in the details

It never ceases to amaze me the way that the Father is working everywhere around us! He is in the smallest and biggest details… working in the lives of everyone whether they know it or not…

I went to a new beach yesterday called playa Hermosa, I was trying to go to a different beach called Remanso, but couldn’t find a ride there to save my life. As I was talking to my neighbor who owns a surf shop one of his friends was running by and said he was taking a group of people to Hermosa and just like that I had a ride to the beach. There were 4 other tourists, 3 from California and one from Sweden.

While on the beach I met 3 other girls from Sweden, one of which I talked with for at least an hour. We discussed so many international issues from traveling, to poverty, to development, to economics, to government, but at the core of the conversation simply that we wanted people to care about people! ‘They will know us by our love for one another!” (John 13). We talked about issues with our own countries and how so many times our efforts to help in areas only causes more hurt and pain. We exchanged stories about different experiences in other countries and different projects we had been a part of. It had been over a week since I had a legit conversation in English, especially one with depth. I was so thankful to have had this, and to see that other people want to help and just be with people.

Following the conversation we watched baby turtles make their way to the ocean, they were only 3 days old and so tiny. Sorry I don’t have any pictures… I forgot my camera.

After an incredible day on the beach with great conversation, and doing my best to surf, I continued to be blessed with conversation. Our driver, Alex, and I talked the entire drive back. I was asking him about Easter and Holy week (semana Santa) here in Nicaragua and asked if he took part in the celebration. He said he wasn’t catholic and didn’t celebrate it the way they did, but he went to an evangelical church. He then proceded to tell me his story and how he had grown up in the catholic church and went to catholic school. He learned the traditions and how the church worked, but when he was 10 years old he was invited two an evangelical church. He experienced something he couldn’t put words to he said. He felt his life change and from that moment when he received the truth he was never the same. He began to study the bible more and more and his life continued to change.

He then told me about an experience he had the previous day. He had been in a car accident; it was 730 in the morning and he left the small town of Maderas, which is just north of San Juan del Sur. He said that morning things were different than usual… as he was about to leave his friend asked if he wanted to come in for some coffee. Alex said he never drinks coffee, but decided he would take him up on his offer and have a cup before he started his day. After his coffee he left Maderas and headed to San Juan. On his way there were 3 girls who needed a ride, so he stopped to pick them up. They all wanted to ride in the bed of the truck, but for some reason he said they couldn’t today. He usually lets people ride back there, but something was telling him no. So they all jumped in the cab and off they went. As they were approaching a curve in the road Alex saw another truck coming right at them, he had just enough time to react and turned just enough so it didn’t hit them head on, but ran directly into the bed of the truck. The drivers side of the bed was destroyed, but everyone in the truck was fine. The person who hit them was extremely drunk and took off after he hit them. As alex was telling me this story his eyes were lighting up, because he knew how the Lord had his hand on him that day. He said earlier that morning he was reading scripture about the protection of angels and how their protection is all encompassing and allows no harm to be done.

30 minutes after the accident he said that the man driving actually returned to the scene of the accident to take responsibility for what he had done. The man responsible said that something inside of him was telling him to go back.

Alex said that he was very calm during all of this and it wasn’t until he got home, showerd and was able to relax that the reality of what had happened hit him. He was overwhelmed by the power of the Lord and that he was truly surrounded by a protective cloud of angels! Nothing was going to harm him, just like he had read earlier that morning.

Wow, what a testament to the power and protection that the Father offers his children. As he was telling me this story it made me realize how important we all are to Him. He cares enough about us that he will send angels to protect us, he cares about what is going on with us. He loves us! And today, Easter, expresses how much he actually loves us. He suffered, he was mocked, he took ALL of our pain, brokenness on himself so that we may have life! If someone puts their life on the line for me and is willing to die so I can have life… I will follow!