Facing the Giants

I just got finished watching the movie Facing the Giants for the first time, and if you haven't seen it, I would recommend it.  The message really spoke to me about having faith when things seem impossible.  "For with God, nothing is impossible."  However, this a not a movie review blog, so I want to explain what's going on and why this is so important to me right now.

I've explained in my previous blog that there have been a lot of trials that are testing our faith and the faith of the community, El Paraiso.  The lady that has cervical cancer has been in the hospital since yesterday, awaiting her hysterectomy, but the doctor hasn't even seen her yet.  The earliest she might have the surgery is Friday.  Her kids, which are around 12 and 10 years old, are back home with her husband, but I don't think he really sticks around much.  Her niece is cooking for the kids, and her sisters were in the house just for today.  I stopped by to check on her kids when we were in the community today, and her 12 year old daughter, Daniela, started crying on me.  She feels alone, and she's worried about her mom.  I didn't know what else to do for her except love, assure her that her mom was in good hands, and make sure she was getting fed.

The young man who has kidney failure is still alive and suffering.  According to his cousin, he could hardly breathe on Saturday.  We've asked to go visit him and pray for his family, but his aunt and cousin (whom live in El Paraiso) tell us that it's a half an hour walk from the community in the mud and through a river to get to his house.

Our pastor, Juan Pablo Pineda, showed up ready to go to El Paraiso even though he had spent the whole night vomiting.  He might have a kidney stone but needs an ultrasound to make sure.

Not only are there physical giants, but we are facing some spiritual giants.  The attendance for some of our classes have decreased or the students haven't been able to attend every time, as is required of the class.  We don't understand why they haven't been coming since all of the classes are free and provide training for them to have future jobs.  I have also been discouraged a little in my devotion time with the ladies.  Some days, I can't tell if I am reaching them or not.

Luis, our friends Karla and Yeral, Tamara's boys Daniel, Caleb, and Josh, and I are going out to El Paraiso this Friday to start youth activities.  I can already feel the enemy trying to meddle with us and trying to discourage us from this job.  The youth in El Paraiso are so hard to get to and reach.

Luis and I have felt the spiritual struggle in our own lives.  Without explaining too much of what's personal, we're are being strengthened in our faith.  It's tempting for us at times to just get a normal full time job or try to go back to the US.  It's hard not to worry too much when we have a little girl to be responsible for in just a few months.

However, God has proved and showed us through His Word and different messages and circumstances that nothing is impossible for Him.  We have to stand firm on His promises such as in Joshua 1:5, "I will never leave you or forsake you."  and in Matthew 6:33,"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Jesus assures us in Matthew 17:20 that if we "have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

I wish I could have this faith; I am grasping to obtain it.  I know in my head these things, but sometimes I fight with the doubt in my heart.  I think it's when we face what we call "reason" and concluding with what we see daily.  We see and we know people that die from cancer or kidney diseases, even at early ages.  We see and know personally people that have had many opportunities to give their lives over to Christ and still refuse Him.  We see and know that most of this world lives in poverty and don't have food to feed their children.  It's hard to have faith when you reason with the so called "facts."

However, today I heard a story of a miracle that reminds me once again that even still nothing is possible with God.  Francisco, a man who works with David on the building project in El Paraiso, has a three year old grandson in whom they found a tumor on his eye about a month ago.  The doctors at the children's hospital in Managua determined it to be Retinoblastoma, a rapidly developing cancer that forms in the retina.  They were going to take his eye out completely on Wednesday, but right before the surgery, a doctor that had never seen him before stopped the procedure and wanted to do further testing.  When they went back to do testing today, they could not find any cancer in his eye!  Tamara, her family, and many other people had been praying for God to work a miracle in this little boy's life, and He did!

Nothing is impossible for God.  Facing the Giants might just be a movie, but I am going to believe that God can work miracles in my life and in others lives.  I am going to trust that God is going to change El Paraiso inside out and that out of that community will rise up a generation of faithful followers that will be lights to all of Nicaragua.  I am going to believe that those who are sick will not only receive physical healing but most importantly spiritual healing.  And last of all, I trust in God's provision for my life, my husband's life, and my baby's life.  Will you believe with me?

"Look for the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the miracles he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced." Psalm 105:4-5.  Let us remember and trust in His miracles, but let us not forget to seek His face first and not His hand.  When we truly seek God for who He is, we get the greatest blessing of knowing Him.  Then, after that, we can see the blessing of seeing His power work in our lives.