1 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:09,880 Many times we think we serve the Lord because of the degree that 2 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:15,560 we have because of the title. But first of all, it's looking 3 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:21,040 for a horror, let me tell you, because sometimes we can't serve 4 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:25,160 with our titles and degrees. But the first of all is to have 5 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:30,600 a horror and be willing to enroll in a mission trip, you 6 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:35,840 know, but being there, as I told you, you can be serving with a 7 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:40,000 contraction section program. You can be with the children. 8 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:46,280 So and you can think I have a this type of this degree, how 9 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:47,760 I'm going to be just with children. 10 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,760 It's about people. Welcome back to the Grace 11 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,960 Members Podcast. We have a special guest with us 12 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,560 in studio today. Fabricio Mendoza is here all the 13 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,080 way from Nicaragua in the States for about 10 days. 14 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:05,920 And we're lucky enough to have him here to just update us on 15 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,400 some of the ministry that's happening there with CFCI. 16 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,160 And so Fabrizio, welcome. Glad you're here. 17 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,480 Thank you so much. We're so excited to be here with 18 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,520 you. Well, you know, part of what I 19 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,720 wanted to do is Whitney and I are here, we get a chance to 20 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,960 hear some of the stories and and know you more personally, but we 21 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:29,480 want to introduce you and your ministry to our audience. 22 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:34,280 And so just tell us a little bit about who is Fabricio and what 23 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:39,080 is CFCI in Nicaragua? Thank you so much for this time. 24 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:43,280 So I am Fabricio Mendoza through to your soul. 25 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:50,480 I met with Claudia since 2003. We have two children's Adele, 16 26 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:56,360 years old and Jose, 11. So I grew up in the northwest 27 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,640 part of the country. There is a city named 28 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,520 Shenandiga. In fact, Grace Church did the 29 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,640 first mission trip in Nicaragua in that city. 30 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,360 They went straight there. We didn't know. 31 00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:10,520 So they went to our local church. 32 00:02:11,039 --> 00:02:17,320 We didn't know that many, many years ago when I be here sitting 33 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:19,480 and talking about. Yeah, that's been over 2 34 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,320 decades. Now, yeah, two decades and. 35 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,240 So, so you grew up in in that city. 36 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:26,800 What was life like for you growing up? 37 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,520 So, you know, I grew up in my family, dysfunctional family, 38 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:36,040 sadly. But when I was a teenager, I I 39 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:42,200 met Jesus, you know, I was hungry and needed a real a real 40 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:47,800 parent, you know, father and I started attending to the church 41 00:02:47,920 --> 00:02:55,400 there and with such desire also to serve as a volunteer. 42 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:00,560 You know, I was a college student those days and and then 43 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,800 you know, I started working as an accountant and I keep in my 44 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:12,960 heart that fire and and desire to one day submit my life to as 45 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:17,200 a full time ministry. So thanks God, he allowed me to 46 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,080 do. No, that's so cool to hear the 47 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,920 ways that he has moved in your life and brought you to where 48 00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:24,640 you are. It's it's wonderful to hear. 49 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,320 Now tell us a little bit about just the vision and the mission 50 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,720 of CFCI. Like what are you guys doing? 51 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:32,360 What are your goals? Why do you exist? 52 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:38,200 Yeah. So we have a global vision and 53 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,600 no place without witness. You know, it's about ministry 54 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,480 that focus on needs of the community. 55 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:50,360 So not church without a vision ministry that help the local 56 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:56,000 church clarify and fulfill their vision and no person without 57 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:01,920 hope ministries that help provide hope to horn people and 58 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:06,120 our our mission is transforming cities by transforming lives. 59 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:13,400 So we, we keep in mind every day to do what the Lord has tell us 60 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,920 to do, you know, through this vision, which is clear. 61 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,600 And if it's big, you know, it's a huge vision. 62 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,520 So we try to do our best to accomplish, you know, and to 63 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,920 please God with our service. So you're partnering with local 64 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:30,320 churches? Yeah. 65 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:35,120 To essentially help help them support their community. 66 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:39,720 Yes, so that you can have an effective gospel witness that 67 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:46,080 covers the entire country. How many churches would you say? 68 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,040 I'm sure it changes from time to time. 69 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,840 How many churches does CFCI partner with? 70 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:55,400 We partner with at least 50 churches, OK and what we are 71 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,080 doing right now and what different programs and 72 00:04:58,240 --> 00:04:59,040 ministries. Yeah. 73 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,080 What types of Tell us a little bit about what those programs, 74 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,560 ministries look like and then we'll jump in and talk 75 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:09,080 specifically about how Grace has been a part of some of that. 76 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:10,200 But in general, what are. Yeah. 77 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:15,200 General, so right there in Nicaragua, you know, we, we work 78 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:19,520 through 5 main areas we call ministry areas, OK, So pastoral 79 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:24,960 training, women's ministry, education, youth pastoral 80 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:31,440 training and health, you know, among of those five areas in 81 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,200 other special programs as the feeding center. 82 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:38,880 So we run many programs. Can you say this again? 83 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,280 Pastoral training. Pastoral training, women's 84 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:47,880 ministry, education, education We support local schools through 85 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:54,760 scholarship and supplies. Pastoral youth and health. 86 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,160 Great. And beside those, we have a 87 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:02,240 special programs like the feeding center that we run 88 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:04,760 weekly. Yeah. 89 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,960 And that's for people in need in the community. 90 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,440 They can just how many are you doing? 91 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,920 Is it more like pantry style or people coming in and getting 92 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:19,480 cooked cooked meals? So we, when we talk about the 93 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:23,520 feeding center, we prepare the meal in our our office and we 94 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:27,240 bring to the community to them, because the community is really, 95 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,760 really poor. So they don't have any resources 96 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,280 there. So, but before to give them, you 97 00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:37,840 know, a meal, we make sure we share the gods word with them 98 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:45,920 because, you know, being hungry is a real need, but doesn't have 99 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,720 a a relationship with God is the biggest thing. 100 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,200 So when we see those people and your spiritual need, yeah as 101 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:57,320 well. So Fabrizio, you mentioned you 102 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:59,880 mentioned poverty. Can you give us a little bit of 103 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:04,280 perspective? I know it's it's dangerous to 104 00:07:04,280 --> 00:07:08,960 speak about the country as a whole, but just for for those 105 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,960 who may not be familiar, tell us a little bit about what's the 106 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,680 economic situation like for the country in the ground? 107 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:22,960 So we we are a third world country and most of the people 108 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,000 live with between two and $3 per day. 109 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,520 So that could help you to have a perspective. 110 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:35,400 So most of the people it's in poverty there. 111 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:40,600 We have a tiny upper class and a tiny middle class. 112 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:45,840 So, and this is Nicaragua currently so. 113 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,720 So I mean, I yes, it does give perspective, but I don't, I 114 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,360 don't think we can really even understand how you would be able 115 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:58,280 to live on 2 to $3.00 a day. Yeah, because the people don't 116 00:07:58,280 --> 00:07:59,640 leave. The people survive. 117 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:04,400 This is the real war, you know, People don't have enough to pay 118 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:12,880 for health interest, for even enough food or housing or gas. 119 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,920 And many people doesn't have a car, you know? 120 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,080 Yeah. This is because I said people 121 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,000 just survive in our country. Yeah. 122 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:30,840 So the church has a lot of opportunity in an economic 123 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:33,400 situation like that. So where do you, how do you even 124 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:35,480 begin? Where do you even know where to 125 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:40,520 where to start when you are dealing with such impoverished? 