Bon soir good friends!
I see more and more with my experiences as a missionary that serving God does not stop when the mission you are sponsored to complete ends. I have found that God sends us to touch the lives of people wherever we go. I have lost track of how many strangers I have found in need in the most random places: getting a tire repaired, at the beach on a day of vacation, in a restaurant, sitting on the street waiting for a friend to get home, in front of the gas station. They all have stories to tell. They all have problems, and there is one common solution: God.
I had a conversation with a friend tonight about the meaning of service to God. The point came up that it means complete obedience to God and giving up all of yourself and anything tied to you to live for Him. Any ability, possession, connection, asset, relationship, or whatever it may be goes to glorify and serve God. It means to surrender control and let yourself be guided. Afterwards we went to meet an older friend of his who further opened the conversation.
"We as Christians must be open to any opportunity with any person in any circumstance to bring the Good News to them," he said. He then retold a story that my friend had already told me. It was still good as it was the first time. "I went to Somoto in the mountains of northern Nicaragua for a week. I found one child living in the street. The child looked at me as if he wanted to tell me something, so I spoke to him. We talked about Jesus, and he accepted Christ. The next day the were two more children with him. The next day a few more showed up. On the forth day, a gentleman came to me saying that he was looking to preach. These children were all from the street, some were orphans, some were abused, some were prostituted, and all of them needed God. This manupon seeing the need started the first children's church. These same children now form the choir, they read the Bible aloud, they give devotions, and there are over one hundred of them."
I was astonished by the story. It really was inspiring. It all started with a random conversation with a child who was not looking for money or food as much as he was for spiritual nourishment. The narrow path is an adventure. There are obstacles, but many of them are within our perception of the problem. Moreover there are sweet surprises and strengthening experiences to teach us and make us wiser if we let God do his work in and through us. Be prepared for the unexpected on the good journey!
Che Dio ti benedica,
Seth
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Confiar en el Camino
Buenos días amigos y hermanos,
Me desperté pensando en el tema que ha sido mi lucha personal desde mudarme aquí a Nicaragua. ¿Qué es el gran propósito de tenerme acá? Yo obedecí la llamada de venir sabiendo que Dios me dio una promesa de algo más, y con otros propósitos de servicio que ahora no puedo realizar. Dejé a mi vida en mi país, mi familia, y mis oportunidades allá para venir aquí donde sólo tengo Dios y su promesa. En realidad no sé por cuantos años voy a estar aquí sirviendo, sólo que estoy dónde dios quiere que esté y que El está conmigo.
En vez de preguntar ¿qué es mi camino?, tengo que recordarme lo que Jesús dijo de sí mismo: "Yo soy el camino, la verdad, y la luz." Mi iglesia en los Estados sólo ha tenido dos misioneros: yo y un hermano quien vivía en Japón trabajando con la iglesia allá. El me dijo que él fue allá pensando que solamente estaría en el país por un año, pero estaba por diecinueve años al fin. Mi lucha ahora es seguir sin saber cómo ni cuándo, y esa es la buena batalla de la fe.
God bless you,
Seth
Monday, April 9, 2012
Confidence in Your Compass
Buona sera friends and strangers,
I am not writing from the perspective of a fighter today, but rather a seasoned traveler. there is a line in Jean Luc Godard's 1960's film Pierrot Le Fou in which the main character(hardly a protagonist), Pierrot walks away from a car filled with money which he incinerates telling his estranged cohort, Marie Anne, "Let's go. Travel broadens the mind." The flaming vehicle may be irrelevant, but I have always loved the line. Travel does indeed broaden our perspective, which can help guide us on the narrow path as believers.
As of late I have personally struggled with my goals over the next five years. By age thirty I see myself as married with one kid, serving God in some way, either as a pastor or leading some non-profit organization. At the moment, it feels impossible that those circumstances will come to pass. I feel like I have a thousand questions about the direction in my life, and at present little control. I pray for answers to shine light on my destination, my purpose, God's plan for my life. Yet if I knew that already, it would nullify the purpose of having faith in God. Today I heard some good advice from a pastor: you seem like a guy who is searching for answers when God is the solution. You are looking for the path without realizing that God is the path.
