Managua By Streetlight

Managua By Streetlight

on the street a scantily clad woman prowls
alongside the emaciated animal who howls
both looking for sustenance
in different kinds of substance

a shadowy figure appears
gaunt face, all wrinkles, all ears
perched, stationed before a ramshackle storefront
waiting for hidden youth to confront

mere streetlamps reveal their life
orange smog pierces the light
broken windows and yet content
to them there is nothing different
to them this is life
unbeknownst is their strife

Mio Dio, what a place.

a place desperate for love
seeking only grace from Him above
good intentions are meant
and where hearts are bent

finding beauty within
never willing to pretend
these people seek Him
love and survival blend
strife and may define their life
but love can revolutionize
what they currently epitomize

Mio Dio, what a place.



I traveled to Managua, Nicaragua with a mission team to do God's work and spread His good news to the people in surrounding communities. This experience is one that changed me and shaped me into the person I am today. I highly suggest anyone and everyone think hard about doing mission work, whether it be in your own back yard or in another country. I can't wait to continue to further God's kingdom wherever he decides to send me!

Some journaling from my trip I'd like to share:

One day in a tent city, I began to feel sick. Between the heat and the emotions of the week, I felt as though I was about to pass out. A team member from my mission group assisted me to a shadowy area near a woman's tent. This Nicaraguan woman was a Christian, and came running to my assistance. This woman invited me to sit in a chair that a neighbor quickly brought over, and did not look at me as a spoiled 'gringa' but as a young woman in need of help. She provided a paper fan, the chair, and water to cool me off. I knew she herself had no chairs, and that the man sacrificed his only one for me. The woman ran water over my wrists and neck, more than likely exhausting her meager supply of water. These people don't care about material things- they care about each other and their relationships. Nothing matters to them other than loving. We can learn from the Nicaraguans from this tent city. We can learn that loving each other is more important than busying ourselves with trivial aspects of life. What good does that do? By loving others we can spread joy and God's love to more people than ever. I will forever be grateful to this woman for helping me and selflessly coming to my aid.
Romans 12: 9-10  "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."


One of the missionaries (we'll call her Sue) who lives permanently in Nicaragua and who worked along side us is so inspirational. Sue dropped everything here in the States to follow God's calling and to go to Nicaragua with her family to start reaching out to the people in the surrounding community. They were blindly obedient, radically so, and followed the path God paved before them. Her husband emphasized never living with the notion of "what if" because looking forward is the only way to clearly follow God's path. I yearn for the same sort of fulfillment and fullness in Christ that they exude. Their passion is palpable and contagious!

Something else Sue spoke of was radical faith and revolutions. Personally, I believe that the world is in desperate need of a love revolution. One person is capable of being a catalyst, just as Moses was a catalyst for a revolution in Egypt. Albeit with God's support. Moses was just one man and with God as his foundation, was able to free millions of Israelites from 400 years of oppression. I had never thought about it that way- that Moses started a revolution for God. Doesn't that make you want to be a 'Moses' and be a catalyst for a revolution for God? To inspire people?

So many lessons I've learned here in Nicaragua have alluded to my worries about college. I really opened up to my team about my concerns about pressures and drinking. God is tugging at my heartstrings and I know he wants me to be obedient and live a life for Him, but I don't know if I can handle the pressure. I always try to justify why I've experimented with drinking in the past. I am realizing just how slippery that slope is and how God would rather me live m life wholly for Him- not ashamed of anything. Also not trying to justify anything because that's exactly what His son did for me and everyone when He was crucified on that cross. His son actually desired that- desired to justify everything for me because He loves me (and you) that much!