My Forever Valentine

Hello friends, family, partners and sponsors!  

The picture below was our most recent attempt to get a photo of the Isaiah Project kids and staff and we almost got everyone in the picture and to smile, haha!  This picture was taken on Valentine’s Day and Jessica and I decided to get a cake for us all to share (yes we somehow had a piece for everyone) along with some Coca Cola (by far the favorite drink here in Nicaragua) to celebrate with our kids and staff what we believe to be the reason we are here on this earth: TO PERSONALLY RECEIVE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND THEN TO LOVE ALL OTHERS UNCONDITIONALLY AND SACRIFICIALLY.  

I guess you could say that is the very reason why this ministry even exists. Our ministry may consist of helping to put at-risk kids through school, bring nourishment into impoverished homes, or repairing a home which no longer provides security or protection from the elements, but all of these things are simply the fruits of good works which hang off of the tree of unconditional and sacrificial love that is the bedrock of all Fervent Fire Ministries has done or will ever do for our Nicaraguan brothers and sisters.

In a 3rd world country where there is so much poverty and so much is given free of charge to those who live in abject poverty - entitlement, selfishness, jealousy, and greed are things that we often confront in our service.

It’s wonderful to want to help others and to give, but we’ve also learned the utmost importance of teaching selflessness and sacrificial love to our kids and families. We understand that teaching these Christ-like attributes is not always possible when we bless folks out on the streets or as we go about our day, but with these kids and families that we see on a more consistent basis, we feel like we have the responsibility not only to live out Christ-likeness in front of them but to also help them to see for themselves how beautiful it really is when the truth of “its better to give than to receive” hits the heart and transforms a life.

“For God so loved the world He gave…” and so we too feel like in order to love others well, we have to give.

However, we don’t really see it as we have to give, but rather that we get to give! In this “me me me” selfie world we live in right now, it’s all about “me, myself, and I” and all about how I can get to where I want to go and what I have to do to get there.

Well, here in Nicaragua it is very often about what we or I can give to whoever is in front of me asking me for whichever favor or need at the moment they would like me to fulfill. They aren’t too much interested in what I’m saying or whichever truth I’m desiring them to understand about life; they just want to know if I’m going to give them something or not.

And I can honestly say that almost everyone that comes to our front door or that we encounter out on the streets looking for help along the way almost never walks away empty handed. We believe in giving and trying to meet physical needs any way that we can.

The other day the Lord spoke to my heart about this when I was helping out a man named Alex who has been coming to our home for years now to receive help for various things.

Things like food, medicine, clothes, and bicycle repairs are among the ways in which we have tried to help Alex meet tangible needs.

Alex used to be addicted to glue-sniffing and a few years back gave his life to Jesus and has since walked clean of his former addiction; however, he’s been a bit resistant in receiving any type of spiritual counsel we have tried to offer him when he comes by to ask us for help.

Actually, the last week was the first time Alex has come to one of our Bible studies (although I think he slept through most of it, haha).  Oh well, a start’s a start right?! Anyway, a few days ago he stopped by to ask if I could help him once again repair his flat bicycle tire. After a little chit-chat, I handed him the 3 dollars necessary to buy him a new inner-tube for his bicycle tire and he quickly took the money out of my hand, turned around and was on his way back to the bicycle repair shop without even a “thank you”. 

I just kinda chuckled at the exchange and then the Lord spoke to my heart and said “Isn’t it sad that so many of my own children do the same with me? They come to me for what I can do for them, but not just to be with me and enjoy my company.”

So this is what we long for our kids, families, staff, and everyone to understand about love. Valentine’s Day has become synonymous with a type of “love” so often displayed on this day by flowers, chocolates, and kisses from a significant other. It’s gotten to a point that if we don’t have that commercialized experience we can actually feel unloved and even begin to loathe Valentine’s Day.

At Fervent Fire Ministries we want everyone to know that they are forever Someone’s Valentine! That there hasn’t been a single moment in their existence when they haven’t been wanted and loved!

