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Nicaragua Project Mission 2013
Planning has begun for the 2013 Nicaragua Project mission trip. The trip will take place June 4 – June 14, 2013. If you have an interest in joining this mission trip, please contact Cathy Goodman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it as soon as possible. The Nicaragua Project has set a number of projects as priority for this year. The following list includes examples of what various donated amounts can support. The final priority goals and extended goals that can be met are dependent on funding and conditions in the area at the time of the trip. Thank you in advance for your help! Use the list below to direct your donation if desired. Unspecified donations are also very much appreciated! $ 1.00 Buys a brick for a new house $ 5.00 Buys Medicine to de-worm a child $ 25.00 Buys school supplies for an elementary student $ 27.00 Buys three ceramic roof tiles for a new house $ 50.00 Buys a water filter for a family $ 60.00 Buys vitamins for six pregnant women $ 75.00 Gives a micro-loan to a single mother $ 100.00 Mends the roof of a shack $ 150.00 Buys educational supplies for the preschool $ 360.00 Provides a 1 year scholarship for university student $ 500.00 Pays for the floor of a house $ 750.00 Pays for one side of a house $ 1000.00 3 month’s operating funds for the children's project $ 1400.00 Provides a shower area for Mother's House $ 2000.00 Puts shutters on the preschool for protection $ 5000.00 Builds a house for a family living in a mud floor shack $ ???? ?? Provides unspecified amount to be used as needed
Matching funds Again we are blessed with the offer of matching funds for donations in the following amounts: 2 x $500; 2 x $250; 2 x $200; 6 x $100; 8 x $ 50; 4 x $ 25 and a very special challenge: $1000.00. However, rest assured that donations of any amount are welcomed and will be used to support this outreach to the abject poor of Nicaragua. If this outreach mission speaks to your heart, please consider supporting our effort during this fund-raising time for the 2013 Nicaragua Project Mission Trip. One hundred percent of monetary donations go toward projects for the mission. All donations are tax deductible and checks should be made payable to Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Please make notation on the check that it is for the Nicaragua Project. They can be mailed to: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1000 W. 15th Ave., Longmont, CO 80501. Nonmonetary donations also support this mission. For more information on the mission and a list of items needed for 2013, please check the Nicaragua Mission website at http://thenicaraguaproject.org/donate.html.For more information on Bethlehem’s participation, visit http://www.bethlehem-lutheran.net/home/ministries/63.html and http://www.bethlehem-lutheran.net/home/nicaraguanews.html. If you have any questions, please talk to a Nicaragua Project Task Force member (Margot Hoffmeyer, Dave Hooley, Jenny Kelley, Paul Dorn, Dave Twait, Paul Dorn, Pat Goecke, Chris Buff, and John and Cathy Goodman) or e-mail us ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
Requests for scholarship supportRequests for scholarship support are increasing as more students in the area are able to attend schools and universities. Here is an example of the letters received by the Nicaragua Project requesting help funding education. THE STORY OF KARLY ANABESY SANCHEZ
I FEEL VERY SAD BECAUSE I HAD TO STOP STUDYING DUE TO THE LACK OF MONEY IN MY FAMILY. MY DESIRE IS TO CONTINUE WITH MY CAREER IN AGRICULTURE BECAUSE WE LIVE IN THE COUNTRY SIDE. THIS FIELD OF STUDY WOULD HELP US IMPLIMENT BETTER MEANS TO INCREASE PRODUCTION IN AGRICULTURE. BECAUSE OF THIS, MY FAMILY IS DEDICATED TO THIS COURSE OF STUDY. I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU GAVE ME YOUR SUPPORT OR I WILL HAVE TO LEAVE MY STUDIES ONCE AGAIN. I WISH FOR YOU SUCCESS AND MANY BLESSINGS IN YOUR DAILY LABORS. I CORDIALLY SAY GOOD-BYE, KARLA ANABESY SANCHEZ Nicaragua News: 2012 Mission Trip June 5 - June 15
Here are daily emails from the group and a summary of the trip:Tuesday, June 19, 2012 Summary of trip Bless you for your offerings of prayers, goods, encouragement, and financial donations that allow for supporting the poor in ways they can better support themselves in and around Somoto, Nicaragua. You are God’s Hands doing God’s Work. To date, together with you we were able to: 1) See approximately 700 in our nursing clinics and provide emotional and physical relief and give dental care to several hundred, saving some of them from debilitating infections. 2) Construct a home for Jaqueline , a 40 year old mother with three children whose home is made out of plastic, cardboard, and sticks who works all day for 2-3 dollars a day. 3) Put a shelter/cover over the outside play ground and meeting area of the preschool we built. The blaring sun overheats the little children inside the building and on the playground/classroom area. Their play and meeting space will vastly improve along with the indoor temperature. 4) Put a water tower on the Mother House and give three filters so that pregnant woman along with mothers who have just given birth and their babies will have safe, accessible water all day. (The water is shut off in Telpaneca during every day to refill the reservoir.) 5) Build a storage area for the preschool and the Frank Young vocational center we built so that Candida’s 400 square foot house where items have been stored will be livable, and class room space will no longer be taken up for storage. 