Los Pinos

 

 
I will be at church today.  I am looking forward to seeing you and bringing the message.

I just came back from another trip to Los Pinos, Nicaragua.  There, we witnessed the dedication of 25 new homes.  There we introduced four other pastors to the mission of the Rainbow Network.  There I hugged children.  There I saw again my friends from the village.  There is so much to say, and my heart is so full.  I don’t know where to start.

During the dedication service it rained and poured.  The mud was several inches thick.  It stuck to your shoes.  One of the villagers said to me, “Jeff, this is what it is like inside our homes when it rains.  This is what living with a dirt floor is like.”  It makes you think.  And then, to see someone who has never lived in a home with a concrete floor move into a new house is an amazing miracle.

I encourage all of you to make the trip to Los Pinos.  There is something for people of all ages to do.  The accommodations are safe and clean.  It is in this time zone.  The cost is very reasonable for an international trip.  You take off and land in a matter of 8 hours.

You might go thinking you will change something for the better in Nicaragua, and you might just do that.  But let me tell you this…… if you go there, it will change you.  You will never be the same again.  You will look at a plate of food differently.  You will look at chicken, dogs, cars, and homes with new eyes.  You will become much more grateful.

I am so thankful for the opportunity in this life to go to Los Pinos, and to come home.  Going there has made me a better person.  And my wife would tell you that me becoming a better person was very much needed.

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