Sal y Limon

We’re getting close to ready here at the project. I’m pretty sure that we’ll be housing the inaugural guests at the Bethel Mission Center in Chinandega, Nicaragua come December 1st. I’m only a tiny bit concerned that some of our current inhabitants will not jive well with North American Christians. It’s not so much religious differences or political strife that I’m worried about. The real issue is biting. That’s right! The locals bite and the visitors squish…..or squash. Both of these guys have been found stowing away in our digs in just the past two weeks. A motley crew indeed but good neighbors if you ask me. We’ll see how it goes between these two exotic groups. In any case; I doubt that it’s going to be a gracious example of co-laboring in the name of the Lord.

I once heard a smart man say that “we already are”. Already are in the sense of preaching the gospel or spreading the good memo. It’s the idea that telling people about Jesus occurs in every aspect of our lives. It’s not just a four-step presentation, or a compilation of Bible verses that lead a person through a near-sighted picture of what might occur in someone’s heart and mind as they come into the family of God. I’ve found this reality to be incredibly necessary among a people that can more easily evaluate my character than my theology. The idea is that my current Theology would transform my behavior to be more and more congruent with Jesus himself, the fruits of the spirit or “good moral character” if you don’t speak Christian. Most everyone in my path here either claims “Christianity” or is very familiar with some sort of “Christian” church and how things work within that particular organization. In my village; I’m considered a missionary and yet my daily activities probably confound the average church person. They don’t find me in the church every night; they don’t hear me saying “Glory to God” and “Yes, I’m doing fine, Gracias a Dios!”. I don’t say “God bless you” to every person I encounter all day long. I also hire non-church people to work at the project with me. I wear shorts; listen to weird music, and don’t speak with overwhelming and unusual respect towards pastors. I’m probably in need of a some good ole fashion “saving” as far as the church people are concerned. I hope that I’m effectively communicating Jesus through my actions. Sometimes I get this desire to raise my voice with the details of my Theological standpoints in order to substantially validate a spiritual element of my work here in Bethel. To validate it unto to people like you I mean. I just couldn't quite bring myself to do it. If I’m going to do anything good here; it will not likely emanate from a pulpit; and it’s not going to seem all that "Missionary like" either. This is how things are going and it feels just about right.

Getting to the title of this blog; I’ve got a mixture of salt and lime on my feet. It’s a local remedy for Pica Pica. Pica Pica being the native terminology for an allergic reaction to a some elusive ecological specimen. I haven’t identified the culprit as of yet but it’s more or less Poison Ivy. You scratch the affected area with aggression and then apply the salt coated lime with equal fervor. Yes, it burns. But I’m supposed to be all better after two days..........I’ll let you know.