6) Give 49 families in a village water filters so they will have potable water and will no longer get ill from water they drink. 7) Provide roofs for 8 families, protecting them in their sleeping and living areas from being repeatedly drenched by torrential rain. 8) Provide safe electrical hook ups to a number of families who have dangerous wiring in their shacks. 9) Provide 16 scholarships to children so they can obtain an education while they volunteer at the children’s project and become examples for others to follow. 10) Provide food and medical care to an elderly blind woman living in a shack, a 19 yr. old severe burn victim who lost one leg, and Karolina who has severe asthma attacks. 11) Expand the micro-loan program to provide means to single women to support their family. 12) Give quilts to two patients dying in the hospital who had no blankets and to the new mothers in Telpaneca. 13) Provide over a hundred layettes to new mothers in Telpaneca and in the Somoto hospital. 14) Give a wheel chair to a burn victim with one leg and a very elderly and impoverished woman who cannot walk.
Other projects are being added as our project goes on all year, and we will keep you informed. As we work here in the states, a large number of Somoto residents are working for hours a day all year as volunteers and staff to run the Mother’s House and children’s project Ninos y Ninas del Futuro. Hand in hand, we are working together.
Thursday, June 14, 2012 Short Subjects Hi Everyone! Today we will be going to Lake Nicaragua, the only lake in the world with a fresh water shark, and take a boat ride around the islands. We will follow that with a trip to a market and return to the hotel to get ready for our departure tomorrow. I may have mentioned some of these things already...I do not remember, so forgive any repetition. Short Subjects This year we had the great pleasure of having small wooden cars made lovingly by men who have sent them to 40 countries. What a joy to watch children with them, watching them zoom down slopes and have such fun! We brought two wheel chairs. Flora was crying as she received one for her mother who cannot walk. The other will go to a severe burn victim, Edward, who has only one leg. He will be able to wheel around his tiny house. Cots...There were not nearly enough cots in the preschool for their expanded program and some were either sleeping in chairs or walking home, their mother needing to stop work to greet them for their nap. We are now providing enough money to give the rest of the children cots too. Roofs...A tornado destroyed 40 of them. Christian lives under a leaking one...and leaks here are torrents. Eight people will receive roofs, including Christian's house, so that they do not need to sleep in mud. Asthma care...One of the recipients of a house four years ago is a wonderful family where both the mother and father work hard. The father will drive others' cars but can find work doing this only from time to time. Their 13 year old daughter collapses when she cannot breath with asthma. The medication is 35 dollars a month, as much as a month's wage for the mother. We provided enough money for 3 months, and the father will supplement that so that the daughter will be in less danger. Quilts...Two patients in the hospítal are at risk of dying. One will die for sure. They asked for a blanket. They each received a quilt lovingly made by Bethlehem quilters. Imagine the comfort they will receive. The others went to the Mother's house where women who have given birth will receive comfort. Childrens books...We brought some that have been donated for the preschool, with stories and animal pictures in English. They love them. The teachers ask the children what they think is happening and what the story is about. Please help us collect more used books. Their availability is extremely limited and they are extremely expensive here. There are more, I am certain. More projects are being considered, as our project goes on all year. Why can we do what we do - Because of incredible prayer, moral, and financial support that is provided by the team...and I do mean the very large team...that remains in the United States. I need to get ready to go. Blessings to all, Cathy
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 It's like pulling teeth... Hi Everyone, During many of my power points, I say it is like pulling teeth and people laugh. This year we were so fortunate to have three dentists with us. Yes, numerous teeth were pulled, and Dr. Monica Hewitt was able to fill some, as well, with equipment she purchased for her numerous mission trips. Fixing their dental issues is probably the longest lasting help we can give, as their bodies will not be in danger of infection and we can see them only once. We served hundreds in our clinics as well with our two nurses. We shared ideas such as, mix a little hot water, lime, and some honey to sooth your throat. Sore throats are numerous as they breath smoke from their cooking fires and they frequently have runny noses. We shared exercises for some that can provide relief from their heavy labor with machetes, making tortillas...yes, this is very hard on the body when done day after day...working the fields, etc. We gave them some relief, which is a sign of love and care towards them. Next year, we hope to each carry a huge bottle of antacid in our carry-on to help relieve stomach trouble that is so common here...while avoiding problems with customs. Nurses started rubbing lotion on the hands of their female patients...another sign of love and care, and children received smiley faces. This is not state of the art medical care we can give, but it is the oldest level of medical care of all...showing compassion and care and listening while giving some temporary relief. Please help nurses and doctors know about our trip! Blessings, Cathy
