Two years ago when I came to the
States I was at a point where I was felt very strongly that God was preparing
me for something different. I had been the main medical person (Dr./Nurse) in
Krinkrin and the surrounding villages for 2 ½ years.
During those years I had been
building a relationship with the Ministry of Health of Nicaragua and advocating
for a nurse to come to Krinkrin to work at the abandoned clinic that is there.
So after 2 ½ years they sent me a
nurse and now I could step back and be a go between from the Doctors in Waspam,
the Nurse, and community leaders. Having the nurse come was one of the greatest
blessings for me because, now my time was much more free and also, the
government sent medicine, so that took a lot of stress off the ministry
financially.
I had something happen to me
personally right at that time and it really took a toll on me and I felt like I
needed a break to get away and think things over for a bit. After discussing it
with my Dad and one of my mentors I decided that I would come back to the
States for 2 months to rest.
It was a much needed break and it
helped me see things from a fresh perspective. It was during this time that I
really felt God prompting me that he was preparing me for something different.
I talked it over with a few trusted people and several of them advised me to
consider Nursing School. I couldn’t really envision myself going to college but
after several different people encouraged me to, I checked around at several
colleges, considering that God might be leading me to that.
One thing I decided though was that
I was not going to make a decision until I was 100% sure that this was
something that God was leading me to. The last thing I wanted to do was spend all
the time, money, and effort and be out of step with God.
I went back to Nicaragua, feeling
refreshed and ready to face whatever it was that God was directing me toward.
During the next 4 months I prayed
and waited for an answer and at times I wondered if I was just making too big a
deal out of it. I mean other people go off to college all the time and never
consider it much. Yet I knew that I didn’t want to make such a life changing decision
on my own whims and feelings.
So I waited.
One day as I was praying, I just
knew that God was saying no, not at this time. Not for now.
I was greatly encouraged to have
this word, but, what next. I am a very goal oriented person and when I have
nothing to focus on as a goal I feel ineffective and without purpose. Which is
not good in so many ways.
But as the days continued, I tried
to focus on what was right in front of me and do the daily things, knowing that
God would lead me to whatever he was preparing me for.
I prayed about it on and off over
the next year but didn’t let myself get caught up in it much because I wanted
to focus on what God was teaching me at the moment. I set a goal to get to know
God better and to work on some things in my life that I needed to overcome and
work through.
One afternoon as I was praying, I
got to thinking about some of my friends that I had grown up with. I had such a
burden for them. Many had grown up in Godly Christian homes and yet some had
just sort of drifted away and became lukewarm, others rebelled and fought
against anything that consists of God, and some of them are just kinda there,
not sure where God belongs in the whole picture. As I was thinking about it, I
began praying that God would have someone reach out and help young people understand
what it means to love God and to live for him.
In that moment God spoke into my
heart: You go, I have prepared you and you know the way. Teach them what you
have learned.
I felt dizzy with excitement, this
was it; this was what God was calling me to do.
Then suddenly I came to the
realization that I would have to return to the States. My heart fell and I
immediately began to explain to God that my mission was in Nicaragua and this
is where he had called me. My heart belonged in Nicaragua and that is where I
wanted to stay. I had just assumed that I would always live there.
God spoke it again, and I knew this
was what I had been praying for. So I said yes; I am willing.
My next thing was, I needed my Dads
blessing. My Dad has always stood behind me in every big decision I have ever
made, but somehow in my mind he was going to tell me that this was not from God
and that I was needed right where I was at.
This was a lie straight from Satan
trying to discourage me.
When I presented it to Dad, before
I was even done, he began crying and told me that he knew it was from God. I
then asked him for his blessing and he gave it to me prayed over me.
Over the next year I began praying
about and preparing to return to the United States, sometimes with excitement
other times not so much. I mean, after all, Nicaragua had been home for 6
years. At this point I am more Nica than Gringa. Plus I don’t even know how to
live in the States and I’m very out of touch with the culture.
But time progressed and I returned
here on August 30th of this year, full of anticipation for what God
has in store for me.
