Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Landed in San Salvador

The journey home has begun and the team has landed in San Salvador! We will update again when we depart for Washington. Text "nicaparent" to 41411 to get our travel updates to your phone.

Nicaragua Day 8 - June 28, 2016

After a rejuvenating night's sleep we had a delicious breakfast buffet to start our full day at our debrief site, Apoyo Resort.  We ate breakfast halfway up the side of the mountain which gave us a gorgeous view of the lagoon while we ate.  Following breakfast we split up into our small groups where we had our first small group of the day.  During our debrief small groups we return to the character Jacob who we had studied before the trip as a model to help us process our experiences in Nicaragua.  Jacob wrestled with God in Genesis 32 and that idea of wrestling has been a great image to describe our own encounters with God because we have all had to wrestle with the realities of poverty and faith.  Then we took some time before lunch to be alone with God.  We have found that it is important to learn how to not only worship God together in a group, but also by yourself through His Word, the Bible, and nature.

At lunch we all enjoyed a tasty quesadilla and then had the entire afternoon to spend some free time in and around the lagoon.  We jumped off the dock, swam, played pool volleyball, kayaked and had a great afternoon together as a team.  It has been a beautiful picture of God's community as we all gathered with the same faith having fun together.  People have made new friends and the entire team has developed a wonderful spirit of unity that has transcended school and background.  After our free time we ate dinner and headed to our final porch time.

Porch time tonight was held overlooking the lagoon, with the stars as clear as could be. Admiring the sky, listening to the water, and feeling the wind, it was a wonderful environment to sing praise and examine God's Word. Luke spoke about the things we try to put in the throne of our lives. Is it popularity? Success in school? Sports? Do we put ourselves in the throne, and do whatever we want whenever we want? Luke asked us three questions: 1) What are we doing? What are sinful choices or behaviors in our lives that are based on what we want, and not what God wants? 2) Where are we building a temple for God when we need to realize God lives in us? We cannot confine him. 3) Who are we? What, or who, is our identity in?

We concluded that fear is a powerful motive in causing us to put anything besides God on the throne of our lives, and after the message, students had an opportunity to reflect on an assignment they had worked on prior to the trip. They wrote on a card some of the fears and uncertainty in their lives, and slowly, one by one, they made their way to a small fire to symbolically burn those fears and doubts. In closing, we all sang "No Longer Slaves," reinforcing again that we not slaves to fear, but are children of God. Small groups are discussing more of Jacob's story and his encounter with God in Genesis. We hope that after wrestling this week, God's blessing is made clear in our lives.

We'll get a few hours of rest before making our way home very early tomorrow morning! Our flight is set to depart Nicaragua at 6:15am on flight TACA 314. We will text you with our travel progress.


Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Nicaragua, Day 7 - June 27, 2016

Today was our final day in Leon. We left the hotel for the last time and headed into the city's square. There, we visited one of their cathedrals and even got access to the roof for an amazing view of the city and surrounding countryside. It was beautiful. After the cathedral, we spent some time at the market. Imagining what grocery shopping might look like here, or how some people make their money, was a neat experience. Vendors are tightly packed together in an open market, selling anything from bananas or rice to t-shirts or hammocks.

From the square, we rode to Verbo Leon for our final opportunity to participate in their feeding center. It was once again a great reminder of how grateful we should be as we watched these kids at the same rice and beans and bread for the fifth time. It has been a challenge all week wrestling with the differences in our lifestyles, but at the same time, it has been motivating and inspiring to continue our support and partnership for the ministry in Leon.

After their lunch, we were able to spend a final hour or so playing tag and soccer with the kids we had built relationships with all week. Many people on our team left sad knowing this may be the last time they see some of these kids for a long time, but we're thankful for the leaders at the church who are accessible and who can care for these kids long after we've left. It's been a life-altering experience for our team this week, and we're excited for you to hear personal stories from our team when we return.

On our way to our debrief site, we had a team lunch at a local restaurant with some of the church leaders. Then we packed up the bus and traveled back through Managua to Apoyo Resort. This resort rests on a lagoon that was formed by an old volcano that is now inactive. We use this resort as "middle ground" for the team to process all that was seen and experienced before returning to the affluence of America. We will use our time here to have multiple small group discussions, worship music, alone time, and some fun as we let our encounters with God shape us for the future.

During our first evening here, the team did not struggle to appreciate the beautiful view of the water. Dinner was served as the sun set and we got settled down before Porch Time. Abbey shared about what we call "the secret of the poor," and how we often choose competition or comparison over compassion. With a challenge to grow in gratitude and generosity, Abbey reflected on the lack of possessions but the strength of relationships between the Nicaraguans. Our desire for more possessions can often distract us from the relational investments God is asking us to make. Small groups met to reflect on the joy they witnessed in those who have so much less, and we got ready for bed. We're excited for a full day at the resort tomorrow, and we'll share more then! Please be praying for our final Porch Time, and that God would solidify the lessons in our hearts and minds that He may be trying to teach us.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Nicaragua, Day 6 - June 26, 2016

Sunday has arrived! A beautiful day to worship, we attended church in both Leon and Posoltega. Arriving in Leon at roughly 9:30am (11:30am your time), it was awesome to imagine Izzy, one of our Student Ministry Summer Interns, getting ready to preach in Williamsburg, and how we were also getting ready to praise Jesus miles and miles away. God is one, and we all got to worship Him, as one, together this morning. The services at each site were very musical and very energetic. With birds chirping in the ceiling, fans blowing beneath them, the keyboard and drums playing music, and the congregation clapping along, it was a different experience than the ones we're used to at the Chapel, but it was awesome to be a participant in how another culture worships Christ. Luke shared Psalm 117, and the idea that all nations will praise the Lord. Despite singing songs like "All Creatures of Our God and King" at home, it's a humbling opportunity to be able to stand alongside people of a different tongue and different nation still praising the Lord. 

After church, we had our soccer tournament at Posoltega! It truly was a beautiful day; not often you're playing soccer with a volcano in the background. Some cloud cover and a steady breeze made the afternoon delightful (despite our American team losing both of it's games), and it was clear the teams of Leon and Posoltega were excited to play. One of the Nicaraguan teams was actually sporting some Jamestown Eagle jerseys, which was an encouraging picture of partnership, as they were clearly jerseys donated in years past.

Back at the hotel, we had an extended time of worship this evening. Songs like "Heart Runs" reminded us that everything we want is found in Jesus, that what we want really is Jesus, Himself. "How He Loves" and "How Deep The Father's Love For Us" left an imprint on God's heart for His creation, and "In Christ Alone" and "No Longer Slaves" enforce that we God's children, co-heirs with Christ, and that we stand and live in His power, the power that overcame the grave. 

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Nicaragua, Day 5 - June 25, 2016

Our Saturday has been full! Today we had two big events in store. First, we wanted to offer our partners in Leon and Posoltega (the leaders, staff and volunteers) a little break from their service to the kids and take them out for a day at the beach! Knowing they work hard, we hoped to encourage them and have some fun playing games and swimming. We played group charades, pictionary, and finished with a nail biter of a relay race. After crowning a champion from the winning team, we had some time to jump in the water. Being in a different country, swimming in an entirely different ocean, it was neat to appreciate God's creation in a new way - His sun, His waves, His shade under His trees. We have access to those things in Virginia, but being joined by a staff who might not go to the beach with the same ease we're afforded, the team enjoyed our time on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. 

Our second big event was the Talent Show! Earlier in the week, we had walked through the communities, handing out fliers for a Talent Show that would be held at the church in Leon. Well, tonight was the night for it. Pastor Philippe of Verbo Leon hosted the event, and welcomed everyone who joined us. He prayed for the show, that God would take control of the acts, and he kicked it off with some of our team who had entered the contest. The judges and the crowd sat to observe singing, guitars, keyboards, drums, even hand stands. Our judges eventually determined the winner to be a little girl who had everyone standing and clapping along as she sang.

Pastor Philippe then took a moment to share from the Gospel of John. What struck me was how we had just witnessed a talent show, where people broadcast their joys, and then Philippe shared John 3:16, where we learn that God took His joy, His Son, and gave Him as a gift for us. We were challenged to consider if we would ever die for the person beside us, or our enemy. Able to reflect on the depth of God's sacrifice for us, Philippe asked if anyone wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior, and everyone celebrated with those who came forward! It was a simple invitation, and yet one we sometimes struggle to extend, the invitation to accept Jesus in to lives, that He might transform them.

Returning to the hotel a little later than usual, we ate dinner and quickly prepared for Porch Time. There were some funny moments at the beach that people reflected on, and powerful times that Jesus was seen throughout the day. We sang a few songs reminding us of the idea that our response in every circumstance is praise. And after that time of musical worship, Luke shared about suffering in the world. Why is there suffering? Where is God in the suffering? We learned that we were created in His image (Genesis), but that along the way, we suppressed the truth of God and worshipped other things (Romans), and that our selfishness always leads to suffering. Still, there is hope. God wants to use us, wants to empower us through His Spirit, to offer ourselves as living sacrifices for Him. Living selfless lives, dying to our selves that He might live in us.  Small groups discussed what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God, what things we find ourselves tempted to worship besides God, and how we can offer ourselves back to God, who offered Himself for us. Please pray for clarity and understanding, as our team studies what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ!

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Nicaragua, Day 4 - June 24, 2016


Our day began with another great breakfast from the Hotel staff here in Leon as we got ready to head to the two same churches as yesterday.  Once again half of our team stayed in Leon and the other half went to Posoltega.  Each team got off the bus excited to continue the relationships they had begun the previous days.  In both locations our teams first gathered with all of the staff at the churches to discuss the challenges and vision involved in leading a church.  It is impressive to see the staff at these churches eager to learn and improve.  They truly desire to serve their communities and bring the Gospel to as many kids and families as possible.

After the discussions on leadership, both groups went out into the surrounding community to hand out flyers inviting people to a talent show in Leon tomorrow night.  The pastors of these churches hope to use a fun talent show as an opportunity to reach some new members of the community that they would not have normally reached.  In addition to the invitations for the talent show, everyone had another opportunity to see the actual living conditions of these families.  Most of the buildings are just single story homes made out of cement blocks without any doors and only a few rooms.  Oftentimes, there were three generations all living under the same roof which made for tight living conditions in spaces that were already small by any American standard.  

Upon returning to the churches, both groups were welcomed by kids that came running excited to see our teams.  We have started learning the names of the kids and they have learned our names, so the relationships have become much more personal and meaningful.  Our teams helped all of the kids wash their hands and sit down to eat lunch.  We ate our own lunches and then prepared for our final VBS lesson of the week on Jacob and Esau.  We watched an animated movie that documented the story of Jacob and Esau and then talked about forgiveness.  Then, each team had a couple people share stories from their own lives about times in which they either received forgiveness or extended forgiveness to someone.  We ended our VBS lesson with some discussion on the topic of forgiveness and then got ready for our celebration with the kids to celebrate their participation in VBS.  Our celebrations mainly involved a big piƱata filled with candy for the kids to bust open and enjoy.  It truly was a celebratory moment for all the work God has been doing over the past few days at these churches.

After both teams re-united, we all headed back to our hotel for the evening.  We enjoyed another delicious meal and then got ready for our evening "porch time" gathering.  Tonight, Tommy Vereb spoke to us out of Matthew 13 about the parable of the sower.  He challenged us not to simply think about what it means to sow seeds in others, but to take seriously the "soil" condition of own hearts.  Life is filled with different "rocks", "thorns", and other things that hurt the health of our soil, but until we take seriously the condition of our own hearts then we will never be able to sow healthy seeds in others.  Finally, we ended the night with another time in small groups to keep processing all that God is doing and then headed to bed.

Check back tomorrow for more stories about our with people from the churches in Leon and Posoltega.

Friday, June 24, 2016

Nicaragua, Day 3 - June 23, 2016

Good evening, family and friends! Day three of our time in Nicaragua has been outstanding. From Hotel San Juan de Leon, we left for our first full day in our respective service sites. Split into two groups, one team returned to Verbo Leon, and one team visited Posoltega.

At both sites, each respective team exchanged greetings with the leaders of the church there. From youth leaders to head cooks to security guards to singers, it was incredibly encouraging to see the church, the body of Christ, working throughout the world. It is motivating to be reminded that we are are all children of God, and that we are united in Jesus Christ. Our leaders shared a little bit of our roles at the Williamsburg Community Chapel and how it was a privilege to be able to visit Nicaragua and worship and serve alongside them.

After a brief devotional, teams toured the community that surrounded the church, gaining a better sense of the daily lives that are led there. Exposure to their homes and their streets really put into perspective a new reality; though we see them at the church or the feeding site, enclosed by people who care for and love them, they live much of their lives in areas that are not as safe or as friendly. It really affirmed the necessity and blessing of the local church, and made us all the more joyful to know that these kids do have a place to go for physical, emotional, and spiritual provision.

Following the tour we assisted in serving lunch before another VBS lesson. Much like yesterday, we helped kids wash their hands, and relayed trays of cups and plates or bowls from the tables to the kitchen and back. In our VBS lesson we shared the story of the prodigal sons, emphasizing that no matter how far we run or how far away we feel from God, He is always there pursuing us, offering forgiveness and love.

Returning to the hotel for dinner, we washed up and settled down and got ready for Porch Time. Abbey shared from her past experiences in Nicaragua, and how surprising it had been for her to come here and see Jesus already alive and active. This idea of incarnational ministry, that Jesus is alive and can be seen in us and in the Nicaraguans, can be a challenging one to grasp. How do we live in Jesus? How does Jesus live in us? Small groups discussed the preconceived notions of how we might be serving the children here, and how our expectations have been challenged. We also discussed what barriers exist that prevent us from seeing Jesus in others on a daily basis. Please be praying for us this week that we can walk faithfully and confidently in Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, and that our eyes would be opened to the work He has already begun here!

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Nicaragua, Day 2 - June 22, 2016

Hello again! Casa Bernabe gave the team much rest and a welcomed breakfast for the start of our second day here in Nicaragua. We left Casa Bernabe following that meal and visited El Faro's "Mission 14" work site. El Faro is a church that translates to "The Lighthouse," and it supports women in the community who lived in the city trash dump. Mission 14 has a sewing factory that, in addition to sewing clothes, creates art, and crafts jewelry. One of the necklaces available for purchase was even made of recycled paper from the very dump they had escaped! Amazing to see God redeem people and places, and enable them to join in His mission.

From El Faro, we journeyed to the ORPHANetwork Headquarters. We dropped off our donations, and were also able to tour the offices and learn more about what ORPHANetwork does. The Mission of ORPHANetwork is to: 1) Rescue abandoned, abused, and orphaned children, 2) Prevent vulnerable children from becoming abandoned, 3) Create opportunities for new life, and 4) Share Christ with everyone. Operating with two mindsets, "life-saving" and "life-changing," there are orphanages that serve kids in need of physical support, and there are LCI's (Local Church Initiatives) where the hope is to prevent kids from needing the orphanages in the first place. ORPHANetwork approximately supports 163 Life-Saving locations, and 41 Life-Changing locations.

