“The Heart” and “The Mind of God” concepts applied to specific circumstances…

As I had promised in my last posting I translated from English to Spanish the general comments and reflections that on these two concepts I had written back in March 2007 to be included in the armsoflove.org web page under the captions “The heart and the mind”, “Amidst the needs - there is hope”, Above all else: Love”, “A message to the future” and “The Time is Now”.

At that time I affirmed the general sense of the comments because at that precise moment in time I related both concepts to the ministry parameters due to its particular vision about how and up to what point we were supposed to deal with the issues of Christian homes care and protection.

I will not transcribe, again, the corresponding paragraphs that were already included in those commentaries adding only the present complementing thoughts that apply to a wider and greater scenario as I pretend this time to address the whole spectrum of worldly and spiritual causes and effects that affect the whole nation and in a similar fashion all nations as well.

The specific purpose is to analyze the potential ways and approaches that will enable us to visualize general as well as specific long, medium and short term approaches, methods and actions that will consider both extremes of the equation, the abused and the abusers, the ones who failed in protecting their children as well as the children themselves.

Only then and in a concerted and collective approach and unselfishly cooperating with each other actions we will find the way to shorten the generational gap that many times leads us to plan and act for the future (which I impatiently many times in the past stated as a necessary and unavoidable circumstance) forgetting or putting aside the present and the past that created such a present and harmful environment.

As many of you have probably and easily guessed, besides my explicit referencing I have done from time to time, I come from a middle class, Catholic education, military and political background, turn into a reborn Christian, missionary dedication to YWAM and other evangelical ministries especially in the areas of planning, financing, mentoring and organizing for more than 20 years, because of my early adulthood specialized training in the best U.S. Army Graduate Schools, in Hospital Administration, Logistics, Project Management, International Relations, ending with the jewel of the crown: Financial Management training for non U.S. specialists, back in 1969 and 1970 in Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis.

All this enabled me to visualize not just what it fell into our hands but the wider scenarios and horizons, in all levels of life and society. Many times in the past I have had to analyze and forecast long term logical events derived from present circumstances. The analytical factors were always “Timing”, “Finances” and “Resources”, specially the “on hand”, the “potential”, the ”limited”, the “scarce”, the “unbending”, the “non flexible”, the “prone to limited points of views” human resources.

We were taught and trained on how to visualize and use all these factors in order to line them all up in a transcending, far ranged and long termed effort. Naturally all this led you to live in a secluded spot where you had the responsibility to analyze, present, lead at times, but always looking for the leaders at all levels who could and would be responsible for acting and transforming dreams into realities. The Habakkuk prophet role that I had already mentioned from time to time!

I do not want to repeat everything I wrote in our Emilio & Gladys Padilla Spanish blog version on August 15th. 2008. You can click on the translating offer in the google caption where the blog appears, if you want to get a first even if not completely proficient translation of my comments.

I titled the commentaries as “Protection versus Abuse – A Dilemma for Christians” or the “need to understand… what I am here describing as the essence of the material and spiritual social problems we are tackling with, so…. we can factually do what we should really be doing, not only individually or as an specific group, but in a validly, positive, complementing and concerted effort with the whole body of social institutions alongside with the body of Christ (churches, ministries, individuals directly or indirectly involved through acting or donating)

Probably as in there I said I have been subliminally analyzing the whole social spectrum of my nation, already going beyond the natural parameters of the ministry I was involved with. Unredeemed and unrepentant dreamer, as my wife would say. Dreaming with my spirit, my mind and my emotions, flying higher up in the skies of the awareness and realizations, well beyond the still unclimbed mountain tops that lie ahead in our future, farther away than the remote shores on still non navigated seas of upheavals and misunderstanding. But always with the feet firmly planted on the fertile soil of whole realities and not just limited perceptions, longings, preferences or expectations!

Many times in my past, both in the worldly realm as well as in the missionary one, I have had to not only analyze, organize, exhaustively plan and teach, sometimes by action and example, other times by mentoring and guidance. Many times I found energetic, independent minded, resolute, impatient, limitedly comprehending of the wider horizons twists” people, prone to be practical without fully understanding that all plans and individual or group human efforts in the end have to be submitted to the Lord´s planning and timing as the only way to receive His abundant blessings and provisions.

