The next day, we again found ourselves buying those amazing bananas and on the way I told Caleb that “God is going to use you in an amazing way today, I just want you to know that I will follow you so do whatever.” As soon as the words left my mouth, bam my eyes shot to the same woman, except this time she was on our side of the street and right next to us. Wow, Caleb saw the same thing but we still kept silent, bought our bananas and actually got led by this excited father to his backyard. Pretty crazy, there was a huge wooden fighting ring and he showed us all his vicious chickens that were getting prepared to fight to the death. He invited us to watch on December 13th or something and that would be phenomenal. After, we stepped outside the door and Caleb looks at me and says something like, “I don’t want you to feel any pressure or that I am copping out or anything, but I really think you should pray for healing for that lady.” I feel like God was speaking so clearly to both of us so I immediately said, “Yes, lets do it.” I was so nervous I was shaking but I asked her if she wanted to get better and she said yes. Then I prayed with my hand on her legs for God to demonstrate his power and heal this woman. When I stood up my legs felt like I had just given my first kiss to a girl and it was all romantic. We said good day to her and immediately left. Now, I don’t know if God healed her at that moment because we didn’t ask her to stand and we haven’t seen her since, but let me tell you: It is such an honor to do this and serve God the way he wants. If you feel his voice, hear his voice, or just get a feeling in your stomach, follow this feeling and first make sure that what you feel lines up with the Bible and if it does, DO IT! Anybody seen Starsky and Hutch? “Just Do it, c’mon man, do it, do it.”
Man, there is so much knowledge about the Bible and truth that I feel like really needs to be tapped into. The other night I was praying to God that he would cast out darkness in our house, it was a little weird, but I felt like there was something weird and an eerie presence in the house. I woke up J.D Russell and Spitler up and we prayed against this darkness. It was at this moment, recognizing that there is actually a dark spiritual power in this world that I realized that I needed to recognize the truth and weapons we are equipped with from God.“J.D, isn’t there a verse about the armor of God poking and jostling around in the Bible somewhere?” I asked.
“Uh, yeah Ephesians 6 I’m pretty sure.” J.D coolly answers from his vat of Biblical knowledge.
So, I found the verse and it actually begins in Ephesians 6:10. This highlights a tremendous knowledge that we must have to, “Take your stand against the Devil’s schemes.” The Bible says that our struggle isn’t against someone in the flesh, but “the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” If we don’t recognize what we are equipped with, like I have decided to do for quite some time, the next time the great deceiver decides to tempt us or to use his lies to make us feel bad about ourselves we wont hold the shield of faith up and it will be SO much harder not to sin. Many times I have fallen and continue to fall into the lies, yet now it is simply because I have been caught off guard. We are to recognize God equipped you and I with the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit.
To be honest, I was going to write about something completely different today and had my blog half completed until I was hit with a verse right before I decided to go to bed last night. That verse reminded me of what I had learned and spoke to me in yet another way. In Solomon 22: 29-37, it says, “You are my lamp, O Lord; the lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand of the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.”
Wh
ew, really good stuff I think. Here is an update of how our week looked: All week we carried around giant rocks in our bags that signified the sin that we are still holding on to-secular music, lust, self image, security or whatever. It was a terrible thing, I could not run-which was cool because I really should run for anything without God-and we could not sleep without our bags on. The only thing we could do was shower without them. By the end of the week we were allowed to take our rocks and cast them out if we felt free! I threw mine at a giant wall. Also, we put on the Biblical play of Lasareth for all the kids that help us with trash clean up. What a great idea of Laura Olvers and company. Also, we went to an amazing lagoon yesterday! There was an 800 ft. deep lake in the middle of a volcano and we spent the day swimming in its warm waters and relaxing in hammocks. Awesome day! I thank God for showing us his beautiful creation!Hey, I have a special shout out to Jen. Jen-you are a huge answer to prayer! I have been trusting in God and praying that he will provide for my financial needs and what are the odds that your last name, Liscio, would be in my title of my blog! Crazy, I think I am going to start writing last names in my titles every time, ha. Anway, thank you for the encouraging comment. Church family and friends, I am getting really eager to get back, I cannot wait to experience snow and skiing and hot chocolate! Bam, I hope you enjoyed reading my blog today, please pray that I will continue to listen for Gods voice and I will continue to thank God for all of my supporters!
