Matthew 17:20 “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Hellen handed me a mustard seed. The children at CICRIN had made cards with mustard seeds for us each to take home as a reminder of our life-changing week here in Nicaragua. The orphanage/school on Ometepe Island started much the same way: a small idea, planted in the mind of her predecessor, that took root and blossomed into the thriving Christian-based school/home/program it is today. Thanks to Hellen - CICRIN's director who came to Nicaragua from her home in Costa Rica in 1990 on short-term mission - as well as volunteers like us who support their work, CICRIN has grown to serve 140+ kids in the school. Back home in Maine, I hang the faded card on my fridge to remind my family that, with faith, nothing is impossible. But it begins with me, and I must plant it, water it, nurture it, grow it, and share it to enjoy it.
Lindsay Smith of Kennebunk traveled to CICRIN with the Curtis Lake Church team in 2016 and 2017. He lives with his wife Laura and children Sophie and Charlie in Kennebunk and works as a family financial advisor.