Nica - A Second Home

Nica (ragua) still feels like a second home to me.  There are many places that I love to go, many places for vacation, many places for missions but none of those have the same "sense" for me.  Neither teaching in Haiti, building all over the world or working in Phili have the same draw.  It isn't liking the people more or liking the people less.  I miss them all - everywhere.  It isn't having to go or being more torn when leaving.  I am torn everytime that I leave - everywhere.  Nicaragua just has a feeling of home.  A friend once said to a first time traveler as we planned a mission trip to Nica, "I can't wait.  Now you will see him (Doug) in his natural environment."  I have  a strong identity with Nica people.

But let me be clear - it is my second home.   Even if my family wanted to move to Nica, it would still only be my second home.  I stood in church on Wednesday, sang, prayed, taught, learned and laughed with my family - that is my home.  My first home is the place in which I am working, living, called and growing.  To see all of my old friends, my new friends and to love them the way that I do - that is my home.  Our church has a few turkeys in it and, yes, we have people who don't get it and try to screw up the home now and then but it is still my home.  I have the passion for my home that a Texan has for Texas, that a cheesehead has for Green Bay, that a jazz singer has for New Orleans and that a mom has for her child.

My home is a great place that opens its doors and hearts to all (including those turkeys above that come and go and steal part of our life each time) again and again forever.  I am proud of what God has done to change us, to use us, to embrace us and to build us.  I am proud of the people that endure to the end and have found salvation not only for their souls but their temporal lives.  My home is Northwest - that is my first home.

In watching the historical church, the modern church and in reading the Bible, it becomes apparent that the local church - the local gathering of believers in their local world - is the strength of the Christian and the continuing testimony of Christ.  Jesus said it himself, "as they live as one in unity, all men will know that I came from the Father."  The strength of Christianity is found in the local church.  As leaders, we should do everything to protect the local church.  For as we protect it, keep it pure, keep it selfless, drive it to maturity, fearlessly challenge it to be like Christ, demand that it exist for all people, teach it to build less and spread more - we create homes for the people of God.  Solid, first, consistent, clear and real homes for real people who need real leaders.