I plan to have 3 month ministry program to
disciple and mentor young ladies one on one.
The first two months, “said” young
lady will come live with me at my apartment, 5 days of the week. Our main
points of focus will be learning to know God, learning who we are in Christ,
learning to hear His voice, and lastly, what we as children of God are called
to do.
The reason I feel that this so
important is because 6 years ago when I went to Nicaragua I didn’t really
understand what serving God meant. I had to really rough start. I knew who God
was, but I didn’t love God and know his voice very well at all. I found
security in what I did instead of knowing God and loving Him above all else and
letting that be the outflow of everything I did from that point forward.
I believe that once we as believers
really understand who God is, what he has done for us, and where we stand in
that picture, we will be unstoppable. But the number one thing is, everything
must come from a heart that really and truly loves God. From that point forward
things change and we see the world from a different light.
During the first 2 month we will
not only be studying and spending time listening to Gods voice, we will also be
connecting with local ministries and outreaches. The reason being is that, I
think often times we get in our mind that missions can only be done over seas
and in the bush of Africa. But the truth is it is here in our back yards. It is
in everyday life around us wherever we are at. Not everyone is called to
Africa, but every believer is called to go make disciples. Matthew 28:19:20
I want the young ladies that I
disciple to have places that they can go and connect with and hopefully find a
certain gift that God has given them.
During 3rd month we
would go to Nicaragua or another country overseas and spend a whole month
serving alongside missionaries and other ministries, helping and serving in whatever
area needed.
We will go without any goals to
accomplish because I think often times it is easy to come back and say, “Look
what I have done” and miss the whole point of why we are doing what we are
doing. So we will go with only one thing before us, to serve in whatever area
is most needed. If it will be to walk 3 days through knee deep mud to minister
to someone or to just sit and listen and encourage those we are serving with,
that is what we will do. I want it to be a learning experience more than
anything else.
I want it to be more than a mission
trip, more than something to check off our list, more than being able to say
“look what I have done. I want us to transform from the inside out by what God
is doing in our lives daily. I want us to learn what true living means and to
be able to make the most of every situation and every moment that God has given
us on this earth, because we all ask the same question; “Why am I here?” God
holds that answer and we need only to ask Him and He will give us His answer.
Let’s learn to live that out.
The final step in this journey will
be on our return to the States we will spend a week or so processing and
discussing what we have come through and what God taught us each individually
during this time.
From that point I will help them
get started on a Bible Study called Experiencing God by: Henry Blackaby, where they really learn
put into practice everything that they just learned. I will be there for them
when they need someone to help them process things but I want them to be able
to stand up and step out and be empowered to live the life that God has called
them to.
I don’t want anyone to feel like I
have the answers. I want them to learn that it is God who holds all the answers
to their questions and he has made it possible for everyone to hear his voice.
Yes, God gives us people to help us work through stuff but it is ultimately God
we need to learn to hear.
My prayer is that young people fall
in love with God and find Him to be their fulfillment.
What I need from you most of all is
for you to pray for me. If you would like to be a prayer warrior and come
alongside me and pray for me on a regular basis I would love to speak to you
individually so that I can get to know you personally. Prayer is what fights
our battles most effectively.
I hope and pray that I will be able
to be fully supported so I can focus all my attention to the ministry that God
has called me to. My budget for living expenses is $1200.00 a month. That
includes everything, including for me to be able to return to Nicaragua 3 or 4
times a year. I have dual residency and Nicaragua requires that I return at
least every 4 to 6 month to retain that.
You can give through New Harmony
Church and they will make sure it gets to me. Just make sure you specify that
it is for Footprints or Mary in the memo or on the envelope. You can also give
online at our ministry website www.religointorelationship.org
and put Footprint in the memo. (Footprints of Christ will be a
branch of Religion to Relationship Ministries to make it easier in the legal aspect
of things.)
Thank you to all who have supported
me over the years and continue to do so. May our God richly bless and encourage
you.
Mary Lee