126 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:47,920 Folks, the way how we approach some needs is first of all, you 127 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:55,360 know, asking the Lord, but also we have many options need, you 128 00:08:55,360 --> 00:09:00,320 know, many. So for us is is like what we 129 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:07,000 have in our hands, you know, and also it's very important for us 130 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:14,200 how God provide for us which resources he placing our hands. 131 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,800 So in that way, OK, we have these, we're going to we can do 132 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,480 this program. We can we can do this. 133 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:25,440 You know, it's according how the Lord bless the ministry, right, 134 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,480 because the need is all everywhere. 135 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:33,640 So and we are aware that we are not going to accomplish, we're 136 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:36,400 not going to cover any needs. Right. 137 00:09:36,560 --> 00:09:42,120 So, so whatever gifts, skills, opportunities the churches have, 138 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,000 you just want to use those to be able to be a blessing to the 139 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:46,920 community. Yeah. 140 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,640 And I think that's something that I have been learning about 141 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:52,800 our international ministry partners. 142 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,280 And just how do you do that work? 143 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,000 As you do the next right thing, you do the thing in front of 144 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,360 you, you find a physical need, and then you pair it with the 145 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,880 spiritual need and draw the connection between the two. 146 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:09,400 And I actually had the privilege to go to Nicaragua this January 147 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:14,480 in 2024 and meet Fabrizio and Claudia and their family and so 148 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:18,560 many others and just had a really great time and just 149 00:10:18,560 --> 00:10:22,680 really getting to see the expansion of God's church across 150 00:10:22,680 --> 00:10:24,960 the world. And just know we have the Holy 151 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:26,680 Spirit. You guys have the Holy Spirit. 152 00:10:26,680 --> 00:10:29,760 We are connected across oceans and countries. 153 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,960 And I learned a lot about the Nicaraguan church. 154 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:36,560 But Fabrizio, what would you like for our church and our 155 00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:38,720 people to know about the Nicaraguan church? 156 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:46,560 Sure, as a church we love God, you know, we love God and we 157 00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:51,240 love to praise him. You know, where worship is is 158 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:57,960 very loud and even and even our prayers, you know, you know, 159 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:03,840 here back in United State at the time, one person pray and leave 160 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:06,080 the others and they always stay quietly. 161 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:11,040 But back there if I'm praying, oh man, I need to do loud 162 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:16,600 because every member, every people we're praying right 163 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:20,880 beside me. But also we are a church with 164 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:26,280 hungry to know God and learn more about him. 165 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:32,040 But also we are a church who need to be teaching in the God's 166 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,960 word. This is something that we lack, 167 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:40,480 that we miss. So our church doesn't have a lot 168 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:44,400 of training or a lot discipleship, and this is what 169 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,840 we do with to the pastoral training. 170 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:49,920 Also to the Grace Church partners you know. 171 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,200 Yeah, yeah. That was actually the reason 172 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:57,760 that I was there in January. We went to go spend time with 173 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,360 the women of your church, which was such a blessing. 174 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,320 And I think something that I've learned is here in the United 175 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:05,920 States, we have too many resources. 176 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:10,120 So I can go to a secular bookstore and find a Christian 177 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:14,880 section and find, you know, a myriad of options to choose from 178 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:18,240 to develop my faith. And our church provides a lot of 179 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,240 those as well. But that is just not the case in 180 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:25,360 most of the world, especially in other languages, and I would say 181 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,160 especially for women as well. So it was cool. 182 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:32,280 We got to take the Seven Arrows study and walk through that with 183 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:36,480 the women leaders of CFCI, which was just super sweet. 184 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,320 And I have to give a shout out to Natalie Richard and her team 185 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:42,880 over at Espanol for spending time to translate a lot of that. 186 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:46,120 But yeah, what what other fruit have you just seen from those 187 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,800 resources that we've been able to share in our partnership with 188 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:54,720 the women and for the men? Yes, you know, as great church, 189 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,800 you have been blessing the nation of Nicaragua with many 190 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:03,640 resources and with, I would say, good theology too. 191 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:09,360 So we're very thankful. And my team, we try to reproduce 192 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:12,120 those resources that you already shared with us. 193 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:16,160 For example, we are doing the third curriculums. 194 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:18,600 So we are doing the men's round table. 195 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:22,800 In fact, this coming Monday, we're going to start in a local 196 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,760 church, you know, the study of a man. 197 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:31,680 He's in a man in his faith, A. Man in his faith, yeah. 198 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,360 And also the a woman's word study. 199 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:38,080 So we're going to be with men's and clouded with the women's 200 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:42,600 right there. So we because we trust and we 201 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:47,120 appreciate the resources are healthy for our church. 202 00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:51,840 You know we use even when when you are not there with us, we 203 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:57,040 continue using those resources because we know are healthy and 204 00:13:57,040 --> 00:14:00,200 good to keep equipping the local churches. 205 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,880 Yeah. Tell us a little bit about some 206 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:06,080 of the training. I guess it would be both on the 207 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,480 pastoral training and maybe even some of the next generation 208 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,360 training. What is the the strategy has 209 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:16,280 been to go to a one specific area multiple times, is that 210 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:16,840 right? Yeah. 211 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:25,360 So the goal is to, we say to adapt a region, stay for three 212 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:31,000 years and three years and go there with partners like Grace, 213 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:35,960 but also by ourself, you know, if we can be there every month, 214 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:41,440 you know, working with them. For example, a big piece of this 215 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:46,920 is when we talk about training pastors and leaders in women and 216 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:53,200 youth in churches. So with the Grace Church is we 217 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:55,080 have been doing that for many years. 218 00:14:55,600 --> 00:15:00,880 And for example, right now this year we started in the South of 219 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:04,000 the country, there is a region named Rivas. 220 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:09,960 So we're going to, we, we were there in March and you like to, 221 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:16,880 and we're playing in this next month, November, Dodis Bickel, 2 222 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:20,760 ladies more and two men are going and we're going to be 223 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:24,360 there in Rivas. So training pastors and leaders 224 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:29,520 women's because we need we understand this is what the 225 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:33,600 church need to the training. So if you, if you we adopt A 226 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:36,680 region, make a three-year commitment, send a number of 227 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:41,360 different people to teach both pastors and church leaders how 228 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,920 many churches, for example, might come together and be 229 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:46,800 represented in one of those regions. 230 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,400 We can. We can have 30 or 40 churches. 231 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:51,640 Wow. Right there. 232 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:52,840 Yeah. That's great. 233 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:56,760 And this number could be growing, you know, while we are 234 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:58,440 in touch with him through the time. 235 00:15:58,480 --> 00:15:59,880 Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. 236 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:02,000 And I think Whitney, what you said about we have so many 237 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,520 resources that sometimes we get, we get lost just in our own 238 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:09,880 knowledge of different things. And now we have podcasts and we 239 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,160 have books and we have so, so much. 240 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:17,040 But to be able to send just teams down, to be able to share, 241 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:22,960 like you said, to take those materials to both, you know, 242 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:26,920 kind of adapt them to, to your, to your culture, the 243 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:28,640 translation. I mean, it's been it's been 244 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:31,280 pretty great. What what does what role do the 245 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:37,080 medical teams serve that go? It's a good question, so keep in 246 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,640 mind it's a country in need, a spiritual need, but physical 247 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:47,120 needs too. So most of the people, so they 248 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:50,760 don't have access to medicine to treatment. 