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 Safe arrival Hi Everyone, We have all arrived safely at the hotel in Managua. We will be free and clear for our travel tomorrow to a lake and market. Thank you so much for your prayers. Your prayers have brought us through throughout our trip. Blessings, Cathy
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 Pray for our safety Tomorrow we leave as early as we can.. For political reasons, the one highway into the county is being blocked so demands will be made...We want to get to Managua before this happens or we may arrive extremely late. Please hold us in your prayers, Cathy
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 A Celebration! What a celebration...We had beautiful cultural dancing, mariachi music, dedications, and a reception today at the cultural center, all in our honor. They spoke of their deep gratitude for all we have done year after year to help their community and their dedication to work with us. Yes, we work hand in hand...sometimes it is our money that builds, it is our hands that help for a week, and it is their work year round that is the real work of our projects at Ninos y Ninas del Futuro and at the Mothers House in Telpaneca. Without numerous dedicated volunteers and few paid people, there would be no children´s project. In meetings with our leader Abe Gonzalez, the mayor promised to increase support of the children´s project. He is going to greatly improve an outdoor area behind their buildings so that classes can be held outside as well as inside. There were tears all around to be shed as they honored Christopher Alm who died in March in his early twenties. He had helped to clear land for Candida´s house. His father and two brothers are here and there were tears all around flowing from faces of various colors and hues as he was honored with a plaque for the family. Hand in Hand...Mano en Mano...we work together. Blessings, Cathy
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 Houses Hi Everyone.... What a difference a house makes...There she was, year after year, standing in front of her plastic, stick, cardboard shack with her three children in rags, never growing from year to year...her face one of extreme poverty. She cried one year when we put a roof on her shack. And a year ago she received her house....Carol, a member who has come with us repeatedly, could not believe her eyes. Who was that nicely dressed woman with beautiful hair at the children´s center, helping to sweep up...and who was that bright eyed, shining girl in the beautiful dress_-----How could it be the same woman, the same girl...Yes, what a difference protection from the elements and a dry place to sleep makes. Ziomaira, Eddy, and Larissa received a house last year. I had the incredible pleasure of visiting it today. Xiomaira now takes care of two children in someone´s home during the day to earn a living. What are those tiles on the floor, I asked...That is for my new kitchen I am building outside she replied. And these sheet rock walls inside, are they new...Yes she replied, and the basin for washing outdoors as well. How did you get these...By working, save little by little, she replied beaming broadly. I am so very, very happy in my house. Now that she has a house, she can save and make improvements...a little at a time...It would have been impossible to save to build a house, but with one, improvements can proudly be made and they become real owners with investments of their own. Yesterday, another proud owner, with pride beaming from his face displayed the grapes that were growing in his garden. Many have added gardens, kitchens, storage areas....They have made their houses their own. They shine with health, proudly show their homes, and radiate with lives turned around. Jebb, Tim, and Ralph are the construction helpers this year. They got a strong vote of approval from the construction workers. One is the father of a scholarship recipient who has not been able to find work...He is working for less than the going rate, saving money for our other projects, yet earning money himself.....a win win. I cannot wait to see the mother and her children you saw in the picture I sent out...We hope to see them at the house dedication tomorrow. A house...four walls, a roof and a concrete floor...400 square feet..who would imagine what miracles a house can make! Blessings, Cathy
Monday, June 11, 2012 Micro Loans What an incredible project...micro loans...Fourteen hundred initial dollars into the program have become 46 micro loans over 4 years. Loans vary from 50 to 100, and rarely 200 for an outdoor brick overn. I visited three today. One woman has built a stand on the side of a road near the city center. There, she sells a variety of foods and drinks to passers by. She told me that because of the micro loan, which she long ago paid back, she had money for the medicine that she needed when she got trichinosis...sorry about my spelling...And she now supports her family, is able to feed them, and cares for a teen orphan...She smiled broadly talking about her busness. I visited the five families that lived by the river. We built them homes in 2009 I believe. See previous stories to read about that... They are all living in their homes and are all healthy. Many have incredible changes in their face...Joy...And two of them have very tiny businesses from micro loans where they