The individual tendency for self fulfillment and control, as well as for human recognition and submission to our real or potential leadership many times precludes and prevents the expanding success of our actions. For paying excessive attention to the signs and consequences, and the hasty seeking of immediate success we can end up missing the wonders of God´s plans for all of our lives, ours and of those on whom we focus our efforts.

Because God is a wonderful, generous and faithful God, but it is also a jealous one when we do not have Him but us, seated in the throne in the center of our heart and spirit. He can allow us temporal or human success, but this success will never be the same as the one obtained working together, in a real team spirit, recognizing what we can humanly do as part of a whole body, and not as the body itself naturally and humanly centered in our own human being as the logical leader.

With all this in mind I will continue referring to my understanding of how complex the social challenge really is, dissecting and analyzing its intricate structure and inner relationships between all types of causes and its corresponding effects, in such a way that it could be easier to spot the area where we can all, without exception, rejection, discrimination, isolation, be better instrumentals for God´s handiwork for the better being of our children and societies.

I believe that I have already laid down the basis and foundation for my thoughts and comments. What is next is to tackle and expound the specific and practical ways to translate thought into specific actions. In doing so let´s pray and expect that we will be able to lead other children on their steps into their future

Reflections on the Heart and Mind of God applied to specific circumstances

Back in 2007 meditating on how to respond to questions asked to me in relation to what I would prefer to follow… the Heart or the Mind of God? I wrote several general comments on the subject.

I am reaffirming the concept of “general” because at that precise moment in time my spiritual parameters were the boundaries of the specific motivations that prevailed in the ministry I was involved with.

I have always been a systematic approach person in any endeavor in my life. My mind, my spirit work in unison seeking the natural expansion of the intended or set boundaries for the actions performed. I strongly believe in God being a God of order.

He sets the courses of actions for any ministerial objectives, and when He considers that the challenge to face goes beyond the orderly approaches set for every one of them, He places a longing, an itching for going beyond and a different set of circumstances.

He usually works in mysterious ways when He wants to expand the tent that covers a particular servant. If He visualizes other ways of expanding the horizons in a way that the understanding of the whole spectrum of needs of the particular society he places His servant becomes more integral and wholesome, He will instill in him unexpected longings, growing awareness, and unsettledness to get their servants depart on their way over different paths of thinking, actions and resolve.

I had been wondering for more than 2 years why the adolescents girls ply in my country and place of missionary action were a dominant concern in my spirit. We had adolescent boys and we tried to charter their growing so they would become the men and women that our society needs.

But time and time again, people used to tell that I sounded more passionate while telling to the girls to raise their self respect and self determination levels than when, with what I thought was the voice of experience for having raised 4 boys to real manhood, I insisted on emphasizing to the boys to be responsible, hard working and respectful men, so in the future they could be the spiritual heads and the material providers and protectors that the Lord wants as the rightful and indispensable foundation not only of a Christian family but any family as well.

Probably, and in a very unconscious and subliminal way I was analyzing the social spectrum of the nation. I do not know if by training as I was prepared to do so in my early young manhood years, or by spiritual leading so I could be ready to tackle, at the present time by presenting these thoughts about right-er or greater encompassing integral solutions, and who knows in what practical way in the future.

In my next posting, and after translating my past years comments on the Heart and the Mind of God into Spanish and posting them in my Sispanh Version Blog, I will refer to what I presently believe is a greater encompassing approach first of the adolescent girls and later on of the adolescent boys that are in such a dire need of leading, orientation, correction, disciplining and guidance.

But first of all, in order to set in a very clear way the accurate basis for my comments based on my past and present experiences, and with the humblest and real humility, that I was thankfully taught not to confuse with fake denials or subservient and kind of falsely submissive servile attitudes I, to reinforce the validity of my statements, will refer myself to some basic insights about my personal life that now have become the leading characteristics of my personality as an steady, enduring, uncompromising servant of the Lord.

At the beginning of my Christian walk, while on the Missionary Training School in Arkansas, back in the eighties, due some radical, extremist or narrow understanding by some of my group leaders, I had a great struggle as I was repeatedly told to despise my natural training and upbringing, and unconditionally submit to any appointed leader that were decided to place over me. I even thought about leaving because I could not agree in my mind that the Lord had made a mistake in giving me training, intelligence and resolve.