This has triggered a lot of similar thoughts. 1) a Blackalicious song that says,"the final destination used to be my main question, but then I searched and all I was lookin' for was present." 2) the line the Guatemalan poet wrote in my journal almost five years ago,"No vayas por el camino que te lleve, pero ve por donde no hay camino y deja huellas." 3) the psychological concept of cognitive mapping.
In my adventures I have predominantly traveled alone, and when I didn't I would find time to explore by myself. as per personal tradition, when I arrive in a city I don't know, I spend the first day getting lost. This way I can observe landmarks, and become familiar with places so that I can avoid getting lost in the future. It also gives me a chance to study what areas seem safe or dangerous, where I can find the nearest stores and farmacies, as well as a brief overview of the general activities of the people. Right now my compass is pointing in several directions at once, but it is a time for internal exploration. The notion of being lost is frightening because it means that we are not in control of our destiny. It makes us feel incapable of controlling our destiny.
In the midst of a torrential storm at sea, there is a lone mariner. A captain whose crew has abandoned the ship. The waves crash against the boat. The undertow sweeps beneath the bough, and the winds beat against the mast. In all of this the boat is not moved because there is something unseen that holds the vessel firm. Beneath the water there is a heavy anchor that keeps the captain safe and stable. When the storm clears, he will pull up his anchor and continue onward.
I may feel lost, but it is a time for growth and maturation in my faith. A time to obsevre my character and strengthen its roots. Where I will go is not as important as where I am. Sometimes it is more important to realize that God is with you, and He will illuminate your path in His time as long as you obey Him.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9
"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by the right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." -Psalm 73:23-24
Que Dios les bendiga,
Seth
I am not writing from the perspective of a fighter today, but rather a seasoned traveler. there is a line in Jean Luc Godard's 1960's film Pierrot Le Fou in which the main character(hardly a protagonist), Pierrot walks away from a car filled with money which he incinerates telling his estranged cohort, Marie Anne, "Let's go. Travel broadens the mind." The flaming vehicle may be irrelevant, but I have always loved the line. Travel does indeed broaden our perspective, which can help guide us on the narrow path as believers.
As of late I have personally struggled with my goals over the next five years. By age thirty I see myself as married with one kid, serving God in some way, either as a pastor or leading some non-profit organization. At the moment, it feels impossible that those circumstances will come to pass. I feel like I have a thousand questions about the direction in my life, and at present little control. I pray for answers to shine light on my destination, my purpose, God's plan for my life. Yet if I knew that already, it would nullify the purpose of having faith in God. Today I heard some good advice from a pastor: you seem like a guy who is searching for answers when God is the solution. You are looking for the path without realizing that God is the path.
This has triggered a lot of similar thoughts. 1) a Blackalicious song that says,"the final destination used to be my main question, but then I searched and all I was lookin' for was present." 2) the line the Guatemalan poet wrote in my journal almost five years ago,"No vayas por el camino que te lleve, pero ve por donde no hay camino y deja huellas." 3) the psychological concept of cognitive mapping.
In my adventures I have predominantly traveled alone, and when I didn't I would find time to explore by myself. as per personal tradition, when I arrive in a city I don't know, I spend the first day getting lost. This way I can observe landmarks, and become familiar with places so that I can avoid getting lost in the future. It also gives me a chance to study what areas seem safe or dangerous, where I can find the nearest stores and farmacies, as well as a brief overview of the general activities of the people. Right now my compass is pointing in several directions at once, but it is a time for internal exploration. The notion of being lost is frightening because it means that we are not in control of our destiny. It makes us feel incapable of controlling our destiny.
In the midst of a torrential storm at sea, there is a lone mariner. A captain whose crew has abandoned the ship. The waves crash against the boat. The undertow sweeps beneath the bough, and the winds beat against the mast. In all of this the boat is not moved because there is something unseen that holds the vessel firm. Beneath the water there is a heavy anchor that keeps the captain safe and stable. When the storm clears, he will pull up his anchor and continue onward.
