Gun Registry

Today was full of a lot of going and coming. The task being to register the shotgun we now have here at the mission house. If you were wondering how long it takes to register a gun in Nicaragua the answer is roughly five and a half hours!

We began the day thinking it would be a quick trip to the police station and in about an hour we would have the gun fully registered. But we were definitely wrong. We first went to the local police station to turn in our forms Jay had already received and filled out. But after a few hours there we found out that the head police station made a typo on the serial number and therefore we could not register it at that time. We then travel to the head police station. Might I add this is the national police we are dealing with so similar to going into an FBI or CIA building except Nicaraguan.

After waiting until 2:00 at the head station Jay was allowed to go back to meet with the officer about the document. Grayson and I had to stay because shorts and flip flops are not allowed in that area. Not sure why, I didn't ask either. But after an hour there we then headed back to the local station turned in our paper and waited roughly an hour again to receive our receipt and then we were finally on our way! Task done just at a slower more Nicaraguan pace.

But we have called it a night and I am now just sitting on the back porch watching the storm roll in over Lake Managua and the volcanoes. Have a good night y'all!

Quick quote

I found this quote and thought I'd share it for the mission world and just everyday life.

"Whatever your life's work is, do it well." -Martin Luther King Jr

Feliz Día de la Madre!

Well I got to double dip on the Mother's Day holiday this, once in the states and then yesterday here in Nicaragua. For holidays here in Nicaragua it is very similar to holidays in the U.S. all businesses shut down and everyone just relaxes and spends time with their families.

With that said I spent the day with my family here in Nicaragua. We went to Miriam's aunt's house to celebrate Mother's Day. We ate, danced to the music, and had a piñata. This was my first experience with a piñata but a very enjoyable one because it was an authentic latino piñata in Nicaragua. The piñata was a star and hand made by Miriam's mother and grandmother.

Not the exact piñata but you can get an idea of it!

Today, is a rather cooler day with cloudy skies which will be nice as we run many errands in preparing for the team to arrive this weekend. We are picking up groceries and supplies for the team today and also going to the police station to register a new shotgun we got for the mission house. It is safe here might I add. So no worries there! But we now have one here just in case. :)

I hope everyone has a great day!

Made It Safely!

Well I am officially here in Nicaragua for the next two months! It was an interesting flight from Atlanta to Managua. We flew in and landed in the middle of a huge thunderstorm. Shaking and exit signs blinking on and off the whole flight. But it doesn't end there! After we land on the slick runway we find out that their is no power in the airport and we have to wait for the arm to be able to operate and let us off the plane. Well, while we are waiting the plane decides it wants to cool off on the inside and begins to smoke throughout the entire plane. BUT God took care of me and my fellow travelers and we arrived safely! I was greeted at the airport by Grayson, Jay, and Miriam. And after catching up some at Miriam's house we came back to the mission house to crash for the night! Thank you for your prayers they were definitely answered today in many ways!

Atlanta

Made it safely to Atlanta and didn't have to rush too much in finding my gate. It was on the complete opposite end of the airport though! Boarding shortly. Next stop Managua, Nicaragua!

Waiting...

Well with airports you never know how long things may take you are either very rushed or waiting for awhile... Today I am waiting... About an hour and a half worth until I board! Next stop Atlanta!

It has begun...

We are on the road to Nashville. I'll be boarding and flying out to Atlanta at 2:30. Praying everything goes smooth and safe today! I already talked to Jay and Grayson and they're ready for me to get there tonight!

All Packed Up!

I am officially all packed up and ready to fly out tomorrow! My flight leaves Nashville at 2:30 then Atlanta and I will be arriving in Managua, Nicaragua at 7:35. Please be praying for smooth and simple travels to Nashville with my family and in the air to Managua.

Maggie helping me pack my clothes!

Pray for Summer Mission Trips

Well the summer weather is here and classes are out. So that means summer mission trips are gearing up and heading out. I know many different people living out Matthew 28 and Acts 1:8 and going out to the ends of the earth. Please be in prayer for the people I know of going to the following places:

Czech Republic
Jamaica
Kenya
Uganda
Nicaragua
Asia
China
United States
Guatemala
Bahamas

And many other places I am sure I have failed to mention. But please join me in praying daily for the people of these countries, the churches, pastors, and everyone these people come into contact with.

A Wooded Night... Psalm 42

Tonight I spent some time in the woods reading the Bible, talking, and listening to God. I will admit, that at first I was pretty distracted by the cars and my cell phone. So I put my phone in my pocket and began walking down a trail to just see what I could see.

I like to think of myself as a country boy but I don't know it all. But as I was walking down the trail, I did see something I was sure of. A deer hoof print.



Of course, being a guy I am going to follow these prints as far as I can. So, I started chasing these prints for quite a while down different sets of trails. Not seeing one single deer, but being optimistic I kept following these random trails. With each trail they all ended in the same way. Down by this creek.

Now I am not the best at knowing scripture by any means, but I know how to use my Bible and look it up. Chasing deer prints and consistently ending up at the creek eventually led me to Psalm 42.

1 As the deer pants for streams of water,

    so my soul pants for you, my God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

    When can I go and meet with God?

