Tragedy and Triumph
It was a few weeks ago that a tragic accident in Waspam Nicaragua happened that has changed the lives of all of us.
One of our leaders of Project Ezra is Onofre Zamora, who over the years has become one of the best Bible teachers in Central America. His weekly radio show, his job as one of the pastors of one of the largest congregations on the Rio Coco, as well as his work with our 1200 students and Project Ezra teachers have made Onofre one of the most effective Christian ministers in the entire region. He is impacting his culture and making a difference. Lives are being changed as a result of his willingness to say “Yes” to God, in spite of cultural conflicts.
His wife Sonia Fenly Zamora is the organist at the Moravian Church, and one of the pillars of the Christian Community in Waspam. Sonia suffers from a heart condition that causes her to get dizzy and have to sit for a while. We love these two saints and are privileged to be on their team.
Obviously when you are effective at making disciples, you become a target for the opposing forces. On the Rio Coco, those forces are known by name, and are very active in the Miskito culture. Laura and I have had them come into our home there often. They have appeared hovering over my bed, and afflicted me with pain, which one time lasted for weeks until my family in Florida prayed for me.
Onofre’s has a son named Crisler, age 28, who went to college and became a trained agronomist. He was hunting with his brother-in-law when one of the rifles went off unexpectedly, and Crisler was shot in the face. His death was very untimely, and has affected the entire community.
Since then, God has been moving, and there appears to be something positive that is coming out of this tragedy. Yet the enemy is attacking, and the battle is furious. We know that God will give us Triumph from such a Tragedy, if we allow Him to work through us and the circumstances. Yet it is difficult. Indeed it is though many hardships that we do enter the Kingdom of Heaven as Paul declared to his friends in Acts 14.
Today, I received this letter from Onofe.
Dear Friends,
I recieved your letter of condolence; thank you very much for thinking about us. We really need your prayers, as well as the prayers of other friends and churches who support Seek The Lamb.
I implore you to help us by praying for complete deliverance in the Zamora-Fenlyʼs, because the enemy is trying to wrest control of my family with the events surrounding the death of my son Crisler.
One of my sons has visited a spiritist, according to his account, to seek protection from spells and incantations. This action served to open a door to the enemy, so that he could enter into the family to destroy it. A sister from the Bethel Church in Waspam dreamed that a demon came for my wife, Sonia, demanding her life as payment for his work of protection over my house. The sister visited us and interceded with a prayer of cleansing and deliverance. She also anointed the entire family with oil and told us to ask the churches to pray for us.
So it is that we seek— that our Christian brothers and sisters would pray this kind of prayer of protection over us. You may include this note in any Seek The Lamb prayer bulletins. May the Lord Bless you.
Your brother in Christ, Onofre Zamora M.
Grateful & Thankful By Laura Bagby
I awoke this morning thinking about the many things I have to be grateful for. I thought of many of you who have come alongside of our God given journey of faith and adventure. It is an exciting ride….like a roller coaster…twisting, turning, dropping, jerking, high, low, exhilarating, heart pounding and a whole lot of fun.
Some of you got on with us and have been riding ever since…we appreciate you as do the many who we have served and given to along the journey. They are countless and I am sure that you, like us, will greet them on the other side and know instinctively that you took part in their lives.
Personally, I want to thank some of you who recently gave to The RIO COCO Project…
Our Project Ezra schools along the RIO COCO…Thousands have been educated through you… better followers of Jesus, husbands, wives, children, teachers, leaders, government officials, Pastors and professionals have been raised up through our humble system which has been in operation for over 25 years. Thank you for joining our Make a Disciple Child Sponsorship Program. Thank you also for those of you who specifically give to our Teacher’s fund on a monthly basis. We have used your dollars wisely and faithfully and we believe you will receive your eternal dividends in your investments.
We have watched many organizations come, help and go over the years, but because of your faithfulness we have had a lasting and eternal impact upon our Miskito brothers and sister’s .
Tom and Nutie Keogh are significantly used to bring an even more personalized impact for the Kingdom through many of their personal relationships they are growing. God is putting His people in place to have their part and we thank you for taking yours right where you are.
