NicaNews 10/22

On October 22, 2012   /   NicaNews  

Our day in Nicaragua

My name is Matt Slaga, I am here with my two sons, Micah and Jack.  It is truly amazing to participate in the missionary field with your children, for me it has been a life changing experience and I’d only been here three days!

This day started with a devotion, a wonderful word about being a missionary, then followed by breakfast.  Then a hard half days’ work in the fields replanting corn and cleaning up a field.  My sons and I then practiced a salvation message puppet show that we were to perform later in the day in La Careta.   A bountiful lunch followed, then we loaded up in the truck and headed to La Careta. 

It’s amazing to see the children here and the smiles we are rewarded with when we toss candy from the truck.  In some cases, we toss a bag of rice.  On one instance, a handful of candy and a bag of rice were thrown to a teenage boy and girl in front of their house.  The boy immediately picked up the bag of rice (ignoring the candy for the time being), kissed it, waved it to us and then went about picking up the candy.  That to me really showed gratefulness from the boy, but also the priority.  At home, I would bet that the bag of rice would remain on the ground ignored while the candy would disappear in seconds.

At La Careta, my children and I used some markers and drew flowers, fish, crosses and more on the children’s arms.  Shortly after, we performed the puppet show and the salvation message was given.  While I’m not completely sure the children fully understood the message, they all raised their hands to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior.  What an amazing time.

After the message, my sons and I went to the cooking bowl where a stew was being prepared for the village.  My sons and I took turns stirring the stew and filling bowls.  They smiles and gratitude we were rewarded with were priceless. 

We went back to the compound afterwards and took a relaxing afternoon waiting for dinner.  It’s really amazing what Donald and Pam are doing here, and the number of lives that are being touched through this ministry.  I implore you, that if you haven’t done something like this before, you should try it just once. 

May God Bless and provide for you,

Matt, Micah and Jack Slaga

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Nica News 10/21

On October 22, 2012   /   NicaNews  
This morning our mission team met children at Prince of Peace church, sang songs, and created crafts with the children to remind them of the love of God that was shared with them earlier. After we left the church we travelled a good distance to minister in the village of Esperanza, where we were met with Great need. While the team engaged the children of the village in games, I had the chance to engage a lady who walked up. I gave her some of the food we were distributing, and she engaged me in a long conversation. What a wonderful spirit she had. 

By our conversation, I was quickly reminded of the time the Lord shared the story of 10 men who the Lord healed, but illustrated how thankless humanity is by telling them that out of the ten who were healed only one returned to say thank you. This lady was the one! She talked of how encouraged she was that BWCM continued to come and minister with food, medical help, engaging the kids, but most of all sharing hope in her village. She said that without those visits their village would suffer even more as they are the only ones who come. I asked her if she had trusted Christ for herself, and after assuring me she had, went on to tell me how she had witnessed God provide their needs over and over. She was deeply concerned over the children and their medical needs, but even more, she wanted to see these children come to find the hope that Christ offers, and the joy that comes in watching Him provide for them faithfully. I stood amazed that she got it when I looked around the village and they had so little. Then it all of a sudden hit me. She wasn’t talking about what little things such as toys and food we brought and left. Oh rest assure she was very thankful for these things. But she was talking about the hope and joy that Christ leaves every day.

 

This lady got it, has it, and shares it! I stay amazed at how often I go to try and minister in the villages while here and how many times I am the one filled! 

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Nica News

On October 11, 2012   /   NicaNews  
Today was the final day of our time in Somotillo.  The day started with a devotion that dealt with us carrying the word, to not only the people on Somotillo, but also to the people that we come in contact with everyday at our jobs or our everyday life.  It makes you think about the fact that we will travel 1500 miles to share the word of Jesus with people but we wont walk five feet to the cubicle, desk, or house next to ours.  So what is important to us is it people knowing that we go on missions trips or is it trying to save the lost? 

Next in our day, we were divided into two groups. One group went and worked on the clinic where they have been trying to correct the walls, pipes, and everything else due to regulation changes by the government.  The men and women that have worked at the clinic have voiced that the devil has tried over and over to foil their plans and advances, but God has given them the strength, and more importantly the patience to endure. Today arriving back at Casa DE Shelly (our compound) they were upbeat and pleased with their progress.

 

The second group went to the Escula de Pascuala. We were we greeted by close to 60 kids at a school that was a two room concrete building that apparently livestock stay in from time to time. In one room the Doctor saw close to 25 patients passing out antibiotics, antiworm medicine, etc… In the other room the Gospel was presented with a story of Joshua and the power of God. After the story bracelets, coloring books, other crafts were passed out, until we broke into two further groups of playing soccer and singing songs.

 

After lunch we went to the Village of La Fragua. The doctor again traveled with us and saw close to 40 people with a wide array of ailments. The people were feed Manna Stew (which consist chicken, corn, beans, and rice) and another group played soccer. While playing soccer we presented the gospel to a group of 12 men whose ages ranged from 15 to 65. The group was very receptive and several raised their hands telling us they understood what was said and accepted Christ.

 

On our way back to Casa de Shelly, we stopped and hiking the mountain of prayer.  On top of the mountain was a beautiful panoramic view of the Nicaraguan valley that is completely surrounded by mountains, including one volcano. It was a reminder of how creative and powerful God is and if we trust him we can never go wrong.  It was an amazing ending to an amazing week.

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Nica News 10/10

On October 10, 2012   /   NicaNews  
Today started with us being able to give our testimonies over the local radio station through the church Principe de Paz. That is an experience I have never encountered before. I was able to go with the people from my home church in Durham, North Carolina. I was blessed hearing the testimonies of my church family. It was awesome! I left wanting to go back for more, wondering how many people heard the Gospel through our testimonies. 

I then went with a group to two schools in the Somotillo area. At the first school we ministered to a group of about 30 students. We were able to share the Gospel with them through a Bible story about the character of the man Joshua. The students were so attentive. They were sitting on the edges of their seats grabbing on to every word that our group said. We then made salvation bracelets for every student. We shared with them how each color represented an aspect of the Gospel. From Christ dying for our sins to how we are supposed to live out our faith, the students heard every word. As we were passing out the beads I asked the students to tell me what each bead represented. It put such a big smile on my face as students answered my questions of, “what did Jesus do for you” and “how do we grow with Christ”. We then went to a special needs school and spent time with those children. Some were blind, others deaf and some live with mental disabilities. Those kids absolutely loved spending time with us. They gave us hugs every time we turned around. It was a life changing experience.

 

The last thing we did outside “Casa de Shelly” today was go to the village of Pascuala. On the drive up there, we through candy and shirts out of the back of the truck. As the kids heard our truck rolling the dirt road they ran to the side of the road waiting for their treats. Being able to see the kid’s faces light up as the dove for the candy and shirts as they hit the ground was an awesome sight. While in the village we played soccer with the locals, passed out balloon animals, face painted and fed the people of that village.

 

So far this has been a week that will change my life. I pray that I will be able to continue this relationship for years to come.

 

My day today was amazing!  We started it with morning devotions where one of my team mates, Ryan Colpitts, shared about the amazing power that can be ours when we open our selves to the power of the Holy Spirit.  In a country where so many need so much it can seem overwhelming.  You can wonder what difference one person coming here could make.  On our own we can can’t do anything of lasting value or impact.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, amazing things can be accomplished!  It was a much needed start to my day to be reminded that  EVERYTHING we do needs to be covered in prayer.

 

After devotions we went to the local radio station at Principe De Paz to share our testimonies and sing a song of praise.  As I listened to the testimonies of my brothers and sisters my heart was filled with great emotion as I listened to story after story of how the Lord had rescued each of them from many different trials.  It was another reminder of how great and powerful our God is.
After the trip to the radio station I came home and began working with part of our team on installing an electric fence.  We needed to set up the electric fence because hogs from the farm got into the corn crop and ate it all.  In a country where food is scarce this is a serious problem. Donald had been able to find corn seed so we could replant the fields.  The fence installation went well.  In a couple of hours we had both fields surround with solar powered electric current.

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Nica News 10/09

On October 9, 2012   /   NicaNews  
It is day 3 in Nicaragua and the mission continues in spite of the unrelenting rain. We started the day of missions with a trip to a school with about 75 students from grades 1 through 5. Las Colinas school was a bit larger than the previous school that we visited on Monday, with 4 separate rooms dividing classes. The students were anxious to hear what the North American missionaries had to say. We shared the Gospel in several different ways first using the Gospel beads, then wordless book, Gospel block, and finally one verse evangelism using Romans 6:23. Amazingly every child there responded to the Gospel invitation by raising their hands that they wanted to trust Christ as their personal Savior. We give God the glory.

Later in the afternoon we traveled to an inner city church with hopes of ministering to people at Villa Neuva. God did not disappoint as we minister to some 100+ locals with a medical clinic and many children’s activities. The people of the Villa Neuva area were very appreciative of the Doctor’s attention to their children. The missions team engaged the children with the Gospel through puppet, Bible stories, and games. The joy on the face of the children told the whole story, that God has blessed them for today. Tomorrow they will be in God’s care as before. I praise my Lord and Savior for given us the opportunity to share the love of Christ with these sweet people.

 

In addition, some of the team tilled and planted corn for a future harvest, and others continued work in the Medical Clinic.

 

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Nica news

On October 8, 2012   /   NicaNews  
Today’s mission led us to a small village school with about 15 children ranging from 1st 6th grade. The teacher was just 18 teaching since she was 15 with no formal training, just a love for students. Some of our team members presented the Gospel through the “Wordless Book” and Gospel Beads. The students listened with interest and later many responded by asking Jesus to come into their heart. Praise God! 

This school building is very primitive with very old materials if any, many of the desks are in need of repair. Even so the students seemed enthusiastic about learning especially God’s word.
Pray for the Nicaraguan people.

 

This afternoon was spent in the village of Cananlipe.  It is a much larger village than the one we went to this morning.  The doctor who was with us saw around 150 children.  We also had people who did face painting, nail polish, and soccer.  There were many ways and opportunities to share. Just before leaving it began to rain, really rain.  During the time we had to wait for the thunderstorm to pass our team was able to share some special time with those who had to take shelter with us.
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Nica news 10/08

On October 8, 2012   /   NicaNews  
Today's mission led us to a small village school with about 15 children ranging from 1st 6th grade. The teacher was just 18 teaching since she was 15 with no formal training, just a love for students. Some of our team members presented the Gospel through the "Wordless Book" and Gospel Beads. The students listened with interest and later may responded by asking Jesus to come into their heart. Praise God! 

This school building is very primitive with very old materials if any, many of the desks are in need of repair. Even so the students seemed enthusiastic about learning especially God's word. 
Pray for the Nicaraguan people.

 

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Nica News 10/07

On October 8, 2012   /   NicaNews  
Psalm 35:27
Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant! 

     What can I say but that God is amazing and worthy of our praise.  Twenty-eight missionaries will pillow their heads tonight singing praises and worshiping our heavenly father.  Worship in El Ojoche was over the top.  Several on our team were with us when we circled around a little field and prayed for GOD to supply everything from a pastor to building material to get a church work started there.  This afternoon we listened to GOD’s man proclaim GOD’s message to his people.  I will say to all those that have helped us with pastor training,  “it’s working” and thank you.
     Tonight we joined with the congregation at Prince of Peace to continue our day of worship.  Always blessed when we join with our brothers and sister in worship and praise.  God moment for today was when a lady came forward and ask Christ into her life. OH! how I love Kingdom building.
     Just to let everyone back home know,  the team is doing VERY WELL.  In His Service, Donald and Pammie

