Arriving in Atlanta International Airport, I feel like I wasn't entirely prepared for what God has in store for our team in Nicaragua. Training camp has been a great way to prepare for the upcoming trip, has strengthened me a lot spiritually, and helped me to really bond with the team. I feel like I am a lot more prepared for any hurtles that may come up. The Holy Spirit has been at work in my heart and increased my ability to share the gospel with others, to really listen to God's voice, to speak encouragement into the lives of my teammates, and to prepare myself for the different customs that I will be introduced to in Ometepe.
One such activity that we completed to learn to adapt to different customs was "ministering" to nativites that were inhabiting the field behind the chapel (if you looked closely enough, these natives, strangely enough, resembled our team leaders). We practiced learning customs that the people had which, in the case of our chapel natives included spitting water, hard back pats, and pulling out grass. And, while the customs of the people we meet in Ometepe probably won't be as radical, learning how to accomodate to them was a positive experience. (On a side note, while the water being shot at us was slightly unexpected, it was a nice way to cool off).
From learning the smaller things – like street smarts – to grasping bigger spiritual concepts – like learning to really listen to the Holy Spirit, I feel like God is preparing my heart and making me bolder. This is only the beginning and I feel like I've already changed so much. I'm so excited for the next two months and what's in store for our team. Nicaragua, here we come!
