.

Such moments cause us to rely on God in ways that we normally might not.  I don't wish such problems upon you, but if they come to you, at least enjoy the fact that you are leaning on the Lord more than you were before.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

sanctuary

One of the blessings of living close to the church is that we have the ability to stop by the sanctuary or chapel and pray.  You can find your way into the church most days from 6am -6pm and later in the evening if something is going on, which is almost every night.  Check the Southeast door or look for places that people seem to be coming and going.  Sunday afternoons can be tough and Saturdays are a touch and go, but for the most part, these rooms are pretty available for you to stop and pray.

Sometimes my prayers a simple chit chat.  Catching up with God.  Sometimes my prayers are sorrowful apologies for the ways that I have missed God's call.  Sometimes my heart is pouring out for another person.  Heart-wrenching, soulful crying out to God.

It is an odd feeling, walking into these rooms alone to pray.  It's like God is there, waiting.  I almost always feel that the room is full of His presence, and I walk into this holy, amazing moment.

It's your church.  If you need to pray, stop by on the way to or from work.  Stop by any time.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Is it a sign?

Several have asked me if the bombing at the Boston Marathon and the explosion in West, Texas were a sign.  Are these a sign from God of the end?  Are they a harbinger, a sign from God of a judgment on our culture?

My answer is "no."  NO.

The question is very ethnocentric.  The question implies that if anything bad happens to us, that somehow it must be the end.  That America is somehow special from other countries and cultures, and if any difficulty comes to us, it must be a sign of the end.

Was it a sign of the end of the world, when Cortez destroyed the Aztec culture?  Was it a sign of the end when our forefathers kidnapped Africans and made them slaves?  Was it a harbinger of the end when we spent 300 years destroying Native American Culture?  Was the fall of Rome a sign of the end?

All of these things seemed like the end to those in the culture, but we must remember that nations rise and nations fall.  There is an ebb and flow of power among nations and cultures.  The Holy Land has been conquered 26 different times.

The only constant in our world is our God.  Heaven is his throne and the earth is his footstool.  He calls all nations unto himself and invites them to bow the knee.  God alone is eternal and it is to him that we must go, it is upon him that we must lean.  No president, no political party, no comfort level in life can truly satisfy.  Only Jesus can satisfy the soul.

I am very sorry for the violence that has taken place in our country.  But let us continue to look to our Father and invite others to do the same.  The best thing that can come from painful things is a desire on our part to look to our Father.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

keeping it to yourself

Sometimes I think it is best to keep your problems to yourself.  Sometimes I think that there is nothing to be gained from spilling your guts. How many times have I told someone my troubles and all it did was hurt them?

Yes there is much to be said for getting things off of your chest, and a friend to listen can be a real blessing, but sometimes the opposite is true.  Sometimes I think that we are better off just taking it in and keeping it there.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

question

A few weeks ago I published something that included the line, "I am working very hard at being a good human being."  Some asked for me to elaborate on that statement.  Here we go.

I would probably point out that there are lots of humans who consider themselves a finished product.  I do not think of myself this way.  I think one of the best qualities that we offer one another is the awareness that we don't have it all figured out.  A number of people work for me and they all have the ability and permission to question me.  I am not always right.

Something else that I think we can do to work on being a good human being is to work on love.  To think on love, to practice love, to give love, every chance that we can.

Finally I would add that it is very easy in this life to simply react to what happens around you.  This can often lead to the worst of us coming out.  I think that being a good human includes working on responding instead of reacting, or acting instead of reacting.  To learn to take a step back when we don't like something, take a deep breath, count to ten, ask you who you are and who you want to be, say a prayer, get centered, then act.  Act out of the best of who you are.  When we do this, things usually go better.

That's all for today.  It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

quote

I love great quotes.  This was shared with me by a friend.  It's attributed to Mother Theresa.


People are often unreasonable and self-centered.

FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.

BE KIND ANYWAY

If you are honest, people may cheat you.

BE HONEST ANYWAY

If you find happiness, people may be jealous.

BE HAPPY ANYWAY

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.

DO GOOD ANYWAY

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.

GIVE YOUR BEST ANYWAY.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.

IT NEVER WAS BETWEEN YOU AND THEM ANYWAY.

 

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

housing in Nicaragua

One of the most painful things that we saw on the trip was the housing situation.  Most of the people that we met live in houses made of mud and sticks.  They are about the size of a one car garage and have dirt floors with a metal roof.  If the rains fall or the wind blows hard, these homes can be damages very easily.






