Jamie O'Shea - Serving The Kingdom

Nicaragua House of Prayer

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to put this video up on my blog so that people that were praying and supporting me down in Nicaragua can see what your prayers and support has been and is accomplishing. Please take a moment to watch this video. Also, if you feel led, give a donation to the cause. Any Canadians that are wondering about sending a financial gift can talk to me about how to do this at rickoshea_@hotmail.com

Take care,

Jamie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8Zc4ktHeAc

Jamie?! What have you been up to?

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ugh... so anyone who got an update email already... I'm sorry, I started writing a blog and then got called for dinner, so I hit save... thinking that it would save the message so far... well it saved a partial blog. I deleted the partail blog and am now trying to remember what I wrote before... hmmmm.

Anyways. What I was saying before was that even though I am not technically a part of the team, I am still ministering to the team, well maybe that's not true either. They are ministering to me. I can remember way back in September when I was imagining all the things that the team was going to become and accomplish, I had pretty big hopes for them. I have to tell you though, they have exceeded anything that I imagined. They are doing great. I read each and every one of there blogs, and they truly inspire me and teach me. They are amazing. Guys, girls, if you are reading this, I'm so proud of all of you and thank you for all that you have done in Nicaragua, and in my life.

So what am I up to these days? Currently I'm in Scotland with my FIANCEE! I am having a great time getting to know her family and especially working with her Father. I've been doing alot of home renovations... everything from bathrooms to hardwood floors, to installing floors in an attic. It's been great to spend alot of time with my future father-in-law. I'll be returning home to Canada April 12th 2009. At that time I'll be looking for full time permanent work. Or... at least that is the plan. I'm always careful to plan really far ahead with what I'll be doing, as God has a sense of humour. Both Nicola and I are open to doing missions in the future, wherever God leads, that's where I want to be. Exodus 5:33 says "Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here." That has been my recent life verse. Unless God is leading me and making it clear where I should be going, I'm not going anywhere.

Please look with me to a HUGE team project that my team has been working on. http://jdrussell.myadventures.org/?filename=nicaragua-house-of-prayer-granada

God put on the heart of Caleb Spitler to build an IHOP... International House Of Prayer. Wow! What a vision, to have someone in this house, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I hope life is going great for all of you and that God is working in your life, and through your life... as well as inspite of your life. Talk with you all later. Adios.

Deep Thoughts

Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey Friends!

It's been a couple of weeks now since I last wrote so I thought it was time that I updated people on what God is doing here in Granada Nicaragua. A couple of weeks ago we were able to finalize what our weeks will look like. We have classes for half of the day, and ministry for the second half. In class we are going through several books. The first book was Victory Over the Darkness. The book that I teach from is called Celebration of Discipline, which includes topics such as solitude, prayer, fasting, submission, simplicity among others. Teaching is a somewhat new thing for me. God has definately given me more courage and boldness in my teaching. If you'd like to have a specific thing to pray for though, I'd love if you would pray that God would continue to direct me in my teaching abilities and style. Some of the ministries that we are involved in include teaching ESL (English as a Second Language), feeding programs, daycare for the market vendors, garbage pick up, working with young people in a youth group type setting, we can't forget the soccer ministry either, and also doing some manual labour at El Puente. El Peunte is the base for everything. We have church there every other week. The weeks we aren't at El Puente we are at a church call Torres Fuerte which means strong tower. Oh ya, El Puente means 'The Bridge'. The idea behind the garbage pick up here is to try and have a practical impact on the city. We as a team have committed to weekly cleaning one section of the city no matter what. We are hoping that people are able to see the difference and be encouraged. It seems that Nicaragua is plagues with a sense of hopelessness, so they just throw their garbage out on the street. It has been great to see the impact that it is having on the community. first children came out to help, then we saw some of the parents out helping as well. The parents were also asking why we would want to do this, so that was an opportunity to share Christ with them as well. The guys and I are also involved in a weekly bible study. We meet every Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7:30 am. What an amazing, fruit bearing ministry! The people here are great about inviting friends here. EVERY SINGLE DAY of bible study we see people coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. If we are here for that alone, it would be worth it.