That instead of chocolates He gave His life for them; and instead of flowers, He gave a cross. And instead of a kiss on the cheek, He offers arms wide-open and a warm embrace that lasts a lifetime!

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer and financial support to enable us to continue sharing this gospel message to anyone and everyone we can! We sincerely appreciate and value each and every one of you!

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A New Year and Some Updates

Miriam’s Story

Hey everyone!  Bless you this new year!  

I wanted to share the above video with you for those of you who haven’t already seen it when I posted it on the ministry’s Facebook page a few weeks ago.  We feel an extra bit of sentimentality overcome us concerning especially this video testimony because we have known Miriam for almost 7 years or so and have personally given witness to what she shares in the video.

We can vouch for the struggle Miriam and her sweet family have endured in order to make sure there is food in their bellies and a place to lay their heads at night.

We have been there when Miriam’s second oldest daughter left home to move in with her boyfriend at only 14 years old. We were there when Miriam was laid-up for months after having two major surgeries to remove over 80 kidney stones from her intestines and her recovery was slow and delicate.

We were there when Miriam was broken, hopeless, and frustrated after having spent herself trying to please and appease God through dry religion and dead works. We were also there when Miriam decided to place her faith in the saving grace of our beautiful Lord and Savior and watch her blossom in the light of His love and abiding peace that only He can give!

So I hope you enjoy the video and are as encouraged by her beautiful testimony as we are!

In December of 2018 we also concluded our 3rd installment of the Beginner’s Sewing Program with 10 more students graduating the course!  

We are very proud of our ladies and are excited to report that the great majority of the women who graduate the course begin working from the home right away repairing clothes and even designing and selling their own creations to earn extra income for their families!  In the above picture you can see our ladies wearing dresses they made themselves, which is pretty awesome when you know that before the class began they had no prior experience operating a sewing machine!

A very sincere and heartfelt thank you to all of you who have supported the Beginner’s Sewing Program with your giving and prayers!  

We couldn’t do this without you and want you to know your partnership is indeed making a difference in the lives of these women!

As you probably already know we have kids graduating from elementary school every year and this year was no different, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less meaningful.  

In 2018 we had 4 kids from our ministry graduate from elementary school. I often tell folks who wonder why such a big deal is made of graduating grade school here in Nicaragua and I explain to them that it’s comparable to graduating from high school in the United States.  

The sad reality is that most kids will never finish high school here in Nicaragua due to the plethora of challenges that growing up in a 3rd world country presents them.

So we celebrate the moment with them, all the while instilling in them the truth that by no means does their education have to end there and that the sky really is the limit!  In the above photos you can see Miriam and myself posing with Berman, Miriam’s oldest son and 1st high school graduate.

Quite a moment for the family! Berman also graduated with the distinction of being one of the very best students in his class and we know that great things are in store for him as he continues to mature as a young man.

In 2019 we continue living out LOVE to the best of our abilities and as you provide prayer, support, and partnership with our efforts you enable us to bring a little bit of joy and comfort to all the brokenness that surrounds us here in the lives of our Nicaraguan brothers and sisters.

It could be a new pair of tennis shoes to beans and rice; or even a little pocket money and hugs to a hard working street-clown; no matter what it looks like it all counts in love! Thank you for helping us Love Out Loud in 2018 and considering partnering with us in this new year to continue shining our light bright for Jesus in love and good works!  

As you may have seen on Facebook or by email we are believing for big things this year!  There is a piece of land that we believe would be perfect for building a ministry center to better fit our needs and hopes of casting a wider net in reaching out to our community.  

Publicizing a need/desire of our hearts of this size is not something that we are accustomed to doing, as those of you who have been partnering with us over the years will know, but we feel that the Lord is asking us to believe and trust in Him to provide us the funds to purchase the land (Step 1) and then to begin building a center (Step 2).  

We made a short video you can watch below if you are interested in knowing more and possibly partnering with us in making this God-sized dream become a reality!

Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to stop-by our blog and stay connected with what we have been up to and what God has been doing here in Nicaragua.  

Thank you for your continued prayers and support for this country as well! Nicaragua is still going through a trying season politically, socially, and economically and we really do feel that we are here for times such as these!  

Hope, encouragement, and faith are needed more than ever in these difficult times as we walk hand in hand with our Nicaraguan brothers and sisters experiencing the growing pains necessary to arrive at the desired goal of seeing a Nicaragua free of oppression and tyranny.  

Lots of love, grace, peace, and joy to you this new year!

To partner with Fervent Fire Ministries in our efforts to BE LOVE and share the HOPE of the Good News, you can do so in various ways.

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Kinda Like Living in a Bubble

Experiencing the power of God and Joy of the Lord
in the Midst of Nationwide Unrest

It’s hard to know where to begin this blog as my mind tries to find some semblance of order. I feel inundated with thoughts and emotions of what has transpired over the past month and a half or so since my last correspondence. I guess I can begin by explaining my reason behind the title of this blog.

All around us and all over Nicaragua darkness has roamed the streets and seemingly swallowed up any trace of remembrance of peace and tranquility which began fading away on the 18th of April.  For a good while now, it has not been safe to go outside at night and even during the day it isn’t the best idea to travel alone as personal security is a thing of the past.  Robberies and assaults are common place and it seems that daily someone goes missing as they are often even snatched out of their own homes under the charges of conspiring against the government.  

It no longer matters if you aren’t a university student, you will be considered as collateral damage, expendable, if you get in the way by holding views that are contrary to those of the regime.

President Daniel Ortega and his wife have made it clear to everyone over the last several weeks that they have no intention of respecting a dialogue with the resistance movement mediated by the Catholic church.  

Actually, the Catholic church has now also been declared as another enemy of the state who can’t be trusted due to their stance against violence and deception. It just so happens that violence and deception are two favorite tools of this current regime.

We have recently exceded 450 deaths and are closing in on three thousand who have been injured during the last 3 months of this internal conflict.

Hundreds have been abducted and/or arrested with no cause other than peacefully protesting against violence/oppression. Daily there are dozens of mothers and other family members waiting to receive any information as to where their loved one is and many cases just want to know if they are even still alive.

My point is that the situation in which we are living on a national level is out of control and has been for over 3 months. On a daily basis we really don’t know what to expect but we continue to hope for the best and believe for a resolution in the not so distant future.  

What we do know is that we are called to shine as beacons of light in the midst of very dark times for Nicaragua.  We know that in order to remain in perfect peace in all this our minds must be stayed on Him, the Giver and Sustainer of true peace.  I have learned several new things over the past 3 months about life and henceforth about myself.

Maybe these things aren’t so new, but the truth of them has been emphasized through the circumstances in which we’ve find ourselves here in Nicaragua.  Perhaps the most foundational of these is that there is a constant battle waging against us and all around us vying for our attention. In this world which is so interconnected and information-oriented there are literally thousands of ways in which you could spend your time each day.  The problem is that there remains only 24 hours in a day so that means that we are forced to choose what we will lay before our eyes and with what we will fill our minds and occupy our thoughts.

I learned early on in the first few weeks of this national uprising that I simply could not be reactive to what was being thrown my way each day.  Each day was presenting me with new pictures of the deceased, news of the latest international reaction to what’s happening here, and constant live feeds being posted on social media from all over the country.

I felt like I was literally being bombarded on all sides with anxiety, worry, and pressure to absorb all that I could to be made completely aware of the tragic situation in which all Nicaraguans find themselves. I guess you could say that I even felt like it was in a way my responsibility to be as informed as I could be to honor all those that had been killed and/or injured as they stood against this oppressive regime.

It didn’t take me long to recognize that in living this way on a daily basis during a conflict such as this that has lasted months was causing me to live in a constant state of tension, worry, and sadness. Instead of my mind pondering the goodness of God and His love for me, I would find myself waking up and wondering what had happened the night before; if anyone had died, if there had been any more attacks or what was to be expected for the day that lie ahead.

