Juntos

A few weeks back I was given a wonderful gift.  It came in the form of an experience that reached into my soul unsettling it from its slumber, clearing away some of the scales that had formed.  It was unexpected and completely took me by surprise, as God's gifts often do. The situation was one where I thought - in my own expectations and consideration - that I would be helping others, being God's hands for some of His people in need.  In a way that only God could contrive, those He put in my path helped me to see that I was the needy one, and their words and actions ministered to me just as much as mine did to them.

I was given the gift of Juntos.

Nicaragua is a tiny Central American nation a little smaller than the size of Missouri, with a similar population (~ 6 million people).  That's about where the comparisons end.  In a town called Chinandega you will find Amigos for Christ.  Who are Amigos for Christ?  Well, I think that may be a hard question to answer, as they seem to mean different things to different people.  But if I had to describe them in one word, it would be ALIVE.  They are a group of Christians that have COME ALIVE, and that spirit has led them to Chinandega.

Amigos for Christ live the spirit of Juntos, Spanish for 'Together'.  Their mantra is to bring people together, to see Christ in everyone and to actually meet Him there, wherever you may be, in the person standing in front of you.  It is amazing how simple that concept is, yet how profoundly foreign it is to most of us.  From this simple foundational approach to life, God builds Juntos, and from Juntos flows life, truth, hope and love.

I was blessed to spent a week with the Amigos along with my daughter Maggie.  On mission with about 70 others from St. Louis, Amigos welcomed us into their community in Nicaragua.  We came from all different walks of life - old and young, married and single, white and blue collar.  Our lives all converged for one week, and in that time we slowly moved into and lived Juntos.  Our physical labor and willingness to serve helped build a school, visit Nicaraguan homes, serve the elderly, and dig trenches for water lines - but those were just the settings we found ourselves in while God worked in our hearts to bring us together.

Those settings brought uncomfortable first encounters with unknown characters...awkwardness in what to do or say...initial judgements based on appearances...egos seeking to be judged a certain way.  Then, as we started overcoming obstacles together, something beautiful happened ...hard work, dedication, personality, hope, compassion...smiles, laughter, sweat, thirst, hunger...our shared humanity.  Openness followed...vulnerability, common life experiences, family, children, faith...CONNECTION. Juntos in bloom, nourished by the author of it all, Christ.

There are names and faces I will never forget...Ladine, Gustavo, Roberto, Vincente...Dean, Tom, Dennis, Heather...John, Katie, Alex, Jackie...Ashley, Annie, Paulino, Becca.  Some were connections working side by side, others on bus rides, still others observed from afar.

On the last day of our time in Nicaragua, we were blessed to witness the culmination of Juntos.  We traveled to a small community of about 30 families called La Coyotera  for a water inauguration - a celebration like no other I have ever experienced!  Villagers, Amigos, locals from neighboring communities and missionaries coming together in Juntos to turn on the water for the first time!  Dancing, singing, stories of hardships endured and the fight to overcome, sharing of a feast for which a pig and a cow had been slain - and then the climax...the highlight of the trip...

We - all of us, deep in the swell of Juntos - trekked about a mile through the beautiful countryside to the hill where the well was located, climbing to the top.  An impassioned blessing from the local preacher was followed by a ribbon cutting by the community elders.  All the children gathered around the protruding spout in excitement.  The crowd is all smiles as the anticipation builds. The moment is pure and untainted.  The Spirit is ALIVE on this hilltop and all of creation  is tingling.  I've never felt more alive, closer to who God created me to be.  With a final countdown the spicket is turned -  and clean, cold, pure water comes gushing out.  The children shriek in utter joy as the water engulfs them, pushing each other to the front to take the brunt of the stream.  In all my life I don't believe I have experienced such true, pure, unadulterated joy.

Everyone joins the children.  Husbands pulling wives by the hand into the waterfall.  Teens scooping up kids and splashing each other.  Lots of pictures, lots of sprinkling, refreshing droplets.  I go in and am baptized anew.

As I found my daughter Maggie in the mass of soaked humanity, someone asked to snap a photo.  As we stood arm in arm and smiled, I was overcome with emotion and tears started to well up in my eyes.  The photo taken, I turned and buried my face in my daughters shoulder,  tears flowing as I sobbed.  And she just held me, recognizing the state I was in, and consoled me like I was her child....


it was a beautiful, peaceful, heart filling moment I will hold on to and cherish for the rest of my life...

 I am quite sure the tears came from the joy I saw and was experiencing...but upon further reflection they were also tears of sorrow, as I knew we would soon be leaving this place, where God and His Spirit reside and flow so freely. That knowledge, and the fear of how I could not, no matter how hard I tried, bring Juntos home with me, brought sorrow....

And here I am, a few weeks later. 

Juntos is but a flicker in my heart. 

LORD, GIVE ME MORE OF IT! 

FATHER, HELP ME TO CHOOSE MORE!


Nica 2016 from Dan Huss on Vimeo.