So that is a little of what the team is doing. As most of you will recall, my ministry is ministering to my team. God has entrusted my co-leader and me with the priviledge of teaching 14 young people. It has been quite the experience. I've had so many emotions over the 1 1/2 months that I've been with them. I've had times when things have been going very well, as well as times when I wonder what we are doing wrong. God has really shown me what it means to be a leader. My prayer before I came down here was that God would grow me as a leader, and that He would stretch me. Well God is faithful and has done all of these things. I feel as though I'm a sponge and am just soaking things up. When I read these books I get so much from them. It's like what Pastor Tom always says, 'The person who is doing the teaching learns the most', it is so true.

So some of you may be wondering the wild adventures that 6 young guys like myself and my guys might get into. Well, I'm glad you asked! Some of the guys felt the need to catch a gecko, behead it, and cook it over a fire, and then proceed to eat it. Why you may ask? Well you truly aren't a man in Nicaragua unless you do this they claim. The guys on the team claim this, not the Nicaraguan's. Well, I suppose I'm not a man in their eyes yet! They also require that you eat the 'mystery fruit' that grows in our back courtyard. This is a green fruit of some sort, that when you eat, your mouth and tongue and teeth if you can believe it, go numb. All the guys are also participating in 'No Shave November'. So that should be fun. This one I will be participating in. We have 2 of our female counter parts that are participating in this as well, which consists of them not shaving their legs for the month of November. Anyone that might like to join in on this radical adventure are free to do so. Time to support us in Nicaragua! Come on men! Let's do it! Oh yes, I almost forgot. The guys also go to a ministry called Hogar Crea. This is a rehab center for drug and alcohol addicts. Well the guys that attend there have to shave their heads. Well one of the guys felt like God was asking them what would they NOT give up. He said his hair, no way would he cut his hair. Well, God spoke to him and he is now bald, including EVERY SINGLE GUY that attended that night from our group. I, was not there that night. I thank God for sparing me from that! So as you can see we have alot of fun here. It's great to be mentoring and discipling these 5 guys. It's a huge responsibility, and I'm overjoyed that God has allowed me to priviledge to be apart of this. Please pray for me with this. It is very time consuming to meet with them all on a weekly basis and keep on track with how they are doing spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Pray that God would give me the strength and the words to say. God is good.

Anyone that would like to write me I would love it! My email is rickoshea_@hotmail.com

Much love,

Jamie

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey to all my loyal blog checkers! Wow! I am so excited to write this blog to you all. So yesterday was thanksgiving. Yes my american friends, thanksgiving is in October for us Canadians. I remember saying something to the team in passing a couple of weeks ago, but not much else was made of it. Not much was made of it all day yesterday, or so I thought. So the guys had went back to the guys house, since we had been kicked out. Tana had told me that the girls needed to have a house meeting. So I thought, oh ok let's go guys. So we all went back to the house and waited until 6 for dinner. I got a call from Tana to tell me that they hadn't finished on time and would be ready at 6:30. So the guys left our house and I said to the guys 'oh ya, Happy thanksgiving Jamie'. So they said 'oh ya! Happy Thanksgiving!' As we walked up to the girls front door we rang the doorbell. I was so clueless. I was thinking to myself 'hmm why would they lock us out'. So I started ringing the door bell over and over! They opened it and all I heard was 'HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!' The team had made all sorts of signs which included the name of all of our provinces and territories, including 'North Western' I'm pretty sure they meant Northwest Territories, but hey, it was good enough! They had many other signs such as 'We Love Muchas Jamie'. One with a turkey and 'turkey lovin' written below it. Oh, and then the greatest, 'OH CANADA... EH?' I was so shocked and amazed. I was so happy that my team would take the time to do all of that for me. I can't describe the joy that is in my heart because of it.