This cycle of worry and tension didn’t last that long before I realized that I wouldn’t be able to continue on that way and still be productive in ministry. Not just that, but I needed to maintain peace and joy on a personal level.  

As I still cry often for the loss of life and plight of the many families who have lost a loved one or are still clamoring for information as to their whereabouts, I now decide to lay it all before the Lord and He reminds me on a daily basis that my joy is only found in Him, not in the stability of the situation around me.  

My peace is is only given to me by Him and maintained through intimate fellowship with Him on a consistent basis. Only through my total reliance on the Lord and dependence on Him for my daily spiritual sustenance can I process such great tragedy and national heartache and yet continue to smile and dance before the Lord in such personal thankfulness and joy for what He has done for me.

So I guess that kind of explains the title of this blog.  Being in Christ and being loved by your Father is like living in a bubble in that the outside world, while existing and very real, is still, well . . . outside.  It’s like I’ve been living in this cocoon of His love and kindness and I only realize that the majority of others around me aren’t living and experiencing this same reality when I get on social media or when I leave home to run errands and have encounters with others throughout my day.  

Many ministries have practically been shut down for over 3 months in Nicaragua as well as a large quantity of missionaries and ministries depend on the short-term mission season which falls primarily between the months of May and September. Due to the instability throughout the country since April, pretty much all short term mission trips have been canceled.  

This has also led to the departure of many missionaries and other ministry personnel from Nicaragua; not to mention the thousands of Nicaraguans who have fled to Costa Rica and other countries in search of stability and peace. This has left us in quite an interesting and unique situation, along with the few others who have chosen to stay behind lead by their own personal convictions.

So . . . all that to say that life for us has continued on and really, our day to day hasn’t been all that much different than before all this began back in April.  School for our high schoolers has been canceled pretty much the entire time, but they still come to the Project Monday through Friday to spend their afternoons with us. Our primary school kids haven’t missed too much class at all during all this so all in all, we’ve maintained our day to day ministry activities just about as well as can be expected.

It’s been a huge blessing for me to be able to continue to provide a secure paycheck to our staff as unemployment in Nicaragua has increased significantly over these last 3 months. Providing a safe place to which everyone can come daily, eat a meal together, fellowship with one another, serve someone else and be encouraged is just what so many of them need in all of this daily chaos.  

God has been moving mightily all around us and through us, maybe even more tangibly so over the last month or more. Our school year here hit summer break about a month ago, which lasts two weeks. For the 1st week of that break from school for our kids and staff we offered an “encounter week” here at our Project/our home for youth; basically a week for some selected youth from 4 different ministries to come together and experience the “more” of God in a personal way.  

During this week we had a daily teaching, meditation time, prayer and worship together and really just wanted to give Holy Spirit room to do what only He can do in the lives of these young ones.

We saw many touched by the love of the Father and joy of the Lord that week and believe that some foundational steps were taken in the lives of those youth that we are praying have propelled them into a deeper intimacy with their Savior.  

For me personally, it was such an interesting week having all these wonderful moments of breakthrough and emotion.

Four different ministries who all serve with the same underlying purpose of introducing others to our beautiful Jesus came together to lead these youth into a deeper relationship and dependence on our Lord; and all this while so much turmoil and sadness was happening all around us through the national unrest.  

Once again, it was like living in a bubble. God was moving so mightily and so lovingly in the midst of such surrounding darkness and uncertainty.

Near the end of the week we were blessed to be able to baptize 5 of the youth and saw several set free of demonic oppression. It was a blessed time together indeed and I believe the spiritual ramifications of that week will continue to impact the lives of those who were present in ways only time can reveal.  

Thank you all for your continued prayers for us and support of our heart-cry, which is to shine bright the hope and love of Jesus during this trying time.  

Bless you all and I hope reading this has encouraged you in your own personal walk with Lord wherever it may have taken you!

To partner with Fervent Fire Ministries in our efforts to BE LOVE and share the HOPE of the Good News, you can do so in various ways.

