Nicaragua 2010 Final Day

J.Yost
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This is our last night in Nicaragua. God has done so many amazing things. I am finding it hard to put into words at this time. We worked hard and long each day and gave all we had. We loved God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The pages of scripture has come alive to us here as we have walked through the book of Jeremiah as a team. God called us to another nation to tear down the walls and build them back up again. We have had four days of demolition and today, our final day, we dug a trent to lay the new foundation. We are so humbled to be a part of God’s story here in Nicaragua. Our final reading as a team came today in Jeremiah 50. What an amazing feeling to walk out the pages of scripture:
4 “In those coming days,”
says the Lord,
“the people of Israel will return home
together with the people of Judah.
They will come weeping
and seeking the Lord their God.
5 They will ask the way to Jerusalem[c]
and will start back home again.
They will bind themselves to the Lord
with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten.
We have given of ourselves for such a time as this. That those who are lost and without justice or hope could come home and find a place in God’s story here at La Puerta Cafe de El Camino Iglesia!!
Gracias Jesús para esta vez que hemos tenido que compartir juntos. Pueda esta historia continúa ser escrita en los corazones para siempre. Amén

Nicaragua 2010 Day 2

J.Yost
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We accomplished some more demolition today. 2 more walls came down and we hauled hundreds of pounds of rubble off to another site. It was another scorcher at 95+. One moment today was considerably special. Right after we finished blasting the first hole in the wall before lunch, Matt (the missionary here), grabbed the sledge hammer and started hitting the wall himself. One by one pieces flew off and the team cheered him on. He wasn't able to hear our cheers but you could feel the encouragement in the air. The vibe was big. He was swinging away and we were cheering away at the top of our voices. It reminded me of the time when the Israelites were in battle and as long as Moses hands were in the air they were winning. When Moses got tired and his arms fell, they started to loose. Then others came along to encourage him by holding up his hands right along side of Moses. In the end they won the battle. In the same way we are here as a team to lift us the hands of the Barlows. They have been doing this long before we got here and will continue to press on as we leave. As we were watching him hit that wall I was so honored and encouraged to be a part of this vision. Matt is a little older and less in shape so it made the story seem that much more inspiring as he was pounding away at the walls and they came crashing down. Their investment here has prepared the way for walls to come crashing down and due to God's amazing grace we get to be a part of the story. What a feeling! Off to dinner again. We are heading out tonight for the church service. The Pastor asked if I would share the Word tonight so say a prayer and believe with us tonight. We have our fun day tomorrow. We will be going to explore a Volcano, view a lookout spot at Granada, and shop a bit at the Mercado. Thanks for your prayers. Well update again soon.

Nicaragua 2010 Day 1

J.Yost
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We made it safe here in Managua. Its 95 degrees! We started day 1 with demolition to tear down and make way for the coffee house. Its no coincidence that while we were swinging the sledge hammer, we were singing, "tear down theses walls...and hope us rising.., and the church is called "the way" Go figure! That seems to be the theme of our trip. We are tearing down the walls of injustice among the deaf and building up to provide others the opportunity to see "the way"! Dinner time...

LXVI- Jeremiah 24-26

J.Yost
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We are up to chapter 27 now and its easy to feel like you have read the same chapter 27 times. I mean come on people, listen to the man sent by God already! How many more times and in how many more ways can one persuade you to return back to God before you and your whole nation becomes dismantled like rotten figs? Now, we find ourselves at the end of chapter 26 and it concludes leaving you on the edge of your page, wondering what is going to happen next. When I finished reading the chapter I could hear the beep..beep..beepbeepbeep...stay tuned for next weeks scenes of chapter 27. Jeremiah found himself in a tight spot. What were the people going to do to him? As we read in the parenthetical paragraph we see what happened the last time someone spoke out publicly like this and challenged the people. It wasn’t pretty. I couldn’t help but try and put myself in the moment and think about what Jeremiah might have been feeling. Was he scared? Was he feeling a sense of excitement and destiny? I would guess he was probably feeling a bit of both. He was living an adventure. The best part of that is Jeremiah was living an adventure established by God. So whatever the outcome, he could never go wrong. How thrilling and exciting, right? Jeremiah is not pressured by the cultural norm or the pattern of the world. He is not backing down because he is the only one in the classroom or the cubical that is a believer. He is on a mission, sent by God to tell His story in order to save a nation. My friends, the same is true for us. If we are honest, the similarities between the nation of Israel then and our nation now are pretty great. God has sent you on a mission to tell the story of God. The weight and value of that message has the power to influence generations beyond your existence. Let me say that from a different angle: You have the opportunity to influence your classmate or co-worker in such a way that can change the course of their history, their children’s history and their children’s history forever and ever. Wow! How cool that God would give us the privilege to take part in this story. So let me ask you. What are you doing right now, this minute, wherever you are? Are you allowing the cultural norm to sway you? Do you feel out numbered? God has placed you where you are in this season for a reason. Do you want to get away? Or do you want to jump into chapter 27 and live the adventure of God? The end of the story is up to you..you get to choose your own adventure!

Formula ONE

J.Yost
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Our ABILITY to find the right path depends on our SUBMISSION to GOD. (read it again)
Show me where you made a bad decision and I will show you where you did not submit to God. Show me a decision you made that brought glory to God and put you on the correct path and I will show you where you willfully submitted to God.Remember that your everyday, simple decisions are what lead you to your destination! God cares more about our response to His Spirit's leading today in this moment than about what we intend to do next year.

Trust

J.Yost
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Trust in the LORD with all your heart 
and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways acknowledge him, 
and he will make your paths straight.




Lately I have been reminded and challenged by this Proverb. May these words of faith, hope, and love cover you like a blanket in your time of great need.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding
This terminology of trust is related to the idea of lying helplessly facedown. Vulnerable and dependant upon God.
Lean not- “do not prop your self up with”….the pattern of this world, your own conventional wisdom
We are to lean in his direction alone and not part with what we feel in our hearts. That is way easier said than done because we are all prone to fall on how things feel or look at the time but cannot afford to live by those standards alone. There is too much at stake here. Lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Notice here is says in ALL your ways. It doesn’t say in most of your ways. In all..meaning in your dating ways, your financial ways, your educational ways, your professional ways, your leisure ways. Not just on Sunday ways or only when people are watching ways..ALL means ALL!
Acknowledge Him- we see who He is in our lives and respond accordingly. What's the proper response, Submission. We release control of every arena of our existence.
And finally, when we do that, He will direct our path. If you get these things right…the right path will be obvious. If you trust God and refuse to lean on your limited understanding of the world, the best path will become so unmistakably clear. Divine direction begins with unconditional submission.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Nicaragua

J.Yost
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We are leaving for Nicaragua very soon. So excited to make the trek with our team. There is nothing more satisfying then living in community with others and living to share the hope of Christ with other Nations. Pray for us as we travel to help build and establish a local coffeehouse for the Deaf and minister in a Deaf School in Managua Nicaragua March 15-21