The Little Country School on the South Side

Today we had the incredible opportunity to "give it all away" at a little school on the south side of Granada, about 20 minutes out of town.  Last week we met an American lady named Linda who is living here in Granada a few months out of every year.  She had been asking God to show her where He is working and what she should invest her life in.  She says she is not a leader or an initiator, that her gift is in hooking people up for the sake of the Kingdom.  She was convinced that we should meet this man at this little school so I agreed and arranged an afternoon to go visit and do a little program for the children there.

This Nicaraguan man has nothing (in the world's eyes) but he has a HUGE heart for his people and he loves the Lord.  He is renting a small shack in a barrio out in the country.  He is burdened by the fact that only 3 out of 10 children in his community of 10,000 people finish primary school and of those three that go on to secondary school, only one finishes secondary school.  He is burdened that 40% of 14-year-old girls in his community already have babies.  He is burdened by the cycle of poverty that grows with each generation.  He asked God what he could do.  God answered.  He built a small roof over the side of the shack that he rents and there he holds a program called Education Plus.  He has a pre-school and a remediation program for older students who have dropped out of school.  He prays that the Lord would send him people to help him with this project, and the Lord has answered.  He has received help from people in several countries and today we were his answer to prayer.  Oh what pure delight when the Lord uses you to answer someone else's prayer.  Have you known that joy?

Our transportation to the country school was by two pick up trucks.  This is typical in Nicaragua and our young people were pleased to travel Nica style.  We arrived to about a dozen children but by the time we left, there were well over 100 children!  We played games and did activities for about an hour or so and then gave a little gospel presentation with the gospel bracelets we brought.  By this time it was pouring down rain (it is the rainy season, and we have had storms just about every day).  We huddled under the small roof and sang songs until the trucks returned to pick us up.  Fortunately, a bit earlier in the afternoon, our five guys were able to add on to the roof with some tin that was purchased.  Mitch and Joel took up a collection for the school to pay for the roofing materials.  What a gift this was for them!  I am SO proud of our kids - they are amazing!!!

In addition to the offering we took, the bit of roof our guys helped with, and the little program we had, we were also able to leave a suitcase full of supplies (children's books - in Spanish, school supplies, clothes and toys).  This was a blessing to the man who started the school, but an even bigger blessing to Hannah.

Let me tell you about Hannah, a young woman of about 21 years.  She is from North Ireland and is serving here in Nicaragua for three months.  Until she met us she has had no fellowship with anyone who speaks English.  She has 60+ kids that she is teaching in this little school.  She has been overwhelmed and discouraged to say the least.  I believe God sent us there especially for Hannah.  She was so delighted to speak to us in English and so overjoyed at the gift of supplies (she had nothing) and even more elated that God had answered her prayers and sent us there!!!  We invited Hannah out to eat with us tomorrow night and she was overjoyed.  I can't wait to hear more about her life and her ministry here.

The trip home was quite the adventure - 10-14 people in the back of a pick up truck when it is pouring down rain and the mud streets are flooded.  :-)

It was a great afternoon of ministry and of course we fell in love with the little family who lives there, with Hannah and with all the children.  I think this might have to be an annual stop.

With Great Joy,
Naomi