5/5, Wednesday. (this post is delayed by 5 days because I just returned and could post via wi-fi)

On Tuesday we traveled about 3 hours north from Managua to the mountains. We’re staying at an idyllic coffee plantation that almost seems out of place. It’s almost feels like a tropical paradise. When we arrived we realized that we had left the projectors that we use to project the Jesus film and the song lyrics. Sometimes even the best laid plans can go awry.

On Wednesday, we held our second pastors’ conference for about 125 more pastors and their wives. Because the plans kept changing, I’ve coined a new phrase for planning in Nicaragua, ‘etcha-sketch’ planning. You make one plan and then because it can change in 5 minutes, it’s as easy as clearing out the old etcha-sketch screen and starting over. Our schedule changed not by the hour, but sometimes by the minute because we had accommodate several surprise.

Ironically, Pastor Leo who served as the point for this conference, had a friend who hired someone to grade the dirt road right in front of the church… while we were teaching! Try speaking over a front end loader.

In the afternoon we taught break-outs for the men and women. I taught one session in Pastor Leo’s church that doubles as his house. While I taught, chickens roamed about on the floor, a rooster crowed just outside the tin wall, a dog wandered in, and smoke form the cooking fire filled the room. Yet, the men were riveted to my talk on forgiveness.

A final thought: I mentioned in the previous blog that one of our translators was not a Christian. This morning my wife led her to Christ! This 22 year old saw real Christianity in action and wanted what we had. Once she understood how to come to Christ, it was easy to step over the line of faith.

For more Help and Resources for Pastors, visit Pastor Stone’s main site.