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Newsletters
Jun 2010 |
Newsletters - Mar 2004Alongside Ministries en Nicaragua Dear Friends, We have many new things to share with you this month and we’ll let the pictures do most of the talking this time. We’ve been busy, as usual, but feel like we’re settling into a schedule that is working for all of us. We’re fully moved into our new little house along with our new roommate, Amanda Van Deman. There are still a few quirks we’re working out (like storage of all the extra stuff that we have with baseball and school supplies) but bit by bit we’re making a dent in the piles of boxes.
El Farito, the ministry center in Cedro Galan has been a hopping place lately. We’ve increased the feeding program to three days a week and are seeing a consistent crowd of about 65 children and youth each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They are doing a good job of remembering to bring fire wood (Tuesday), a monetary offering (Wednesday) and trash (Thursday) and at this time we have about C$38 (cordoba) collected in the offering. That’s about $2.50 – not a bad start. When we reach C$100 we will pursue getting matching funds from our 2 churches here in Nicaragua (an ‘American’ missionary church and our Sunday evening Nicaraguan church) and then give a blessing of C$300 to a needy family or individual. That is about $20 and it will go a long way to buy food or medicine.
And then again, other things change so drastically that there is almost no comparison. Kathy is learning so much and being stretched, almost to the breaking point sometimes, when dealing with discipline, appropriate classroom behaviors, manners, oh yes. and teaching. She continues to thank God for the extra love and patience He has given her for teaching and working with children. Without His strength she wouldn’t be able to do what she’s doing. You all know how much Kathy loves little boys but when she looks at a face like Flor de Liz (‘Florcita’) she says, “Thank heaven for little girls!”
Serving Together, Thank you for supporting our ministry in Nicaragua. Eastside Development |
One of our greatest accomplishments was building a 20’ water tower and getting a 1,320 gallon tank into place on the top of it. The tank is plastic but it was heavy and awkward. As you can see it took some creative ingenuity to get that thing hoisted aloft. We eventually had to cut away the hand rail on one side of the tower but eventually got it settled and in place. We now have water 24/7 which makes a huge improvement in everyone’s disposition! It’s enough to make you want to dance!
We have a team of young men, 3 brothers and their friends, coming down mid June to work alongside us for about 5 weeks. We met these young men with their family last summer when they were here for a week working at various ministry sites and seeing and experiencing Nicaragua for the first time. We’re looking forward to having them here with us again and already feel blessed by their gift of hard work that they’re planning to give us at the sports center and where ever else we have a need. So, in anticipation of their time here and visits by other groups, we have started construction of a small dormitory that will be able to house 12 people in six bunk-beds. The dorm will have two showers, a toilet and a storage room for baseball equipment and other supplies. As you can see the dorm is being built at the back end of our home just on the other side of the carport. We’ve planned ahead and will be able to run water and power right from the existing lines and it will even have an internet hook up! Wow! What more could you want? Thank you for your donations which have made this construction project possible. This dorm will really assist us in the housing of groups and families that come down for a week or longer. Maybe you would like to come down and experience the dorm first hand?
Kathy has started teaching preschool those same 3 days in the morning. Pre-Escolar Cristiana El Farito (Little Lighthouse Christian Preschool) has an enrollment of 13 children, 3 girls and 10 boys. Those of you who know Kathy’s history in teaching preschool will probably chuckle at the boy to girl ratio. Some things never change, do they?
We continually thank heaven, our Heavenly Father, for all the blessings that we continue to experience. One of the greatest is your partnership in this ministry. Thank you so much! Continuing to serve . . .