November started with us attending the Annual Pan American Lectureship.  As every year it is a great place to share with others who share the same passion for Latin America.  The highlight of the week was being part of a combined worship in Santo Domingo that brought over 2,500 for a time of worship and praise.  It was a great way to start the lectureship.  Next year the lectureship will celebrate its 50^th Year of support for missions in Latin America.  Plans are for it to be in Guatemala, where the first one was held.  Plan now the first of November 2013 to be at the Pan American Lectureship.  You will be glad you did.  www.lectureship.org

We arrived back in Nicaragua with a medical team from Decatur, TX lead by Dr. Chad Stephens.  They did two days of mobile clinics, glasses with Jonathan and Sheila, two days in the hospital, school visits, Casa Materna, and helping the construction of Miguel’s house in Apanas.  Dr. Stephens is working with us to develop a Specialty Clinic that would provide services not available in our department and limited in Nicaragua. The clinic would be located on site here with the remodeling of the area under where our groups sleep (it was the Ag supply store).  We have an architect working on the plans.  The clinic would be part of our Medical Missions and our Medical Director Dra Pena will have the oversight. Plans for this new project are still developing.  We hope to have a meeting of those that would be interested in the project the weekend of the Medical Mission Conference in Dallas, January 19.  Please contact us if you would like to know more about this project.

Celebrated Thanksgiving with our North Americans (the Hollands and Donna were in the states).  It was a fun time to be with the group.  The ladies had the fixings but gave Chris credit for the turkey (yes, a big Butterball in Nicaragua) and I am not kidding, Chris is a good cook.

The Hope for Life team has developed a new water filter system specially designed for use in the home.  They placed three of them in November and I had the blessings to visit a couple of the homes where they had been placed with Tommy and Chris. They also developed a leadership team lead by Reynaldo in Yankea to work with them on all they are doing.  Check their website www.1hope4life.com of other exciting things they are doing for the efforts for sustainable living.

This year Jonathan and Sheila Holland came to work with us in Nicaragua, basically taking the responsibilities of Mike and Ann Faris, and they have been a blessing.  They also have brought with them a ministry that they started, Sight for Sore Eyes, which gives the opportunity to give more complete eye exams and correct fitting glasses.  SFSE also gives the opportunity to take on old glasses and give proper measurement to be used correctly.  There is nothing like the response of someone seeing clearly. www.SFSEInc.org
 
In November RECLAIMED received its official recognition by the Minister of Education as a sewing school.   Sydney Clyde has been with us for four months (returns to the states in December) developing this project that will benefit families and provides ladies with a skill.  We have already been able to send back to the states items done by these ladies in their classes.  In some way Reclaimed is what we are about in everything we do in Nicaragua. Thanks, Sydney, for bringing this blessing to Nicaragua.  I know that working with both me and my son has been a challenge for her. www.reclaimedclothing.com.

Over the last year we have been part of three major translating projects.  Rebecca Molina has translated Lynda Landreth’s Character Material used by Eastern European Missions, Bible School material written for Nicaraguan Christian School in Leon, and the new first lesson of World Bible School. I was able to bring Rebecca a copy of the new first lesson of WBS in Spanish that I was given by Kristi Bond of WBS.

November has been full but the last week of the month was tremendous: 

• Thanks to the Westgate congregation in Dothan we helped with a campaign effort in Telica.
• Hosted and funded a Cancer Seminar put together by Dra Pena as part of our efforts for Women’s Health. Dra Pena serves as the Chairman of the Cancer Committee for the Jinotega Department. Over 30 doctors and nurses were part of this effort in conjunction with Dr Canales and the Ministry of Health.
• This month, working also with Dr Canales, we are part of a new effort 0-20.  The target of the project is to reduce the birthrate of girls under the age of 20.  37 out of every hundred births in our department are to young ladies under the age of 18 and 27 out of 100 to girls under the age of 15.  Dr Canales has asked the mission and the church to be a major part of teaching a new way of responding. Our Character Material with God’s Word will be major tools of our part in this effort.  We are thankful that Dr Canales agrees, just saying no doesn’t work.  This project is also opening other doors to deal with some other difficult situations that are happening in Nicaragua.
• This month’s meeting of the preachers had 18 in attendance.  In 2013 we want to expand our Aaron and Hur ministry, our efforts to help encourage and support the congregations and preachers who work with them. Be watching for details on how you can help the church in northern Nicaragua.
• On the 30^th we hosted a Town Hall meeting with Ambassador Powers from the United States Embassy. Donna and I serve as Wardens in the Jinotega department.   

THE LIST:

• Please us in your prayers as we bring 2012 to close and look forward to 2013.
• Update on the Smiths.  They are now home improving and going through physical therapy.  Please continue keep them in your prayers.
• Please consider a year-end contribution to the mission.  You can make it through our website using Pay-Pal or by mailing your support to Misión Para Cristo, Garland Street Church of Christ, 700 Garland Street, Plainview, TX 79081

 
Thank you for your continued support of the mission.  It is hard to believe that we have now started our 16^th year of being in Nicaragua.


Because of Him:

Benny and Donna Baker

The November Newsletter is full of pictures and information on all the things going on around the Mission. Please download the PDF version to see more pictures and read about all that is being done.