Change is upon us!

Forgive me if I speak of change as some “thing” or some “force”; like some unwanted visitor that shows up at our door and refuses to leave until we finally accept that he isn’t going anywhere until he gets what he wants. However, change isn’t always a bad thing; it can be the beginning of something exciting, something new and challenging! Of course it can also be something that takes us by surprise and forces us into a new way of thinking and living that stretches and tests our levels of perseverance and adaptability to the highest level.

Either way it comes to us, we will all experience change in our lives numerous times and hopefully we will all get better at recognizing the need to quickly adapt and embrace whatever it is that comes and whenever it may come. There is often nothing sadder than someone who has change come to their life, but instead of embracing it they fight against it and do all in their power to resist the seemingly inevitability of what has come upon them. As Christ followers we know that we shall pass through seasons in our lives as we mature in the Lord and used by God in different ways to build up His church and be a blessing to the body and a light unto the world. Really, it is an honor to be used by God in any way seeing as how, at least in my own life, I wasted 25 years by living selfishly, only looking to fulfill my own desires at any cost. Since coming to Christ all I have wanted to do is to bare fruit and be a vessel through which the Lord can work to spread what He’s done in my life to others.

So this change thing . . . yes, Jessica and I both feel that it has come upon us and soon we will be entering into another season of life, the likes of which we have been slightly preparing for over the last few years. Up until a few years ago, when FrutiVera and the sweet corn business came into our lives, I had not been part of the 9-5 working world since I left Germany back in 2008. Over those roughly 13 years I, and what would eventually become my family, had been living off of the faithfulness of the Lord to provide through supporters of the ministry. Wow! How amazing is that?! To be able to have your needs provided for, and then some, through the giving of others; with the majority of those amazing people never having set foot in Nicaragua! It blows me away. God is so faithful and I have always had food on my plate, a place to lay my head, and clothes on my back. We have been able to see God move through the giving of others so much over the years and see so many needs met that it would be hard to look back and count each and every person and/or family blessed with a plate of food, home, bathroom, new roof, Bible, etc . . . and that’s not even mentioning meeting needs that can’t be measured tangibly. I truly believe that the greatest need of the day is not the physical need. Don’t get me wrong, physical needs are not to be swept under the rug or pushed into the background, but I do believe that they should take 2nd place when it comes to prioritizing what is at the root of the problem of mankind. Of course I’m referring to the spiritual need of eternal life and the importance of having someone in our lives that speaks truth and also lives it out on a daily basis for all the world to see. Through the prayers and financial support of The Isaiah Ministry/Fervent Fire Ministry Jessica, I and many others supported by the ministry in one way or another have been able to be that light to our surrounding communities through prayer, Bible studies, outreach opportunities, home visits and more. Many have been born again to a LIVING HOPE and many more have been encouraged to keep running the race! None of this would have been possible without the tangible support of others and for that we are forever indebted and deeply grateful to all who have supported our efforts here in Nicaragua; if you donated just one time or if you have been supporting us since the beginning through to the present day! FROM THE MOST SINCERE PLACE IN OUR HEARTS WE SAY THANK YOU! ☺️ 🙏

So as I mentioned earlier, a few years ago I began my way back into the working world as production manager of a sweet corn harvest with FrutiVera.THIS WAS TOTALLY A GOD THING! As I had no agricultural experience and up until my joining of the FrutiVera team I only had what I would call as a healthy curiosity in the agricultural field; mostly motivated by the desire to find a way to provide jobs to those in our fellowship here in Managua that needed work; while at the same time finding a way to generate funds to meet physical needs of the church as well.

Through the confirmation of a few prophetic words my wife and I felt that the sweet corn business opportunity was indeed divinely inspired so I joined the team as a consultant, wearing many hats serving the team in whatever way was needed, which after a few months lead to me accepting the position as production manager. Over these past few years working with FrutiVera on a somewhat flexible and inconsistent schedule fulfilling needs as production manager, but also filling in for sales, packaging and quality control, etc. . . I realized that now in my 40’s and having walked with the Lord for almost 15 years, He had formed in me a charachter and wisdom that is valuable in the workplace. What I definitely lacked in experience I made up for in consistency, hard work, availability, and wise counsel. Clearly I can take no credit for any of this; because if not for the Lord’s mercy and guidance I truly believe that I would have never gotten this far in my life and accomplished any of the things that I am now proud of since being born-again 15 years ago.

In a sudden and unexpected change of events a few months back the government confiscated the land in which FrutiVera had its sweetcorn harvest. We had been leasing the land and developing it over the 2 years we had been there, as it had been woefully maintained by its owners before us. Sadly, we were just about to get to the place of having a stable and sufficient water supply for the crops, which cost us an investment of 10’s of thousands of dollars. However, we only able to reap the benefits of the newly outfitted well and water-pump setup for about 6 months before we had to pull everything out of the ground before the government could come and confiscate all our materials at the farm as well. So, obviously this was quite the set-back for the business and ever since we harvested our last crop of corn that was already in the ground when the unfortunate news arrived, we have been on a forced “pause”. It’s never an easy thing to see something you’ve poured so much time and energy into come to a halt caused by forces out of your control. But, if there’s one thing i’ve learned over the years of ministry here in Nicaragua, its to trust in the Lord and make sure you’re doing all you can to make sure the things you can control are being given their needed attention and care, while leaving the things that are beyond our reach to Him. This was definitely one of those situations and as Jessica and I prayed and talked further about God’s plans for our lives and what was “next” for us, we began to feel that maybe my involvement in FrutiVera as a daily-wager had come to an end. We are still waiting for confirmation and funds to take the next step and move FrutiVera to a new location and start-up again; however, my involvement moving forward will be solely that of a business consultant.

