Pray with Nicaragua on Sunday, April 8, 2018

Lectionary Selection: John 20:19-31

Prayers for Nicaragua:

Oh Lord, we thank you for your love, grace, and mercy that comes to us through the resurrection story. Whether we recognize it or not, we live with your love, grace and mercy in our daily lives. Although sometimes on this journey of life we, like our biblical brother Thomas, experience moments of doubt and unbelief. However, like Thomas, you always provide a way for us to put our finger where the nails were and to put our hand in your side. Causing our heart and our mind to deliver the words to our mouth to say, “My Lord and my God!”

Now Lord we ask that you keep us mindful of the power of your resurrection that gives us the strength needed to face the challenges of life—challenges that make us feel that there is no way out. Yet, we lift our hands with praise and thanksgiving in your presence as we become witnesses of how You, oh Lord, can “make a way out of no way.” Amen

Mission Stewardship Moment from Nicaragua:

The Roof, oh Lord, is falling down!

As our Nicaraguan sisters and brothers began to migrate from the East Coast to the West Coast, they brought their dearly held religious understanding, worship practices, and rituals of the Moravian Church with them. But there were no Moravian churches on the West coast.

The first Moravian Church was built on the west coast in Managua, Nicaragua in 1957. And like all buildings, it began to deteriorate. They were able to repair the roof over the sanctuary ten years ago. Now the roof over the office building – which includes a community medical clinic, spaces used for classrooms and the kitchen – were in dire need of repair. Like all repair jobs, it cost more than originally quoted. The roof was falling and extra support from the church members was not available. It was the beginning of the rainy season in Nicaragua and the old roof would not make it through, especially if it was a heavy rainy season. As you can image, doubt and unbelief had set in. We could not see how to solve this problem. We needed to put our finger where the nails were and to put our hand in His side.

Well as we already know, Jesus is the Good News! When He let us put our finger and hand in His wounds we experienced the transformation from doubt and unbelief to praise and thanksgiving. Because of your prayers and support through the Disciples Mission Fund and Our Churches Wider Mission, the roof is new, the clinic is safely operating, Sunday school classes have returned to there rooms (with happy children), the “kitchen is cooking” and the offices have returned to their spaces; causing our hearts and our minds to deliver the words to our mouth so we can say, “My Lord and my God!”

Please continue to pray for our Nicaraguan brothers and sister to keep on having resurrection experiences in their personal and community lives as we work to be the light of God for our brothers and sisters through out their communities.

(Prayer and Mission Moment by Jeanette Salley)

Mission Partners in Nicaragua:

More information on Nicaragua: http://www.globalministries.org/nicaragua

Global Ministries Missionary in Nicaragua:
Jeanette Salley serves with the Moravian Church of Nicaragua. Her appointment is made possible by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund, Our Churches Wider Mission, and your special gifts.