A little Frustration

Nicaragua is a place of the unexpected - where plans that were carefully laid turn out to be a total waste of time. Usually this happens when someone doesn't arrive for a meeting on time or for an appointment as scheduled. Often it happens that someone just changes their mind.

Our advance team of Jerson and Marvin had been working on the penitentiary located in Matagalpa as a location for a couple of concerts, a trick show by our bicycle guys, a bit of skill from the soccer guy, and a good message by Marvin. We arrived at 8:15 as planned but the wardon was behind closed doors. He was the only one that could authorize our entrance into the prison. And since he was behind closed doors he could not be disturbed. So we sat. And we sat. And we sat some more. Eventually he came out (around 10:30) and said no, he had changed his mind and we could not enter the prison and deliver the program.

What we did find was a group of young ninos (children) that were playing in the lot where we parked the bus. Some lived near by, some where with family members that were there to see someone in the prison. So we played an impromptu concert for them. David sang and Ron played his guitar. The kids danced and clapped and sang along. David gave a little message and then we moved over to a storage area where the bicycle team did a bunch of tricks. Then the soccer guy showed off his skills and got them all involved.

So maybe God had a different plan, something bigger than ours. Maybe we were there for the children - for the young boys that had probably not experienced something like that in a long time, or maybe not at all.

Eventually we finished with our time at the gates of the prison and moved on to a school where we spent a couple of hours in the hot sun playing to the kids, playing a little basketball, and overall enjoying life.

God is good - all the time.