Submitted by Althea Whieldon, Mission Trip Participant, February 2020
LUKE 12: 29 - 31
29“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such
things. 30These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.
As someone who claims to be a follower of Christ, I like to think that I trust God and rely on Him in every area of my life. But if I am completely honest, inwardly I also rely on myself and what I have gained through my own strength and intellect. I’ve worked hard all my life and have many “fruits” of those efforts to enjoy day to day. I have a family, income, home with lots of household conveniences, a car, good roads and stores stocked with many goods. Plus, I am at a stage of my life where I mostly arrange my schedule as I please.
I knew heading to Nicaragua that I would spend a week in a culture with less material goods
and conveniences. I was ready, willing and able to lend a hand and share God’s love. As my
second mission trip, I also knew that even our rustic accommodations in El Transito would be
nicer than the average Nicaraguan living in one of the villages. But that first morning at the
village where we would be digging a well, the impact of what clean water would mean to this
community started to sink in.
Well over 150 people of all ages crowded into the community’s small church to greet us, I
began to realize the significance this well would mean as I looked over the sea of faces. Then,
we were given a tour of this village. Several of the women wanted us to see their homes – some of which were the size of a single room in my house. The furnishings were sparse, but
everything was neatly arranged with great care. We got a glimpse of daily life, where each day the corn is ground for tortillas and prepared along with beans and rice. We saw yards with chickens for eggs (some even in the house), goats for milk and even skinny cows that needed water drawn from a hand pump. Walking around, I realized how resourceful the villagers are, especially the women. They knew how to use their God-given resources, including their skills and creativity, to live in their village and look out for one another. I never got the impression they thought of themselves as victims. Instead, they demonstrated great strength of character living where God had placed them.
By God’s grace, we finished the well and joined with the villagers as they dedicated the clean
water well – the impact of which would be felt even more as we learned that one of the boys
had been hospitalized with kidney disease due to the lack of clean water. As the pastor spoke to us, it was humbling to share in this time of worship as the villagers expressed such heart felt gratitude to God for His goodness and grace. I realized I was getting a glimpse of what it means to be “fully reliant on God.” Do I really trust God for my daily bread – literally? Not even close!
How deeply do I really give thanks to God for His provision each day? I had much to ponder
once returning home. The trip not only gave be a whole new perspective on a life that fully
trusts God, a deeper well of living water was also dug in my own heart by this experience.
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