For the past few years my wife has been asking me the question from time to time: “Do you think we’ll move to the United States to live someday?” And my usual answer to this question was along the lines of: “I don’t know. Maybe. 🤷‍♂️ But I don’t feel like that time is now. We have too much going on that God has us involved in for Him to move us away.” But this year things began to feel a bit different concerning our future here in Nicaragua. A few times I have felt inspired, compelled even, to search the internet for job opportunities. It was a strange feeling. I didn’t really know what to look for and what’s more, jobs that I was even qualified for as a 43 year old missionary. 2023 has also presented us with more needs and less funds with which to meet those needs; which has also played into me wondering more consistently if our time of living here off the financial support of others is coming to an end. These things aren't always easy to discern; however, I think that circumstance can sometimes push us into a corner to see where we’re at in our faith. It could be that we are being tempted to doubt God and His promises to provide and we must hold the line and stand firm in what we know He has said. Other times, I believe that God is using circumstance to lead us into another season of life that maybe we have been a bit hesitant to enter into, or to even consider entering into. In my case I do not believe I, or my wife for that matter, have been resistant to the idea of change; I guess it more of the problem of discerning whether its God speaking/moving or our own thoughts and desires. Well, after much prayers and discussion Jessica and I believe that God is leading us back to the United States next year.

Our home in Managua where we have lived for the past almost 10 years!

In 2022 I strongly felt the need to begin Jessica’s green-card application process and about a year later in June of this year we heard back from USCIS that she was approved to go onto the 2nd stage of the green card application process, which is where we are at the moment. Limited by funds (it has cost almost $1,000 up to this point) and know how, we are still making our way through the application process and are hoping to finalize submitting all the proper documents within the next month or so. We have also listed our house “for sale” with one real estate company as we think it best to no longer own property in Nicaragua. During my whole tenure here in Nicaragua I have never felt anxiety or worry about property ownership before, but the way things are going here lately in the country it hasn't inspired much confidence that things are going to end well. I am not saying that our decision to list the house is based on those somber feelings, rather on the lack of peace and confidence with which we owned and lived in this home in years past.

Our biggest concern in considering leaving the country sometime next year is the family in Christ to which we belong here in Managua. As soon as Jessica and I began feeling the moving of the Lord in our hearts towards more certainty in our time living in Nicaragua coming to an end, our thoughts quickly moved to a concern for the church. What would become of the fellowship here in Managua if we are no longer around?

We ask this question in all humility as we know that the church is a body of many members and that no member is greater than the other. However, Jessica and I have been here so long and have for most of that time been a central fixture in the lives of many of the brothers and sisters here that we do acknowledge a concern that if we are no longer here to be a spiritual “crutch” of sorts that many have leaned on, will it all just fall apart in our absence? This question has lead us to share our feelings of our impending future departure with the fellowship here with the desire of the news challenging all to step-up a bit more in responsibility for the body and begin being more intentional in their dealings with each other. No longer waiting for a certain few to initiate acts of service, gatherings, home visits and the like; but to fully realize that we are all called to live this life of service and compassion for one another. I am happy to share that we have seen some of the brothers and sisters stepping-up more than before and choosing to be involved in a more consistent way, which has encouraged us as we continue to walk and encourage the family in Christ as best we can with the time left we have here amongst them.

Since visiting the United States on our most recent trip back in June I have been preparing myself for an opportunity in sales that a dear brother in the Lord has so graciously offered me. In my preparations for the opportunity I have read 5 books already and am working my way through the 6th. I have enjoyed learning, once again, about something in which I previously had little to no working knowledge and am just trying to place myself in the best position possible to be a valuable asset for whomever I would work. If I am able to produce in this provided opportunity I would be back in the 9-5, 5 days a week work world, the likes of which I have not been fully immersed in since my coming to Nicaragua. I am intrigued by the challenge and opportunity to provide for all the needs of my family and no longer need to receive a “fair compensation” from the ministry to cover our living expenses. All donations made to Fervent Fire Ministries would be allocated towards meeting the needs of the church in Nicaragua and any and all other needs the Lord would lead us to be involved in meeting. There are already a few needs on the list that we know we would love to see met, or at least steps made towards that end, by the time we make our exit from Nicaragua. Such as a providing few homes for families in the fellowship and vehicles as well. Obviously these are needs of a higher dollar amount and we are excited to see how the Lord moves to meet them in His time and in His way. We are just excited to be part of the process, whether it be on the facilitating-end through boots on the ground ministry or providing-end through giving of the fruits of our labors in the workforce.

Ok, I think this blog has been long enough! If you have gotten this far I thank you for sticking with me and caring enough to spend your valuable time here. I will ask you for more time in that as the Lord brings to your remembrance, please pray for us as we proceed cautiously, yet with much excitement, into this new season of ministry. We don’t know exactly how things will look come 2024 for Fervent Fire, but we know that we will still be serving, still be part of the growing body of Christ, still be giving all we can to see the kingdom of God grow through the sharing of the Gospel and making disciples! We will always have a home here in Nicaragua, we know that. We will always be part of the church here in Nicaragua as well; as we have seen too much and been a part of too much to ever forget all that God has done!

Michael