249 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:56,560 So through Grace Church, so we go to those rural communities. 250 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:00,640 So we set up a clinic in one local, local church with the 251 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:05,520 church in the church. And we invited people from the 252 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:09,880 church to be with us those four days serving their own 253 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,839 community, right. So we provide, you know, the the 254 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:19,720 doctors, the medicine, but also the community could see that 255 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:21,760 local church who care about them. 256 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:26,680 So it's not about it's not about CFCI or Great Shores to make 257 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,440 famous our names. No, it's about the local church, 258 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:34,200 you know, to, to put in contact that pastor, those leaders, 259 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:37,600 those members, because if we're around on Sunday, we're going to 260 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,080 leave next Thursday. But the local church will be 261 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,720 with that community for for many times. 262 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:49,480 So we accomplished many goals bringing medical teams to serve 263 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:51,920 those communities, and we're very thankful for that. 264 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:57,560 And so Fabrizio, also with some of these medical trips, there 265 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,960 have been individuals with different levels of expertise 266 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,880 that have, that have served the communities in some, some non 267 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:08,240 traditional ways. Can you give us a, a, a, a list 268 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:12,240 of a few of those things in ways that we've been able to serve in 269 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,320 that capacity? Yeah. 270 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:21,440 For example, with Grace we had a couple of team who bring a part 271 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,880 of the team who do a small contraction program. 272 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:27,640 So. But let me tell you something. 273 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:33,240 So when you say thing out-of-the-box, I like that 274 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:41,080 because so many times we think we serve the Lord because of the 275 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:44,280 degree that we have because of the title. 276 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:50,480 But first of all, it's looking for a HAR, let me tell you, 277 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:56,160 because sometimes we can serve with our titles and degrees, but 278 00:18:56,160 --> 00:19:00,960 the first level is to have a HAR and be willing to enroll in a 279 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:06,360 mission trip, you know, but being there, as I told you, you 280 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:10,160 can be saving with a contraction section program. 281 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:15,960 You can be with the children so and you can think I have a this 282 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:19,320 title, this degree. How I'm going to be just with 283 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:24,120 children is about people. It's about us to to be with them 284 00:19:24,120 --> 00:19:27,600 for a few days. So I can see the faces of those 285 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:32,640 children when the I say, you know, the white people just 286 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:34,640 come, even they don't know their language. 287 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,920 But you are giving your time to those children. 288 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:44,800 In many cases their parents are not sharing their life with 289 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:48,120 them. So how important is for the 290 00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:51,680 God's God's Kingdom to spend time with children's. 291 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:59,120 So for me is many ways. But the most simple thing could 292 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:02,520 be very productable in the God's hands. 293 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:09,400 So you know, bringing a patient from 1 section to another from 294 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,920 the vital sign. Through the appointment with the 295 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:18,080 doctor just trying to talk with them and smiling then, you know, 296 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:22,800 or, or just packing medicine, for example, you know, Oh my 297 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:30,520 goodness, you know, I I went to Clemson or you know, you know, 298 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:36,280 the sheer college and are you asking me to just count pills? 299 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,880 But you are going to make a difference in the people life. 300 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:44,480 You know so many way how you can be involved there. 301 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:49,240 And also we have a program that we call Global ambassadors. 302 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:54,360 You can come from a from a month to a year and you can serve with 303 00:20:54,360 --> 00:20:56,840 us in those areas and those programs too. 304 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:02,600 So it's a short time options, but also more than just 8 or 10 305 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:04,080 dates. Yeah, serving with us. 306 00:21:04,120 --> 00:21:07,720 Yeah, going back to the women a little bit, just even your wife 307 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,240 Claudia, the work that she's been doing, and she was telling 308 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:15,440 me a little about just some of the challenges of just 309 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,760 culturally, like what women are thinking about and even what 310 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:21,760 they feel like they're not allowed to think and talk about. 311 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:25,280 So can you speak a little bit just to what she's encountered 312 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:29,480 with women in Nicaragua and how she's trying to help them grow 313 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:33,560 closer to the Lord through that? Yeah, it's a, it's a, it's a big 314 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,160 question, so I need to figure out my answer. 315 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,920 But yeah, Claudia, she's very passionate to work with women's 316 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,560 and it's not just Cloud, it's a team, you know, beside her. 317 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:49,080 They work together. But also, you know, as a as 318 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:54,760 psychologist, she use her skill, you know, to go through many 319 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:59,560 appointment counseling, but also using the same resources. 320 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:05,080 It's like a good combination, you know, and sadly in our 321 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:10,400 culture, women, we don't say that, but you know, through 322 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,360 through expression, the way how we live the life. 323 00:22:15,120 --> 00:22:19,520 It's like the women less than the men in some spaces, the 324 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:24,560 women can talk, you know, and even even in the church. 325 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:32,680 So the idea in, in, in, in the, in the goal is to help those 326 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:37,080 women to find her identity in Christ. 327 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:42,920 Now for them to be able to to think rightly about about them 328 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:47,360 because they they have been growing thinking I am less than 329 00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:50,840 a man. You know, when you grew up with 330 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:55,200 that mind, since it's very difficult, you know, and I don't 331 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:59,240 know if this is a war in English, but we fight with 332 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,160 machismo. Machismo we say, yeah, we say in 333 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,560 Nicaragua. So it's very hard. 334 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:08,960 But Claudia and her team, they are doing a such a good work 335 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:14,920 with women's through counselling's to Bible studies 336 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:19,720 through the sewing program. So every Tuesday, you know, 337 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:25,320 they, they come together, a group of women, they do a Bible 338 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:29,320 study or devotional first and then just go through the through 339 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:35,000 the sewing program because idea is to equip those women, you 340 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:41,040 know, to find the true in God. They were created equal, as the 341 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,880 men we were. So, yeah, and I mean, in every 342 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:46,880 culture you have topics that are taboo. 343 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:51,760 So you even even here in the South, like the work that is 344 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:55,680 we're creating studies about sexuality and like being honest 345 00:23:55,680 --> 00:24:00,400 and vulnerable with our emotions and what are you really thinking 346 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,960 and not stuffing things down and hiding? 347 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:06,840 That's been a struggle for us 'cause that's just the culture 348 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,560 that we're coming out of and things are changing as well. 349 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:11,480 But it does just look different for every. 350 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:15,640 Culture yeah and 11 horrible thing that happened. 351 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:20,400 You know where our culture is the abuse right against the 352 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:24,880 women's physical abuse, sexual abuse, spiritual abuse. 353 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:30,080 So we are working with women's who have been going through 354 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:35,280 those season and hard time. So because you know, it's it's 355 00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:42,160 right there in the culture. So and as a church, so we 356 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,760 shouldn't be doing or living in that way. 357 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:48,760 But even in the church we have many type of abuses. 358 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:51,680 Yeah. And that that was somebody asked 359 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:53,640 me when I came back from Nicaragua, they were like, what 360 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:55,080 are your takeaways? Like what are you thinking 361 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,000 about? And for me personally, like I've 362 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,040 grown up in the United States thinking about feminism and 363 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:03,640 whatever that word means on different levels. 