Homeward Bound

Well, the time has come when I write my last blog entry before I leave Africa and come back to America. The time in Africa seemed very short. However I am ready to come back and see everyone in the states. The computer school was a complete success, due to the Grace of the Lord. To be complete honest the computer school was very challenging. However I look back at the computer school and I realize that it wasn’t by my strength that I made it to the end. The Lord poured out his strength over me. If it was by my strength, I probably wouldn’t have made it to the end. I would like to say thank you to everyone that has been praying for me. Prayer is very powerful and I have felt each one of your prayers. The past few weeks have been very challenging for me health wise. On Tuesday of this week I was hospitalized over night from having dysentery. However the Lord is the ultimate healer and I am feeling much better.
I have had the opportunity to explore other parts of Africa. Two weeks ago I had a chance to go to Nairobi, Kenya. Wow, I was completely surprised how westernized Nairobi is compared to Arusha. It is very fast paced just like how we live in America. Next week I will be going to the base leader’s home place in Kenya. I am really looking foreword to that. After getting back from that trip, two days later I board a plane for America. Well, thank you to everyone that has been following me on the blog. See everyone very soon.

Fath & Fear

Hey everyone, I would like to take some time and talk about faith and fear. It is such an interesting topic the Lord has been speaking to me about. Faith is talked about so often, however we are so scared to talk about fear. I think sometimes we are lead to talk about faith because of the fear we have. Let me explain more what I mean about that. So often when we go on a trip we ask the Lord to protect the car or means of transportation we are traveling with. Is it really because we have faith in the Lord? Or is because we fear something might happen? Ask yourself those questions. The Lord spoke something real clear to me. Faith and fear do not work well together. I think sometimes fear disguises itself as faith. The Lord is not asking much from us. In Matthew 17:20 Jesus said to His disciples, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Jesus even says to his disciples “Because you have so little faith.” Jesus knows that we are people of such little faith. He wouldn’t have started the sentence out with such statement if it wasn’t true. Lord I ask today that we wouldn’t mix faith and fear together. Give me the faith that I need to move mountains. Let me be able to notice if it is really faith that I am living by, or fear that is disguised as faith. I really prayer that you were encouraged by this word the Lord spoke to me.
Things are going good here. Time has been going by so fast. We currently only have four more weeks of teaching left and I have so much more to cover! However I know the Lord will give me the grace that I need. The past few weeks have been quite the challenge for me. I had grown very weary towards teaching. The language barrier had been very challenging and frustrating at times. I think it was just a confirmation that not all things that the Lord asks us to do, will be challenge free. We are going to face challenges along the way. However I know that the Lord is always there to pick me up. We have been receiving rain off and on for the past two weeks now. Thank you everyone for praying for rain. The water situation on the base has not been a problem. We have had water to take showers for the past two weeks. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! The Lord has been just showing me his faithfulness in so many situations, since my time here. Glory to the Lord! That is all for now. Sorry for taking so long to update you.

Reflection

I would like to just take some time and reflect on my time in Africa so far. The whole experience has been so good. I have had the opportunity to preach, teach, and reflect. I have been able to see God work through his church body as a mission team. I have also seen God work through his church body as individuals. Seeing God work through his disciples is so amazing. When we are in complete surrender to Him, we are used by Him. Over the weekend I felt very weak, I just wanted to be left alone. I went to a Church with Taylor and Kristen this Sunday, were it was mostly westerners that attended. The Lord reminded me that we need to be in community with other believers. When we are in community with other believers, we lift each other up. So often we get in a rut of thinking we don’t need each other. However we do need each other, we can’t be reliant on ourselves alone. God created us to be in community with one another. In Africa it is so much more about forming relationships, then being alone. I think we as westerners can learn something from the African culture.

Time has been going by so fast. I am already in the 5th week of teaching. The experience has been very good. I have been able to be used by God in a way that I would have never thought. Teaching a computer course is not something I thought I would ever do. However sometimes he has a perfect plan, something out of the ordinary. I have been blessed to have such encouraging students. Each morning we have a time of worship and devotion to the Lord. It is such a refreshing time to get together as a class. Well, that is all for now. If you would like to e-mail me you can. My e-mail address is nicko1245@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

Thankful

The past few weeks have been really rough for the whole YWAM base. We have been without water for the past two weeks off and on. However finally the water has arrived at the base! We have been able to take showers again. Praise God for his faithfulness. The Lord has been really showing me the past few weeks, that we need to be able to worship Him in the good and the bad. Sometimes I feel like I am not able to worship Him, because of my physical condition. However that is even more of a reason to worship! When we draw closer to Jesus, he draws closer to us. I have realized that living in the presence of God is the best way to go. Worship is so much more then singing songs. Worship is a lifestyle for each believer. We can worship our creator in everything that we do.

We do have water back at the YWAM base. However the rains still haven’t come. Please be in prayer for the whole region of Tanzania. The water situation out in Masai land has gotten extremely bad. There was someone that took a large portion of piping from the main water source. So there water source is running dry. Thank you so much for all your prayers.
The computer course is going really well. I can’t believe that this is the fourth week teaching. The time is going so fast. It has been such a great experience so far. My students have been such an encouragement to me. Please be praying for my Dad and Jack as they travel back to the States. They leave on Thursday afternoon. Well, that is all for now. Thank you so much for taking time to read my blog.