Tim & Lanie Bishop, our office manager, has handled your gifts and generosity with a heart given over to the cause of Christ as well. She has served with us and been a part of our lives for at least 16 years. She is an unpaid servant of the Lord and does it for His glory (and perhaps some sympathy towards us…we can be so lame and pathetic at times). She has been a right and left arm to us and truly a God given friend.
Our RIO COCO Café/Utila…began with some of you supporting the beginnings of such a grand God appointed endeavor. A miraculous, life changing opportunity for all who serve in it or walk through it….God has undoubtedly been in our midst and His eternal affairs are being well taken care of and we thank you for taking part with us. Dustin and Kate Insley are the resident missionaries who carry on the mission with intensity and joy as a newly married. They thrive as does the ministry. We will send “disciples” back to their respective countries altered for eternity because they came through our midst and yours. Our presence is also impacting the Utilian community in a big way so we thank you for joining us for this part of our journey. We need your help. It is another faith endeavor which will involve many hands like yours participating with us.
Our children have begun their journey of participating with us by faith as well. Some of you gave to their “missionary” cause as they traveled to Utila to get the project off the ground. Thank you so much for your help. Not only did we get it off the ground, we began to work it and they had their chances to give of themselves to those coming through and the team that came to serve with us. Beautiful moments for us as a family. Thank you for your contributions to us so that we can live and serve. It is our daily desire to Live for Christ and to serve His cause alone.
As a family, we are endeavoring to serve him together in the opening of our next RIO COCO ministry center….The RIO COCO CAFÉ/Vero. We had to move our roaster. Our very generous friends, Richard and Joyce Mills aided us greatly at their Truss Factory providing us with some space to roast when we first began our roasting operation here in Vero.
The time has come for us to enter this community via our efforts in a Rio Coco Café/roasting room/bible study gathering place. We will retail our coffee and sell by the cup. The concept is to train “workers” as missionaries here and allow them to participate at the Rio Coco Café/Utila where they will be able to talk with the internationals with ease. We can’t do abroad what we are not doing at home so we hope to share the powerful concept of taking seriously ministering right where they are….mmmmm what a eternally biblical thought. It is a wonder how few think about that one!
My children are beginning to think in that direction as they serve and give of themselves through this ministry/business/family affair. The two older ones actually declared their college major in business. The two younger ones are IN businesses (dolls, bags, bikinis, pouches, jewelry, mixes) of their own making and they have also been a tremendous help to the various Rio Coco projects going on. The rumor is the youngest member of this tribe IS the CEO. A guy at the gym told Michael last night, “Hey, I saw your CEO today…she looked very busy!” A sign in her work room says, “Wish it, Dream it, Do it.” Next to her bed is a sign I bought for her which reads, “JOY”. This is the best thing Moselle brings to the table wherever and whatever she may be doing or not doing is joy (during the kitchen chores she is known to do her ballet or dance moves which doesn’t bring much joy to her other siblings. They tell her, “Stop dancing Moselle and do your work.”) I am with her…why work when you can dance?) Or better yet I think just WORK AND DANCE at the same time. She is an intense, fun, articulate, ambitious, sometimes deaf blend of utter creative genius with occasion slips into laziness. Well loved for sure and picked on by her siblings (I do believe it keeps her humble).
Arielle is still 13, but she acts like a loving caring mom who loves to give care to all…especially her siblings. Thus, her appropriate nickname with her family is “mom”. She has become the family nutritionist and a kind of health nut which we love. She doesn’t just talk about getting into shape or eating right…she actually has the grit to “do it” and stick to the things she decides to do. It is a truly distinguishing factor of which she has gained great respect for. She has initiative and takes her responsibilities seriously. I love having her by my side to accomplish life with….she has become one of my greatest blessings & work out buddies. She also has taken the responsibility over Padi, who is an unmotivated Kat and has begun to train her into a well groomed Kitten. She even has her eating better. Her new project is Latte Art…trying to make designs on top of the milk foam. She is learning the art of taking charge over her life and willing to take all the necessary steps to get where she needs to go. It is a deep blessing to have someone so close take so much initiative in all the areas that make our lives run. She has been a willing vessel of great service and love. I feel like she really “gets it”... A life dependent and led by the Spirit….a good useful life for sure….unfortunately she has a sick sense of humor (like the rest of us).