So while I'm talking about thanksgiving, I thought I should also thank God for sparing my life 2 years ago thanksgiving weekend. For those of you who know me best, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I should have died 2 years ago and it is only by the grace of God that I'm able to be sitting here in Nicaragua with my team, and with my family and friends back at home while I think of them. I love you all so much and I miss you guys. Thank you so much for your prayers. I've had a long journey and you have always stuck by me. I'm so so appreciative of that. Adios Amigos!

Here we go!

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey to all my friends and family back at home!

So, today is Saturday and is also a time to write a letter back home! I'm missing so everyone from home so much right now. I'm excited to be able to see everyone when I return home for Christmas. That is crazy to even think about, but yes, Christmas is coming soon! If you can believe it, I know I can't, I've been away from Canada for 5 weeks now. I have been in Nicaragua for a month. The team celebrated our 1 month anniversary the other day with cake, it was soooo good!

Ok, so I've been hearing alot of 'What are you doing in Nicaragua's'? So here it is! The first part of our trip down here, Tana and I had ALOT of meeting with different ministries that we wanted to get involved with. Since we are the pioneering group down here, alot of these ministry partnerships were non existant. It put a very big strain on Tana and I, and also on the team. The team was very anxious to get involved with ministries and it was amazing to see them so ready to go, but also very hard because we weren't ready for it all yet. The first couple of weeks we did alot of random acts of kindness as our church would call it. We also did some work at El Puente (translated, The Bridge). This is the church that Charles and Sarah Kaye have started. They are the directors down here. It was great to be able to build relationships with the guys that star at El Puente and just help them out with some practical things. The team dove right into it, whether it be using a machete to cut grass (so much easy with a lawn mower!) Or slapping concrete on the walls, they were very willing. This week we have a more routine schedule. Monday and Tuesday we went to teach ESL (English as a Second Language). Wednesday the team went out to pick up garbage down by the lake. Thursday there were some feeding programs that we helped out with. Friday we went to Sisters of Charity and helped out with the daycare there for the kids of parents that can't afford daycare. These kids are mostly children to the vendors in the markets. I was amazed at the reaction that we got when we walked in. There was approx. 50 kids there. They all SCREAMED with joy when we walked in. It was so amazing to just play with the kids and just show them love. Someone made the comment that this is probably the most love they've gotten in months.

As for me personally, my prayer was that God would stretch me and to grow me and challenge me in my leadership abilities. Wow, has He ever answered my prayers. God is amazing! I continue to be amazed at all that He has given me. I was teaching on Simplicity this week, and it is so true what people say that you learn the most when you teach. I have learnt so much about simplicity and about not needing everything that our culture says that we need. I've been challenged to live a life of simplicity. With all of that being said, I feel as though God is calling me to be down in Nicaragua next year as well. I'm excited about the opportunities that He has brought up. I'm amazed at the faithfulness of God, I know I shouldn't be, but I am. God has blessed me with so much, and I'm excited to see what He is going to continue to do in my life as I walk with Him WHEREVER He brings me. Like my Mom says, 'the safest place to be is in God's will'. So I'm just going to go day by day and see what new challenges and experiences He brings into my life.

Some specific prayer requests:

Please pray for the teams continued safety. Also pray that the team will remain unified in all that we do and say and that everything just glorify's God. Oray for the finances of some of the members of the team as some people haven't yet gotten it all in. God is faithful, and He will provide. Pray for the health of the team, a few of the members of the team have been sick physically, but also, some of them have been homesick. Please continue to pray for the direction that God is bringing me in my life. He is doing awesome things in my life!