Living Water

For the past week, the base in Arusha has been having some serious water problems. Because of the lack of rain, we have not had very much water. Please keep the base in prayer, thank you so much! However the rains are coming, so let’s rejoice for that! October and November are two of the raining months in Africa. Having Water is such a privilege. So often I know I take it for granted, that I get to take a shower everyday. I want to take some time and share with you what God has placed on my heart.

I want to remind you about the Living Water that Jesus promised to the Samaritan women in Scripture. In John 4, Jesus had left Judea and was going to Galilee. However on his way to Galilee he went through Samaria to a town called Sychar. This is where Jacob’s well was located. Because Jesus was tired from his Journey, He decided to stop and rest. So Jesus sat by the well. When a Samaritan woman came to the well to get water Jesus asked her, “Will you give me a drink.” And the Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask for a drink?” The Samaritan woman told Jesus this because Jews didn’t associate themselves with Samaritans. Then Jesus responded by saying, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” Then the Samaritan woman responded by saying “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?” Then Jesus answered by saying, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Wow, that is such a true passage of scripture, right now in Tanzania, Africa. We have seen Masai Men & Women come to know Jesus as there personal Lord and Savior, because of the harsh conditions. They are not drawn to the physical water because they don’t have any. But they are drawn to the Living water that Jesus provides. The physical water will not quench there thirst, but with the Living water they will never thirst again. That reminds me of the song by Tenth Avenue North “Love is Here.” That is such a powerful and true song. At the very beginning of the song there is a verse that says, “Come to the water you who thirst and you will thirst no more.” Jesus tells his people today, “come to the Living water those who thirst and you will thirst no more.” Nothing in the world can satisfy us like the power of the Living water that Jesus provides. Right now I would love to take a shower. However that would not satisfy me. Better yet, I would truly love to take a hot shower. But not even that would really satisfy me. Nothing in the world can really quench our thirst, not even Gatorade! We are never going to be really satisfied by drinking from the physical water. We need to have a desire to drink from the Living water everyday, which will satisfy even the thirstiest. My hearts desire is that I would truly not be drawn to the physical water, but be purified by the Living water of Jesus Christ more and more.

My computer class has been going good. This Friday my students will be taking their first test. I am excited to see how they do. They have seemed to grasp the teachings very easily. Technology is such a privilege we have in the States. I know that I take technology for granted, but it so key for advancing this generation to the next level. Understanding the basic functions of a computer is all they really need. I am so excited to see what God has in store for each of my students.

I have stayed very healthy since I have been here, Praise God! I was sick for two days this week. However Praise God, the power of the cross is amazing! I just want to thank each one of you for taking time reading my blog posts. Thank you so much! That is all for now.

In His Name,

Nick

Eagerness

Hey Everyone!

I want to let everyone know that I am in full swing in teaching the computer course. It is going really good so far. My students are all very respectful and attentive. I have a total of ten students. I have been teaching them the correct way to type, using the home row keys. Today I started teaching them basic computer terminology. What I have noticed is that they are all so eager to learn. I had a student come up to me the other night and wanted to know if we were going to have class again tonight. Wow that really surprised me, in America when class is over we practically run out. I think that is such an amazing example of how our relationship with Christ should look like. I truly want a heart that is eager to draw closer to Christ. However so many times we as Christians desire that, but we don’t have the eagerness to pursue it. I have seen the eagerness in the people of Africa to pursue after a closer relationship with Christ. I know so often I find myself always on a mission to accomplish something. That isn’t a bad thing however if I don’t take time to draw closer to Christ, what I have accomplished is pointless. Because what you have accomplished becomes for yourself, instead of doing it for the glory of God. I want to challenge everyone to take time today and evaluate your eagerness in drawing closer to Christ. That is all for now. Thank you so much again for your prayers.

In His Name,
Nick

Humbled

Wow, the past three days have been some of the most humbling three days of my life. To see the Masai women welcome us the way that they did is unreal. They welcomed us by preparing us a goat and giving us each a gift. That is a real sacrifice right now especially with the drought conditions. After we got done eating with them, we were all presented with a gift. Afterwards they wanted to pray for the whole team. It is so awesome to see God working through Masai land. On Wednesday we had a fellowship with the Masai people. We all got to worship together as one body! God showed up in powerful ways too. We got to see God heal new believers of headaches, side pains, and other sicknesses. That is such an important part of a new believer’s testimony. We serve a God that is in the business of healing still today!

The truth of being humbled feels so good some times. To really realize that you don’t have it all together is such a humbling experience. At our evening worship service out in Masai land on Wednesday night. Mama Promise (Edwards wife), the leaders of the school out in Masai land. She was leading a devotional time for the team. After the devotional, Mama Promise was talking about the story in John when Jesus washed the disciple’s feet. She brought up the point in scripture in John 13:12a-17 when Jesus said “Do you understand what I have done for you? He asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. After she was done reading the scripture, she said that they as Masai land wanted to do something special for us. They brought out wash basins and starting washing everyone’s feet. Then after they got done washing our feet they put lotion on each person’s feet and presented us with custom Masai shoes.

Wow, I felt so humbled by that whole experience. I have never experienced anything like that before. However if you truly look at the scripture it says, “Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” I think Jesus was teaching us about being humbled and serving others. It is so easy sometimes to forget about serving others everyday. I know I sometimes get wrapped up in "good busyness," and I forget about serving others around us.

Jesus, please give me more and more of your heart. Take away any pride or selfish desires that get in the way from serving you and your people. Thank you Jesus for opening up my eyes. That is all for now.

In His Name,
Nick