Dear Friends,
I have just returned from Nicaragua for what was the most historic week in this nation’s history! In 2013, our ministry joined with many others to converge upon the nation of Honduras for One Nation One Day, a nationwide evangelistic event. In 2015, we joined 2,000 missionaries and did the same thing in the Dominican Republic. Last week, more than 2,500 missionaries from 33 nations around the world flooded the nation of Nicaragua with the love of Jesus. It is difficult to describe in words what Jesus did last week, but I will try.
Our team of 18 from Canada and across the USA traveled to the northern state of Nueva Segovia. Throughout the week, we ministered in many cities in this state, including Ocotal, Jicaro, Jalapa and Murra. There are countless stories to tell, but I want to highlight just a few of my favorites.
For months, the president of Nicaragua had promised us that we would be able to minister in every public school in his country. The day that we arrived, the president rescinded his offer. We were devastated. So much preparation had gone into ministering in the schools, but we believed for a miracle. So on our first day of ministry, by faith we went to the school and requested permission to present the Gospel. At the same time, someone else was meeting with the minister of education in our state. The school said that they wanted us to come but that they could do nothing unless the minister of education gave us permission.
I told our team and on that bus outside of the school we began to intercede for the Lord to move the heart of that politician. After just 30 minutes, we received word that the minister of education had gone against the orders of the president and given us permission to preach the Gospel all across his state! This was an incredible miracle and set the tone for our team from the very beginning. We had firsthand seen the heart of man moved by the power of prayer, and we would visit 10 different schools throughout the rest of the week because of this breakthrough!
We not only ministered in schools but oftentimes in neighborhoods and public parks. One day we had 1 hour of free time before a mini-crusade that night in Jicaro. Our team had been ministering all day but as we passed a public park we had not yet been to, we stopped to perform our dances, skits and dramas in hopes of reaching even one more person. There weren’t many people, but as one of our team members, Cristina, shared her testimony, one man was standing off to the side and listening intently. Three of our team members, Tegan, Alexis and Caleb, approached this man, Miguel. As they shared the Gospel with him, he said that he was in a gang and had too many problems to be a Christian. He said he was not ready to be saved, but our team invited him to the crusade anyway. That night, as I preached to him and more than 1,000 others, the Good News touched him and he came forward to give his life to Jesus! The seeds that were planted in that park only hours earlier, produced a harvest of righteousness at the crusade that night!
At that crusade, many responded to the prayer for salvation and many were healed of various sicknesses and pains, but the miracle that stands out most to me is one woman who was demon-possessed. In the middle of my sermon she began to cause an outburst and was brought to the side of the stage. The night before I had shared with our team on demon possession and the authority that Jesus has given us. As soon as this demon began to manifest, one of our leaders, Brittany, went over and in a moment cast that demon out of this woman! She was immediately set free by the power of God and connected with the local pastors to continue in her faith.
The entire week was leading up to the final day where the entire state would come to the capital, Ocotal, for a monumental crusade. That night was fantastic as thousands accepted Jesus and dozens were healed. Deaf ears were opened. Sight was restored. Tumors disappeared. Multiple people were healed from infirmities that they were about to have surgery on.
Thank you for your prayers for our team and for this nation. The entire trip was one miracle after another. What I have shared only begins to scratch the surface. But what is so amazing is that in the process of ministry, while we were able to impact so many lives, each of our lives were impacted in the process. We truly believe the very best days for Nicaragua are in front of it because of the national transformation that occurred last week! Jesus is so good!
Joshua Wagner