For a time I even asked the Lord to change me into a dumber and stupid guy if that was what was necessary to fit into what I was beginning to understand was a much worthier life than the one I had lived until then, despite the personal and emotional satisfactions I had accumulated through good, bad and even worst circumstances than any run of the mill person could imagine.

Thanks God, a seasoned and experienced teacher and counselor came to teach and counsel us. Doug Easterday, one of the leading YWAM International teachers! Thanks God, when I presented my ply to Him, he adamantly stated that the Lord never makes mistakes, and that he gives gifting to the ones he has ulterior plans of placing them in His service, and that I what to do was to submit them to Him, patiently endure the incoming and perennial Refiners Fire He would sent my way, so I could be His servant, His prophet, His witness, His uncompromising servant, and the bridge uniting the material and the spiritual worlds that would be walked on by many other servants to cross from one shore to the other.

He also told me that I should humbly accept the reasons why he had made me walk and accumulate so many peculiar experiences, so I could help, even if misunderstood at times, those who could not, even with their best resolve understand the bigger pictures of His master plan for the confrontation of the spiritual forces, the good and the evil ones, in this complex and fast changing present world.

Since then, in many places, many churches, by pastors and many other individuals, many prophecies have been given to my wife and I in relation to our changed missionary lives. Since then, and in the following order... Habakkuk 1: 1-4 (a dialogue between the prophet and The Lord); then Habakkuk 2: 1-4 (The final answer from the Lord and His mission assignment to the prophet); and then Isahiah 32: 1-8 (what the Lord envisions for His people and his sent ones) and 15-20 (the outcome of His desire for His people)... These prophets have been a vital part of my life, even if subliminally, in the times when in the prominent and worldly scenarios my professional life gave me a lot of emotional satisfactions that led me to self-sufficiently think and proclaim that the world belonged to the strong and the daring.

I did not know at that time that those precise adjectives or qualifications were also required in the Christian realm, but an strength and a daring based not on our human understanding and belief but in our recognition of our personal weakness and will submitted to the Lord who would turn them into the strength and the daring required to go as his bearers of His Good News over the hills and the swamps and even the well intentioned efforts of those who are really serving themselves while stating they are serving the Lord.

When I was young my fellow men and superiors used to call me “the brain” because of what they and I thought at that time was a peculiar characteristic of my personality and upbringing. They also use to call me the “non adapted one” because I never bent to material or social incentives, bribing or financial misuse, flattering recognitions or oportunistic behaviors.

Even my President, in whose closer circles I moved asked me several times what my price was, as he said he could not understand me, going to the point that once told me he would appoint me as one of his personal aides which I refused, telling him that I could not adapt to the idea of being a personal servant.

I never imagined at that time that I would find such joy and satisfaction in becoming a servant, but this time of The Lord. “Lord“ is the greatest concept I have of Him!

A God and a Savior, but more than that… A Lord and A Friend! And above everything else, the sublime combination of these 4 divine characteristic! GOD! SAVIOR! LORD! And FRIEND! What else a human being could desire?

Only by submission and uncompromising endurance you can become his instrument and show the way to others. Not to become their human leader, nor their boss, nor their master, nor their employee, nor their representative in their human, even if well intentioned devised endeavors, nor their promoter of their human kingdoms on behalf of God.

In this rightful spirit, after the translation of the comments I have promised I will resume my understanding of the more integral ways to really heal and restore the physically but more than that, spiritually wounded and distorted lives of the younger than I generations of my country, and any country as well, as the spiritual damage and evilness is also rampant everywhere.

To solve the unreal and distorted look first at what is real and rightful!

My next comments would logically be to address the girls and women´s counterparts (the boys and adults) but this would be the subject of the next to these ones for several and good reasons.

In the early sixties when I studied finances in the States we were confronted with many faked, distorted, even Machiavellian schemes, even dollar forgeries trends among other issues. We were told that the fastest, easiest way to walk away from the labyrinth was to set up the analytical parameters on what was the right and correct or desirable objectives.

In any society not everyone can become a member of the higher social classes, nor is desirable to equalize everybody down there to the bottom of the social pit just because of an irrational obsession for leveling and making everyone equal to everyone, even if in social, economic and moral bankruptcy. The positive developing societies base their progress in a vitally existing and working middle class (a mixture of a low, average or high middle class if possible, non depending from both ends of the social struggling concepts of wild capitalism or socialism)

I was born in an average middle class family and environment where education, moral values, integrity (your word was worthier than any law gimmick or coercion) were the rules of life. We, as individuals and family have gone up and down as in the popular song… That´s life! We, individually and as a family, have been up and down, in and out, popes, pirates, clowns (in other people´s eyes, not in ours or in the eyes of the people who really got to know us), but we have always been back on top and right back on the race every time. We did it before, we do it now, and will keep on doing it as long as we live because we were taught vertically and uncompromisingly to stand up despite any unfavorable circumstance or enticement.

