After my brother David left to go back to the States, our team season began. It started later than usual due to teams having to drop out due to the economy. Yes, we feel the pinch, or rather punch down here as well. We had teams from the North West, Texas, Virginia, Florida and New York. Nine teams in seven weeks...not bad at all. Our first teams worked here in Managua. We often work with a church called El Faro, a church that ministers specifically to the community of people that live and work in the city's garbage dump. Most of our work involved covering family homes with plastic to help keep the rain out during rainy season, serving food at a feeding center El Faro has established inside the dump, and working on the church property itself. The Pastor and his team have an amazing ministry coming out of this church. In the past year and a half they have encouraged the people of this community that they have worth and are children of God. They have begun home groups, job training, and micro business just to name a few programs available to these church members. Forward Edge is blessed to be able to be a part of this ministry.
We also worked at a local public school called Cama de Piedras or "Chiquilistagua". They have recently been given ownership of the property the school is on and it is much need of repairs and maintenance. A team from Canada earlier this year donated enough money to put new glass in the windows, new plumbing outdoors, and to replace two toilets and sinks so the students would not have to go to the bathroom behind the building in a ditch. One of our first teams painted a colorful mural in one of the classrooms, dug ditches to lay new pipe for clean water, trimmed bushes, cut grass and moved yard debris. Of course saving time in the afternoon to play with the kids.
July came and that meant four days of camping in Leon, Nicaragua. Leon is about an hour outside of the main city Managua. If you know me, you know I am not a camper! Ohhhh the sacrifice! But I loved every minute! Camping with a team full of Texans is an experience like never (in a good way), and the rewards that came out of it made every dirty, dusty excruciatingly hot day worth it! We offered a medical clinic, working with two Nicaraguan doctors with a pharmacy, attending to around 100-120 people per day. We cut hair (okay, Mark cut hair), expanded the church building using good old fashioned construction techniques, did crafts with hundreds of kids, washed and styled hair and gave out school shoes. At the end of every day we took bucket showers, ate dinner prepared by a professional chef :), and had fellowship with kids and neighbors that attend the church. Then went to bed on our tent city (my tent broke the first hour we were there!! but still worked). The bonds that come out of an experience like this are amazing and I am truly blessed to be a part of this work.
At least someone enjoyed my tent!
These were the adventures of the first few teams. I was not with every team as we had scheduled multiple teams during the same time. This year I missed my dear friends from Edmunds WA, as a good friend Katie McGrew and her family came down and lived in Nica for two months to help with teams. She was taking care of the teams I was not able to be with. Thank you McGrew family! You all were a true blessing to our ministry.
Prayer:
- Praise God for all the volunteers He sent to help Nicaragua.
- Pray HE reveals the purpose of their short term mission trip to all the servants this summer.
- Pray churches, teams and individuals step out in Faith to send or join teams for next year.
Next installment coming soon!!