I may feel lost, but it is a time for growth and maturation in my faith. A time to obsevre my character and strengthen its roots. Where I will go is not as important as where I am. Sometimes it is more important to realize that God is with you, and He will illuminate your path in His time as long as you obey Him.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9
"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by the right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." -Psalm 73:23-24
Que Dios les bendiga,
Seth
Sunday, April 8, 2012
El Caído
Buenos días mis hermanos y amigos!
¡Bienvenidos a The Good Fight en español! El título viene de 1 Timoteo 6:12, traducido literalmente sería "La Buena Lucha" o "La Buena Pelea", pero en la Biblia de la lengua española dice "La Buena Batalla". Yo soy peleador, pero no soy guerrero sino pacifista peleando para la fe. Entonces, me quedo con "La Buena Lucha". Pues, como peleador yo me caigo bastante, sea competencia, sea práctica, o la vida cotidiana. Esta expresión puede ser demasiado usada, pero cuando se cae, se levanta. Se puede ser golpeado miles de veces, pero es lo que hacemos cuando estamos en el piso que demuestra nuestro carácter verdadero. ¿Quedamos amargos? ¿o nos decimos que aprendimos, siguiendo adelante? Nuestra ubicación ahora mismo depende de una decisión, no de una circunstancia, porque son nuestras decisiones que crean nuestras circunstancias.
Como cristianos, ya tomamos la decisión de levantarnos del pecado. Hoy estamos al fin de la Semana Santa, un tiempo para reflejar en el tiempo cuando Jesús se murió para que seamos salvos. Le golpearon. Le pusieron la corona de espinas. Le puñalaron con la lanza. Se burlaron de él. Le hicieron llevar la cruz en la que le crucificaron. Le mataron. Jesús es el mejor ejemplo del caído. Hizo poco tiempo que la gente celebró su entrada, y todos se le dio la vuelta incluso sus discípulos. Sin embargo, él se resucitó. El se levantó para enseñarnos que através de él podemos levantarnos si le aceptamos. Por su sacrificio podemos conquistar la muerte y vencer el pecado en cada round de la pelea. No tenemos que tirar ningun puño, sino tenemos que buscar perdón. Dios es bueno.
Que siempre se levanten con la ayuda del Señor.
Seth
¡Bienvenidos a The Good Fight en español! El título viene de 1 Timoteo 6:12, traducido literalmente sería "La Buena Lucha" o "La Buena Pelea", pero en la Biblia de la lengua española dice "La Buena Batalla". Yo soy peleador, pero no soy guerrero sino pacifista peleando para la fe. Entonces, me quedo con "La Buena Lucha". Pues, como peleador yo me caigo bastante, sea competencia, sea práctica, o la vida cotidiana. Esta expresión puede ser demasiado usada, pero cuando se cae, se levanta. Se puede ser golpeado miles de veces, pero es lo que hacemos cuando estamos en el piso que demuestra nuestro carácter verdadero. ¿Quedamos amargos? ¿o nos decimos que aprendimos, siguiendo adelante? Nuestra ubicación ahora mismo depende de una decisión, no de una circunstancia, porque son nuestras decisiones que crean nuestras circunstancias.
Como cristianos, ya tomamos la decisión de levantarnos del pecado. Hoy estamos al fin de la Semana Santa, un tiempo para reflejar en el tiempo cuando Jesús se murió para que seamos salvos. Le golpearon. Le pusieron la corona de espinas. Le puñalaron con la lanza. Se burlaron de él. Le hicieron llevar la cruz en la que le crucificaron. Le mataron. Jesús es el mejor ejemplo del caído. Hizo poco tiempo que la gente celebró su entrada, y todos se le dio la vuelta incluso sus discípulos. Sin embargo, él se resucitó. El se levantó para enseñarnos que através de él podemos levantarnos si le aceptamos. Por su sacrificio podemos conquistar la muerte y vencer el pecado en cada round de la pelea. No tenemos que tirar ningun puño, sino tenemos que buscar perdón. Dios es bueno.
Que siempre se levanten con la ayuda del Señor.
Seth
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Masachapa Blues Part 2
Konichiwa amigos!