We could go on and on, but as is generally said pictures, and better off videos are worthier than words. Nowadays we are back into our middle class way of living, as gracefully living grandparents, enjoying the fruits of the values and life guidance given to our sons.

This is what we desire for all those children and younger generations, in our country and everywhere. To live and progress through dedication and hard work, without negative aggressiveness, undue sense of entitlement, with a solid moral, spiritual, mental, emotional solid and integral foundation. This is the only way to enjoy and reap what we patiently did sow

Social needs and financial hardships you can find them everywhere, but, if we have not already lost our integrity and capacity to be ashamed when found guilty of greed, oportunism, moral decay and corruption, there is no need to resort to social confrontation. Everyone can find laughter and joy, even dancing while the ocean waves engulf your naked feet

We can and we must enjoy ourselves without despising the less blessed ones but willing to share our blessings with them so they someday become one of ours, socially speaking middle class people.

But… and this is a big but…. Not to the extreme of sending all our values down the drain just for sake of walking the easier paths of unrestrained freedom or our youthful and physical senses satisfaction!
We have all the right to feel good and enjoy the pleasant things of life, but not to cheapen ourselves just for looking for or getting from others an emotional acceptance through unnecessarily enticing attitudes or attires!

Girls-Mothers: A national tragedy. Some of the negatively influencing factors in the accelerated decomposing of a national society structures, part 2

In my last posting I addressed the issue of increasing pregnancies at everyday that passes younger ages, as well as the increasing children´s raping. I wrote then the following paragraph…

“Such an absence of self respect and self esteem so deeply permeates the whole lower and middle social strata that the adult women in silent despair resign themselves to the victimhood frame of mind and even many times they do actively join their partners in such disturbing and blatant behavior, afraid of losing their (only in their mind, because it really is just a disguised manipulation) support, if they abandon them (which unmistakably would be the logical and best alternative for straightening and improving their lives).”

At the end of this posting I am including excerpts of the reference data already printed in a recurring way in a period of 2 years, from July 2006 to July 2008.

These excerpts include some significant statements that at the same time expose the problem but also lead to the potential solutions. They raise the awareness and hint at the way to implement the necessary changes. They also show the evading attitudes of the people who shift the blame and the responsibility to governments and institutions when they belong to the individuals and the families in the first place.

A usual way for many well intentioned people is to try to solve symptoms instead of taking the time to wisely ponder the real even if subjacent reasons for the social explosion of maladies and distortions. It is a kind of a shotgun shooter aiming the gun in a widespread circle hoping to hit by chance the greater number of birds who fly around, instead of aiming at the leading ones whose absence can bring the entire flock down.

The leading ones in our present case are the omnipresent victims of this whole social deterioration. The girls… who in growing numbers are falling prey of the predators and abusers! And in a very significant mode because of the prevalent lack of self-esteem and self-respect!

If we help them to overcome this they will better and easier resist all the male advances, the old and the young ones, who by sheer peer pressure devour their innocence by way of inciting them to jump into the fracas of the stupid competition for the attention of the opposite sex members and the whole consumer conglomerates.

If we help them to understand that they can walk away from all enticements that try to deceive by luring them into the wrong understanding that give away sex for convenience or acceptance is the way to get what they lack and what the modern advertising unceasingly pound upon by all means and approaches as the necessary and unavoidable accoutrements for their being noticed and accepted without considering that those who promote all this are just as unsure and unstable as the incited ones feel they are in the first place.

Then, we will really be the sharpshooters of the Lord, hitting the right targets and maximizing our efforts results so we can obtain an spiraling cycle of success, in a long term approach, and having in mind that no all will succeed but sooner or later will be aware that what was given to them was the best advise they could have received, and so they will pounce back into the right tracks of their lives.

If we reach the real victims, the girls and adult women who relinquished their responsibility to raise and protect their children, by teaching them and make them absorb and make their own the real concept of rightful self-esteem and self-respect, then, we will be able to reach the abusers, starting from the younger to the older, and ending with the youngest ones who should be the real long term targets of our ministration.