sell items like chips and drinks blended with their kitchen style blender. They are proud and happy... And there is Maritza...she also has been in previous stories. What a business owner she is!!! Her variety store she runs from her tiny house we built years ago has fire wood, batteries, banannas, beans, rice...and baked goods hanging from a string across her 10 foot square store. Well, today with much pride and a definite business manner she talked to the project about having another loan...she also paid hers back long ago...to EXPAND her growing business. She will get one because of her good business sense. What happened to the woman who stared into space all day and curled half into a ball of sadness and shame...What transformation! And the sewing co op made 225 uniforms for Children Without Shoes International to distribute...wow. They do a terrific job....Do you want to hear 40 plus more stories? Well, you can guess what they are too. Blessings, Cathy
Monday, June 11, 2012 Water Filters Hi Again! If you have not read stories from previous years, Google Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Longmont and look up Nicaragua (see links on bottom of this page for stories from earlier years) ...they are there and give a lot of back ground! Water...the gift of life, sometimes literally. Water filters allow each family to drink safe water...Yesterday a few of our members helped distribute them. Among them was Tim. Tim had wondered at times why he had come here...so far away. Now he knows. He saw the line of families at Mautuce, their faces weathered, their eyes reflecting a subtle sadness. Then their name was called. Immediate transformation! They smiled broadly and embraced their filter...Their health saving filter. Tim was invited into each home. Despite their impoverished circumstances, they kept their dirt floors tidy their. This is not true in every place. At the end, they said they would make his name part of the dedication in their village. Tears formed in his eyes as he told me. Now he knows why he came. Will you... Blessings, Cathy
Monday, June 11, 2012 Scholarship Recipients Wow. It was overwhelming...the meeting with the scholarship recipients yesterday. I talked with each one of them individually about their volunteer work at the childrens center, their studies, and their character. . The scholarships are truly changing the recipient´s lives. The stories are numerous and I will share a few... There is Lesbia. Three years ago she was ready to prostitute herself as a high schooler to get enough money to go to school. They asked for a scholarship for her, and a wonderful donor came forward. She was beautiful yesterday inside and out, helping teach others at the center, getting good grades, worshiping weekly, and dedicated to her studies. No one could guess the plans she had had for paying for the university! She is already a leader and positive influence in her community. There is Christian, a 13 yr. old who lost his mother when she gave birth to a sibling when he was 8 years old. There he was, barely speaking, still unable to pay attention at school because of very deep depression...some of the very worst that as a child therapist for 25 yrs. I have seen, tears still streaming down his face, gently holding my hand as he wept. Today I visited his home, home should be in quotes. He sleeps on a rock hard dirt floor next to a torn plastic sheet wall under a roof that leaks torrents when it rains. Fourteen others live there, including two drug users. Two opposing gangs live on each side of him. Two houses up a 15 yr. old, a cousin of another scholarship recipient, Pedro, was cut into parts in March by a gang after they carved gang symbols on his face. Two of our scholarship recipients carried the parts away with danger to themselves so they could be preserved for burial. And yet Christian persists in helping at the children´s center almost every day. The scholarship has preserved his life, giving him the love, support, and commitment to support him and those who care for him while he lives in an environment none of us can imagine. Please pray for Christian and his emotional healing and that he can start living in a much safer area....A plan that may help him move is being worked on tomorrow. And there is Marcial, a ten year old and top of his class with extremely high grades in all subjects...The scholarship program gives him the motivation he needs... And Joel, a teen who last year had a snippy attitude along with significant learning disabilities and significant difficulty keeping his attention focused at any one moment. What a change he has made! He still struggles with learning disabilities, but he now works hard and works at the children´s center daily helping with preschoolers, along with Eddy and Pedro..a team of three...Hours a day, and Eddy helps him with Math, his worst subject. He has family, and with his change, his mother has changed incredibly as well. She is now cheery and helps buy Christian shoes when he needs them. She can now be proud of her son! There are 15 stories...all amazing, but you have a taste. Please pray for the children in Ninos y Ninas del Futuro, the project we built. The project is a refuge in a sea of poverty, depression, hopelessness, and sometimes violence. It is a place of emotional and physical safety besides a place of learning and Biblical teaching.... Thank you to all who sponsor these incredible children...And if you are interested in the scholarship program, please let me know. I did not write yesterday. I may write a few more E Mails...You always have the choice to read them or not! Blessings to all of you, Cathy
