God found me in Nicaragua!

I just had a really neat experience that I would love to share. If you spend any time with me, you know that I am very involved with my church in Redmond and that that community and faith are a big part of my life. So it was important to me that I find a church home in Managua. I did a Google search for Christian churches in Nicaragua (a predominantly Catholic country) and it led me to the Facebook page of a Christian student group at the very university I’ll be studying at. After a series of desperate-sounding posts on the group’s page (“Hi, I’m an exchange student and wanting to know when you meet.. and where… and any other information you have… thanks!”), I was led to their meeting tonight.

I went alone, because no one else in our group really goes to church and as it is, I like pushing the limits of my comfort zone. I have to say as I got out of the cab (don’t worry, I used a cab driver that I trust who was recommended to me!) I was slightly terrified. As much time as I spend with Spanish-speaking adults at the Esperanza service at church, I don’t interact with people my age very much, and when a group of your peers has a different culture and first language than you, it is very intimidating. Luckily, the guy I’d been in contact with knew who I was before I said anything (gee, do I stand out?) and we went right into worship so there wasn’t too much awkward small talk. They had me introduce myself and people seemed excited to have me- I don’t think there are many exchange students at all at the UNAN.

We started singing and I knew the second song, which I was happy with. But then a couple songs later, we sang my absolute favorite Spanish worship song- La Niña de tus ojos. There is a part that says, translated, “you saw me when no one else saw me, you loved me when no one else loved me.” I was overcome with emotion in a physical way that I didn’t expect at all, and it was amazingly comforting to hear that voice when I am so far away from anyone and anything familiar. It was a great confirmation that this was a place I should come back to, as if God was saying “you’re gonna be okay here.”