It is inevitable for real success to really understand the core of the nature of the society we try to work with. The present social maladies are not simple and easy to grasp. The subtlest attack of our spiritual enemies is to lure us into what is more appealing to us, making us to really waste our time and efforts, or luring us into complacent accoutrements we end believing are the material signs of our human efforts and success.

This will be the objective of these postings. A methodical approach to every single but significant aspect and concept that could have been distorted, lured away from its right exposure and development, deviated, abused, eliminated or erased from our awareness through all types of concealments and misrepresentation.

But now, to avoid being lost in the forest, let´s pinpoint some of the most aberrant trees that have blocked the rightful development of our present generations. Let´s go back to what the people, directly involved in these social struggles have commented and have made the newspapers print time and time again.

Let´s analyze the highlighted concepts that you will read if you keep your attention focused in what I am trying to convey with the purpose of making you aware of the real reasons for the dire circumstances prevailing in our present societies.

Excerpts from EL NUEVO DIARIO (THE NEW DAILY) Newspaper. Managua, Nicaragua, Monday July 31st. 2006, Edition No. 9325. Girls-Mothers: A national tragedy

* Nicaragua is at the top of Central American statistics showing one of the highest rates in all Latin America.

* More than 30 percent of babies have a teenage mother, who, for all practical purposes, sees her life´s and educational opportunities gone down the drain.

* One of them Grethel, as a matter of fact and stoically resigned just states: "Of course, it affects all the plans that I originally had charted in life, but now.. I cannot look behind! I have to raise my baby girl!"

Report written by Melvin Martínez y Roberto Collado after interviewing Doctor Wilber Beteta

Grethel Elieth Osejo gets up at 4:30 in the morning, but she does not bathe or thinks at that time about her favorite Dacron plated blue skirt and shirt, nor pays attention to her “Winnie Phoo” alarm clock which interrupted her dreams. She only has time to try to appease the crying of a six months old baby who only wants to cling to her mother´s breasts.

She is just 16 years old. She should be graduating from high school…

5 thousand babies with mothers between the ages of 10 to 14. The Health Ministry (Minsa) has records of such cases since 2000. That year the number of recorded births was 126,873, 39,080 of them belonged to the teenagers group, just over 30.8 percent of all of them.

High fertility rate: Dr. Beteta states: "We are clear that we are the country in Central America with the highest fertility rate among adolescents…

Nicaragua has a five million inhabitant’s population, of which nearly 26 percent are younger than 10 to 19 years. The fertility rate among adolescents aged 15 to 19 is 139 per 1,000 women and 34.9 percent of these children have already had sexual relations. This rate is higher in the rural areas, where there is less access to information on sexual and reproductive health, and there is also a tendency to marry at younger ages…

The case of the non reported pregnancies: Although the Health Ministry (Minsa) does not recognize it, some NGOs estimate that for every four pregnant teenagers attended in the public health units, at least one it is cared for at home or at private clinics, so the statistics on teenage mothers could exceed 40 percent of all registered births nationwide….

The Minsa Specialists considered the pregnant teenagers as a high risk issue. Because of their age they are not prepared neither physically nor psychologically for motherhood. Thus, the complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among adolescents, especially in the bracket of girls between 10 to 15 years of age.

Reasons for school droping out: Independent Studies estimate that 30 percent of dropouts among adolescents are due to pregnancies. This information was not confirmed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, MECD. We requested an interview with their Public Relations and Press official responsible for the disclosure of such statistical data. However, there was not a positive response to our request.

Readers Comments...

Josefa: Unfortunately this problem is due to the lack of education, as well as the high level of machismo prevalent in the society in which we live. I think there should be some entity in charge of reviewing this tragedy being experienced by our children, involving both the government and its various corresponding institutions as well as the society at large, us , who are the most affected by this problem.

maryuneri: You address the problem of girls mothers, but forget the men who contributed to this human catastrophe, , and when I say that, I mean the hell of life that the adolescent mother and her baby have to go through, the destitution that worsens their future, and the miserly economic situation in what our country is immersed… where are those men who destroy the lives of these youngsters? quiénes son? Who are they? cuál es su responsabilidad? What is their responsibility? I imagine that a pregnant 10 years old girl t is often the result of unpunished rape by members of her own family if not of a neighbor.

