| SEARCH & RESCUE TEAM Leon, Nicaragua AL/MO/OK/TN/TX FOLKS SEARCHING for the lost and RESCUING them with the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST! |
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| THE WEEK'S EVENTS! This evangelistic team donated their time & efforts for the week of March 16-23 to work in the rural area of Leon. With EVANGICUBE & EVANGICARDS in hand we shared in schools, communities, churches & home to home. At our best guestimate 850 folks made decisions for Christ. On SATURDAY we were in a area that we had found while scouting back in February. The pastora agreed to us bringing a team back to work with the church. Once we arrived the pastora asked to visit with me. She relayed about our previous visit & how when Nathan walked up to her home, she thought he looked familiar. She had 2 questions for him.... what are you doing here & are you a Christian? Once satisfied with his answers she agreed to us coming back. It wasn't long till she realized that he was her cowboy that taught in a previous preaching that she sat under. She told everyone - my cowboy is coming back with a team! Now...that we were actually there...she wanted to know where his hat was? (He never leaves it at home but had decided to this time - wrong move, won't happen again!) Our pastora had arranged for 3 services while we were there. What surprised me were the 25 some teenagers in attendance and the choreography for several songs they danced too. It was a wonderful day! SUNDAY - again, during our February visit we had met a pastor that introduced us to an area that he would like to start a church in (couple of hours from his other church). A schoolbus was rented for his congregation to join us going door to door with a large service later in the day. Keep in mind we're WAY OUT THERE & when we arrive...there is a small carnival where we're going to preach! That was too funny. We split into teams of Nicaraguans & Americans & went wandering the dusty roads to visit folks in their homes. There were 3 teams but obviously you're going to get my version. Sometimes it's just too easy when introducing Christ to the lost & they eagerly accept, but not today. In one home we visited a couple in their 30's with 2 daughters. After explaining about Jesus, discussion & more discussion the lady said she couldn't receive Him till she got married, said they did attend church. I felt the Lord leading me to join in & found out they had been together 8 years but had no plans to marry. I asked what they were waiting for & why couldn't she accept Christ before marriage? She wanted to clean up her act - so we explained that Jesus wants her JUST AS SHE IS, & that He would clean her up later. Long story short....no decision. At our next house we had a similar experience. After a few hours in the sun & dust it was time to head back. Part of my team went to get a soda. The lady asked....what are you doing here? Americans have never been here. Told her what we were doing & she explained that her daughter was the ONLY Christian in the family. From there...her & the husband came to know the Lord. The door had been thrown wide open to introduce her to Christ. Not long after, the service by the old train station began & diablo worked hard as horse & riders came through making noise, industrial size bottle rockets kept shooting off & a small parade came through. But in the end, we KNOW who comes through - & that's our whole reason for being here! MONDAY-WEDNESDAY - went classroom to classroom (4 schools) each day talking to little ones all the way to the high schoolers, plus a couple of churches & communities thrown into the mix. THURSDAY - on that February visit we were to preach at a church in the TIPITAPA area (way out there again) but once we got there, found out the service had moved to later & our borrowed TAXI didn't have headlights so we had to come back. We agreed to bring our team back though to do a service. We were told to expect a large crowd so 500 more #'s of rice was purchased. 600 folks showed up that day! FRIDAY - bright & early we flew back to the states (Nathan will come home April 2). As I was describing the events & team & how it was just the best - Nathan's mom said...you always say that! It's true - when hearts are prepared to do His work - it doesn't matter if you know one another or not - it all works together! |
| The day started at 6 a.m. with a breakfast of fresh fruit, bread & eggs. |
| Everyone BUT Nathan & Francisco! |
| Witnessing. |
| Daniel's S.S. class collected $$ to be used for school supplies. The owner of this store was a Christian & volunteered to help out. Each school received a large bag. |
| Janice isn't afraid of ANYTHING! Francisco had run up behind me with the iguana...I SCREAMED, took off running, the dogs started barking & chased an OX out of the yard. |
| The youth performing a dance before the service began. |
| Daniel Z. giving his testimony, is from Africa but now resides in McAlester, OK. |
| It was sooo beautiful here! Arturo preaching. |
| Daniel giving his testimony. Nathan always encourages everyone to go home with NO REGRETS...don't think back later...man, I wish I would have.... |
| We arrived to find a carnival planted in our preaching area. It mysteriously shut down during the service. |
| David preaching. |
| They would stack wood up 10 feet high on this wagon with the driver sitting on the top. |
| We always had too much to eat & would share it with who came up & asked. |
| Bagging rice to share with the adults who come to the service. |
| Dwayne on his knees, shared with the young kids. Once he told about Jesus raising after 3 days & a little boy yells...HE'S ALIVE! HE'S ALIVE! The 3 teams rotated their members to share the gospel. I also got to speak to the teachers a couple of times. |
| This would have been a very nice picture but for Arturo holding bunny ears up.... do boys ever grow up? Wonder what the others are checking out? Violet GIVES ME A VOICE (my translator)! |
| Every night we'd come to our special spot to eat...gallo pinto, queso frito, carne/pollo asado & more. |
| Ivan preaching. |
| Sharing with the EVANGICUBES/EVANGICARDS. |
| This particular day the girls brought rakes & the boys machetes to clean up the school yard. |
| Another preaching. |
| Our very last service of the week! |
| Why...there we are...in the same picture! |
| Violet wanted to know HOW to hold a pig... but when she did, she dropped it & ran! |
| Handing out rice. Jazmina (with the rice) is Francisco's wife. The family joined us that day. |
| Daniel, Daniel, Daniel...this picture caught you handing out ink pens...to adults! Gotcha! |
| Reeves giving his testimony. |