After our tour there, we left for Leon! Upon arriving at the church, Verbo Leon, we assisted in feeding the kids lunch, helping wash hands and serving food. After lunch, a miniature soccer game broke out, laps were ran around the church in fierce games of tag, and children were spun and lifted before a VBS message provided by Luke. He discussed the Two Sons from Matthew 21, and after the scripture was read, we broke up into three groups and some of our team shared a moment in their lives when they were disobedient and why obedience in our faith is important. We played a game of Simon Says to practice obedience and following directions, and then we made crafts with them to help us remember the two sons from the story.

We said "bye" to our new friends after the lesson, and made way to our hotel for the week. Here at Hotel San Juan, we ate a wonderful meal and got ready for our first Porch Time. This is our nightly gathering that features a segment we like to call "Remember That Time," where we recall funny moments throughout the day. It then has a moment we call "I Saw Jesus," where we reflect on where and how we saw Jesus in those we encountered in the day. There was a moment of worship, and Luke spoke on how Jesus sent out the 72, who left all behind to serve and preach the name of Jesus. Our small groups discussed the things and the people we have left behind at home to come here, and how we might be encouraged in our time to meet the needs of those around us. It's been a great day two, and we can't wait for what will surely be a wonderful day three! Stay tuned!

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Nicaragua, Day 1 - June 21, 2016

Evening, Chapel Family! Though our day here has gained two hours in changing time zones, this may be one of our shorter posts as it was primarily a day of travel! Our team safely arrived in Managua in the afternoon, and we headed out from the airport for Casa Bernabe. The team was excited to be transported in a very decorative school bus that would guide us through our first sights and sounds of the country.

After getting unpacked at Casa Bernabe, our team sat with, talked with, ate with, and danced with the kids who live in this community. We were encouraged to use this opportunity not to practice our Spanish, but to exercise their English. As one who cannot speak Spanish, it was neat to see how God could use who we are, even the differences that could potentially divide us, to serve one another.

In closing the night, the team gathered for a few final announcements and reminders (water, bug spray, hand sanitizer, etc.) to get us ready for tomorrow and the week. We were introduced to our team of translators (Alfred, Jordan, Marlene, and Pedro), and heard some of their stories and how they came to be a part of this trip with us. Time for bed now, though; breakfast will be at 6:45am so we can continue our travels towards Leon!

Arrival in Managua

The Nicaragua team has landed in Managua! We will update again once we have arrived at our housing site

Nicaragua here we come!

The Nicaragua team is boarded in El Salvador and ready for take off. We will update once they have landed safely in Managua.

In El Salvador

We have arrived in El Salvador safely and on time.  We will update you once we have boarded.

Dulles Arrival

The Nicaragua team has arrived at Dulles airport.  The flight is still scheduled to depart at 11:10 a.m.

Nicaragua Departure

The Nicaragua team has left the Chapel and headed to Dulles.  We will update the blog again when we reach the airport.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Nashville Meeting #2 (6.3.16)

Thank you to everyone who came out to the missions overnight! It was great to get the team together to continue to prepare for our upcoming trip to Nashville!

In our pre-trip meetings, we are studying Genesis 32, and in our last meeting we left Jacob afraid and uncertain about what was about to happen with his brother Esau. We learned that the man that Jacob entered into a wrestling match with was actually God. In the midst of the chaos and fear that Jacob was experiencing, he was not seeking God; however, God came to him and began this wrestling match when he was alone. As we begin to think about how this story of Jacob relates to our lives, it is apparent that many times when we go searching for God, he has been trying to get our attention for a while. In fact, God is usually the one initiating with us way before we even think about turning to God.

In Williamsburg, it is easy to get distracted by friends, school, sports, etc. and overlook areas where God is pursuing us. As we went into small group time, we challenged the students to think about whether or not they would recognize the presence of God as he initiates to us in Nashville.

Small Group Questions

Nashville Checklist #2

Our next meeting will be WEDNESDAY JUNE 15th from 6:30-8:30 in the Student Ministries Worship Room. Please bring any forms or money you have to turn in to that meeting. We are excited to see how God will show up in the lives of everyone on our team this summer!