Excerpts from EL NUEVO DIARIO (THE NEW DAILY) Newspaper. Managua, Nicaragua, Monday July 24th. 2008

Some of them with 2 pregnancies by age 15. Alarming increase in girls-mothers: .Of every ten births handled in the national referral hospital for women, "Bertha Calderon", four are of teenagers under 15 years o age, but this does not stop there, because many of them already are on their second pregnancy, regretted the director of this center assistance, Dr. Olga Maria Chavez…

"This is alarming and a public health problem, because many are still girls. These pregnancies are the result of sexual abuse, because small nine, ten and 11 years old do not initiate sex lives for their own pleasure. These cases must be reported and this segment of population adequately served and protected, "said Chavez.

Unprotected in this new culture: that Dr. explained that another reason why this happens is because young people have assimilated foreign cultures through television, where teenagers have sex at an early age"

"Girls and adolescents are taking attitudes where we have not been able to orient them. To the Institutions such as the health and education ones correspond to provide guidance on the dangers associated with sex, such as early pregnancies, STDs and the truncation of their future, as they are forced by their arisen needs to leave school to take on adult roles, " said Bertha Calderon hospital director.

Dr. Chavez indicated that in foreign countries adolescent girls have sex, but they also have access to planning methods. "When one asks the girls why they do not use contraceptives, all replied: 'Help me God if my mother gets to know what I am doing! Many of them fear they would be run from their homes or will no longer be allowed staying in school, "lamented the specialist”.

Fifteen years old and two children:In addition, Chavez said that many adolescents under age 15 are already on their second son, and this indicates a low self-esteem level in them all. She noted that when starting a sex life at such an early age the relationship will not last and in a vicious cycle the adolescents seek other partners.

"At the hospital we attend 17-year-olds who are on their third child and all of a different partner. We don´t know what will be their future, and this inevitably increases their poverty situation, because they have to leave school to work in whatever becomes available to them, "said the doctor.

The Bertha Calderon´s director stated that the ideal is for teenagers to delay the onset of sexual life, but neither can deny that they are having uncontrolled sexual relations.

This national reference center for women receives, monthly, an average of a thousand teenagers, and all are already have active sex lives or are or have been already pregnant. "We know that they are not ready for it, nor have access to prevent unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases or AIDS," concluded Dr. Chavez.

If you want to check the whole published articles, go to Google and check: nuevo diario.com.ni under the caption of “nuevo diario, embarazos adolescentes”

Some of the negatively influencing factors in the accelerated decomposing of a national society structures, Part 1

I am planning from now on, as I will enjoy ample time to dedicate myself to put on writing my remembrances of my former secular life as well as the missionary ones as well as those concerns I have accumulated after dealing even in a limited way with the social maladies of my country, and in doing so addressing also the similar ones that are effectively affecting all societies all over the world.

Unfortunately for all those who have a short span of attention I will not be able to compress in very short sentences and paragraphs all the richness of the accumulated experiences, now that I have reached the golden age bracket of the 70 well and abundantly lived years of my life.

I am planning from now on, as I will enjoy ample time to dedicate myself to put on writing my remembrances of my former secular life as well as the missionary ones as well as those concerns I have accumulated after dealing even in a limited way with the social maladies of my country, and in doing so addressing also the similar ones that are effectively affecting all societies all over the world.

Unfortunately for all those who have a short span of attention I will not be able to compress in very short sentences and paragraphs all the richness of the accumulated experiences, now that I have reached the golden age bracket of the 70 well and abundantly lived years of my life.

Anyway, the comprehension of these complex challenges is not for them even if they dedicate their efforts or make their livelihood out of serving as intermediaries between the good faith supporters of solutions or initiatives oriented to the improvement of individuals and societies.

But for those who are patient enough to listen to older guys like me, I promise you will not be bored at all.

God has taken me by my hand and guided through many and very intricate paths!

Nothing now is new to me. If someone gets hit on the head by the nails of the circumstances I can humbly state that I was hit precisely there many times before.

And now … As I mentioned in my last posting in our blog while witnessing the pervasive stimuli that lure the younger generations through their enticements to live freely, without limits and concerns, in a revolving cycle of relativism and moral decay, I mentioned that I did not wanted to be seen as another older guy furtively glancing at the beautiful, young, enticing, coquettish girls that walk around almost everywhere.

This is one of the distasteful facts nowadays. Nicaraguans have always been known as consciously raised ladies chasing males, confusing masculinity with a no limits reign of uncontrolled virility. I do not want to make excuses, but things have gone from bad to worst.

In our younger years it was unconceivable to look at children as sexual objects of desire. Males preferred their women bosomy, good looking, of legally consenting age, coyly sensual but hard to get at the same time.

Nowadays, the rampant abuse takes a dual form where the males have become consuetudinary abusers.

The first, and in my eyes the foundation for the rampant family irresponsibility and sexual abuse that every day that passes are affecting our younger children, males and females, is the blatant parasitical behavior that erupt in the physical violence of males toward their adults partners and that usually goes unnoticed, or taken for granted or unpunished.

Because of the already more than thirty years of political turmoil, a civil war with the inevitable bloodshed of the males that could not evade being conscripted by force by leaving the country, there is now a great majority of females at all ages brackets, with the distasteful consequence that males have become no more nor less than social parasites that the females have to accept because of lack of worthier choices.

This can be observed just walking by or watching the news. Bare-chested, hugely potbellied, with floppy shorts and the omnipresent dirty rubber sandals, men and young of all ages gather everywhere, sitting on the sidewalks, sharing the cheapest liquors that they were able to buy, many times as early as seven in the morning.

At the same time their usual behavior is to insolently ask for money to any passerby to continue in their drinking, and viciously insulting when refused, and lasciviously watching the girls and women passing by, neatly, provocatively, comely, and usually better attired than any of the males around, while on their way to work in any type of the available job opportunities that the males despise while arguing for unearned rights.

One and very popular saying that you can read on the buses says “working is good for the health… So, get to work… you, all the sick ones”

And this attitude is not reserved just to the adults. Their negative behavior is promptly adopted by the younger ones, becoming the gang members who dominate the streets.

All this has inevitable led to an omnipresent domestic violence situation. The women in a fatalistic approach have resigned themselves to be abused and even worst allowing their children to be also physically and even sexually abused.

A very sad consequence is the steadily increasing number of adolescents pregnant and before the right time single mothers, as well as children in some cases as young as 7 years being repeatedly raped by stepfathers and close relatives inside the family and community environments.
Such an absence of self respect and self esteem so deeply permeates the whole lower and middle social strata that the adult women in silent despair resign themselves to the victimhood frame of mind and even many times they do actively join their partners in such disturbing and blatant behavior, afraid of losing their (only in their mind, because it really is just a disguised manipulation) support, if they abandon them (which unmistakably would be the logical and best alternative for straightening and improving their lives).

This is a daily occurrence in the newspaper pages, from where we have taken these pictures.

Another misguided stimulus for these aberrant behaviors is the daily exposure to the crude and bloody videos of the television newscasts. They irresponsible contribute to this taking for granted and a normal occurrence the violence, the abuse on all sides, authorities, families, individuals and whatever else, competing among themselves in their relentless quest to show what they stupidly call the news as they are and as the people want it, taking their cameras and microphones to the most shocking extremes just for the sake of vividness

It is wisely said that in order to get ready for healing we must realize how sick and desperate we are. The purpose of these comments is not to become a participant for participation´s sake in this gross exposition of our social maladies.

Our purpose is to pave the way for the rightful analysis and decision making that could allow the implementation of permanent and realistic alternatives for our society. We all deserve, but especially our younger generations, not just to survive but to effective and positively change from inside out to become a healthy society as the Lord intended all his children to live in.

I strongly feel that all the people, despite their social, educational, economic or emotional background, have the right to enjoy a peacefully earned through opportunities and hard work, responsibility and dedication, what the traditional and Christian oriented middle class families rightfully enjoy.

What you see in the following collages of a child birthday celebration should be the daily occurrence in the healthy social environment we dream, someday we will see in every country.

This is only the beginning of this painful process of awareness and healing. In the coming postings we will try to set side by side the negative that exists and the positive that can be accomplished.

Wait for more!

The unending cycle of family irresponsibility and the repetitive potential for abuse!

When you are immersed in a somehow circle of ministration such as trying to provide a home environment to the abused children that the government entrust to your care, it also precludes you, again, somehow, from going out and personally see the everyday occurrences that become the fertile soil for the systematic erosion of every moral values in our societies.