I told the story of a conversation with a stranger that yet again showed me the value of walking where there is no path. As a Christian, you never know when you will be called to be a good Samaritan. But there is more to this trip like the fact that I have bruises and scratches on the left side of my face from training in the sand that make me look like a B movie super villain and being stopped again by bribe-seeking police officers(17 times now, but the main problem with my licence plate has been resolved with some shoe string ingenuity). Nevertheless, after waking up, sparring in front of the beach crowd for an hour or so, and boxing with the burrito guy, I decided to take a shower to get rid of the sand and sweat. I let my friends go first.
While I waited for them to finish, my friend who let us stay out there approached me and started up a conversation. Usually we talk about God, MMA, being a gringo in Latin America, or business stuff, but this time he started to talk about himself. He told me about how he ended up in Nicaragua and the cause of his divorce in the States. He also talked about his son whose drug addiction tore his family and marriage apart after over thirty years together. He was not bitter about his pain though.
"That's life," he said. "You have to be tougher than your problems. God will see you through it."
"Things don't always get better, but God is there with you to give you strength as you endure them," I said in a questioning tone.
"That's right!" he said with a huge grin. "Do you read poetry?"
The question surprised me, especially coming from a tough old Italian New Yorker who used to be a brawler. You can never read too far into a person. I told him that I love it.
"Have you ever read Rudyard Kippling's ''If'' ?" he inquired.
I told him I hadn't.
"That poem taught me how to be a man. You should check it out sometime," he suggested.
I looked the poem up online, and you can read it at this link: http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_if.htm
Sometimes it is not about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it is about wandering through the dark caverns feeling out each step you take, trusting with courageous faith and firmly rooted character that God is with you in the moments of difficulty. Sometimes we only see darkness because we forget to uncover our eyes.
I have left my home to start a new life following God's calling. I have been robbed twice(my passport from my truck and car battery), contracted a lung infection, struggled to discern who sees me as a friend and who sees me as an opportunity, injured my knee, and dealt with a profoundly aching loneliness that I have never experienced before. However, God is with me. Each experience teaches me and draws me closer to Him. He demonstrates this wherever I go in small and big ways. That gives me peace. My focus in this life is to make it to the next and to show others that there is hope for a new life. As a wise Guatemalan mother once told me in a moment of adversity, "No existen tiempos malos, sólo difícles.(Bad times don't exist, just difficult ones.)". My old boss and mentor from East St. Louis also gave me this advice, "Don't let the facts you see blind you to the reality God is shaping.
"The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." -Isaiah 58:11
"If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light will become darkness around me,' even the darkness will be light you; the night will shine like day, for darkness is as light to you." -Psalm 139:11-12
Que Dieu te donne la paix dans l'oscurité,
Seth
I told the story of a conversation with a stranger that yet again showed me the value of walking where there is no path. As a Christian, you never know when you will be called to be a good Samaritan. But there is more to this trip like the fact that I have bruises and scratches on the left side of my face from training in the sand that make me look like a B movie super villain and being stopped again by bribe-seeking police officers(17 times now, but the main problem with my licence plate has been resolved with some shoe string ingenuity). Nevertheless, after waking up, sparring in front of the beach crowd for an hour or so, and boxing with the burrito guy, I decided to take a shower to get rid of the sand and sweat. I let my friends go first.
While I waited for them to finish, my friend who let us stay out there approached me and started up a conversation. Usually we talk about God, MMA, being a gringo in Latin America, or business stuff, but this time he started to talk about himself. He told me about how he ended up in Nicaragua and the cause of his divorce in the States. He also talked about his son whose drug addiction tore his family and marriage apart after over thirty years together. He was not bitter about his pain though.
"That's life," he said. "You have to be tougher than your problems. God will see you through it."
"Things don't always get better, but God is there with you to give you strength as you endure them," I said in a questioning tone.
"That's right!" he said with a huge grin. "Do you read poetry?"
The question surprised me, especially coming from a tough old Italian New Yorker who used to be a brawler. You can never read too far into a person. I told him that I love it.
"Have you ever read Rudyard Kippling's ''If'' ?" he inquired.
I told him I hadn't.
"That poem taught me how to be a man. You should check it out sometime," he suggested.
I looked the poem up online, and you can read it at this link: http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_if.htm
Sometimes it is not about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it is about wandering through the dark caverns feeling out each step you take, trusting with courageous faith and firmly rooted character that God is with you in the moments of difficulty. Sometimes we only see darkness because we forget to uncover our eyes.
I have left my home to start a new life following God's calling. I have been robbed twice(my passport from my truck and car battery), contracted a lung infection, struggled to discern who sees me as a friend and who sees me as an opportunity, injured my knee, and dealt with a profoundly aching loneliness that I have never experienced before. However, God is with me. Each experience teaches me and draws me closer to Him. He demonstrates this wherever I go in small and big ways. That gives me peace. My focus in this life is to make it to the next and to show others that there is hope for a new life. As a wise Guatemalan mother once told me in a moment of adversity, "No existen tiempos malos, sólo difícles.(Bad times don't exist, just difficult ones.)". My old boss and mentor from East St. Louis also gave me this advice, "Don't let the facts you see blind you to the reality God is shaping.
"The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." -Isaiah 58:11
"If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light will become darkness around me,' even the darkness will be light you; the night will shine like day, for darkness is as light to you." -Psalm 139:11-12
Que Dieu te donne la paix dans l'oscurité,
Seth
Friday, April 6, 2012
Masachapa Blues Part 1
Buenas tardes friends!
As I mentioned in my last blog, I just went to the coastal town of Masachapa where a fight promoter and friend of mine has a hotel. I am still on Easter vacation, so two of my training buddies and I went there to work out and relax by the sea. We slept outside in hammocks beneath the cloud covered stars beside the incoming waves. It was a pretty eventful trip including a trip through a resort in search of a place to eat, a broken window, and a boxing match with a burrito vendor on the beach early this morning. He fed me fists, and all I wanted was shredded beef wrapped in a tortilla. There were a lot of small lessons and funny side stories to tell, but more importantly there is a testimony to give. Seasoning gives good flavoring but provides no sustenance. This is a meat and potatoes meal.
At about ten o'clock last night my friends and I finally found our way back to the hotel. Earlier that day another guest at the hotel approached me asking if I was "the missionary". He had seen me sparring with my friends on the beach and joined the crowd that gathered to watch us duke it out. I told him that I was who he was looking for. He said he wanted to talk to me when I had time because he was interested in my mission. I told him I would love to. When we got back, he was waiting at the gate.
I figured he might be a potential sponsor and wanted to know more about the projects I am working on here in Nicaragua. The conversation went in a very different direction. He asked me about why I was in Nicaragua, how I ended up in the ministry, what got me started in martial arts, and a few other questions. after explaining the basics, he started to open up. He said that he was going back and forth between whether or not he should believe in God. He is an older retiree, who came down from the States to live here to escape the pressures and the pains of his past along with a drug addiction. He explained all of the successes he had, the land he owns, and his list of achievements. Yet he said there was something missing. He had trouble in developing relationships and felt that he had no purpose. He thought that by selling everything and changing scenery that he would escape his problems. You can take yourself of a house, a city, or even out of your own country, but the internal problems you face will stick with you wherever you go if you don't let them heal.
We talked for four hours until about 2 a.m. as the tide was getting higher. He opened up about the traumas of his past. He seemed to be fighting the possibility of good coming out of his life.
I on the other hand am aggressively optimistic. We seemed to be debating whether or not he could do something positive for others and if God could do something positive for him. I could see his desire to do what was right. The question was how to communicate it in a way that would click with him. There was one instant that I think sums the conversation up very well.
He said, "I was raised understanding that your past makes you who you are."
I replied, "Your present is what makes you who you will be."
On that thought he went to the bathroom. As he was away I had to pray to thank God for the opportunity to speak into his life and to be the listening ear he needed. He came back, and we prayed. He grabbed me by the forearm, shaking and crying as we prayed. When I finished, he said one himself. He said with a smile that he felt lighter afterwards. He even found the next steps about how he could serve the people of the community. He wants to teach people there how to make furniture to sell from driftwood. A great idea especially for a community with 80% unemployment and a lot of driftwood!
