October 27 marked the fourteenth anniversary of our medical outreach with the church in Jinotega.  Fourteen years, none of this would be possible or continue without God’s blessings and your partnership. By your doing something, our doing something and God’s putting it together, we have been able to do something that could not have been done apart from each other.
            This month I was able to be in Abilene for Global Samaritan’s annual dinner, of which we are honored to be considered a partner. They are one of our biggest help regarding gathering, storing and shipping supplies from Abilene and elsewhere.  Gordon, David (A.K.A., Cat), Delores, Esther and Shannon, thank you for being a blessing to us. This year we will have shipped six containers to Nicaragua with their help and support.
            I spoke for the annual Harvest Sunday at Saturn Road in Garland, TX on October 16. This year, their mission’s contribution goal was $500,000, which they have annually exceeded for the last six years. What a blessing to missions around the world!  The support we received last year from this contribution is the foundation support that has allowed us to travel the river more this year and to make the decision to continue, Esperanza del Rio, our work on the Rio Coco.

We were blessed this month by a group from the Grapevine congregation who helped with the construction of one of the five schools we need to finish by this coming February.  They were also able to repair the swings on the play ground of the school, brought school supplies and other supplies for the mission. We have a blessing with Grapevine as one of our partners is this Mission for Christ. Funding for this construction was provided by a very special lady from South Carolina.

The pick-up and shipment of “Smiles” is always October’s primary focus. The Highway congregation in Judsonia, Ark. shipped our first container this month, with 7,519 “Smiles.” A special thanks to Ricky Cash, Mike Chalenburg, Dale and Gail Goad who helped with the pickup of the “Smiles.”  Just saying thank you does not seem to be enough for the efforts of Karen Chalenburg and everyone at the Highway congregation in their commitment to this project,  each year we take up their OR building, they stage and load the container, did I mentioned that they made over 2,300 Smiles this year.  The second container of “Smiles” will ship from Dothan, Ala. on November 10. We give special thanks to the Westgate congregation and Ansley Whatley.

Over the years, we have been able to serve by providing eyeglasses through various state-side ministries. Olive Branch Ministries always has as a part of their group eyeglasses. For a couple of years the Southern School of Optometry came with a group and provided eye exams and glasses.  In October we finalized our relationship with “Sight for Sore Eyes” to provide an ongoing ability to provide glasses. Jonathan Holland, the ministry’s founder, came with his wife, Sheila, to train our staff on correct examination and fitting techniques using the equipment they donated.  Please keep Jonathan and Sheila in your prayers as they have made the decision to come and work with the mission full time in 2012.

We are in the process of securing 25,000 Bibles from World Bible Translation. In 2008, thanks to many of you, we procured 36,000 Bibles from WBT. In the September newsletter, we announced the opportunity to put Bibles in the Best Western in both Managua and Leon, 10,000 of the Bibles will be for the opportunity with the Las Mercedes.  It is something hard to explain the positive emotion we had when we open the table by the bed in the room at Las Mercedes and see the Bible that we have been able to place there. We need $3 a Bible for purchase, shipping and distribution of the Bibles.   We hope to ship the Bibles in our next scheduled container out of Abilene in January.

THE LIST

1. We need 3 to 6 teams of 6 to 10 people to come in the next six months to help with ongoing construction projects led by Jimmy. The trips would need to be from 7 to 10 days. The in-country cost per person is $575.
2. Please keep the Hennigers, Browns and Counts in your prayers as they make their transition to Nicaragua.  Especially for the Browns and Counts to find house, the Henniger are moving in their house this week.
3. “Hope for Life” needs your support.  It costs $250 to purchase a goat for the sustainable living projects.
4. The decision of Jonathan and Sheila Holland to become part of our team in Nicaragua in 2012.

          5.  Please continue to keep in your prayer development of Character for Kids in Spanish.  The material has
                been translated.  Will have our first Character Seminar with Linda Landreth, who developed the material
                for EEM.

6. The city of Matagalpa has given land for a new congregation there. We need $4,000 to build a small building for the congregation to meet. They must build something in the next three months or they will lose the land.
7. Bibles for Nicaragua.  $3 a Bible, $108 per case of 36, $75,000 needed to secure all 25,000. We need your help!!!!
8. We need 10,000 toothbrushes for Teethsavers.

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 in Nicaragua in your prayers.                                                                                                  

Because of Him:  Benny and Donna

October 2011 PDF

The October 2011 newsletter is full of pictures of all the things going on around the Mission. Please download the PDF version to see what is being done.