Harding University

We started March this year with 26 Harding students here on their Spring Break.  This was our 10^th year to host a Spring Break group from Harding. Their week involved working with construction, Hope4Life, our schools,
the church and simply being a blessing to Nicaragua.

Interns

March brought this year’s first internship completions. Niki Starks and Tessa Savage spent six weeks with us. Tessa is a student a Freed Hardman and Niki works with a traveling children’s ministry. They did a number of different things while they were here. They will probably be remember by most is Niki making some great costumes for our Bible Adventures and Tessa building rabbit houses for Hope4Life. They were such a blessing during their time in Nicaragua.

Hope For Life

Hope4Life started and finished their second “Goat House” in Yankea. With the help of Reynaldo Rizo, the preacher in Yankea and President of the Ag Co-op that was started in 2010, they plan to develop a learning model for sustainable living.  They were excited to see the residents of the nursing taking care of the goats that have been placed there last month.

Good Friends

Coleman Lemmons also came to visit in March. Coleman is a very special family friend (there is more I could say about that). Coleman’s daughter, Michael, is working for a few years with a mission project in Honduras. His son Sean-Breden will intern with us this summer. Porfilio Molina, Luis Gracia, David Henninger and Luis Prada have been working to develop a program working with the Youth Judge in Jinotega for at-risk youth. Coleman is a professional counselor and met with them to advise a little in the development of this program and plans to work with it more as it continues to develop.

Ladies’ Day

On May 1, there will be a Ladies’ Day in Jinotega.  In preparation for the day, the ladies decided to do a weeklong campaign in March in preparation for the day. The week was a tremendous encouragement for the ladies resulting in three baptisms.  Two of the baptisms were granddaughters of Gloria that was baptized last year.

Travels

Donna and I left mid March for a longer (4 weeks) trip to the states. The trip gave us opportunity to visit with congregations and individuals from Oklahoma to Florida concerning the mission, allowing us to say “thank you” to so many for their continued support for this Mission for Christ and the tell the story of God’s tremendous blessings for the first time to many.

News From the Rio Cocco

March also saw the second river trip of the year. The best way to tell you about the trip is by what was written by Tommy Brown, who is part of the Hope4Life team, and is the mission’s point person for Esperanza del Rio with Alberto Lopez and Luis Gracia.
 
We had a great trip on the river last week. There were three Nicaraguan brothers, Chris Counts (his first time out) and myself.  We visited a total of five communities along the river and were able to distribute hunger relief dry soup packs to all of them. We also had the chance to worship with the believers in San Andres and one of the other communities (I'm sorry I can't remember the name right now).  Alberto Lopez from Jinotega and Anjel, the preacher in Pantasma, were able to share the Word of God on both of those occasions. I was particularly excited to visit with a sister in San Andres who we had baptized three trips earlier.  I was really happy to see her continuing to be a part of the Lord's church and growing in Christ. We were also excited to be able to purchase hand-carved toy boats from some of the young boys in the community of Esperanza. This is an exceptional way to help people capitalize on their strengths, shifting away from asking people, "What are your problems and how can we fix them?" to asking, "What are your strengths and how can you use them to better yourself and your community?" It was an exceptional blessing to us to be able to help those boys benefit from their God given talents. Thank you so much for helping to make these trips possible!

Deputy Director Jonathan Holland

 Jonathan Holland, our Deputy Director, has a special love for and way with children. This month, with some help, he had two special opportunities for the children.  One was a Parents’ Night Out with over 30 children in attendance, something not unusual for you in the states, but something very new and different for the Nicaraguans.  The second was a trip to Managua, with the help of Tania and Harvy; he took 14 to the zoo, McDonalds, and the Las Mercedes to swim. A special thanks, Roberto Cruz for allowing them the opportunity to swim at the Las Mercedes.  Remember most of the children on the trip have never been out of Jinotega.

The List

Please contact us today on how you can partner with…

•  …us to reach our goal to secure 25,000 Bibles for Nicaragua.
•  …us to support “Just One More” child or school.
• …us to build one more house, school or location for a congregation of the church.
•  …us to support the planting on one more congregation.
•  …us to provide food to one more community with funds for shipping of an additional container.
•  …us by purchasing a goat for Hope4Life.
• … us with the purchasing medicine for the Clinica Medica.
•  …us with your prayers.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement, remembering that none of this would be possible without God’s blessings and your support. Please continue to keep the church, the mission and us, the Browns, the Hennigers, the Counts and the Hollands your prayers.   
 
Because of Him,
 Benny and Donna