Ironically, it has been me who has felt a little lost this week, but God always amazes me in how He shows His presence in my life! Where can I run from His presence? I am truly thankful for this man. He reminded me of God's purpose in my own life.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Submit to him in every way, and he will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." -Psalm 119:105
Que Deus te abençoe!
Seth
As I mentioned in my last blog, I just went to the coastal town of Masachapa where a fight promoter and friend of mine has a hotel. I am still on Easter vacation, so two of my training buddies and I went there to work out and relax by the sea. We slept outside in hammocks beneath the cloud covered stars beside the incoming waves. It was a pretty eventful trip including a trip through a resort in search of a place to eat, a broken window, and a boxing match with a burrito vendor on the beach early this morning. He fed me fists, and all I wanted was shredded beef wrapped in a tortilla. There were a lot of small lessons and funny side stories to tell, but more importantly there is a testimony to give. Seasoning gives good flavoring but provides no sustenance. This is a meat and potatoes meal.
At about ten o'clock last night my friends and I finally found our way back to the hotel. Earlier that day another guest at the hotel approached me asking if I was "the missionary". He had seen me sparring with my friends on the beach and joined the crowd that gathered to watch us duke it out. I told him that I was who he was looking for. He said he wanted to talk to me when I had time because he was interested in my mission. I told him I would love to. When we got back, he was waiting at the gate.
I figured he might be a potential sponsor and wanted to know more about the projects I am working on here in Nicaragua. The conversation went in a very different direction. He asked me about why I was in Nicaragua, how I ended up in the ministry, what got me started in martial arts, and a few other questions. after explaining the basics, he started to open up. He said that he was going back and forth between whether or not he should believe in God. He is an older retiree, who came down from the States to live here to escape the pressures and the pains of his past along with a drug addiction. He explained all of the successes he had, the land he owns, and his list of achievements. Yet he said there was something missing. He had trouble in developing relationships and felt that he had no purpose. He thought that by selling everything and changing scenery that he would escape his problems. You can take yourself of a house, a city, or even out of your own country, but the internal problems you face will stick with you wherever you go if you don't let them heal.
We talked for four hours until about 2 a.m. as the tide was getting higher. He opened up about the traumas of his past. He seemed to be fighting the possibility of good coming out of his life.
I on the other hand am aggressively optimistic. We seemed to be debating whether or not he could do something positive for others and if God could do something positive for him. I could see his desire to do what was right. The question was how to communicate it in a way that would click with him. There was one instant that I think sums the conversation up very well.
He said, "I was raised understanding that your past makes you who you are."
I replied, "Your present is what makes you who you will be."
On that thought he went to the bathroom. As he was away I had to pray to thank God for the opportunity to speak into his life and to be the listening ear he needed. He came back, and we prayed. He grabbed me by the forearm, shaking and crying as we prayed. When I finished, he said one himself. He said with a smile that he felt lighter afterwards. He even found the next steps about how he could serve the people of the community. He wants to teach people there how to make furniture to sell from driftwood. A great idea especially for a community with 80% unemployment and a lot of driftwood!
Ironically, it has been me who has felt a little lost this week, but God always amazes me in how He shows His presence in my life! Where can I run from His presence? I am truly thankful for this man. He reminded me of God's purpose in my own life.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Submit to him in every way, and he will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." -Psalm 119:105
Que Deus te abençoe!
Seth
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Prisonbreak
Hello again amigos!
I'm writing this one before I go off to train at 6 am and forget to write it again. Today I will run to La Cuesta del Plomo(a point on amountain just outside of Managua), run through the forest around there, and then go to the beach town Masachapa to train with a former Tough Man competitor who retired out there. A working vacation for Semana Santa. However, this is not about today's events to transpire, but rather those of two days ago.
On Tuesday I went to Ciudad Sandino to a lake called Xiloa with my boxing coach to run, swim, and improve my hands. I love new places, and I also had a chance to learn more Nicaraguan history while I was there. Yet the biggest lesson came after we put the gloves away.