The homes were usually divided up into a front room, a bed room and a kitchen area.  The pottys are outside. [see picture]  Some houses had chickens running around inside of them.  The rooms might be divided by a stick wall but more often than not, they were divided by a sheet hanging from a piece of barbed wire.  If there were clothes hanging on the wire, that was like their closet for extra items.  If there were no clothes on the wire, they probably just owned the clothes on their backs.  I saw no extra shoes, no extra socks, not much in the way of possessions.



The beds were made of sticks.  No mattress.  Not real comfy.  They mostly served to keep you up off of the floor and away from the bugs, chickens and rats.  The smoke of the open fire in the kitchen blackened that corner of the home and provided ongoing respiratory issues for those who live there.




                                                typical kitchen
Contrast this with the new homes that the Rainbow Network is helping the families to build.  New homes have a concrete floor, cinder block walls and a well near by.  The kitchen is constructed outside with remnants from the old house.  Solid walls and doors keep out unwanted critters.  The homes are arranges in a village and community is established.





new village under construction


Most of the people I know, your home is worth more than all 70 homes in the village of Los Pinos.  What ever your challenges this day, Please know that you are greatly blessed by God.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Nicaragua 4

Let's talk for a moment about micro lending and education.  In Los Pinos there is a school building, it was built in the 70's by Ted Turner's TNT network.  It is pretty rudimentary, but there is a small building.  The Rainbow network pays a teacher and there are volunteer assistants.  School supplies are virtually non-existent.  Woods Chapel could outfit the school with supplies and those that had an interest in teaching would be more than welcome to spend time with the children.  Education is through the 4th grade.  To continue on into high school, the children must have a sponsor.  Many children in Los Pinos need to be sponsored.  We asked, and college seems to be a logistical impossibility for them.

The micro-lending program provides money to dependable members of the community to start their own businesses.  They are required to pay the money back on six month intervals.  If one of their team does not make a payment, the other members of the team have to cover the payment.  So it is a pretty accountable situation.  When the people get their loan, they stand up and say thank you, and they promise to pay back this loan before you and before God.  Some sign their papers, others make a mark with their finger print to seal the deal. 


Businesses that we saw included, raising chickens, raising pigs, making hammocks, and various little stores like the one pictured on the right.  Woods Chapel could help by increasing the size of the program, finding other types of businesses that might work, and reducing the cost of some of the commodities involved.  The micro-lending program gives people a sense of pride.  They are not getting a hand out, but a hand up.

If you have the opportunity for an education and the opportunity to be employed, you are truly blessed.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Health and nutrition in Nicaragua

The Rainbow Network works in Nicaragua in five areas: Health, nutrition, education, housing and micro lending.  Today a bit about health and nutrition.

The two main health problems that the people face are digestive issues from parasites and respiratory distress due to living in a dirt home with an open fire always burning.  The rainbow network provides indigenous doctors that meet with the people and help them as they can.  There is a dental clinic in the town of San Ramon about 45 minutes away.  Medicines are

             [children of Los Pinos]
provided but are difficult to come by.  The people have limited access to the doctor and dental facilities and no access to specialists.  The doctors and dentists have no continuing education and so any time medical people from the states go down to help, it is not only good for the people that get seen, it is good for the local doctors to be able to learn new things.

Nutrition is an issue.  The people are very poor and have access to a limited amount and variety of foods.  The government and the Rainbow network provide basic meals to children, pregnant women, nursing women, the sick               [doctor explaining to us the health issues]
and the elderly.

Our potential participation with this ministry can help in many ways.  Types and amounts of food can be increased.  Medical teams can help the people.  Relationships can be built and communications established that will allow us to do our best to care for needs as they articulate them.

If you have three meals a day and access to medical care, you are truly among the world's most blessed.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Nicaragua 2

The group that is running the ministry in Nicaragua is called the Rainbow Network.  They have been around for about 20 years. 

[boy picking up chicken feed from the dirt floor]



They have divided Nicaragua up into seven regions.  They are working in about 20 villages in each region.  They are headquartered in Springfield, Mo and their representative, Matthew E is willing to come up and talk to us at any time.

Rainbow network works with villages in Five ways: health, nutrition, Micro Lending, education and housing.  On the trip we visited Los Pinos, that needs a sponsor, and a village



[our interpreter - pictures of Jesus on the wall of a home in Los Pinos]



that has had a sponsor for ten years.  The difference between the two villages is quite astounding.

The people of Los Pinos are strong in their faith.  All of the people that we met on the trip were either Catholic or some version of protestant/pentecostal.  Their faith and their church means so much to them, partly because they have little else.  No mall, no cars, no vacations, no movies, no restaurants, just the good Lord and the church.  In some of the

[one of local churches]



homes the people would put up little pictures of Jesus.

We will be talking about this village in church on Sunday.  Please be praying about the opportunity to help these folks.  Let us be thankful for all of the blessings that we have received from our Heavenly Father.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.