Thanks for the prayer and support,

Jamie

I have been blessed

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Ok! So, I haven't written a blog in a long time on my own personal blog, so I thought I would do so. Feel free to add the team blog to your subscription list. I will likely be putting more update on there than on here. You can find it here, http://08mexicoawakening.myadventures.org/?category=Trip%20Updates

So alot has happened since we have been in Nicaragua. Tana (my co-leader) and I have been going to alot of meetings with different ministries that are going on here. We have alot of things lined up and it is looking like it will be great! There is so much need here and at times it can feel overwhelming, but we continue to take it one step at a time and trust in God to provide for our needs. Our God is so great and He continues to shower us with blessings.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to lead this trip

I have been blessed with a family that supports me

I have been blessed with many friends and family that have supported me financially and in prayer

I have been blessed with an amazing team to minister to, and to minister with

I have been blessed with a great co-leader and friend

I have been blessed with so many opportunities to tell the love of Christ

I have been blessed with food to eat

I have been blessed with a place to lay my head

I have been blessed with place to shower

I have been blessed with multiple pairs of clothes

I have been blessed with so many countless things this list could go on forever and ever.

I hope to get on the internet soon with a more detailed list of what we are doing here. Thanks for all your love and prayers.

Much Love,

Jamie

Mixed Signals

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

For the longest time I have been thinking about what it is that I should blog about next. I have to tell you that I have felt as though I should speak on mixed signals in our lives. You know, so many times in our lives we have confusing ideas and confusing thoughts. Things that we aren't sure if God has called us to do or not. All to often we make decisions in our lives without even consulting our creator, the very one that gave us our desires for certain things. We have God given desires. God has given us the desire to be loved, the desire to love. He has given me the desire to help others in need. He has also given us abilities. I'm a strong, healthy 23 year old, with endless abilities. I have so many opportunities in my life. Yet, at times I must confess that I don't allow God His rightful place in my life. I think that sometimes we get so comfortable in our stuff. You know, the things that we take pride in. Our house, our cars, our jobs, our clothes. We never begin to think about what if God never blessed us with these things in the first place. Everything that we have is because of Him. He has given it to us, He can take it all away in a heartbeat.

I was driving to Tim Hortons the other day. For my American friends that are reading this, Tim Hortons is the equivalent to Starbucks. I was driving along with the radio on, listening to my favorite country station. Ya they were probably playing some Rascal Flatts or some awesome group like that! So as I was driving down the road, I started to hear voices! Ha! Don't worry, I'm not crazy. I was hearing another station come in. It was ok for a couple more minutes, only now and then would the stations overlap. The further I drove, my beloved country station became very hard to decipher what was playing!

As this was all going on, I had a thought. Our relationship with God is alot like that very station. When we are close to Him, when we are in constant communication with Him, we have a very strong 'signal'. As we make choices in our life though, choices that aren't first talked about with God, choices that are wrong, we get further from God. As we get further from God, it's harder to see what it is that we should be doing in our lives. Ya, just like with the radio, at first it's hard to notice. It's only once in a while that you get some interference. But the farther we 'drive' away, the harder it is to hear the voice of God in our lives. Let me encourage you to see it for what it is. Is it beginning to feel more difficult to talk with God. Are you not getting the 'signal'? Perhaps it's time for you to turn around and head back to Him.

In my personal life I have recently been very blessed. I have so many oppurtunities coming at me, but I must continue to always bring it back to God. I am so excited for what God is doing in my heart and in my life. He's changing me from the inside out. He's making me the man of God I've always longed to be. One of those blessings is a person. God has blessed me with an amazing, godly woman of God. I've never known what it is like to be in a relationship with someone who desires to put God first in all that she does. We feel so blessed that God has put us together. We're excited about the future! That's the awesome thing about putting God first in your relationships. Not only in dating relationships either. I'm talking about relationships with friends, with family, with coworkers, with spouses, even with those people that you just can't seem to get along with! As Nicola would say, we have to always bring it back to God, that is where you will find fulfilment in your relationships. Are your relationships strained? Bring it back to God.