364 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,920 But coming back, I'm like, I think what they're doing down 365 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,680 there, you know, trying to protect women, trying to care 366 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:13,800 for them who've experienced abuse, giving them access to 367 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,800 God's word and helping them understand it for themselves, 368 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,000 helping them to talk about difficult things. 369 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,880 I'm like, I think that's the most empowering thing you can do 370 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:26,440 for women, you know, And we've made it super complicated in the 371 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:27,880 United States. It was a very clear. 372 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,360 Picture of all we have a we have a women right now and we're 373 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:35,440 sewing program. Her husband doesn't like that 374 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:43,960 that she she comes wow yeah and he's telling her you are not 375 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:49,960 good with this why you are going there as a comment, but also 376 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:55,760 it's turn as a prayer request. Even pastor wife are going 377 00:25:55,760 --> 00:26:00,960 through some type of abuses. So, you know, we have more job 378 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:05,400 to do with pastors, right Was with Mens, you know, to teach 379 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,720 them how to treat their own wife, Sir. 380 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,680 Yeah, that's a good, that's really a good window into the 381 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:15,600 church. And we have a 20 now, I guess 21 382 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,320 year partnership with CFCI. We were able to have a a 383 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,800 reception, a dinner, kind of a ceremony last summer, last 384 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:23,960 summer. Yeah. 385 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:30,000 You've been there for most of that time, it seems like, and 386 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:34,520 we'll have Wes in who's been a country lead for for many years. 387 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:40,080 And I know men like Wes and Ken Bickle and Tom Fowler, just to 388 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,760 name a few, who've taken dozens and dozens of trips. 389 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,240 Just reflecting on those relationships, where do you 390 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:51,280 where, how have you grown as a follower of of Jesus through 391 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:57,960 this this partnership? I could start saying they are 392 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:05,320 friends, they are mentors and family and being with them, you 393 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:10,360 know, I have a better perspective about God. 394 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:16,440 So my relationship with God has been improved. 395 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:22,840 You know, just just having a meal with them because always 396 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:25,640 you are talking about the Lord and God's word and teaching, you 397 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:32,320 know, about their life and they are they have been modulating 398 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:37,080 through their family, their wives, they were how they, they, 399 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:42,480 they spend their life. So it's a such a big impact in 400 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:48,640 in my life, in my marriage, the way how we raise our children in 401 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,960 my faith. You know, about my approach 402 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:53,880 about the Scripture is different. 403 00:27:54,680 --> 00:28:01,520 The way how I teach, the way how I preach, the way how I see my 404 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:06,120 own country, you know, they have been pouring into my life a lot. 405 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:09,120 And I am very thankful for those men. 406 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:14,480 You know, that going there, you sacrifice your time, your 407 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,880 family, you know, even their own resources. 408 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:24,360 And so it's a such a bless for me, for my my wife, my family 409 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:29,120 and my team. So I can say I am very thankful 410 00:28:29,120 --> 00:28:34,360 and I am a different person because of their investment in 411 00:28:34,360 --> 00:28:38,280 my life. Friend, mentor, family, that's 412 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:42,720 well, well said. But just as we close, what can 413 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:46,560 we be praying for for the Nicaraguan church? 414 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:51,240 Yeah. So, you know, through this hard 415 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:58,080 season, as country, you know, we got COVID and then after COVID 416 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:01,360 and as nation we are facing challenge. 417 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:09,040 Please pray for our church to be light and salt and to keep in 418 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:16,560 mind that our assignment is to make disciples so easily we can 419 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:24,560 lose that point, which is was Jesus telling you know, the 420 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,320 church And also that assignment is for us too. 421 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:34,720 So even doesn't matter what type of situation we're facing, you 422 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:39,840 know, as a church, to be able to keep making disciples, to be 423 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:46,360 right there, you know, as one bracelet that Wes gave me many, 424 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,400 many years ago. Flee to the battle to be able to 425 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:54,840 flee to the battle every day to make disciple even in the hard 426 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:58,520 context, you know I'm on the hard situation to be solved and 427 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,000 be light. That's great. 428 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:07,880 Would you, would you pray for us, pray for our church, pray 429 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:09,840 for your church. And I'd love for you to pray in 430 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:11,200 your native language. Sure. 431 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:13,920 And then pray for us in English as well. 432 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:15,240 And we'll close our time that way. 433 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:19,000 Good. What Amos Padre queremoja de 434 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:24,400 certe por esta manana teraca compartiendo lo que tua secho 435 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:31,000 durante tanto sanos a trivede este partnership Congress senor 436 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:36,000 queremos E darte tila Gloria darte tila Andra queremo 437 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:46,720 reconocerque en nasto Serie possible cinti por juntarnos por 438 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:52,680 ponernos en El mismo Camino de GRA deserte poro invitarnos a 439 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:58,760 collaborate entu reino Y entu obra tantuaka en Estados Unidos 440 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:04,000 en El upstate in Greenville, senor como en Nicaragua Padre 441 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:09,360 rego que bendigas aleglesia Nicaragua estor ruego ES 442 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:14,640 continuar ciendo Lucy Sal Y continuar senoro con amiral en 443 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:19,600 cristo Y continuar a siendo de cipulos. 444 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:24,080 Father God, this morning we thanks you and we have been 445 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:27,520 talking about what you have been doing through this partnership 446 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:32,760 and it's about you and it's for you and Lord, all the glory 447 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:37,000 belongs to you. I want to thanks you for Grace 448 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:41,720 Church and this amazing partnership and each person who 449 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:45,760 has been involved from the from the beginning until today. 450 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:50,120 And my, my prayer request to you for great church for them is to 451 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:56,040 keep making disciples, to keep doing what you already told them 452 00:31:56,040 --> 00:32:01,080 to do here in the Upstate, in South Carolina and all around 453 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:04,360 the United States. Please be with them, protect 454 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:09,640 them, and thank you because they are a light among the darkness 455 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:15,600 Lord where they are. We love you, Lord, and we praise 456 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:20,320 you, and we ask all these things in the name of Jesus our Savior, 457 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:22,320 Amen. Amen. 458 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:23,360 Amen. Amen. 459 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:25,720 Amen. Thank you so much you're. 460 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:28,680 Welcome, Sir. Well, I hope you enjoyed that 461 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:31,200 interview with Fabricio. And we're here now with Wes 462 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:35,560 Cavan and Wes, his wife Leanne and their two adult children 463 00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:39,240 have been a part of Grace Church for over 2 decades. 464 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,640 And the Wes has had a unique perspective leading trips to 465 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,960 Nicaragua. And we just wanted to have him 466 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:48,640 give a little Grace Church perspective on some of the 467 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:51,360 things that you heard Fabrizio talk about. 468 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:53,440 So, Wes, welcome. We're glad you're here. 469 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:55,200 Glad to be here, thanks for having me. 470 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:58,840 Well, tell us a little bit about your relationship with 471 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:00,400 Nicaragua. When did you take your first 472 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:06,320 trip and how has your opportunities to love and serve 473 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,680 both the people of Grace Church leading trips and the folks of 474 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:14,480 Nicaragua changed over time? I would love to be able to sit 475 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:19,400 here and talk about how God just gave me this clear vision to do 476 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:23,080 international missions and LED me to Nicaragua. 477 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:24,840 But my story is really different. 478 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:29,600 Back in 2004, I was mentoring a young guy who was part of our 479 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:32,480 church, guy named Vern Kivet and his wife Kelly. 480 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,480 And they went on the first trip to Nicaragua with Grace Church 481 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:40,080 and we're encouraged to become full time missionaries on the 482 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:42,120 mission field down there and moved. 483 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:45,520 And then Vern and I kept our relationship and we would talk 484 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:49,040 weekly and every week it was when are you coming, When are 485 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:51,240 you coming? And my answer was always the 486 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:53,200 same. I'm supporting you, but I am 487 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:57,360 never coming to Nicaragua. I, I don't speak the language. 488 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:00,040 I'm not sure I know anything about the culture. 489 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:03,760 God can use me to support you and the ministry there that 490 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:06,520 you're doing. So that went on literally a 491 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:09,239 year. And I finally succumbed to his 492 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:13,000 unrelenting pressure and committed to go on a trip in 493 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:17,280 March of 2005. And even during the trip prep 494 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:21,600 and even I think on the way down to Nicaragua, I told a friend 495 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,880 that was on the team, I'm coming, but I'm never coming 496 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,000 back. Once we get back to Greenville, 497 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:30,760 Nicaragua will be a distant memory for me. 498 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:31,480 Check. It off the list. 499 00:34:31,639 --> 00:34:33,480 Check it off the list. I've done international 500 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:34,800 missions. Why do you think? 501 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:38,480 Your hesitation was so strong. You know, I don't know. 502 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:44,280 Part of it was I felt like that I was doing things I got. 503 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:48,280 It really grown me as a leader in the 5-6 years leading up to 504 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:51,679 that trip and really felt like I just had plenty to do here. 505 00:34:51,679 --> 00:34:53,600 Yeah. And I wasn't sure I had capacity 506 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:57,000 to do something else, whether that be physical or even 507 00:34:57,040 --> 00:34:59,000 emotional capacity to do something else you. 508 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,040 Know, you know, Wes, I, I wanna ask you guys if you're 509 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:05,680 listening, if you go back and listen to Chris Stonaker, when 510 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:08,320 she was talking about Kenya, it said the exact same thing. 511 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:10,240 That's right. Which is, which is how a lot of 512 00:35:10,240 --> 00:35:14,640 us feel like we, we are, we, we're busy, have a lot of lot of 513 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,160 concerns here at home, just things that we're doing. 514 00:35:17,720 --> 00:35:21,400 And then God opens up the door. And so, you know, the question 515 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:23,600 is, are you going to be obedient to like step through that? 516 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:27,160 And so, so you do Wes, you go down on that first trip and then 517 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:29,200 what? What happens after that? 518 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:34,880 What I was introduced to was a culture that, although I knew 519 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:37,960 nothing about, I could immediately relate. 520 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:42,880 I was in a place at my life at the time where I was just hungry 521 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:47,120 in so many ways and just looking for ways for God to use me. 522 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:50,840 But at the same time, I was fighting just being such a 523 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:54,840 selfish person. And if if I was to expend 524 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:58,640 capacity somewhere else, that would take away the 525 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:01,400 opportunities that Wes had for Wes here in Greenville. 526 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:07,760 But when I got there, the same skills and capacities that God 527 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:11,760 had been working on me and in some ways beating in on me, 528 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:14,920 which he needed to do, those were immediately kind of 529 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,160 elevated and exposed in a really good way. 530 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:21,240 I was drawn to the people, I was drawn to the language. 531 00:36:21,240 --> 00:36:25,240 It's interesting, I took two years of high school Spanish and 532 00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:30,240 for 20 plus years had not spoken a word of Spanish other than 533 00:36:30,240 --> 00:36:34,360 trying to impress a a server at a Mexican restaurant, which 534 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:35,680 we've all done, right? Exactly. 535 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:40,360 And I immediately was able to have some small conversations 536 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,480 with people in Spanish, which was completely supernatural. 537 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:48,440 I believe that fully. And it was just neat to watch 538 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:53,920 God work on my heart, so much so that by the end of that trip, I 539 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:56,640 was already talking to people like, OK, when can I come again? 540 00:36:56,640 --> 00:36:59,520 And this, I mean, seven days earlier, I'm like, I am never 541 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:04,440 coming back to this place. So yeah, it just, it was just 542 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:08,600 neat to watch him work on me in that way and just really kind of 543 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:12,640 melt me and melt my heart that quickly, which I've seen him do 544 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:16,600 a number of times over the years, but very few times has it 545 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:20,200 been that demonstrative. Right, sure. 546 00:37:20,240 --> 00:37:24,200 Yeah. And so then you began to pursue 547 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:29,640 more opportunities and the opportunity to become basically 548 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:31,800 a country lead, which is like an advocate. 549 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:37,120 Tell us a little bit about just kind of your history, how that 550 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:40,840 role has progressed over time and how have you tried to 551 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:44,080 champion the specific ministry in Nicaragua? 552 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:45,760 Yeah. You know, it's, it's neat the 553 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:49,680 way that has has changed because those first, probably the first 554 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:54,520 six years or so that we were doing ministry in Nicaragua, we 555 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:57,040 were going once, sometimes twice a year. 556 00:37:57,040 --> 00:38:00,680 And every now and then we might throw in at the request of our 557 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:02,400 partners. Hey, can you come? 558 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:04,920 Can you send some teachers down? And MO, I think you went on one 559 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:09,400 of those teaching trips that was really no strategy behind it. 560 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:12,440 It was just how can we meet some needs in the moment? 561 00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:16,000 And we've got some funding and some budget available. 562 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:19,520 So let's let's go partner with these folks that so desperately 563 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:22,920 need it. And that's not the way I work. 564 00:38:23,480 --> 00:38:28,400 You know, I've 33 years as a project management professional 565 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:31,840 and I like planning things out and having a good strategy to 566 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:35,040 move ahead. And so we started working around 567 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:40,160 the 2008, 2009 time frame. What does it look long term? 568 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:42,080 We we know we want to be partnered here. 569 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:45,920 We've got a great history and we've got hungry people, hungry 570 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:47,720 churches, hungry pastors and leaders. 571 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:51,240 And what would it look like if we put a strategy in place and 572 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:55,440 weren't just doing things in an ad hoc fashion? 573 00:38:56,240 --> 00:39:03,720 So part of that we rolled out in 2010 a first three-year ministry 574 00:39:03,720 --> 00:39:07,920 focus where we will go for three years at a time to a specific 575 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:11,400 area of the country. And during that three years we 576 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:17,240 will train pastors and leaders. We will host medical brigades in 577 00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:21,240 villages, rural villages, usually at a church where we 578 00:39:21,240 --> 00:39:23,720 have one of the pastors or leaders that's in the classes 579 00:39:23,720 --> 00:39:26,720 that we're teaching. And just looked at it as an 580 00:39:26,720 --> 00:39:30,560 opportunity to to say, OK, we've got a chance here to make a 581 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:37,440 bigger impact in one area and give them equipping over that 582 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:40,160 three-year period where, you know, maybe at the end of three 583 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:44,400 years, pastors and leaders have gotten 300 plus hours of 584 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:49,600 education, seminary style classes, 24 to 28 different 585 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:54,360 classes that range from all sorts of categories. 586 00:39:54,600 --> 00:39:59,440 You know, deep theology classes, biblical skill sets, some 587 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,640 personal growth, things like we do with our men's round table 588 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:07,000 and our Azare women's studies. And then just some courses where 589 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,360 we hear from those pastors and leaders. 590 00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:11,760 Hey, this is the kind of stuff that we don't know church 591 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:14,360 administration, We don't, we don't know how to build a budget 592 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:16,200 in our church. We don't know how to run things 593 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:18,080 day-to-day. Can you help us with? 594 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:20,080 That and that that happens over time. 595 00:40:20,240 --> 00:40:25,160 That, yeah, that all of that didn't happen from 2010 to 2012. 596 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:29,760 Those first three years, we had a great idea and so we started 597 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:32,360 implementing it and we've been, you know, we've just been real 598 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:35,840 open first to the Holy Spirit and, you know, how are you 599 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:41,320 moving in these different areas? And then really leaning into our 600 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:44,400 partners to Fabricio and his team and some of the other 601 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:48,200 leaders that are pastors around the country that aren't 602 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:52,120 necessarily affiliated with CFCI but are close partners with us 603 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:56,320 and them telling us these are the types of courses we need. 604 00:40:56,320 --> 00:41:00,600 These are the types of outreach opportunities that will be 605 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:03,200 beneficial and impactful in our area. 606 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:06,560 And I think it was great listening to Fabrizio talk about 607 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:11,160 his background in administration coming into the church. 