To partner with Fervent Fire Ministries in our efforts to BE LOVE and share the HOPE of the Good News, you can do so in various ways.

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Fixing Our Eyes on His

Remaining in Perfect Peace in the Midst of Chaos

As many of you know by now the last two to three weeks have been tumultuous here in Nicaragua.  

I won’t go into all the details here in my blog but if you would like to know more specifics about what has been going and how Nicaragua has come to the boiling point in which it finds itself currently, you can do so by clicking the links below:

How did things in Nicaragua get this bad?

Nicaragua is on the verge of change!

Jessica, Josiah and I have been fine throughout all the political upheaval which has lead to daily marches and protests throughout not only Managua, but the whole country.  

Nicaragua seems to be on the verge of change as more people than ever before have seemed to have had enough of the current regime’s heavy-handed responses to anything that opposes their will.  We are currently up to over 50 dead since the protests began, which have all been peaceful mind you, and we are praying that that number would not continue to climb as the marches and rallies continue on a daily basis.  

Jessica, myself, and a few others have been out to a few of these rallies to support those who desire a peaceful transition for Nicaragua from a socialist dictatorship to a more democratic and transparent leadership of the country.  

I have been living in Nicaragua since 2008; this September I will have officially been here for 10 years, calling Nicaragua my home.  I met my lovely wife and married her here in Nicaragua and my son Josiah was born here as well two and a half years ago; so I think it’s safe to say I have roots here in this beautiful country.  Nicaragua is more than just a place in which I “do ministry” all the while calling the United States my true home.

While I am and will always be an American, Nicaragua is my country of residence and I have made relationships with Nicaraguans who I consider as close as family.  So I guess I am saying that things would have to get pretty bad here for us to leave country.

The only moment throughout all this upheaval that I have felt uneasy or slightly nervous was during the time in which country-wide looting was taking place. We live and our ministry (which operates out of our home) is located right outside the local landfill and the communities surround us are low-income.  

So when the looting began on April 21st late in the night right behind our home in the local plaza where two grocery stores and many other stores are situated, it quickly escalated and by the following morning there was nothing left untouched other than a small pharmacy.

The photos below were taken right outside our home in the plaza that got hit the worst.

You can also click below to see a video I took on my phone while trying to make it to an ATM before all the money was gone the morning of the looting.

The situation in which we currently find ourselves right now does not inspire much hope for a peaceful resolution to the unrest in the near future.  In fact, as I’m sitting down in a a local coffee shop to try and finish this blog that I began about a week ago, I have read reports that 3 more were killed late last night in more attacks by the police/military/government mobs at the local university where this all began back in April.  

It seems that frustrations with the government leadership and its abuses of power are increasing amongst the general population and a possible nationwide economic shut-down in protest to all this could be coming. It has already become increasingly more difficult to get things done around town as working hours vary greatly depending on the marches planned for the day or the events of the day before in whatever local you are planning to visit or drive through.

Please continue to remember Nicaragua in your prayers as this country is in dire need of them at the moment.  Thank you for declaring peace and brotherly love with us over this nation and all those involved in the major decision making process of how this country will move forward day by day.  

We love Nicaragua and all we have spoken with on both sides of this issue do not desire to see the country taken back into the dark ages with another bloody civil war that would inevitably leave another generation with broken families struggling to get by more than they already are.

Now that I’ve given you a bit of information as to what has been going on around these parts for the past month or so and where we find ourselves at the present moment, I would like to tell you a bit about what i’ve been learning through all this national upheaval and daily uncertainty we’ve been living in.

Truth is truth no matter what the circumstance or trial in which we find ourselves!

With all the chaos surrounding us these days in Nicaragua it can be easy to get caught up in it and allow yourself to be consumed with the unrest.  We live in a day in which the advances in technology allow us to be connected 24 hours of the day to what is going on around us; and not even around us, but across the globe if we so desire.  

