On Sunday night my team and I went to Bethel to go to their church. As soon as we walked in I could feel God in the room. I struggled during worship though, I didn't know what they were saying but during one song I realized they were singing "holy holy holy". I started to sing along. The next song I didn't understand but I continued to mouth the words. Everyone was clapping and spinning in a room that felt like it was 100 degrees. It was so powerful even when nothing sounded familiar.

All of the sudden my squad was asked to come up on stage. We were asked to sing the song "open the eyes of my heart Lord". My team isn't a choir, don't get me wrong I have a lot of team members with amazing voices...(me not so much). However, we proceeded to sing and we sounded INCREDIBLE. not our voices but the passion we had was shining through and church members didn't know what we were saying but they were smiling full of joy.

We continued to worshiped and I was watching the people on stage, especially the Pastor. Whatever church you go to you can always notice the Pastor. Not for how they dress or act but the passion that shines through them. The pastor walked up and started to sing a song. He had a beautiful voice. 

It's really hard for me to blog this to you because I want this story to end on a good note. 

During the song the Pastor started to sing quietly, he then proceded to loose balance and his eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground.  Immediately church members rushed to help him. Everyone in the church started to pray. He was picked up and taken outside. Some church members  started to yell, yelling the angel of death away, the devil away, for the light to shine through, for strength, and most of all for healing for the Pastor.

  We continued to pray and worship. The whole focus on that Sunday night was to pray for the pastor of the church. Later in the service a woman walked up to the front to tell the news.   All of this was in Spanish so many of my teammates and I didn't know exactly what happened but facial expressions told it all. The pastor passed away. So many people started to cry and fall to their knees. I have never felt such darkness, pain, hopelessness in my life. I walked up to the front, one of the singers at the church was about my age and she was trembling with pain and sobbing. I put my hand on her and as soon as I did she melted. She started to cry harder and harder. I started to pray over her and the church. For healing, peace, comfort in knowing God was right there and love. All of this was in English and the girl couldnt speak a word of English but God broke down the language barrier and she started to agree with the words I was speaking. I then laid my hands on a older woman on her knees who was sobbing. I continued to pray in english.

I looked around the room and saw all of my teammates praying over the church members. At that exact moment I realized the purpose of why we are all here. We are in Nicaragua at this exact time to be the light in such a dark place. One of my teammates shared this with me Isaiah 61. This is the reason that I'm here, to help the broken hearted, bring joy, comfort those in mourning and to tell the good news of God. 

 In the town many people were getting very sick. One of the other pastors was reaching a point of dying and one lady was the same way. When I heard this I could really feel the darkness grow.  Earlier I said I wanted this blog to end on a good note. I woke up in the middle of the night from the loud thunder and I realized that this story does in fact end in happiness.  The thunder was a reminder of the party going on in heaven. God and all of the angels were welcoming a loyal and  loving disciple home. And that is indescribable.

Please keep the Pastor's family in your prayers. 

He has a wife, a 21 year old son and a daughter who just turned 11 on Monday.

Please pray for the people in Nicaragua, especially in Bethel Pray for God's light to shine in such a dark place Pray  for my teammates and myself to show God's love