608 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:14,600 You know, it's, it's, it's pretty special to see how God 609 00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:20,560 used his unique gifting to, to even give us a vision on how we 610 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:24,160 could come alongside the church and support them in some of 611 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:25,880 these kind of non traditional ways. 612 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:29,600 You know, we the, the Bible and theology is often present. 613 00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:32,960 We're able to supplement that. But some of these other aspects 614 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:37,680 of church leadership often are are neglected and can be the 615 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:39,920 downfall of a lot of churches. Right. 616 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:43,320 You, you know, it's as Fabricio would tell us. 617 00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:47,680 Hey, we need some of these administrative type classes or 618 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:50,000 we need some help. Even if it's not a class, can 619 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,600 you have, you know, a couple guys come down for a few days 620 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:55,360 and just spend some time and let let some of these pastors and 621 00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:59,880 leaders just ask questions. And when we were able to start 622 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:03,520 recognizing that, and this was hard for me, you know, it's a 623 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:07,080 control freak to start recognizing that we can have a 624 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:11,480 plan that even within that plan, there's opportunities to flex 625 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:14,400 that actually bring honor and glory to Christ. 626 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:19,560 Because we are not so rigid in the ministry plans that we we 627 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:23,600 aren't receptive to moving in a different way, even if it's just 628 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:27,360 a minor way is going down for a weekend versus spending a whole 629 00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:30,360 week with pastors and leaders and having to develop a, a full 630 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:33,280 training curriculum and materials. 631 00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:38,480 Let's just go down and spend 28 to 30 hours in a room with some 632 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:42,000 pastors and leaders and hear what they need on the front 633 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:43,440 line. And that was that was huge for 634 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:47,080 us to be able to flex. And it's interesting that we're 635 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:49,520 talking about pastor and leader training. 636 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:54,440 That same approach and, and mindset has been really 637 00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:59,000 beneficial over the last 7 to 8 years as some things have 638 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,000 changed in the country and in the world with COVID. 639 00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:06,960 And it really just made us have to think, if we go into a place 640 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:10,560 with a plan to do something and God has a different plan in 641 00:43:10,560 --> 00:43:15,320 mind, even at the last minute, how are we going to respond and 642 00:43:15,320 --> 00:43:18,240 how are people going to respond? And I think some of the 643 00:43:18,240 --> 00:43:21,760 foundation for being able to handle that in Flexwell was set 644 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:26,320 1415 years ago in hey, can we do something different? 645 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:29,280 Can we try something different than we've done all along? 646 00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:31,120 That's good. Yeah, that's awesome. 647 00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:34,080 You spent a lot of time in the country and you have been with 648 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:37,400 the Church in Nicaragua. And we talked with Fabrizio 649 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:41,320 that, you know, there are things that are very similar about our 650 00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:43,360 churches and that's important. And then there's some 651 00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:46,200 differences as well. But what are what have you 652 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:48,280 learned about the Church in Nicaragua? 653 00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:52,120 We've been there partnering with them for 20 years as of last 654 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:54,120 summer. So that's, that's a long time. 655 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:55,920 Just what? What have we learned while we've 656 00:43:55,920 --> 00:43:58,240 been down there? You know, it's, it's interesting 657 00:43:58,240 --> 00:44:01,760 that you ask that because if you would have asked me that after 658 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:06,520 my first trip almost 20 years ago, my response would be very 659 00:44:06,520 --> 00:44:09,400 different than it is today, because the more I've been 660 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:13,400 exposed and again, the guy who never wanted to go back, just 661 00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:19,840 got back from his 37th trip to Nicaragua is the church. 662 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:25,120 My, my observation and my opinions of the church in 663 00:44:25,120 --> 00:44:28,640 Nicaragua have changed, but the church in Nicaragua has changed 664 00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:31,440 as well. And it's been really neat to see 665 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:36,160 particularly and in, you know, discredit as I say this, it 666 00:44:36,160 --> 00:44:41,680 sounds arrogant, but the credit all goes to God as we've taken 667 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:48,560 time and and put efforts into specific types of training with 668 00:44:48,560 --> 00:44:54,480 those pastors and leaders and watch them then let that go down 669 00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:58,400 into their churches and watch the people when we go, when we 670 00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:01,880 visit a church three years later, four years later, and 671 00:45:01,880 --> 00:45:05,720 they have some language that is common language to us. 672 00:45:05,720 --> 00:45:10,320 But more importantly, it's it's language that brings honor and 673 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:16,200 brings glory to the gospel. It's it's really neat to to have 674 00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:21,120 saying have been able to say five years ago that didn't 675 00:45:21,120 --> 00:45:23,720 exist. And it didn't exist for a number 676 00:45:23,720 --> 00:45:26,160 of reasons. It it wasn't because they didn't 677 00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:28,960 have someone capable necessarily. 678 00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:34,360 It, it wasn't because a pastor wasn't passionate and 679 00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:40,240 knowledgeable about Christ and about teaching the Bible, but in 680 00:45:40,240 --> 00:45:47,000 a lot of cases it was a push. You know, Fabrizio's team, CFCI, 681 00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:51,160 they deserve a lot of credit because they are continually 682 00:45:51,840 --> 00:45:57,560 following up and pushing these pastors, not necessarily to be 683 00:45:57,560 --> 00:46:02,080 better than you are, but to be more intentional than they were. 684 00:46:02,120 --> 00:46:06,000 And the intentionality is really what one of the things that has 685 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:10,280 driven that change that I've seen is we've seen pastors that 686 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:16,000 were taking a story that they had that was a really good story 687 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:20,560 and searching the scriptures to find a scripture that they 688 00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:23,920 believed matched that story so that they could preach a sermon. 689 00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:28,520 And we've seen those same pastors now dive into the Word 690 00:46:28,840 --> 00:46:34,240 and be able to find examples from their life where the 691 00:46:34,240 --> 00:46:37,720 Scripture actually drove the application instead of the 692 00:46:37,720 --> 00:46:39,200 application driving the Scripture. 693 00:46:39,480 --> 00:46:41,240 And that's the biggest change that I've seen. 694 00:46:41,760 --> 00:46:49,560 As the pastors have become more knowledgeable and aware of the 695 00:46:49,560 --> 00:46:54,360 impact of their teaching, the churches in their hunger to be 696 00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:58,840 taught well have responded. And and we've watched churches 697 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:02,680 that were probably struggling and maybe teetering on the edge 698 00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:06,040 of how long will this church still be a church. 699 00:47:06,240 --> 00:47:10,840 We've watched those churches grow and be some of the stronger 700 00:47:11,360 --> 00:47:14,200 churches that have a strong voice not only in their 701 00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:15,640 communities but across the country. 702 00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:19,680 Because they're being rooted more deeply in the word that 703 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:22,240 being modeled them applying it to their life. 704 00:47:22,840 --> 00:47:24,400 That makes that makes a lot of sense. 705 00:47:24,400 --> 00:47:28,400 And then you want to pass on if you as you become a stronger 706 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:31,000 church, you want to see other churches become stronger. 707 00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:35,520 And that does seem to be one of the the beauties for in in CFCI 708 00:47:35,520 --> 00:47:39,520 again, Christ for the city international, like Fabrizio was 709 00:47:39,520 --> 00:47:41,680 talking about just meeting churches where they're at. 710 00:47:41,680 --> 00:47:44,560 And I love what you said, helping them to just be more 711 00:47:44,560 --> 00:47:49,600 intentional, to just see the Great Commission accomplished. 712 00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:52,680 Yeah. And you know, it's, I mentioned 713 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:55,520 resources. It's not that many of them lack 714 00:47:55,520 --> 00:47:57,760 the resources, but quite frankly, particularly in the 715 00:47:57,760 --> 00:48:02,360 rural areas, the pastors and and then ultimately the the 716 00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:05,360 churches, the local church, they do lack resources. 717 00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:09,280 And that impacts their ability to do ministry, doesn't impact 718 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:13,480 necessarily the pastor's ability to preach a solid sermon, but it 719 00:48:13,480 --> 00:48:16,000 impacts their ability to do the day-to-day ministry. 720 00:48:16,880 --> 00:48:21,840 Just in terms of how do more people in those churches be 721 00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:23,360 equipped? How, how can they be more 722 00:48:23,360 --> 00:48:28,360 equipped to do that ministry with their neighbor versus 723 00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:30,720 everything having to run through the pasture, which is very much 724 00:48:30,720 --> 00:48:33,440 in in that church model in that culture? 725 00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:37,480 So in some ways more of an equipping model which we are 726 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:42,040 familiar with. So as we've had different 727 00:48:42,280 --> 00:48:46,560 individuals from the church with lots of different giftings head 728 00:48:46,560 --> 00:48:50,880 down and I know you tell them this in their, in their training 729 00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:52,480 meeting, that they need to stay flexible. 