Nicaragua Meeting #3 (6.3.16)

Thank you to everyone who came out to the missions overnight! Despite a busy weekend with sports and SAT's, we were excited to get to meet together and continue to prepare for our upcoming trip.

In our pre-trip meetings, we are studying Genesis 32, and in our last meeting we left Jacob afraid and uncertain about what was about to happen with his brother Esau. We learned that the man that Jacob entered into a wrestling match with was actually God. In the midst of the chaos and fear that Jacob was experiencing, he was not seeking God; however, God came to him and began this wrestling match when he was alone. As we begin to think about how this story of Jacob relates to our lives, it is apparent that many times when we go searching for God, he has been trying to get our attention for a while. In fact, God is usually the one initiating with us way before we even think about turning to God.

There will be a lot of situations in Nicaragua where we will have mini wrestling matches with God as we encounter situations and scenes that we aren't used to seeing here in America. As we went into small group time, we challenged the students to think about whether or not they would recognize the presence of God as he initiates to us in Nicaragua.

Small Group Questions

Nicaragua Checklist #3

Our last meeting before we leave for Nicaragua will be TUESDAY JUNE 14th from 6:30-8:30 in room 156. Please bring any money you have collected and any donations that you have, we will be packing our donation bags for a portion of the night.

Norfolk Meeting #1 (6.3.16)

Thank you to everyone who came for our first official meeting of the 2016 Norfolk Missions Team!  The Overnight was a big success and a great first meeting for our youngest team members.

In the meeting time, we started off with a team mixer in order to get everyone on the team a little more comfortable with each other and make sure everyone had an opportunity to meet one another.  After this we had the first of our three pre trip talks for our summer character study.  Each summer before the mission trips, we study a character of the Bible who had some sort of encounter with God and by studying different characters, our hope is to see just how uniquely God works in people's lives and how He can and will use anyone to further the Kingdom.

This summer we are studying Jacob in Genesis 32.  Jacob is an interesting character as he actually wrestled with God.  In our first study on Jacob, we looked at some of the back story that got Jacob to the point of wrestling with the Lord.  Specifically, how he stole his father's blessing from his brother Esau and how he lived in fear of seeing Esau again and avoided confronting him at all costs.  The passage ends by Jacob having a wrestling match with God when he is finally alone and away from his family and messengers. We know that we are going to have moments on this trip when we are going to wrestle with God over something we are seeing or experiencing. But this encounter with God happens when we allow ourselves to get alone. It is sometimes hard or uncomfortable, but it is in these moments that we are able to see what God wants to teach us and change us into the people he wants us to be.

Small Group Questions #1

If you have any questions before our next meeting on TUESDAY JUNE 14th please email Nick at nmercer@wcchapel.org.

Norfolk Parent Reminders

North Carolina Meeting #2 (6.3.16)

Thanks to everyone that came out to our second meeting for the North Carolina Missions Team!  The Overnight was a success and we are one step closer to the trip!

In our second meeting we continued our character study of Jacob in Genesis 32.  We learned that as Jacob wrestled with "a man" during the night, that he was really wrestling with God.  As Jacob struggled with the Lord, his hip was disjointed and yet he did not let go of God.  In their small groups, the team talked about what wrestling with God could look like in North Carolina and how we can take our experience with God with us, similar to Jacob always having a reminder of his encounter through his hip.  Finally we asked ourselves if we were going to be able to recognize God as he undoubtedly "messed" with us on the trip and discussed some ways to prepare ourselves to recognize him in ways that we haven't before.

Small Group Questions

Meeting #2 Checklist

Just a reminder that the next and last meeting is WEDNESDAY JUNE 15th from 6:30-8:30 and to please bring any and all forms and money to this meeting! We are excited to see how God is going to work in and through our team this summer!

ReCreation Forms

Packing List