In July 2019, high ranking officials in Nicaragua reached out to invite ShareWord Global representatives to an exclusive meeting with their presidential secretary. Our team was thrilled, optimistic about receiving permission to evangelize and distribute Scriptures within the country’s schools.
But without warning or explanation, just before it was scheduled to begin, the meeting was cancelled. Weeks passed with no indication of further interest in our assistance. Hopes for an open license to distribute God’s Word across Nicaragua were fading fast. But the Lord knew what He was doing, orchestrating something far more impactful than any of us imagined.
September arrived, and with it came news of rioting in Santiago, Chile. An extensive trip itinerary had been finalized and a Chile GO Team was geared up to share the gospel there. But two weeks before their departure, trip leadership wisely decided against the risk. A quick decision to send the 17 perplexed team members to preach in Nicaragua seemed like the only plausible reparation.
On November 23, the team left for ten days of ministry in Nicaragua. And the next day, God revealed what He had been planning all along.
Director of International Growth, Artur Borges, clearly recalls the moment when the GO Team realized why God had opened this new door in Nicaragua.
“We arrived in the country like any other time. But while waiting in customs, a representative approached us and took us out of the line to a VIP room, where the high-ranking official met us. It was a nice, air-conditioned room, and they served us cappuccinos and water.”
He began to apologize, saying he felt terrible for cancelling their meeting. When the team returned from the first trip, they had seen the positive reports that followed. They were reassured by the team’s obvious desire to offer help and support.
“To compensate,” Artur explains, “they set up multiple meetings with various authorities at different levels! This meant every day we were brought to a different group and had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of authoritative representatives. For instance, at the Ministry of Health, we spoke to 250 staff and preached the gospel! It was incredible.”
It’s incredible how God arranges the right opportunity to open at His right timing. It may take months to notice the door has come ajar; other times a door may swing wide open after years of prayerfully waiting. In other cases, God may not reveal what’s behind the door you’re watching for, but you can trust He has your best in mind.
In every situation, Jesus invites us to fully lean on Him. Even when we get frustrated, and only see disappointment, God is always arranging things behind the scenes. He wants us to continue knocking on the door—calling out to Him—until He is ready to turn the handle and reveal His divine work.