730 00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:55,720 They need to stay flexible, particularly after the last five 731 00:48:55,720 --> 00:48:57,080 to seven years. Some of the things you 732 00:48:57,080 --> 00:49:01,640 mentioned, can you think of some examples of how guys just really 733 00:49:01,640 --> 00:49:05,280 shown up and, and, and multiplied efforts, really 734 00:49:05,360 --> 00:49:07,440 things that we couldn't even imagine happening? 735 00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:11,640 Yeah, you, you know, when I, if I think of efforts and so I'll, 736 00:49:11,640 --> 00:49:15,240 I'll talk about some of those. And almost all of those efforts 737 00:49:15,240 --> 00:49:18,800 have people with them too. So people that are spread across 738 00:49:18,800 --> 00:49:22,560 our campuses at Grace and you know, the first ones that come 739 00:49:22,560 --> 00:49:26,280 to mind are are Tom Fowler and Mary Ezell and Ken Bickel and 740 00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:29,520 Doris Bickel. As we've thought about how do 741 00:49:29,520 --> 00:49:32,680 we, how do we change our strategy? 742 00:49:32,680 --> 00:49:35,520 How do we, how do we put something in place that allows 743 00:49:35,520 --> 00:49:39,800 us to be intentional, which in turn then allows those local 744 00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:44,520 churches to be intentional. We really depend on people that 745 00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:48,560 know the culture like a Mary and Chuck Arnold, Chuck and Wendy. 746 00:49:48,560 --> 00:49:51,000 You know, Chuck grew up on the mission field in Central America 747 00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:54,200 and I'm so he was invaluable as we talked through what would 748 00:49:54,200 --> 00:49:56,600 this look like? I'm as well as leaning on our 749 00:49:56,600 --> 00:50:00,000 partners in Nicaragua. But you know what? 750 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:04,360 Tom Fowler, who just says I'm not a general, I'm a soldier. 751 00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:08,040 You tell me what to do, but then when you turn around, he has 752 00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:12,200 really help shape how we put together training classes and 753 00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:15,680 the types of training classes. And he's so he's got such a an 754 00:50:15,680 --> 00:50:20,440 ear to the Holy Spirit for what class needs to be next. 755 00:50:20,920 --> 00:50:24,320 As we finish a set of classes, What do those pastors need next? 756 00:50:24,600 --> 00:50:27,960 And it not always being a rigid plan because again, I would, I 757 00:50:27,960 --> 00:50:29,960 would say, let's plan the three years out and then let's go 758 00:50:29,960 --> 00:50:31,680 execute. And he was like, well, no, we 759 00:50:31,680 --> 00:50:32,960 need to listen to the Holy Spirit. 760 00:50:32,960 --> 00:50:35,880 And so from a pastor and leader training, having people like 761 00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:40,000 that, that we're willing to think about what is needed to 762 00:50:40,240 --> 00:50:42,800 understand what the culture and the people need. 763 00:50:43,120 --> 00:50:45,840 I'm so Mary was invaluable for a lot of that. 764 00:50:46,520 --> 00:50:49,560 But then when we, you know, we don't just do pastor and leader 765 00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:52,440 training, that is that's kind of the crux of our ministry there. 766 00:50:52,440 --> 00:50:57,200 But the other things that we do are really done to help bring 767 00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:00,880 credibility to that local church and, and those local pastors. 768 00:51:01,200 --> 00:51:06,400 So we do medical clinics and we do school teacher training. 769 00:51:06,640 --> 00:51:09,280 And that was that was just something that we came up with. 770 00:51:09,280 --> 00:51:13,160 We had a partner that Mary knew well that was a school teacher 771 00:51:13,160 --> 00:51:16,120 and a school administrator at a Christian Academy in Nicaragua. 772 00:51:16,120 --> 00:51:19,600 And they said, hey, if you've got school teachers at Grace 773 00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:22,280 Church that would be willing to come on one of your trips, they 774 00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:25,760 could come do, you know, in service classes for our 775 00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:28,240 teachers, they could teach some classes to our students. 776 00:51:28,240 --> 00:51:31,040 And, you know, during our summer trips, which is where we 777 00:51:31,040 --> 00:51:34,360 implement that school teacher training, They're still in 778 00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:36,720 school in Nicaragua. And it's just worked out really 779 00:51:36,720 --> 00:51:41,840 well and has been been really beneficial for the Nicaraguan 780 00:51:41,840 --> 00:51:46,080 school teachers who maybe even more so than the pastors, lack 781 00:51:46,080 --> 00:51:48,080 the resources to be able to educate children. 782 00:51:48,080 --> 00:51:52,000 Sure. But for our people to now have 783 00:51:52,000 --> 00:51:55,760 another opportunity for us to go, OK, you don't, you're not a 784 00:51:55,760 --> 00:51:58,640 medical professional, but you can help out in the pharmacy or 785 00:51:58,640 --> 00:52:01,520 you can help out, you know, walking patients from station to 786 00:52:01,520 --> 00:52:04,360 station at the medical clinic. You're not a, you're not someone 787 00:52:04,360 --> 00:52:07,240 who's gifted in training pastors or leaders. 788 00:52:08,320 --> 00:52:09,960 Is there something else you can do? 789 00:52:09,960 --> 00:52:13,960 And God has opened up opportunities for that over the 790 00:52:13,960 --> 00:52:19,160 last six or eight years because of COVID and just getting first, 791 00:52:19,160 --> 00:52:21,960 getting people in the country because of all the restrictions 792 00:52:21,960 --> 00:52:24,560 around COVID. And then just things have just 793 00:52:24,560 --> 00:52:27,760 been constantly changing around the world. 794 00:52:27,760 --> 00:52:32,040 And so, you know, we take a trip three years ago. 795 00:52:32,280 --> 00:52:35,560 We're scheduled to go for our first, what I call our big 796 00:52:35,560 --> 00:52:38,480 teams, where we have 25 to 30. People on a team. 797 00:52:38,840 --> 00:52:42,240 Going back after COVID, so we've been away for two years. 798 00:52:42,240 --> 00:52:45,320 We had a couple of small teams of two or three people go in 799 00:52:45,320 --> 00:52:52,680 2021, but now we hit 2022 and we get ready to leave on Saturday 800 00:52:52,680 --> 00:52:57,160 morning in mid March and huge storms on the East Coast cancel 801 00:52:57,160 --> 00:53:00,800 our trip. And so it gave us an 802 00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:02,720 opportunity. OK, what, what are we going to 803 00:53:02,720 --> 00:53:04,760 do? Are we going to sulk about 804 00:53:04,760 --> 00:53:07,200 having a trip cancelled? The earliest we could have 805 00:53:07,200 --> 00:53:09,760 gotten to Nicaragua was midweek, and at that point it it didn't 806 00:53:09,760 --> 00:53:11,120 make. Sense you got to turn around and 807 00:53:11,120 --> 00:53:14,680 come back. Home so everybody on the team, 808 00:53:14,920 --> 00:53:18,840 all these grace people said I've got the week off for work how 809 00:53:18,840 --> 00:53:22,680 can we serve our community so we did a bunch of projects around 810 00:53:22,680 --> 00:53:24,680 houses. We went to front porch housing. 811 00:53:25,720 --> 00:53:30,520 It just was neat to watch a bunch of things happen and I 812 00:53:30,520 --> 00:53:33,320 didn't do any of that. I mean, I I participated, but I 813 00:53:33,320 --> 00:53:36,000 didn't do any of the planning. It was people on the team yet 814 00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:40,000 you got Candy Hunt and folks from the our Powdersville 815 00:53:40,000 --> 00:53:42,680 campus. You've got Meredith O'Malley and 816 00:53:42,680 --> 00:53:47,800 folks from our HB campus, just all over the different Grace 817 00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:49,320 campuses. I think on that team, that was 818 00:53:49,480 --> 00:53:53,000 an interesting team, that we had at least two people from every 819 00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:54,400 campus, which we don't always have. 820 00:53:55,280 --> 00:53:59,640 And so all these people came together and did service 821 00:53:59,640 --> 00:54:02,600 projects for the entire week. And then we got that trip 822 00:54:02,600 --> 00:54:08,080 rescheduled for June and just about everyone from that March 823 00:54:08,080 --> 00:54:11,720 trip who had taken a week off in March still spent their week 824 00:54:11,720 --> 00:54:13,640 serving. People went on that June trip. 825 00:54:14,200 --> 00:54:20,800 And you know, thinking about Meredith, Meredith helped plan a 826 00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:23,840 bunch of the things that we did that week for the service 827 00:54:23,840 --> 00:54:25,880 project. And then I just asked her, I'm 828 00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:28,040 like, hey, you got a skill set here. 829 00:54:28,960 --> 00:54:32,360 Why don't you help me with some of the things for the team in 830 00:54:32,360 --> 00:54:36,120 June? And what we didn't know is that 831 00:54:36,120 --> 00:54:40,880 trip in June and then our next three big teams, all we're going 832 00:54:40,880 --> 00:54:44,640 to be faced with a similar thing that we would have a plan and 833 00:54:44,640 --> 00:54:46,280 within a day or two before the trip. 834 00:54:46,280 --> 00:54:50,480 And then I think in the case of our July 2023 trip when they 835 00:54:50,480 --> 00:54:54,440 landed in Nicaragua, they found out this trip is not what we 836 00:54:54,440 --> 00:54:56,880 thought it was going to be. We're not going to be doing 837 00:54:56,880 --> 00:54:59,440 anything except pastor and leader training that we thought. 838 00:54:59,680 --> 00:55:02,440 And those were only two of the 28 people, right? 839 00:55:03,240 --> 00:55:07,960 So everybody had to flex. Everybody had to be willing to 840 00:55:07,960 --> 00:55:11,520 say, this isn't about me. This isn't about some grand plan 841 00:55:11,520 --> 00:55:15,840 that I had to either use my pharmacy skills or use my school 842 00:55:15,840 --> 00:55:19,400 teacher skills are just to use my relational skills as playing 843 00:55:19,400 --> 00:55:21,440 with children. Because now I don't just play 844 00:55:21,440 --> 00:55:23,000 with children. I've got to actually come up 845 00:55:23,000 --> 00:55:27,000 with something intentional to do with them for five days. 846 00:55:28,160 --> 00:55:33,000 And that perspective, like I mentioned earlier, I think we 847 00:55:33,000 --> 00:55:37,600 set the foundation for some of that 15 years, 141516 years 848 00:55:37,600 --> 00:55:41,840 earlier when we said how can we do things different following 849 00:55:41,840 --> 00:55:46,920 the Holy Spirit's guidance in the moment, not knowing that the 850 00:55:46,920 --> 00:55:50,600 Holy Spirit would be guiding like literally in the moment. 851 00:55:52,120 --> 00:55:56,960 You know, the word that comes to mind is just like maturing, like 852 00:55:56,960 --> 00:56:00,960 we weren't mature enough 15 years ago to be able to do that. 853 00:56:01,680 --> 00:56:04,200 God took small steps to grow and mature. 854 00:56:04,200 --> 00:56:07,600 And you're, you're the beneficiary because you've, 855 00:56:07,640 --> 00:56:09,120 you've, you've been there the whole time. 856 00:56:09,120 --> 00:56:11,280 You've seen so many of the different steps. 857 00:56:13,240 --> 00:56:16,120 That's great. I would have never thought about 858 00:56:16,240 --> 00:56:23,480 how a ministry matures as people conform to what God is trying to 859 00:56:23,480 --> 00:56:25,360 do through his spirit. That's just a really great 860 00:56:25,360 --> 00:56:28,720 picture, Wes. So if someone's listening and 861 00:56:29,120 --> 00:56:31,400 they have never thought about Nicaragua, they listen to 862 00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:33,200 Fabricio, they're listening to you now. 863 00:56:33,200 --> 00:56:36,000 And they're like, huh, maybe I'll give that a second, a 864 00:56:36,000 --> 00:56:38,840 second thought, a second look. What would you, what would you 865 00:56:38,840 --> 00:56:42,440 tell that person to not convince them? 866 00:56:42,440 --> 00:56:44,240 We're not trying to convince anybody. 867 00:56:44,600 --> 00:56:48,680 But let's let's go back to, you know, Wes from 2000. 868 00:56:48,680 --> 00:56:52,080 What five 2005 S Talk to Wes from 2005. 869 00:56:52,200 --> 00:56:57,400 If I could take that back, you know, the first thing I would I 870 00:56:57,400 --> 00:57:01,880 would tell someone is why would you even entertain the thought 871 00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:06,720 of going on a trip? And what I would want to tell 872 00:57:06,720 --> 00:57:11,840 Wes in 2005 is your whole mindset is wrong to begin with. 873 00:57:11,840 --> 00:57:15,760 If you're thinking about whether you're going to go and come back 874 00:57:15,760 --> 00:57:20,960 or, or what you're doing and that you really as a believer, 875 00:57:20,960 --> 00:57:23,320 you should be turning and depending on Christ and going, 876 00:57:23,560 --> 00:57:27,480 how are you going to use me? And it's easy to kind of and 877 00:57:27,480 --> 00:57:33,360 maybe even cliche to say that, but it's really what it takes to 878 00:57:33,360 --> 00:57:35,720 allow God to move in your life on one of these trips. 