Lukas has been growing into manhood and taking on more responsibilities. He has become our chief roaster and production manager and is presently being discipled by Mikaela who needs to get away from burlap sacks (she is allergic). He has been busy making shelves, painting, cleaning for The Rio Coco Café/Vero project…the self sacrificing work has been impressive. He is learning the art of dying to self. A very hard one for us all, but necessary to true Life….it is a transition from thinking more of God than self and serving others more than self. A process for life…for all. He is making that cross over into responsible adulthood and truly coming to life.
A milestone for parents is to begin to recognize that your children are becoming more like you in those traits that are from Him. It brings us joy to see them take responsibility over themselves and to care for one another. They get along well and have their occasional Kat fights which is quite amusing.
Mikaela is coming into her own and has been owning the vision of our lives with the many facets of Rio Coco. She is well respected by her “co workers” (Luk, Air and Moz) and friends. She has a sign in her room that I found that describes her, “Delightful”. She keeps us laughing when she is in the moment. If she is in her task mode (like someone we know), I say, “Shall we ignore each other ?”. I have learned that I hate talking to anyone who is not giving me eye contact. I tell her my time is too valuable not to get full attention…her time is getting too valuable herself not to give or receive full attention. She does walk with quite a bit of wisdom for a 20 year old.
However, we, her parents, have together 50 years more life and wisdom inducing experiences than her and Lukas (19). At times, we tire of “discussions” and the two little girls ask, “Why don’t they just say, YES?” As they age, they do begin to have more opinions and ideas. We love it and hate it. Sometimes I just want to give ‘em slaps. I don’t, of course. I just “feel” like it and Michael and I have our own personal ranting and raving parties (mostly me ranting…Mrs. Emotion with deep passion…I swear I am going crazy…but he assures me I am not)
We are doing well as a couple, parents, team, partners, friends, lovers, servants, missionaries, business associates, fellow carpenters, etc…It is a sweet spot in life for us all and we intend to max it out. Thank you for being a part of our journey. We like having you on for the ride. Your presence as been stabilizing to us and we are grateful for you. Laura
My New Refrigerator Magnet
by Michael Bagby
I remember this day well. We had just finished walking through 7 miles of mud and chest high water to get to the Coco River. I was tired and cold. I hadn’t had anything to eat all day. We arrived on the riverbank, and I tossed my backpack down for a few moments of rest before unloading the horses carrying our outboard motor and boxes of school supplies. It was then that the wife of our friend Trano walked up and handed me a bowl of hot, steaming rice.
Somebody took this photo just as I was ready to take my first bite. It was incredible! I have never tasted a bowl of anything more delicious! And as I sat there enjoying the moment, I was so thankful for God’s provision for me.
These past few weeks have been filled with strange things happening around us. We had a rock thrown up from the weedwacker which hit the sliding glass door and shatter it. In a few days, the septic pump stopped working, and the house filled with odors of sewage. Grass in our yard began dying in five places around the house. Arielle and Moselle’s computer, which they purchased with their wages from selling coffee, got knocked off the table, and stopped working. Light bulbs in the kitchen began burning out – three in one day! In Nicaragua, we have had truck breakdowns with costly repairs, light poles on our property fall down, and other “unexpected” events that are trying all of us. The repairs have been costly.
Laura and I realize that we are under attack, and the enemy is trying to discourage us as we plow ahead with the building out of the Rio Coco ministry here in Vero Beach, and work with the kids in the Project Ezra schools.
The reality of a Christian is that life is often difficult. I know that many of you are saying “Amen” as you try to balance the checkbook each month, and deal with personal and business setbacks. Relax! Its not nice, but it is normal.