Saturday, June 9, 2012 Getting used to it...Nicaragua Hi Everyone. PS...I cannot find a question mark on this computer that is not upside down! Don´t they get used to it...I hear this all the time...They live in rain and mud. Aren´t they used to it....They are hungry every day and wonder where their next meal is coming from...They are used to it. They have little to no access to medical care...They are not used to getting it so that´s okay. They live in cardboard and plastic sheet shacks held up by sticks...That´s all they know. All of this is so very, very untrue. They suffer as we do. They feel hunger pains, suffer by being wet day after day and not having a dry corner in which to sleep, and suffer from pain. For example, patient after patient at our clinic has stomach pains, and many are the result of hunger, the stress of staying alive, and worms. Let me tell you, they are not used to it. Some describe their pain so well you can feel it with them. Some in La Playa had absessed teeth and were asked about the dentist there...Money, they said, we can´t pay. How do you get used to an absessed tooth?? They suffer as we do. Thank you for your prayers and support you have given that help them suffer less. We saw 130 patients for nursing care today at Unile, a village close to here. Pastor Abe was interviewed by the mayor and described the many ways we wish to help people here and continue giving our support to projects of ours. At the very end, a 6 year old girl came in. We were closing after torrential rain but we saw her any way. She cried frequently as her mother had died six months ago, a frequent occurance here. Her 74 yr. old weathered grandmother now cared for her. We were able to treat her parasites and cheer her for the moment. The dentists were still working when we left. At first, people were extremely afraid and held their mouths, refusing to see the dentist. If one can afford dental care, some of it here is very very painfully done sometimes. One by one they relaxed and came...A large number. Fifteen were still waiting at 4 PM. Give thanks today for access to medical and dental care. We are used to that! Blessings, Cathy
Friday, June 8, 2012 Friday in Nicaragua - more clinics The clinic in Telpaneca was large. People were left at the end. We could not see them all. Many had walked three to four hours to get there, and they waited patiently most of the day to be seen. Fifty two teeth were pulled. I have no number on clinic patients. No fillings were done, since they had been without electricity for three days ....although it came back on at the end. The bus´s transmission broke just as we arrived in Telpaneca and we were able to walk to the clinic. The bus is still there, but luckily we are not. Some mini-vans were able to bring us back by 7 PM. Tomorrow we will have a clinic three miles from here. The issue of having dentists has been solved and we have received permission to use them near here..at least for tomorrow. Tomorrow we will have three dentists, since the third arrived today. My favorite patient was a lady. She had had herpes three years ago and was so frightened by the marks she had on her skin, she showed them to us by lifting her skirt. Afraid, she showed them all over. They were scars, something normal to have following the disease. She beamed and thanked and hugged us over and over and practically went dancing out of the clinic. There were people who came looking years older than their age. Their grand children who were often in their care sometimes looked lost and down, their stomachs often distended with worms. Thanks to your donations, we were able to help relieve at least temporarily their aches and pains, free them from worms, and give vitamins for them to help them after the worms are gone. Thank you. Blessings to all, Cathy
Thursday, June 7, 2012 Good news, bad news - Nicaraguan style Day one of clinics. Bad news...customs wanted $500 for the glasses that cost $450. They make up their own values. Rosario told us not to pay it. Good news...Pastor Abe´s sister Rosario has connections and may be able to get them out after we leave. We can then use them for next year. The person who donated them is on the trip and her example of calm through all this is inspiring...She is eminating peace. Bad news...Many taxi cab drivers are horrible in Managua not as drivers, but in attitude and Abe and the head of glasses needed to take a taxi. Good News..The cab driver they used after spending hours in customs knew where there were glasses and drove them all over to find them and do other things. He was a blessing and an answer to prayer. Pastor Abe could not believe what a wonderful person he was. We do not have 400 pair, but we do have 93 now. Bad news...we have two dentists with us, and three after tomorrow. The medical district would not let them do dental work where we had our clinic in a very poor area called La Playa. They have had some problems with others giving poor care and require tons of paper work months ahead. Good news...We know the mayor of Telpaneca and she is letting us have a full clinic there with dental care tomorrow. Condega may do the same for following days. The dentists were so understanding and still participated! They brought their flexibility and peace with them. Bad news...When we arrived at the children´s project for a greeting late yesterday, Candida, an angel of mercy in her barrio and one who received one of our homes here, got a call that her father who lives near by had just died. All those Nicaraguans we love here are close to her and her son Dorian is a scholarship recipient. