Bennett Ministries

The Bennett Family was just METANOIANIZED! Tim and Katie were just in Nicaragua with the Two-20 youth group and did a great job delivering the Word of God.

If you are not familiar with Tim and Katie, they are Assemblies of God evangelists from the PennDel District, who can not only usher you into the Presence of God through their singing, but preach the Word with a Powerful anointing as well.

Special Note of Interest: Tim still wears z cavariccis, pegs his pants, and yes, sometimes he still wears IOU sweatshirts.

Two-20 Youth Says Good-Bye to Nicaragua

It was great having Pastors Carl and Andrea Redding and their youth group here with us for the past 9 days. They literally did everything from weeding the bean fields at the orphanage, to casting out demons during evangelistic outreaches. Needless to say, I think this is a trip that they will never forget. Pastor Carl, I think that your youth group was just METANOIANIZED! (Okay, I'm not sure that is actually a word, and if it is a word, I have no idea what it means, but I like it. So, if it is not a word, I will trademark it, copyright it, and begin to market it as our own. So from here on out, every group that comes in and works with us will be METANOIANIZED!)

ARIANA'S B-DAY

At about 6 am this morning I gave Ariana her B-Day gift from me, a cute doll, that, as you can see, is just about as big as she is. And from the moment I gave it to her, she held onto it and wouldn't put it down. Well, that was until 7 am when her grandma and grandpa Spencer came over and gave her their gift, a monkey that grunts, talks, and makes funny noises. Now the precious doll that I gave her is home all alone, because Ariana took her new monkey to school to show her friends. What's up with that? Why are grandparent's gifts always more attractive to kids than their parent's gifts? Ariana asked for a doll for her B-Day, so, like a good dad, I got her a doll. If I would have know she wanted a monkey, I could have bought a monkey suit, dressed-up in it and grunted, talked, and made funny noises all day too!

Conferencia "SIN LIMITES"

We have been trying hard to pull all the pieces together for our 1st, of which will be a yearly, SIN LIMITES conference. Things are coming together and we are expecting a great turn-out for this event. The dates are September 17th to the 21st, just in case you may be passing through the area during that time:)

The Dogs Must Go

Saturday afternoon, one of our boxers, Joybean, and my father-in-law's Rottweiler, Chica, got into a nasty fight. It was literally something you would see on You Tube or in a movie. It took five of us to seperate them, plus keep our other 3 boxers from getting in on the action.


After we finally got them seperated, we were able to tend to their wounds and get them the appropriate medication that they needed. We then put Joybean in our laundry room for the night, and Chica slept at our in-laws. On Sunday, we chained the dogs up on opposite sides of the property, just to make sure their tempers had died down and there were no hard feelings between them. However, last night, Chica broke free and ran straight to where Joybean was tied-up and the battle began again. Thank God it was much easier to get them apart this time. (I think the battle wounds hindered them from really getting into it again.)

Unfortunately though, we decided it would be better to find good homes for these two than to take any more chances. Even though I don't think anything would ever happen, with 3 small children, we just can't take the chance. What if one of my kids were caught in the middle of the next fight? I couldn't live with that! As much as we love our dogs and as much as they have been a part of our family, it's time to say Good-Bye to Chica and Joybean!

Discipleship Dinner

Tonight we had a leadership dinner with both of our discipleship groups, Varones de Exito y Matrimonios Jovenes. Pastor Spencer hosted it at his house and we were privileged to have him lead us in worship to close out the night.

Cool Pictures

I didn't feel like writing right now, but wanted to post something. So here are a few pictures to enjoy. Hasta mas tarde!

Under the Shadow of the Almighty

Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.

What would it have been like to be Adam and Eve, walking and talking with God in the Garden?

Sure, I talk to God just about every morning. I spend time daily seeking His face. And yes, believe it or not, He does talk back to me. It is not always a one-sided conversation. But what would it have been like to walk with God in the Garden of Eden and literally have His shadow cast upon us. I mean if Peter's shadow could bring a physical healing to people, can you imagine what kind of experiences we could have being under the Shadow of the Almighty?

Lord, I ask that each person reading this blog experiences your presence in a fresh, exciting way throughout the day today and that each one of us can literally sense Your shadow being cast upon us. Amen.

The Other Wall in the Kitchen

Oops! My wife just chatted me and told me that I didn't post a picture of the other side of the kitchen. I guess that's what happens when you are in a rush!

Our Newly Painted Kitchen

Horacio finished painting our kithen a little while back, but I kept forgetting to upload the pictures. However, I saw the camera on the shelf when I was walking out the door this morning and remembered that I needed to upload pictures onto my laptop. No not onto the MAC, but onto my Acer. For all you MAC fans out there, as you may recall, I did purchase a MAC the last time I was in the States and my wife did use it for about 3 weeks, however, for the last 2 weeks it has been in the shop. And it looks like we will be waiting another week or two until we get it back. Hmmm, I purchase a MAC and can't even use it for more than 3 weeks before it has to go to the shop, but I've owned Acers (3 of them to be exact) for the last 4 years and not once had a problem with them! And you guys want me to give up my Blackberry and go with the IPhone, now I know that you are all smoking some of that funny stuff that they grow up der n dem der heels n Kentucky.

Happy Birthday Dad

A Big Birthday Shout goes out to my dad, Dennis Ferguson, who is turning (?) years of age today. I could actually do the math and tell you what he is turning today, but I will leave that up to him to tell you. I wouldn't want this blog to be used against me in the court of law. :)

Dad, I want you to know how much I love and respect you. You are a great father and have been a good, solid example in my life. I appreciate the sacrifices you have made for us as a family and I pray that God blesses you in return 100-fold.

Enjoy your special day today and know that we are thinking about you and wishing that we were there to help you celebrate. But since we are not, maybe you should go out to the Club House for dinner and have them send me the bill. They do accept Nicaraguan Cordobas, don't they?

We love you! Have a Blessed B-Day!

6 Years Ago

It's hard to believe that we have been missionaries here in Nicaragua for over 6 years now. Wow, where does the time go? It's hard to believe that when we moved here in June of 2002, Alec, our youngest, was just 8 months old and Spencer, our oldest, was just 2 1/2. And now, our youngest, Ariana, who wasn't even a thought in our minds at the time, is about to turn 4! Aahhhhh, that means that if our kids are getting older, so are we! I guess that means that the not-so-black hairs in my beard aren't the color they are from lack of nutrients. They really could be this color due to my age. Nah, impossible! I choose to believe that I am still 28-years of age and getting younger by the year. Now that my mind believes that, I just hope I can convince the rest of my body!

A Wonderful Day with the Family

Today was a great day with the family. It's not too often that we can actually hang-out the entire day as a family and not have to be somewhere or do something, but today was one of those rare days. We played soccer (in the house), draw and colored, played hangman, made spaghetti for lunch, the kids ate popsicles, we wrestled, and now we are finishing the day by watching Beethoven's 4th. These are the type of days that every parent needs to have with their children. No plans, no pressure, just being together and enjoying one another.

Frequency Youth Says Good-Bye To Nicaragua

Pastor Jeff Davidson and the Frequency Youth group left for the airport this morning at 5:00 a.m. They were a great group and a real joy to work with. Hopefully Nicaragua will be on their list of misson's trips for 2009. Thanks for the deposit you left here in Nicaragua and for keeping a positive, good attitude throughout the entire trip, even when your group was divided and sent to different churches to minister. Blessings!

Hosanna Jinotega

Congratulations to Pastor Jose Carrion for the great work he is doing in Jinotega, Nicaragua. The church is moving forward with a good, solid progress and is beginning to see fruit from the efforts there in Jinotega!

2 Truths About God

1) He is a God that pursues us. (Genesis 3:8-10)

• He is a loving God that reaches out to mankind.
• He pursues us because He desires a personal relationship with us.
• God is not mad at us, He is made ABOUT us.

2) His desire is that our relationship with Him is pleasurable. ( 1 John 5:3, Psalm 149:4, Revelations 4:11)

• As we serve God, let's do it with joy and delight, not out of obligation.
• God delights spending time with us...He wants to be with us because He loves us.
• We bring Him pleasure by worshiping Him, and then He puts a new song in our hearts.

What's the Devil Doing?

To go along with the Spiritual Warfare message that I am preparing for next Wed., here are a few other thoughts.

What is the devil doing?

1) He is blinding the minds of unbelievers.

2 Corinthians 4:4

2) He is devouring people.

1 Peter 5:8

3) He is deceiving men.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

4) He is binding men.

Luke 13:16

5) He is murdering men.

John 8:44

FREQUENCY YOUTH MISSIONS TEAM

We have a team of 30 young people working with us here in Nicaragua until Saturday. You can check out their Blog to get a little bit of an idea of what they are doing.

http://www.frequencyyouth.com/

Joybean Coffee Company

If you haven't tried Metanoia's Joybean Coffee, you are missing out on one of the best coffees available on the market today. And not only are you missing out on one of the best coffees, but you are also missing out on the opportunity to help support the children living in Metanoia's orphanage, because the proceeds from the sales of Joybean Coffee go directly to the support of the orphanage.

If you'd like more information regarding the purchasing of Joybean Coffee, please visit our Web Store. www.metanoiamissions.org/store.htm

NEW BLOG-www.metanoiamissions.typepad.com

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW BLOG:

www.metanoiamissions.typepad.com

We are being sought after!

I'm beginning to prepare for a message I will be speaking on Spiritual Warfare and figured I would take a few moments and talk outloud as a way to begin processing some of my thoughts.....

We are being Sought After!

John 10:10 tells us that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy and in 1 Peter 5:8 we read that our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.


Whether we like to admit it or not, the devil is out to get us. He doesn't want us to live a successful Christian life, on the contrary, he wants us to fall away from Christ and cause damage to the Body of Believers in the process. One of the devil's worst enemies is a sold-out, radical Christian. So he does what he can to hinder people's walks and tries to get people to stumble in their faith.

But thank God that the devil isn't the only one who is seeking after us.

Luke 15:4 Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep." I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous person who do not need to repent.

Ezekiel 34:12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they are scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

It is comforting to know that Christ is watching over us as our Good Shepherd, and that no matter what the devil brings at us, the Holy Spirit is always there with us. 1 Corinthians 10:13b....And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Happy 4th of July

Happy Fourth of July!

Even though we are in Nicaragua and usually do not feel the same "feelings" during the various holiday's that are celebrated in the USA, today I feel a little bit different. For some reason, my heart is going out to the USA and I am even more grateful for the price that our forefather's have paid for us (North Amercians). Sure, there are problems in the United States of America, but what country doesn't have their problems. Sure, people can say what they would like, but I've traveled quite a bit outside of the United States, and regardless of what people say, the United States is still a great country and a great place to live. Now don't get me wrong, I love Nicaragua and am not planning on headed back to the US to live anytime soon, but I think that today is a good day for everyone living in the United States to be grateful and take a moment to consider what it took for our nation to become the great nation that it is. And let's continue to pray together and believe that it will continue to be a great nation.......ONE NATION UNDER GOD! THE ONE TRUE GOD!