Thanks so much for reading my blog, I love to let people know what is on my heart and how I'm doing in my walk with Christ. If you are looking for some practical ways to pray for me, well, here they are! Pray protection over me from spiritual warfare. I feel it, it's there, and I need your prayers. Pray that God would continue to work in my life. Pray that He become number one in all of my relationships with others, and that I take every oppurtunity I have to tell people of the love of Christ through my actions. Please pray for a friend that is very close and dear to me. They are going through a rough time and need your prayers. Will you pray that they will see that when we turn to Christ, things are much better.

Let me just pray with you before I sign off, after all, God can read too!

Lord thank you for today and all that you bring us. We want to dedicate today to you and say that you are master over our lives, and we desire for your heart, to be our heart. Father we desire to be intimate with you, to know your desires and wants for us. Lord, remove anything in our lives that hinder us from being closer to you. We love you Lord and are so thankful for what you did on the cross. I pray this is Christ name, Amen

A new day!

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A couple of days ago, I wrote a blog talking about how I was feeling down and inadequate to leading this team, and just asked for prayer, and recognized what was going on as spiritual warfare and prayed against it in Christ's name. Wow! I tell you, there is power in prayer, and I'd like to thank you all for standing behind me in prayer and for all of your support. I was also able to talk with a couple of people who I respect greatly and value their opinion and that helps so so much. I'm being discipled without even knowing it! The thought of discipleship, isn't really a new thing to me. I've heard of it in the past. Discipleship though is something that the Lord has really put on my heart since my trip to Swaziland Africa with AIM. I'm just sooo pumped to go on this trip and lead this team and just pour into them... just pour out myself until I'm empty... and wait for Christ to pour afresh into me! When I think of the things that Christ is going to do in my life, I get so excited!

Thanks so much for reading my blog, continue to check here for regular updates on life and what is new with me and the team. I'm continuing the process of getting to know the team. It is going great with some individuals, but, with others I haven't really had much time to get to know them. That can be explained based on how much time they spend on facebook! I'm loving getting to know the few that I'm talking to, and maybe not so much with a couple;) You know who you are! Ha, I'm just joking. I have this thing that I keep telling myself that I should work on my sarcasm, but, eish, I don't know if that's going to happen. Haha, I love to joke around.

In my last blog I talked about financial support and said that you could click on a link to support me. Apparently that link isn't working due to the ' in my last name.... O'Shea. I'm convinced that no computer system can handle it! Whether it be with this blog, or at the bank, or getting my haircut, or with my membership to McDonalds, it doesn't work! Mmmm... Memberships at McDonalds... great idea. Well, continue to pray that the support will come in. I still have approx. $2500 to raise. I was speaking with a good friend of mine and talking to him about support. A guy he was talking to said that missionaries are great... well, I'll change the wording... support raisers. Well, he was suggesting that missionaries often try to get out of paying for things, and expect others to pay for them. Bill said that he told him that God has gifted this guy in making money in the business world, God has gifted missionaries in making relationships and impacting them for eternity, If he does what God has gifted him with, we can do what we are gifted with. So with that, I'd like to encourage you to prayerfully consider supporting me financially, and allowing me to pour into the lives of people, and impact them for Christ. Since the support me button isn't working, and because of me being Canadian, it may be easier to mail a cheque. My excellent mother has volunteered to be my secretary/accountant. So if you feel led, you can mail a cheque to:

Judy O'Shea

11 Dell Dr.

Strathroy Ontario Canada

N7G1C7

Thank you so much in advance. Please, remember to keep me in your prayers. Love Jamie.

With a heavy heart....