-Jose Cartier
Hey Joe,
I’m just as confused about these comments stuff as I am about face book – maybe it’s a Nanny thing. Or the fact that I left my glasses with Emily during the birth of Anica Grace yesterday. I’m nap sitting Ason – here in NH – turkey cooking, all other stuff cooked. All the other kids, Ayli and our 3 foster kids are on a hike with A team and Paul. It’s lovely to have some down time after a very eventful day yesterday.
I’m appreciating your reflections on scripture – and how it is so necessary in your day to day stuff right now. God is growing you in ways that are awesome to see. You might not want to let Nanny know about the rock in the bag thing – she’ll think your are for-sure in a cult. I pray that she will understand that she should pray for you, instead of worry about you.
Everyday is a mystery, isn’t it. We wake up thinking we know what will be going on and then bam! a baby is born, and a new life will take up space in our hearts.
I remember so well when you were born – Uncle Paul and I praying that God would get a hold of you, and lo and behold it seems to have happened. We praise God for that.
We’re missing you and the Carter rig – but mighty thankful for all of you.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Aunt Donna
Joe,
God is amazing. I see it through you. Thank you for shining with His glory. Your story of carrying our sin like rocks, and the boldness and obedience of praying and listening to God have shed so much light in my path. Praise God for all that He is doing through you in Nicaragua and Vermont.
Jose-son,
Great to hear from you and continue to hear how God is using you, up there in the tropics.
Today is Thanksgiving and there’s an empty chair at the table…sadly one little semi-bearded child didn’t make it home for the holiday. I miss you! Josh, Shep and I are going to tag-team and try our darndest to swallow your normal portion of 6 lbs of ya mutha’s mashed potato. Not sure we can accomplish it, but in memory of you, we’ll force down all we can. Lindsey got home in the old broken-down Jetta last night. It’s great to have her home for a bit. Of course the Jetta needs work, so your poor old fatha will be out in the barn slaving away in the cold while everyone else is all happy-skip eating turkey leftovers, warming themselves by the fire.
And speaking of beards…I’ve seen the pictures of a couple of you “no shave November” characters down there. Pitiful. Just pitiful. Josh and I have begun to braid ours into seven braids each. And you guys…got…less hair on your collective faces than the vast majority of the Vermont women I know at work! And of course mine’s all gray so the young bucks are calling me “old man winter”, “ancient of days”, and “father time”. At least I GOT hair on my face! Josh has more hair on the 3rd toe on his left foot then you and Spitler and JD combined! Tisk, tisk, tisk!
Quite a story about the stones of sin. A great object lesson, no doubt. Reminds me of the verse in Hebrews-
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
So often, we desperately cling to sin in our lives, knowing full well that it’s nothing but a great weight around our necks. We chose to have “the pleasures of sin for a season” rather than tear it off and cast it into the sea. I hope you can keep this with you the rest of your life and have the power to act on it!
It’s a gray overcast day here in Vermont, with temps in the mid 30’s- a far cry from Nicaragua. A great day for a football game- however, no Joe Carter and no Merrill’s. They journeyed out to O-HI-O to be with some form of Merrill relative for turkey day. It would have been fun to knock Shep around like we usually do. Maybe Josh and I can give him the ball and drive him headlong into a tree for old times sake. Won’t be the same without you to bloody his nose! Maybe we can get Mitch over to put him in a chickenwing arm lock coupled with his famous Tonga death grip.
Well, Joe, guess I better not write a book… we all miss you on this Thanksgiving day. We’re thankful that God called you to this work and that you were obedient to the call.
Love,
Dad
Ahhhhh……so you guys are the ones that started “no shave November.” David has been growing in his beard for the winter, like he does every winter, and Susanne Rood asked if he was doing the no-shave club. We had no idea what she was talking about. We noticed that Josh was VERY bearded! He look so much older!
What a powerful lesson with the rocks! I’ll have to remember that when my kids get older and I want to “learn em something.” 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Day dear Josey,
I won’t feel the full effects of you not being here until we sit down at the table and your are not here! But I know God is with you down there and I hope you all do something to make it a thanksgiving you won’t forget.
Emily had a baby girl last night, on Adrian’s birthday. I am slowly recovering-too slow for my liking.
I’m thankful for all my children -wherever they are!
I love you. Momsie