My coach had a friend who was recently put in jail for being an accomplice to her abusive husband who had been prostituting a fifteen-year-old girl. The young woman in jail is only nineteen, and her husband is thirty-three and was deported from the U.S, for murder. I was reluctant to go, but I remembered that it is important to help others in times of trouble. We went to visit her mother and sister who live by the lake. My coach wanted to tell them that he found a lawyer to help them. We entered the house, and the mother began to open up.She explained the whole story of how her daughter was wrapped up in this man, which she felt was an attempt to replace an absent father. She said her daughter was just putting her faith in God to see her through these hard times. she is pleading her innocence, but she could face up to twenty years in prison for her husband's actions. We had a long conversation on faith, in which we discussed Paul and Job. Paul who was imprisoned for preaching, and Job who had lost everything he had, was mocked, and was covered with boils.
At the end of the conversation she told me that she had been to church, but she had never given her life to Christ. I asked her if she wanted to pray and accept him into her heart. She said yes, and we prayed together. She was born again! I told her the next step was to go to the church and get baptized and that it is a symbol of the cleansing of her spirit. We talked a little longer and prayed for her daughter and her family. Then my coach and I left for Managua since it was getting late. If you read this, please pray for them.
Many times in life, we all feel trapped by a situation, whether we are literally locked up, pressured by others, or in a prison of our own making, but this life is but a vapor. Any problem is transitory, and God will see us through it, giving us peace and patience in the storm if we put our faith in Him. He can break any chains and lift us from any bondage.
Got to run!
Благослови тебя Бог!
Seth
"When you pass through the deep waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. when you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." -Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)
"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner. Remember those who are mistreated asif you yourself were suffering." Hebrews 13:3 (NIV)
p.s. Always be open to the road you wouldn't normally take. You never know what miracles you may behold when you get to the destination god had planned all along. No vayas por el camino que te lleve, pero ve por donde no hay camino, y deja huellas!
I'm writing this one before I go off to train at 6 am and forget to write it again. Today I will run to La Cuesta del Plomo(a point on amountain just outside of Managua), run through the forest around there, and then go to the beach town Masachapa to train with a former Tough Man competitor who retired out there. A working vacation for Semana Santa. However, this is not about today's events to transpire, but rather those of two days ago.
On Tuesday I went to Ciudad Sandino to a lake called Xiloa with my boxing coach to run, swim, and improve my hands. I love new places, and I also had a chance to learn more Nicaraguan history while I was there. Yet the biggest lesson came after we put the gloves away.
My coach had a friend who was recently put in jail for being an accomplice to her abusive husband who had been prostituting a fifteen-year-old girl. The young woman in jail is only nineteen, and her husband is thirty-three and was deported from the U.S, for murder. I was reluctant to go, but I remembered that it is important to help others in times of trouble. We went to visit her mother and sister who live by the lake. My coach wanted to tell them that he found a lawyer to help them. We entered the house, and the mother began to open up.She explained the whole story of how her daughter was wrapped up in this man, which she felt was an attempt to replace an absent father. She said her daughter was just putting her faith in God to see her through these hard times. she is pleading her innocence, but she could face up to twenty years in prison for her husband's actions. We had a long conversation on faith, in which we discussed Paul and Job. Paul who was imprisoned for preaching, and Job who had lost everything he had, was mocked, and was covered with boils.
At the end of the conversation she told me that she had been to church, but she had never given her life to Christ. I asked her if she wanted to pray and accept him into her heart. She said yes, and we prayed together. She was born again! I told her the next step was to go to the church and get baptized and that it is a symbol of the cleansing of her spirit. We talked a little longer and prayed for her daughter and her family. Then my coach and I left for Managua since it was getting late. If you read this, please pray for them.
Many times in life, we all feel trapped by a situation, whether we are literally locked up, pressured by others, or in a prison of our own making, but this life is but a vapor. Any problem is transitory, and God will see us through it, giving us peace and patience in the storm if we put our faith in Him. He can break any chains and lift us from any bondage.
Got to run!
Благослови тебя Бог!
Seth
"When you pass through the deep waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. when you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." -Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)
"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner. Remember those who are mistreated asif you yourself were suffering." Hebrews 13:3 (NIV)
p.s. Always be open to the road you wouldn't normally take. You never know what miracles you may behold when you get to the destination god had planned all along. No vayas por el camino que te lleve, pero ve por donde no hay camino, y deja huellas!
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