Archive for the NicaNews Category

Greetings from Somotillo!

We began our day hearing the awesome stories of God’s saving grace in
the lives of 4 young ladies here on our team. It was followed by a
powerful message by Donald and an early God moment. Some of you may
remember the lady that needed help several months ago. She was/is a
diabetic and her foot was in such bad shape it “should” have been
amputated, however what we witnessed today was anything but a foot that
needs to be amputated. By enabling Dr. Anderson, God has provided
healing to this woman in need. While the foot is far from perfect,
there is no sign of infection whatsoever and within a few months she
should be able to walk on it normally again! Praise God!

Next on the agenda, the Cave Spring Volleyball team headed out to the
recreational center of Somotillo in the morning and held “camp”. We
worked with several groups of young teenage girls and through lots of
smiles and interpreters, were able to have a very enjoyable morning
sharing a game that we love with some very gracious Nicaraguans. We
were then challenged to a match with some teenage boys and while it was
a very humbling experience (for those boys) a good time was had by all.

The team from Faith Fellowship arrived at lunchtime and then both teams
traveled to Rodeo Grande. We all had a wonderful time just spending
time with the children and families. We painted fingernails, played
games, jumped rope, blew bubbles, and just shared God’s love. A meal
was prepared, medical was provided and the team from Faith had a
powerful skit that really engaged the children and led several to the
saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. The distribution ministry was
as powerful as ever. There is nothing more humbling than seeing a
child rush to the side of the road and find a small stuffed animal and
hug it like it was the only thing they had ever wanted.

We finished the night with another local volleyball match at the rec
center. In spite of the questionable officiating and careless
scorekeeping, the team played solid against a bunch of adult men.
After a round of tremendous God moments the sun has set on another day
in the mission field. To God be the glory forever and ever!

Dr and Mrs. Donald M Gillette
Because We Care Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 21806
Roanoke, VA. 24018
WWW.BWCM.ORG

                Todaywe visited Villa Esperanza, which means Village of Hope. The villages namereflected exactly what we experienced. We met a little girl that was disabled.She was sitting in a make shift wheel chair. This little girl was so inspiringto us because of the joy that Lord had put inside of her heart.  The girl was sixteen years old and her friendwas telling her to start singing.  Shestarted to sing a song from her church and you could just see how happy shewas.  She was smiling and laughing andjust enjoying herself.  You could see theLord’s presence in her and how much life she had in her, even though she wasdisabled.  This experience really movedus.
                Toengage with the villagers we used the one thing that we know how to do best, volleyball.Going into this we knew that this would be something that be fun for everyone andtake their minds off of all their troubles. As we hopped of the truck we weregreeted by tons of smiling faces. ‘You could see that we had just made theirentire day or maybe even their lives by just showing up. After saying many “Hola’s”we headed towards the cow pastures to set up the volleyball net. First wedemonstrated the right way to bump, set, and spike a volleyball. Then we proceededto play matches with the children. It was great to see the enthusiasm they displayedand their overall happiness by us just being there.  
                After handedlydefeating the boys team in volleyball, Don got all of the children to gatheraround him in order to deliver a message about God.  Basically, he said that in order to reachGod, mankind has to go through Jesus. You could tell the children reallyenjoyed the message.
                “Now soit was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God…” Luke 5:1.This is something that we first handedly experienced today. Prepared for the villagerswas a large pot full of stew. All the villagers went back to their houses, and returnedwith bowls. They all stood in line for their turn to get a ladle full of soup. Everyonewas so eager to get their food that they literally had their bodies pressedagainst each other to ensure they got their food.  There were some that were so worried that thestew would run out you could see desperation on their faces. Luckily we hadenough food for everyone and tonight they can all go to bed with full stomachs.

Dr and Mrs. Donald M Gillette
Because We Care Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 21806
Roanoke, VA. 24018
WWW.BWCM.ORG

