Recently, a small group of people from multiple churches in the High Point, NC area traveled to Nicaragua for a short term missions trip. We were privileged to have them stop in Leon and minister to the students in both sessions of the school. Pastor Eddy from La Casa del Padre Iglesia in Managua accompanied the group.
The team prayed over the morning session and immediately started getting Words of encouragement from the Lord for each of the boys. One of the students is an adult who pastors a small church in an adjacent town; Pastor Oscar was deeply touched by the group's visit.
On the following day, we took time to talk to the class about what they had experienced. The boys said they were grateful for the prayers and the Words spoken over their lives. Pastor Oscar shared that it was a miracle for him. The mission's group had no idea that he had been wondering how he was going to feed his family that day because he had absolutely no money. Before the group departed, they blessed him with money.
One of the boys was absent from school when the team visited. We did a quick teaching to the class about how to hear from God; then we asked each of the students to share a Word with Nelson. Every one of the boys and Pastor Oscar received a Word from God to encourage Nelson. As each one spoke to Nelson the message they had received from God, it became evident that there was a connecting theme throughout. Nelson received a tremendous blessing from his peers. We typed up what had been spoken, dated it and gave it to him for future reference.
It is hard to describe the changes that have taken place in Nelson from that experience of knowing that God notices him and used his fellow classmates to pray and encourage him. He has come alive and exhibits a new found confidence.
The team stopped by the school to meet the afternoon session. God showed up in a powerful way. Tears flowed, hearts were touched, walls crumbled, lives were forever changed. Each boy was touched in an individual unique way, a healing that was designed especially for him from Father God.
A father's blessing was spoken over the boys in each session by Mike Adams from Center City Church and his wife, Sharon followed with a mother's blessing. Most of these boys do not live with either parent and the boys in the rehab facility haven't known the presence of a parent in a long time.
We invited the boys of the afternoon session back to our house at the end of the next day's class for refreshments and some dialogue. We could see the changes in their faces, in their walk, in their peace and we wanted to hear what they had been experiencing during the last 24 hours.
One boy, Michael, was still emotional and he said he didn't care if his friends saw his tears. He said there was a time when no one would see him cry, but now it didn't matter; God changed that for him.
Israel is the young man from Honduras who is very quiet and keeps to himself. The changes within him seem to be the most noticeable amongst all the boys. His face is so much softer and when we ask him what God is doing in him, he says "something new, every day".
One of the changes we have implemented in the classes is the addition of HUGS. We announced that it would take effect immediately. At first some of them were a little stiff, but most of the guys now welcome the hugs. A couple of them enter our presence with their arms wide open in anticipation of getting their hug.
