It has been quite an incredible summer! We have seen the harvest throughout Nicaragua and in the US. This is a summary from the Beauty For Ashes Project founder, Kara, of her time in the United States this summer:
“I’m sitting at the airport reflecting on my last 7 weeks in the US and I’m utterly speechless and in tears at the faithfulness and beauty of the Lord. I watched as hearts that were sincere and seeking for the Lord were met with truth, healing, hope, freedom and salvation. Vision was restored to blind eyes, chronic pain left bodies and left people in tears as they used body parts again for the first time in years. The same Jesus that delivers people of demonic spirits in Africa and Nicaragua also delivered people of demons in the US. I watched bi-polar disorder, nightmares, depression and anxiety all crumble as the defeated enemy was put in his place and as the Kingdom of Heaven was released through the disciples of Jesus Christ.
I saw sincere repentance pouring out of many who called themselves Christians but who weren’t yet living as disciples of Jesus. I watched them die to their old life of religion and fear and instead dive into a passionate and intoxicating relationship with the Living God as they personally encountered His presence and His Spirit. There is so much more for all of us and if you seek Him you will find Him. It’s His promise.
In these last 7 weeks I wasn’t in a church building. I sat in coffee shops, gas stations, DMV’s, homes, grocery stores, RV’s, hair salons, restaurants and schools and watched Jesus meet people in a deeply personal way over and over again right where they were. I watched as each and every person was seen and known by the Father and placed into family.
I also watched as prophetic words that were spoken over me years ago became actualized in ways I never could have imagined. Our Jesus is faithful and good beyond our wildest comprehension. Above everything that I saw and experienced with Jesus, nothing compares to being with Him and being loved by Him. There is absolutely nothing greater than His love and His presence! The miracles, the signs and the wonders are all incredible because they are from Him but they are nothing without knowing Him and being His beloved bride. What a joy and an honor to get to be part of the great harvest in the United States. I know this is only a very very small glimpse of what God is doing all over the US and I am filled with more hope and excitement than ever for my home nation.”
Our family of disciples here in Nicaragua got to build a new house last month for a single mom who was recently born again. A group of our guys literally built them a new house in a day! It is so beautiful to see our family helping each other and meeting people’s physical needs as well as spiritual needs.
A team from Iris Global came to Nicaragua for a 16 day mission trip with us in August. It was an honor and joy to share the Good News with signs and wonders from the cities to the mountains to the trash dumps with them. The harvest is ripe and what an honor to be a laborer for Jesus. One night as we were sharing the gospel with some drug addicted teens in a park in Matagalpa, one of the boys received the gospel and threw his drugs down and came running into the arms of Jesus! That very night we were able to reunite him with his family and we will continue to walk alongside of him as he grows in his identity in Jesus.
Here is another testimony of a former street kid in Matagalpa who recently was born again and set free.
“A year ago, we met a boy named Gilbert, who had been in addictions, living in the streets, inhaling glue and had a lot of confusion in his mind who God was. A few days ago, he came to our house, because he had the desire to have something else with GOD (SOMETHING REAL). We shared the gospel and he understood and was ready to be born again and leave his old life behind.
He was free from addiction and now that he was born again, he understands his identity in Christ. When he came out of the waters of baptism, he was free of demons tormenting him, his face is completely different and he said that he had never felt this way before.
He received the holy spirit, started speaking in tongues. Praise the Lord!
We were able to sit and share as a family with him, eating and that was beautiful, because he didn't know it was a family. And now he has a family in faith glory to God, for a new life in Christ.
I love this testimony because a year ago a seed was sown and we can now see the fruit and we understood that this is the work of the Holy Spirit!!!”
Exciting announcement! We are excited to announce that we will be hosting our Iris Global international missions school here in Nicaragua this year! We are so honored and filled with expectation for all the Lord will do. The students will arrive the first week of November and we are already seeing the Lord supernaturally provide and open many doors to make this possible. We are so excited to train missionaries for the global harvest.
We are hoping to build an additional shower and bathroom for the students coming for the missions training school in November. If you would like to give towards this project, please donate through the Iris website to the Nicaragua base or through our website. We are hoping to raise about $5,000 in total. Thank you guys for your prayers and support. Sending you all a big hug and may you be ever encouraged in the goodness and love of Christ of Savior. He is eternally worthy of it all!