You could probably think that in a country like Nicaragua there is a vibrant upsurge of adolescents concurring to the universities to become the hopeful future of the nation. But if you watch carefully as I did some days ago, the ingredients for corruption are omnipresent even at the doors of such centers of higher education, and the adolescents fall as easy prey to its enticements.

A few weeks ago, while getting ready to go back to our family in Guatemala and El Salvador, I had to run some errands and decided to use public transportation to get a final glimpse of what I was leaving behind.

The main bus stop where I had to make the necessary connections was precisely what is known as the UCA UNIVERSITY bus stop. This is the university where 2 of the formerly entrusted to our care adolescents are attending classes. This arose even more my curiosity, as I witnessed how so many girls, in a ratio of 10 to 4 in relation to boys, flocked and mingled before entering its gates.

And the mingling made them walk among the many vendor stalls offering all types of food, bracelets, fruits, posters, and DVDs. Yes, DVDs that I thought it would be despite being illegal copies, musical ones, or movie ones. But I was surprised to see that the offering consisted of pornographic ones. I curiously counted and got the figure of 65 and no music or movie theme among them but all types of perverted sex.

I had a digital camera with me, but I stopped myself from using it because I could be confused as a leery old man taking pictures of the gorgeous girls in their very short miniskirts and all types of enticing garments. But I could not stop thinking about how the constant exposure has got its subliminal effect on all those young ones.

At the same time God provided me with some glimpses that He is present and ready to assist those who render themselves to His mercy and grace.

While I was waiting for another bus I sat beside a dark skinned, by the sun rays effect, fruits seller young woman. She was talking to 2 young girls and counseling them as a seasoned evangelist in her own way. She was sharing her own difficult experiences in life, and how through finding God and surrendering to Him, even if she does not have time to attend church, she has been protected and blessed with chldren who respect their elders and are intent on studying to support her when old.

It came about that these 2 girls were complaining that the bus drivers did not allowed them anymore to climb into the buses so they could sing and get some money for their food and take home needs.

I asked them if they had already had lunch. It was 2 p.m. and they told me that they only had breakfast, lunch and dinner about 6 p.m. if the day had been a good one.

I was shocked and gave them money so they could have lunch and then more money if they sang a song for me. I was expecting a Christian song as many like them use to sing but they told me they only sang rancheras because there was too much competition with all those phony, their words, children and even adults who make their living that way.

I could not stop thinking that the older girl looked so much as one of the girls we took care of when we came to minister as tutor parents back in 2002. She made me remember Diana María who is now living with her mother, who sells fruits at the market as the mother of this 11 years old girl, Selena Palacios, does too.

What a repetitive cycle of needs and potential for abuse! I talked to her about Diana María, the girl who was also 11 years old when we met her, and she told me how lucky she was to find people who adopted her, her words, even if for just some period of time. I asked her and she accepted and I took a picture so I could pray for her.

Here is Selena. See her way of looking at you while resting her arms on her guitar which is presently her livelyhood and family support.

Please pray for her as all my family is doing every night before going to bed.

Remember: Never add interrogations marks when God has already posted final dots!

Life is a theater play with no rehearsals! So..
Laugh! Love!

Live fully every moment of your life before the curtains come down and the live play ends without applauses!

For about 2 weeks we spent joyful times with our family in El Salvador as well as in Guatemala.

Pictures are more powerful than words!

But I had to go back to Nicaragua, for the briefest time, to tackle with the customs paperwork so what was left after giving away most of our personal belongings can be moved to Guatemala

We will not be setting up a home right away.

It is the desire of our sons that we spend with them a well earned sabbatical period, commuting between their homes in both countries.

So…! Off we went to get the necessary papers!

That afternoon I went to a courier office to send them to my son Victor in Guatemala.

My heart ached with mixed feelings.

A no more than 9 year’s old little girl was begging for money...

I could not help but remembering the younger girls we are leaving behind.

Juanita´s words came back again with a thunder!

Love is above everything else to desire the loved ones happiness even if implies no seeing them again!

When I did see again what was left after giving away most of our things, all packed and ready, and compared with our future way of living…

I could not but ask the Lord what He was leading us into...

And He said: Keep on loving and remembering to continually pray for all your loved ones!

Pay attention to the words…

Laugh! Love!

Live fully every moment of your life before the curtains come down and the live play ends without applauses!