879 00:57:35,720 --> 00:57:40,120 Because I mean, frankly, I've seen a number I think I, I 880 00:57:40,120 --> 00:57:44,440 shared with the elders and leaders a few months ago, just 881 00:57:44,440 --> 00:57:49,600 in the last 21 years, I think we've had about 600 or so 882 00:57:49,960 --> 00:57:53,760 individuals go on trips to Nicaragua from Grace Church. 883 00:57:54,240 --> 00:57:58,200 And there's probably 100, maybe 200. 884 00:57:58,200 --> 00:58:02,520 I don't know of those folks that that didn't do that. 885 00:58:02,840 --> 00:58:08,640 And if I, if I, if if I had not tried to be somewhat intentional 886 00:58:08,640 --> 00:58:11,640 while I was in country on that first trip, I probably would 887 00:58:11,640 --> 00:58:13,840 have been in the same, I've been in the same boat. 888 00:58:14,960 --> 00:58:17,320 And I would have said, you know what this is, this is cool. 889 00:58:17,400 --> 00:58:20,120 It's great that God's moving and we've got folks that are willing 890 00:58:20,120 --> 00:58:22,200 to do this. But this is not for me. 891 00:58:22,440 --> 00:58:26,240 And I don't think a trip internationally is necessarily 892 00:58:26,240 --> 00:58:29,600 for everybody. But what I would want people to 893 00:58:29,600 --> 00:58:35,080 know is that regardless of how little skill set you think you 894 00:58:35,080 --> 00:58:40,800 have, God is ready to use you in a big way, even if you don't 895 00:58:40,800 --> 00:58:42,520 know what it's going to look like when you get there. 896 00:58:42,520 --> 00:58:45,520 And, and that was the big thing for me is I don't, I don't speak 897 00:58:45,520 --> 00:58:47,440 the language. I don't, I don't, I don't know 898 00:58:47,440 --> 00:58:50,920 how to relate to this culture. And then to get down there and 899 00:58:50,920 --> 00:58:56,800 just be used in, in real ways that builds confidence in your 900 00:58:56,800 --> 00:59:00,280 spiritual maturity and not arrogance, but confidence. 901 00:59:00,280 --> 00:59:04,880 And you know, for a lot of us, we need, we need spiritual 902 00:59:04,880 --> 00:59:08,960 confidence because we just lack that ability and it makes us 903 00:59:08,960 --> 00:59:11,280 powerless at times. Yeah, that's a good word. 904 00:59:12,400 --> 00:59:15,000 I have two more questions. One's a fun one and one we'll 905 00:59:15,000 --> 00:59:16,360 end on is a little more reflective. 906 00:59:16,360 --> 00:59:19,800 OK, this is a little rapid fire. What's your favorite food that 907 00:59:19,800 --> 00:59:22,040 you eat when you're in Nicaragua? 908 00:59:22,040 --> 00:59:29,240 It's called a Naca Tamale and it has potatoes and spices and some 909 00:59:29,240 --> 00:59:32,600 masa and it's it's cooked in a banana and some pork and it's 910 00:59:32,600 --> 00:59:35,520 cooked in a banana leaf. They usually eat it for 911 00:59:35,520 --> 00:59:38,400 breakfast. I would eat it anytime of the 912 00:59:38,400 --> 00:59:41,160 day, but it's, yeah, not a Tamale. 913 00:59:41,160 --> 00:59:44,000 Not a Tamale. OK, favorite sweet treat? 914 00:59:45,520 --> 00:59:48,480 There's these cookies, they're called Cheeky's, and they're 915 00:59:48,480 --> 00:59:50,680 like butter cookies, but they have some chocolate on them. 916 00:59:50,680 --> 00:59:52,800 It's probably my favorite sweet treat. 917 00:59:53,160 --> 00:59:55,520 Trace Leche's is big down there, but I'm not a big fan. 918 00:59:55,520 --> 00:59:57,000 It's a little too sweet for me. Little too sweet. 919 00:59:57,080 --> 01:00:00,320 OK, one of the favorite places that you visited. 920 01:00:00,920 --> 01:00:04,080 Oh wow, there's so many, so many cool parts about that country. 921 01:00:04,320 --> 01:00:06,080 It's, it's hard to nail down one. 922 01:00:06,080 --> 01:00:09,560 But you know, a special one for me was be able to take some, 923 01:00:09,920 --> 01:00:12,880 some friends who are close who were on a trip with us. 924 01:00:12,880 --> 01:00:16,080 We stayed a few extra days to celebrate one of their birthdays 925 01:00:16,080 --> 01:00:20,040 and we went volcanoes surfing on a active volcano. 926 01:00:20,280 --> 01:00:21,840 That was pretty awesome. That is pretty awesome. 927 01:00:21,840 --> 01:00:24,440 I was going to say what? Think of another adventure that 928 01:00:24,440 --> 01:00:28,680 you've done while you're there. Another adventure that I did on 929 01:00:28,680 --> 01:00:33,680 my very first trip was I went off by myself, which you are 930 01:00:33,680 --> 01:00:36,040 told not to do and I'm hard headed. 931 01:00:36,480 --> 01:00:40,600 And I was surrounded by about 12 Nicaraguan national police 932 01:00:40,640 --> 01:00:42,880 wondering what I was doing roaming. 933 01:00:42,880 --> 01:00:45,560 And we were up in the middle of nowhere and they were wondering 934 01:00:45,560 --> 01:00:48,680 what I was doing and I couldn't speak Spanish to explain what I 935 01:00:48,680 --> 01:00:50,760 was doing so. It's not like you like, stand 936 01:00:50,760 --> 01:00:52,160 out in a crowd. You. 937 01:00:52,160 --> 01:00:55,480 Know you look suspicious. So that was adventure. 938 01:00:55,480 --> 01:00:57,840 I'm glad. I'm glad you made it back the 939 01:00:57,880 --> 01:00:59,720 year I we did some zip lining. Yeah. 940 01:00:59,760 --> 01:01:02,960 I'm not sure it was safety approved, but it was. 941 01:01:03,520 --> 01:01:07,400 The zip lines there are awesome and fast and high. 942 01:01:08,600 --> 01:01:12,760 Certainly not OSHA approved. And then we went, I think we 943 01:01:12,760 --> 01:01:16,080 went in the caves with the. Bats caves next to one of the 944 01:01:16,240 --> 01:01:20,640 volcanic active volcanoes there. There's some caves and those are 945 01:01:20,640 --> 01:01:22,920 neat because you can go in, you're wearing a headlamp. 946 01:01:23,320 --> 01:01:26,600 You get real deep into the caves and the guys, the guides will 947 01:01:26,600 --> 01:01:29,240 tell you, OK, everybody turn your headlamp off. 948 01:01:29,480 --> 01:01:33,000 And then it gets real freaky because you're hearing the bats 949 01:01:33,040 --> 01:01:35,720 and you can feel them flying by your face. 950 01:01:35,800 --> 01:01:39,240 It it's pretty freaky, but yeah, that's pretty awesome too. 951 01:01:39,560 --> 01:01:42,800 So friends, if the the spiritual maturity stuff doesn't get you, 952 01:01:42,960 --> 01:01:45,680 then you know, we got food, sweet treats and great 953 01:01:45,680 --> 01:01:48,160 adventures. But it's on a serious note, Wes, 954 01:01:48,160 --> 01:01:51,960 I want you to go back to last summer 20 year celebration. 955 01:01:52,320 --> 01:01:57,760 I know it was, it was a really big deal for CFCI to honor Grace 956 01:01:57,760 --> 01:02:01,360 Church 20 years. And so we accepted that honor. 957 01:02:03,960 --> 01:02:06,640 And again, it's the Lord's work. We wouldn't be there if if he 958 01:02:06,640 --> 01:02:09,840 didn't ordain at all. But as you're sitting there and 959 01:02:09,840 --> 01:02:14,600 you're thinking about yourself personally, like Wes Cavan would 960 01:02:14,600 --> 01:02:18,240 not be the same person without Nicaragua, What are what are a 961 01:02:18,240 --> 01:02:22,240 couple of ways that that's true? Yeah, 100%. 962 01:02:22,240 --> 01:02:25,720 I wouldn't be the same person. As I mentioned, you know, God 963 01:02:25,720 --> 01:02:29,040 was working on me and really showing me some leadership 964 01:02:29,040 --> 01:02:33,120 abilities that I had those 5-6 years before I first went to 965 01:02:33,120 --> 01:02:36,360 Nicaragua. And but that was a huge 966 01:02:36,360 --> 01:02:41,040 catalyst, untapping what those abilities really were or really 967 01:02:41,040 --> 01:02:44,840 are. And never, you know, had I said, 968 01:02:44,880 --> 01:02:46,160 you know what, Vern, I'm not coming. 969 01:02:46,800 --> 01:02:48,320 I'll just, I'll continue to support you. 970 01:02:48,320 --> 01:02:50,920 I'll be a good Christian and support a international 971 01:02:50,920 --> 01:02:54,800 missionary, but I'm not coming. Had I done that, who knows if I 972 01:02:54,800 --> 01:02:58,000 would untap some of those things or if God would untap some more 973 01:02:58,000 --> 01:03:01,240 of those abilities in me. So, you know, that's the first 974 01:03:01,240 --> 01:03:03,400 change. And you know, really just from a 975 01:03:03,400 --> 01:03:08,560 personal perspective, not knowing the, the difficult 976 01:03:08,560 --> 01:03:12,520 season that my family would go through the next four months 977 01:03:12,520 --> 01:03:15,640 after that trip. And MO, you're, you're part of 978 01:03:15,640 --> 01:03:23,400 that story. But the important part is what 979 01:03:23,400 --> 01:03:30,400 God taught me on that first trip about myself helped help prepare 980 01:03:30,400 --> 01:03:33,440 me for those difficult moments over those next four to five 981 01:03:33,440 --> 01:03:37,240 months. And on the back end of that, 982 01:03:37,240 --> 01:03:42,120 being able to say, you know what, not only is God faithful, 983 01:03:42,560 --> 01:03:48,240 but he's he's powerful enough to trust to do whatever he says do. 984 01:03:50,080 --> 01:03:57,560 And that is what someone that's selfish and self-centered and a 985 01:03:57,560 --> 01:04:00,520 control freak like me, that's, that's what those people. 986 01:04:00,520 --> 01:04:03,960 So there's somebody listening to this that is just like that. 987 01:04:04,440 --> 01:04:08,320 And what you need to hear is that God is willing to use even 988 01:04:08,320 --> 01:04:12,680 the most stubborn, hard headed people for his purposes. 989 01:04:13,120 --> 01:04:19,840 And in a way that you won't even, you can't even imagine 990 01:04:19,840 --> 01:04:21,680 what your life would look like 20 years later. 991 01:04:23,000 --> 01:04:27,240 And thinking about our celebration last summer and you 992 01:04:27,240 --> 01:04:29,520 know, all glory to God for what that looked like. 993 01:04:30,080 --> 01:04:33,440 There were about 100 people in that room and it was so cool. 994 01:04:33,800 --> 01:04:36,800 And I work with Fabrizio to hey, let's plan this when we have a 995 01:04:36,800 --> 01:04:40,360 big team in country so that some people and a lot of those, it 996 01:04:40,360 --> 01:04:42,920 was their first trip. I think your daughter was on 997 01:04:42,920 --> 01:04:44,240 that trip. It was her first trip to 998 01:04:44,240 --> 01:04:47,520 Nicaragua. So a lot of people were getting 999 01:04:47,880 --> 01:04:50,800 not only their first exposure to Nicaragua, but it's their first 1000 01:04:50,800 --> 01:04:53,560 day in country. And what they got to experience 1001 01:04:53,560 --> 01:04:58,680 was a worship service where people shared stories, both 1002 01:04:58,680 --> 01:05:00,760 Nicaraguans and folks from Grace Church. 1003 01:05:01,400 --> 01:05:05,840 And there were about 90 other people besides our team members 1004 01:05:05,840 --> 01:05:10,040 in that room that were pastors and leaders and just ministry 1005 01:05:10,040 --> 01:05:14,600 partners from across the country who were able to stand up and 1006 01:05:14,600 --> 01:05:18,160 share testimonies of God is at work in Nicaraguan. 1007 01:05:18,160 --> 01:05:19,880 God. God was at work in Nicaragua 1008 01:05:19,880 --> 01:05:21,920 before Grace Church even came here. 1009 01:05:23,040 --> 01:05:30,480 But what God has done in these 20 years is he's taking, he's 1010 01:05:30,480 --> 01:05:34,240 taken a group of people, both the CFCI folks and all of the 1011 01:05:34,240 --> 01:05:39,120 people from Grace Church. And he has put them together and 1012 01:05:39,120 --> 01:05:43,760 by molding them together has made a strong impact on the 1013 01:05:43,760 --> 01:05:47,120 country versus, you know, individuals or small groups of 1014 01:05:47,120 --> 01:05:50,360 people not having as big an impact, pulling all those 1015 01:05:50,360 --> 01:05:55,800 resources together, human and capital resources, just to watch 1016 01:05:55,800 --> 01:05:58,720 those people stand up in that room and, and say, here's the 1017 01:05:58,720 --> 01:06:04,400 impact that that this ministry for 20 years has had on the 1018 01:06:04,400 --> 01:06:08,480 village of Ladalia. Most people in the world will 1019 01:06:08,480 --> 01:06:13,520 never hear of the village of Ladalia, but the Gospel is real 1020 01:06:13,520 --> 01:06:17,680 and and Jesus is more alive there in the lives of people in 1021 01:06:17,680 --> 01:06:20,920 that community because of the work over the last 20 years. 1022 01:06:22,240 --> 01:06:24,960 That's a good word to end on, Wes, thank you for all your 1023 01:06:24,960 --> 01:06:28,040 years of service. And as long as God allows, we 1024 01:06:28,200 --> 01:06:30,640 pray that we'll just be faithful and take the next step and 1025 01:06:31,080 --> 01:06:35,600 remain flexible and. We're recruiting now for a March 1026 01:06:35,600 --> 01:06:37,720 2025 team. OK, you heard it. 1027 01:06:37,720 --> 01:06:42,120 March 2025 and go to a website. Yeah, it's on the website. 1028 01:06:42,160 --> 01:06:45,880 Go to the website, fill out the application and let Wes know 1029 01:06:45,880 --> 01:06:48,760 that you're interested. And yeah, thanks for listening. 1030 01:06:48,760 --> 01:06:53,720 Hope you enjoyed hearing from Fabrizio and Wes Cavan on our 1031 01:06:53,720 --> 01:06:54,960 missions in Nicaragua.