No NiKoN rAguA...

Moncara, Peru through Quito in Ecuador (and some Columbia!) then Cosat Roca and finally in Nicargua... Our firt set up ministry in 15 days began...

After spemding time apart and some of the team spending time in the HIlton hotel (flight got cancelled to Panama and so were booked in for a night) Southbound refocussed our thoughts and began zoning in on new opportunities to serve. In the past days we as team we encouraged to really engage in time with the Lord and evalute our journey. We got the chance to be emotionally , physically and spirirually rejuvinated. YAY!

We fell under the Hosanna ministry in Managua which sent us out to San Benito, our base village. As this was pioneered last year, it was the first South African team to get invovled.  As a result we were kept busy with a wide variety of activities including:

• Childrens Programs (sometimes including feeding schemes)
• Church Programs (including preaching)
• House to house evangelism
• Maintenance (house painting, building and landscaping - by lanscaping I do mean chopping the grass with pangas :)
• Serving a 'place of safety' home

The village reminded us of the Phillipines experience, dirty and clammy with dogs, pigs and cattle roaming the streets. Women are welcomed as intergarted members of society at the age of 15 and thus may begin procreating - and they do. Girls barely in their teens are becoming mothers themsleves. It was heartbreaking. With little to no income available I wondered how they survived. Housed in dark, glorified shacks, the reality of these peoples' situation strikes: they will never know what it mean to strive for a goal, to be a poilcemen or a ballerina. Thye will never leave their neighbourhood. They are suppressed by their lack of education and have become content with poverty, expecting salvation form the next "American" team to come along...

The Roman Catholic influence is again prominent being forced apon by the Spanish conqueres centuries ago. Everyboday is some sort of "Christian" yet have no concept of a relationship with Christ. My heart is moved by a nation that needs SO much attention - and not the 'hey we're here to help for 5 days, take a few pics of our good works and leave' type of attention - but the genuine investment type that will see the change in a nation ripe with potential.

We were only in the country for a week yet it felt so much longer... No pics will be added to this blog as I refuse to reduce the memory of this country to a few pretty smiles with children you'll never know the names of...

God has a might plan for the land, I know He does. Matthew 9:37 "Then he said to the disciples: 'The hravest is plentiful an the labourers are few...' " Can you afford to not get involved even in your own community?

God Bless!!!!

SHRIS