Yesterday we got wet, but today we learned what that word really means. We all got WET! However, as with all stories, it is best to start at the beginning, so here goes.
Our morning started much like all the others, but today we had a mountain hike ahead of us. A mountain so intimidating to the locals, that they named it Cacau, which roughly translates to “Have mercy”, because it is what most people say on their way up. However, the Aletheian Nicaragua Squad not only made it to the top, but made it in record time. What takes most 3 hours or more, we owned in an hour and 20 minutes. We reached the top, and were ready for a break, only to be comforted by a church building hotter than the 100 plus weather we had been hiking in. After the service, we were all ready to get back down the mountain and enjoy a nice, refreshing ride back to Casa de Shelly.
Later we got that refreshment in an unexpected way. God opened up the heavens, and hit us with the heaviest, most violent storm that we’ve ever experienced. Teamwork was all that saved us as we all held up the tarp that kept us from getting completely drenched…we say completely, because we did in fact still get very wet. Nevertheless this journey showed us what the pastor and the members of that church have to go through on a regular basis and was extremely encouraging.
A few members of our team stayed behind to accomplish the Lord’s work in the village of Mata de Caña. We traveled via the autobahn thanks to Pastor Chris and his assertive driving. We experienced firsthand the grace of the Lord by surviving that ride. Dr. Anderson came with us and was able to treat many of the children in the village as well as pass out parasite medication. We were able to provide food for the women to cook for their families. Even though it began to rain, the church was nearby and provided a dry shelter for us to interact with the people by way of painting nails, playing games, giving stickers, and most importantly, sharing the gospel. There were several groups who learned more about Christ and God’s creation through our evangelism bracelets. We also got an opportunity to share the gospel and several of the children raised their hand and said the prayer to accept Christ. We ended the trip on the way back to Casa de Shelly back on the autobahn with the added blessing of rain, but fortunately we were equipped with one poncho that served as shelter and a fellowship for the five of us in the bed of the truck. HALLELUJAH!
Another GREAT day of Kingdom Building…Praise ye the LORD…

Dr and Mrs. Donald M Gillette
Because We Care Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 21806
Roanoke, VA. 24018
WWW.BWCM.ORG

There is only one word to describe the day we had today….wet. Whether
it was rain from the sky, or sweat from the heat, we were constantly
drenched…most likely by sweat. However, we are still as excited about
the work being accomplished in Nicaragua this week as we were at the
beginning.
This morning, local pastors and their wives traveled to Casa de Shelly
for pastoral training led by Rob Stephens and Chris Dowd. It was
extremely humbling to learn that many of the pastors and their wives
had traveled over 2 hours on foot to make it here. In America, we tend
to complain about long drives with tons of traffic, but we get to make
those journeys sitting down in an air conditioned environment, while
enjoying our favorite tunes and a nice beverage. These pastors were
asking deep questions about the text and how God’s plan can be
accomplished here on earth; while we in America so commonly only care
about questions that relate to our individual lives. We take a lot for
granted and should realize how truly blessed we are. For as Don
reminded us so clearly on our first night here, the only difference
between us and the people we are now serving is where we were born.
Another accomplishment of the day was the successful surgery on a local
little girl named Maria. She had a tumor growing out of her right ear,
and the doctor with Because We Care Ministries removed it for free.
Our team was able to help keep little Maria calm, and help her as best
we could during the surgery. As Maria and her family were leaving, one
of the greatest moments of the day for us was to see the gratitude in
the parent’s eyes.
The second part of the day yielded another successful village visit and
a night admiring the majesty of God in a large thunderstorm that rocked
Casa de Shelly. We ask, as always, for everyone back home to keep us in
your

Dr and Mrs. Donald M Gillette
Because We Care Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 21806
Roanoke, VA. 24018
WWW.BWCM.ORG

The Journidad #2

It is now the third day we have been on mission in Nicaragua, and one
of our missionaries, CJ, is still at the top of Don’s list. For all
past missionaries, you know this is not a good thing. Regardless, being
on mission in this beautiful country is still as convicting as it was
on the first day. The villages we have visited in the past few days
have shown so much gratitude for the simple meal of arroz y pollo
(chicken and rice), and a few pieces of caramelo (candy), that most of
us in the United States do not appreciate at all.
The first part of our morning consisted of devotion, a delicious
breakfast and lending a hand to the workers of Casa de Shelly in the
training facility. This included weed whacking, hay bailing, picking up
trash in nearby villages and cultivating plots of land. After a few
hours, the heat had definitely taken its toll on most of us, but we
kept working hard and when lunchtime arrived, we felt it was well
deserved.
Due to the heat, sickness has claimed two of the members of our team,
but with the help of a doctor they seem to be on the mend…and much more
calm. This is showing us God’s provision for our own team, and has also
taught us that hydration is key to our well-being. The first day, we
struggled with supply management and felt the heartbreak of seeing kids
miss out on the much needed shoes and clothing we were passing out.
Today, we applied that lesson by making sure that each kid received at
least one and fewer kids were receiving nothing.
We are now getting closer to the fourth day, but the memories we have
made feel like they will last a lifetime. Please keep us in your
prayers! Don brought up a great point during our evening fellowship,
and that is that all of you, whether we have your prayers or your
donations, are part of this team. You do not have to be sweating or
passing out candy to make a difference, you just have to give your
heart to this mission and for that, we thank you. As they say in
Nicaragua, Dios te bendiga (God bless you), and as Jesus says in the
Sermon on the mount, stay salty.
–

Dr and Mrs. Donald M Gillette
Because We Care Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 21806
Roanoke, VA. 24018
WWW.BWCM.ORG