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Nica News 9/01

On September 1, 2012   /   NicaNews  
Hello all!!  Today started out with a devotion lead by Joel and Drannan. A prayer request for additional money to keep the doctor on for another day at the village was shared and the team met that need !!  85 patients were seen yesterday and the need is so great here.   Mama Maria served up a great breakfast and then Zach, Isaiah, Aaron and Candy headed to the radio station to share their testimony. Don shared a quick devotion (short by Don’s standards)  and then we headed back to the Casa.  The two teams separated and the baseball team went to the field for a 3 game day and the second team headed out to Casa Blanca.  At this village we played toppleball (new to everyone including the team) but we had a great time and the kids all seemed to enjoy themselves. The children love to jump rope, have their finger nails painted and just be loved on.  Their smiles are truly contagious!!!  Sheryl handed out dresses made from pillowcases that were donated to this ministry.  The girls loved them and showed off their new outfits proudly.  Tim shared the gospel with about 13 boys and girls who all prayed to receive Christ!!  God is so good and His word does not come back void.  We just need to be willing to share about Jesus!  Dr. Anderson saw 60 patients and they were all given medication thanks to the prayer request being answered.  We had a wild battle of dodge ball and even the adults were pummeled with the ball.  No one was exempt!  These kids play hard!!  But freely give of their love and affection.  We left there feeling truly blessed more than we blessed them. 

After lunch and repacking, we headed to the village of Cofredea.  This village is just past the dump and it is nothing to see kids and dogs picking through the garbage for food and things that can be used in their homes.  Such a picture of what a third world country is really like.  Again we played toppleball, painted nails, blew bubbles, played soccer and volleyball.  A very active and tough group of children and adults.  A huge pot of stew was made and the whole village was fed as Dr. Anderson saw an additional 80 patients.  He says the biggest health concerns that he treats for are:  scabies, bronchitis, impetigo, anemia, and fungus.  All treatable conditions.  Thank God that Because We Care Ministeries has a doctor that is part of their team. Again the gospel was shared in many ways by many different folks to many men, women and children.  We finished the day at the baseball field.  A quick time of loving on the village kids with more dodgeball, jumping rope and balloon animals.  If I had a dime for every smile I saw I would be coming back a rich woman!!

 

The baseball team had a fun day as well. We got to the field early and played a total of 3 games against three different teams.  After each game Mark, Noah, and Dave all shared their testimony and the gospel message with all the men. We were able to interact with the kids throughout the day, but after the games we got all the kids to play kickball and they had a blast! After kickball, Jason shared with the kids about giving gifts and the importance of sharing God’s love with each other.  Then we stood in a circle and had to tell the person to our right one encouraging thing and all the players and kids participated. It was a fun and encouraging day at the field and we look forward to what God has in store for us tomorrow!

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Nica News 8/31

On September 1, 2012   /   NicaNews  
Numbers 14:24
But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. 

     I like those words, “followed me fully” one bible said, “followed me completely.”  With a whole heart and no reservations then you are in a position to be blessed.  We constantly try to teach our mission teams the importance of putting ourselves in a position that GOD might bless us.  Today was just one of those days as we traveled to Somotillo and then on out to San Miguelito to simply obey GOD and allow him to use us.  Several in the team shared the Gospel for the very first  time and allowed GOD to use them to lead others into the family of FAITH.  Thankful and blessed that Dr Anderson was with the team and was able to treat 85 children while we were there.  Blessed to watch the team pass out bags of food and see the reaction of those that received God’s blessing of food.

 

     Very thankful for the influence “Love of The Game” is having on the young men here in Somotillo.  As I have told you in the past, GOD is using the game of baseball to reach the unreachable here in Somotillo.  I think after their first day on the field the young men did well and the older guys (coach’s) not so much.  Praying GOD will give them strength not only to play the game but to share the gospel.  Pray for the team to be found faithful on the ball field as well as in the villages.  In His Love, Donald and Pammie

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