Horrible news of atrocities and death are constantly filling news-feeds and providing us with reports of how things are getting worse.

After all, what really gets attention from the masses and clicks on the internet are the news stories that are the saddest and most shocking.  

I myself have noticed in this last month since things have been so intense the importance of remaining “single eyed”.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”  

Matthew 6:22

Truth is no matter who we are or where we find ourselves there are constantly other things, people, events, and what have you vying for our attention and trying to get us to place our focus on what really doesn’t matter most.

I’m not saying that no event, moment, or person doesn’t require our attention, but there is a great difference in focusing on something for a moment and allowing that “something” to dominate our thoughts and minds. I have seen this played out in my own life over my almost 13 years as a believer, but this truth has really been made evident to me lately amidst the local events of the last month.

Everyone is wanting to stay updated on the latest news and we are constantly checking our phones and other devices to be kept informed. But what does being kept informed actually profit me?

Not that the sad things that are happening around me don’t matter to me personally, but what does being the 1st person to know about it actually gain me?

Nothing. Nothing at all.

But being constantly connected with what is happening in the world/country but not actually in front of me will keep me somewhat disconnected to those who are actually in my presence and personally affected by my life right here and now.

I want my light to shine! I don’t ever want to grow dim because of what is going on around me or in the lives others. I want to be able to love whoever is in front of me or far from me in the moment, no matter what!

And for that to be possible I must guard my heart and keep my “eye single” and focused on Him. Jesus and the truth of His unconditional love and grace must remain front and center in my mind and heart at all times if I hope to remain in perfect peace and filled with joy on a daily basis.

“. . .whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”

Phillipians 4:8

One of my favorite scenes in the movie The Shack is when Mack is out in a small fishing boat on the lake and things begin to go not so well for him.  

The water becomes black and polluted and the boat begins to break up and sink beneath him. The contaminated water begins to fill the boat and Mack is visibly shaken and consumed with fear.

In that moment Jesus’ voice speaks to Mack and tells him it’s ok, and that he was letting what was going on around him to consume him and he didn’t have to.  

I have found this to be so true in my life and in the lives of others as well. We don’t have to let our circumstances and chaos that is happening around us or around the world steal our peace and cause us to fear. As the apostle Paul says in the verse above, we have a choice in all of this.

We may not be able to control what comes our way, but we do have a choice in what we do with and how we react to the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  And this my friends, really understanding this truth is what has done wonders for me and allows me to be unshakable when the ground beneath my feet seems unsteady and all around me seems to be uncertain.  

In the throes of fear I dare to believe;  in the midst of uncertainty I choose to hope.  And when anxiety threatens to swallow me whole I fix my eyes on His and my whole being finds rest in Him.

My friends, this is why it’s so important to make fixing our eyes on His gaze and taking the time to meditate on His goodness.  With all that life throws at us it is simply impossible to maintain at rest in the truth of the Gospel if we are not allowing what really matters most to reign in our hearts and lives on a daily basis.  

Recently I have seen this truth verified in the lives of various other brothers and sisters around me as well as we live through this trying time in Nicaragua.

As this country groans and stretches through this process I want to be a rock of peace and hope for all that are in need and I know that for this to be possible I must keep my mind stayed on Him.

“You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.”

Isaiah 26:3

So reader, please remember that you have a say in what fills your mind and consumes your thoughts.  You are not subject to whatever life throws at you and you most certainly do not have to submit to the fear and anxiety that threatens to consume you entirely.  

There is one who stands by you and if He isn’t already, longs to be in you. As Jesus slept peacefully through the storm on the lake of Galilee as those around Him feared for their lives and were desperately doing all they could to save themselves, Jesus offers this same supernatural peace and rest to you.

Will you take His hand?
Will you fix your gaze on His?
Will you entrust your struggle to Him?

I encourage you to pause right now and take a moment to do so if you haven’t already.

Bless you my friend!

- Michael

To partner with Fervent Fire Ministries in our efforts to BE LOVE and share the HOPE of the Good News, you can do so in various ways.

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