Jesse A. Schroeder

Last week, Kellye and I returned from Guatemala after having an amazing week with a great team, seeing old friends and visiting children whom we dearly love but only get to see once a year. This week, I have spent my time preparing to go to Nicaragua for the first time. This trip will be very different, and I am only just realizing that I am unprepared for what I about to experience. 

First, even though Nicaragua is also in Central America, it is a different country and different culture from Guatemala. I realized this week that going to Guatemala has become so comfortable to me, I don't expect to experience anything different culturally. But I know that I will have to have an open mind and an open heart as I go to Nicaragua. There will be words, phrases, styles, foods and customs that are new to me. I don't want to always think, "That's not like Guatemala..." I want to appreciate the country for what it is in it's own right. 

Second, the trip to Nicaragua is designed to be a trip in which we train teachers and pastors how to do children's ministry. When I was initially asked to be a part of this team, Kellye and I were asked to head up the children't "VBS" portion of the trip. But now, Kel is pregnant, so she is staying home. And I am responsible to teach two sessions, training the pastors and teachers of the local churches how to be most effective in their children's ministry. What a responsibility! 

When we go to Guatemala to work with the kids, we work hard to prepare a good lesson. We have fun games, songs, and a craft that will be something the children can treasure (I have literally seen the same craft from one year prior, still hung on the wall of a home we visited, a full year later!) I have designed dozens of children's ministry programs, sang the songs, done the motions, and played the games. Its a fun time, and something I am very familiar with. 

But training other teachers and pastors is a whole new scenario for me! I am realizing more and more what a great responsibility this is. The effectiveness of this trip will not be measured during the days that we are in Nicaragua, but rather in the days after we leave. Will the pastors have practical tools and information they can take back to their churches? Will the experience of hearing our message give them new ideas, new hope, and a new vision in order to positively impact their church communities? What our team does next week has the potential to be the first wave of many that could impact hundreds, maybe thousands, of children. 

Furthermore, this training is cross-cultural. I am not fluent in Spanish, and as I said, I am ignorant to the cultural specifics of Nicaragua. "Ministry" is something very different in affluent America compared to simple Nicaragua. We have access to the internet, printers, copiers, office supplies, etc. The churches we visit may not have any of these items at all! How do I talk about making crafts when the teachers can't look up a craft on the internet? How do I share the importance of the Bible story, when I am speaking through a translator for an hour? 

With the help of the Holy Spirit. With humility. With the grace of God. This is my prayer this week - Lord take what I have, and somehow use it. The pastors of these churches requested to have someone come and do a training like this. The ministry asked for help, and so I volunteered to go. I am hopeful that what I have to offer will be a blessing to the people I will meet in Nicaragua. 

I feel overwhelmed by the gravity of what is before me next week. I'm thankful though, because life is often "too easy" for me. I enjoy a challenge. I am thankful for the chance to be stretched. And I look forward to being able to share the ways in which God worked through our team.