But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:19-22
The challenge for me is to remain in the presence of God in the midst of these “tribulations”. This is the lesson that the Lord is attempting to teach me in this season- that He is there and together we can walk through anything. I’m a slow learner, but by golly, I’m starting to get the picture. And here it is: He’s right beside us in every circumstance! Pay attention to His voice as you walk it out. He is there to guide us, comfort us, and provide for us! This is the great stress reliever of our faith. MB
The Bagby Bunch Corner
We are fully engaged in the Rio Coco ministry here in Vero Beach, as we move the coffee roaster and prepare the café for ministry. Already the Lord is showing us that He has a plan that is bigger than ours. Last night we were working with our friend Brad, cutting wood and preparing countertops. Suddenly a young man appeared inside the front room– it was 8:30 pm, and our door was open, and the lights were on. He asked us for directions to Route 60, because he was walking to Inverness, which is about 4 hours away by car. He was holding a Mapquest page with directions, and said that “It says that it will take me 2 days and 14 hours to get there. I have already been walking two days.” After talking to this boy, we discovered that he was 15, and running away from home. His father was being too harsh, and he had to get away. He had been suspended from school for 10 days, because he cut out of classes one afternoon.
We told him that it was a dumb plan to walk across the state of Florida to Inverness, especially through the swamps west of Vero at night. Brad began talking with him, as Laura and I began praying. It turns out that the boy had been part of a youth group in a church in his hometown, and that he knew about Jesus. He was in rebellion against his father, who was divorced from his mom. After more talking, Brad called the father, and in two hours the father and grandfather arrived. It was then that Brad got a word for the father: “You are holding on to bitterness, and it is affecting you and your son. He is a good boy.” When the father protested that his son was not, Brad turned to the grandfather and said, “The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Was your son like your grandson?” He nodded “Yes”. The father was shaken. Brad prayed for them, and together, three generations drove home together, pondering how God showed up and met them at the Rio Coco Café. We gather inside and rejoiced at what God had done!
What an encouragement for us! We know that this coffee ministry in Utila and here in Vero is reaching people who will never walk inside of a church. We are a week or two away from opening for business, yet God showed us that He is already Open, and ready to touch many who walk through the doors! Pray for us as we walk through this process of opening this ministry location. Ask God to provide all that we need to get everything in order, and that we will have extreme favor with the communities on Utila and here in Vero Beach. Laura & Michael
For Christmas this year,
give a personalized gift
that will be enjoyed by all!
“Your Private Label Coffee”
Imagine the joy of giving a bag of
coffee with your special photo as part of the label knowing that as you give, children on the Rio Coco in Nicaragua are being blessed with education.
We make it Easy and Fun to create
your own “Private Label Coffee”:
1) Choose a name for your coffee, and give us a logo or photo; send it to us at lambagby@cs.com
2) We will design a label for your coffee; (included in the price!)
3) Choose any of our Nicaraguan coffee: Altisimo, Altisimo Dark, or Negro Fino, Los Dos, or our Esmeralda Mexican Decaf.
Ten 8 oz. Bags $99.00 20 bags $189.00
Ten 12 oz. Bags $129.00 20 bags $239.00
For more information please contact Michael Bagby at lambagby@cs.com or tel. (772) 633-6808
Voted “Best Gift” last Season by the A & M Coffee Club!
Your Donation is Welcome!
Many of you are switching to our secure online donation page to make your monthly support for your Project Ezra student, Seek The Lamb missionary, and contribute to our building and education fund. Thanks for your faithfulness! It is only through your gifts and prayers that we are able to accomplish all that has happened over these past 27 years in our adventures along the Rio Coco in Honduras and Nicaragua, our study travels to Israel and Greece, our outreach on the island of Utila, and our discipleship ministry in the United States.
Thank You!
Click here to make your donation!
Thanks for taking the time to be with us this month!
Seek The Lamb, Nicaragua, Miskito Indians, Project Ezra, Thomas Keogh, Tom Keogh, Nutie Keogh, Dustin Insley, Kate Insley, Laura Bagby, Michael Bagby, Utila, Rio Coco Bean Coffee, Rio Coco Beans, Rio Coco Cafe, Rio Coco Cafe Utila, Honduras, Christian,
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