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As I write this newest blog, I'm writing with heavy heart. For the last couple of weeks, I have been under intense spiritual warfare. I've felt beat up, I've felt struck down, and I've felt defeated! But this is so untrue! I am a child of the living God! I am a prince to the throne. I have spoken with a few members of my team, and shared with them that there is going to be times of trials and testing ahead of us. The evil one wants to strike us down when he sees us doing things for the Lord, so he brings things into our lives, he brings situations into our lives to get us down. Recently one of the girls on my team, Jessica Hutt wrote "this week, I have felt extra discouraged and very, very tempted in areas that aren't normally an issue for me. I've fallen. I've gotten back up. I've fallen again. I've gotten back up again... and so the cycle goes. Each time I fail, I can hear Satan whispering those negative words to me - "You can't do this. You must be such a baby Christian to keep messing up like this, on something so small. How can you expect to make an impact in Nicaragua when you can't even seem to get your own life straight?" I was so blessed to read that. I confess that the evil one has been sneaking thoughts of unworthiness of leading this team. I know though where these are coming from. Also though, alot of times we make choices that affect our lives and our relationship with God. I absolutely love the speaker James MacDonald. I get his podcasts daily, and they always challenge me. The Lord always seems to speak with me and meet with me where I'm at. Well, today the message hit home. James was saying we need to be sincere and say "I'm the reason that I'm in the situation that I'm in. I'm the reason that I'm struggling where I'm struggling. It's not mothers fault, it's not my teachers fault or my neighbours or my spouses fault! It's about taking responsibility for our life and our relationship with Him!" After I listened to that, I realized that, alot of times when I struggle with my personal relationship, it's because I've disconnected myself from Him. I work at a conservation area doing security. Right next to the conservation area is a field. I noticed last week that someone had either stepped on, or cut a stalk of corn, and it was laying on the ground. Day after day of me driving by, I noticed that it was dying. The first day it wasn't to bad, not much different than the others, still green, still looked very much alive. The second and third days though, it withered... it turned crisp and began to look like it was dying. You know, our lives are like that to. We are supposed to be connected to God, it's in HIM that we draw our strength. It's through Him that he gives us life. When we wander from Him, things might seems fine for a little while, a day, maybe more, just like that stalk of corn. Things are fine for a LITTLE while, but we are cut off from our life support, and eventually we start to wither and die spiritually. Isn't it great though that when God sees that we are struggling, when He sees that we are walking away, He brings SO MUCH TRIAL into our lives, that we come running back to Him! Isn't that amazing of Him? To know that He cares enough about us to bring trials into our lives, so that we turn to Him, because if we don't, we'll spend a long time living out the consequences of our actions. I've made alot of unwise decisions in my past, I've hurt people, and I've hurt myself, and... I've hurt my Father. We can learn from our mistakes though, and we can use them to help others. That's my prayer for my failures and my shortcomings, that I may learn from them, and use them to help other people in the same situation.

Please continue to pray for me and my spiritual health. Pray that I may stay connected to Him so that He can grow me into the man of God that He plans for my life. Pray that when I get out of bed, I may say to myself, this is a day that I am going to serve God. Also pray for my financial support for my trip to Nicaragua. If you feel led to support me, you can do so by clicking this link. Support me. I still have time, but time goes by quickly.

A new season in my life!

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So in life we have seasons. Just like the weather, so we have them in our lives. I am going into a new season in my life. I have been asked to lead a FYM trip to Nicaragua. This trip will be 9 months in length. It begins in September of '08 and ends mid May of '09. I will have approx. 15 young men and women on my team! I have started to communicate with a few of them. I am so excited to hear from all of them and to know what is going on in their lives, what their story is. We all have our stories of where God has brought us from and made us into. It's an ever changing story and Christ makes us and molds us into who He wants us to be. At times it is very easy, but at other times it is very hard and is very painful and trying. Personally, I learn and grow most in times of trial. He uses trials and tribulations in my life to give me faith and to have me persevere. Over the next 9 months, I'm sure that I am going to have these times of trials and pain. It's my prayer that I always look at them as oppurtunities to be molded and to learn from God. Please pray for me and with me that this will happen.

Keep on Keeping on,

Jamie