3 My tears have been my food

    day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

    “Where is your God?”

4 These things I remember

    as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go to the house of God

    under the protection of the Mighty One

with shouts of joy and praise

    among the festive throng.

5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

6 My soul is downcast within me;

    therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

    the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep

    in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

    have swept over me.

8 By day the Lord directs his love,

    at night his song is with me—

    a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock,

    “Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning,

    oppressed by the enemy?”

10 My bones suffer mortal agony

    as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

    “Where is your God?”

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

Now I am going to be very transparent right now. At times, I struggle with doubt and depression. During these times, I tend to doubt God and have no hope in my life. And this past week, I have been going through one of those times with one of these moods. But God knew what I needed to hear in his Word today and revealed that to me. Yes, I knew the first verse of this particular chapter but never had I read any further. In this chapter, David sums up exactly how I feel during these difficult times in my life. But God also revealed an incredible truth to me tonight through this psalm of David's. 

PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD, FOR I WILL YET PRAISE HIM, MY SAVIOR AND MY GOD.

If I just put my hope in God and praise my Lord and my God, He will take care of me, His child. And reveal to me much greater things than a hoof print or a calm creek in the woods. 

Yes, on this night the Lord brought his words in Psalm 42 alive to me. This deer along with two others were in the field as soon as I came off of the trails. They have complete hope and trust in the Lord. And He faithfully takes care of them and provides all they need to survive and brings them into our lives as a friendly reminder of how great our God is.

PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD, FOR I WILL YET PRAISE HIM, MY SAVIOR AND MY GOD!

When our story meets their story...

Once a month my bible study group goes and serves with a local ministry that deals with troubled teens and kids. Typically these kids are dealing with depression, anger, or suicidal thoughts. On a normal night, we go and hang out with the kids and eat pizza and play board games but this night we had a unique opportunity. With the help of the staff in this ministry, we were able to have a worship service with the kids there.

I get there and meet everyone in the lobby just like I would any other week. Just going through the motions like I typically would, and for some odd reason this particular week I did not have as much as excitement to be there like weeks past. But God had me there that night for a reason.

This reason was in the form of about 6'5'' skinnier body type 17 year old boy with a birthday coming up soon. He was a cross-country runner, played football, and enjoyed basketball. The exact same things I was involved in at his age. I immediately took notice of this and was thinking and praying for this kid the entire time as we all sang and I clicked through slides.

Now I am going to be completely honest here. I have never lead anyone individually to Christ. Yes, the kid in bible college has never done what he intends to do as his career before!

With that said, I have always felt like I was not "good enough" to do so or that I did not know enough about the bible to share my faith with others. I have told others that I was a christian and even prayed with others in my work parking lot, but never shared the gospel specifically with anyone.

Back to that night, Tommy my bible study spoke about being broken and how Christ heals those that are broken multiple times in the beginning of Mark. He used the image of fondant and breaking it down and molding it back together with water representing Christ.

These kids are broken, we are ALL broken. We can not be fixed by anything but the blood of Christ. At times we can think to have it together like the fondant is but eventually pieces fall off. But when you have Christ (water) it holds everything together and smooths away our cracks in our lives and pasts.

My new 6'5'' buddy sits down beside me to eat dinner after this talk by Tommy, to eat pizza. We were just small talking, wasting time as we ate.

And then I said to him, "You're a lot like me."

He said, "How's that?

I began to tell him how I ran cross country, played football, etc. And how I also tried to fill the cracks in my life with different things, be it alcohol, friends, or girlfriends. But it never worked. He nodded in agreement. He told me earlier on in the night that we wanted to get better and live better. I asked him, so you're trying to live your life right aren't you? I explained to him how we can't do this on our own and we need the help of Christ to do so.

I really enjoy analogies and think it explains things much better at times. I said to him, Ok so we're running a race. (it seemed fit since we were both runners) I said at times there is going to be people cheering for you and wanting you to do well. But also there's going to be people cheering against you and  wanting you to walk or take the wrong path. We must keep running on the correct path in our lives, we may step in holes or even have to jog but we must keep running towards the finish. The finish line is the greatest of all prizes, it's Heaven. I showed him the verse in Philippians 3:14, and his face lit up as he got it. And he just smiled.

At this time, it was time to start cleaning up and for them to go back to there rooms, but I asked him if we could pray together. I told him that he can live right and run the race to Heaven if he just told God he wanted to change his ways and live for him. He said how do I do that? I said just tell him in a prayer. He said ok will you pray that for me? I told him it's not between me and God, it's you and God. So he prayed in broken words. "God I want to live for you and stop living the ways I have been and I thank you for Kegan talking and telling his story to me tonight."

I share this story for two reasons. One to pray for our new brother in Christ, as he soon leaves this place and go back into the world and his old temptations. I pray that he runs the race to one day meet us at the finish line.

Reason two, is if you have a story of how Christ has changed your life, share it. It can impact others lives! Just share, you don't have to know every verse in the bible or tons of theology, you just have to be willing to do so. Because when our story meets their story and we share it, with the power of Christ it can change lives!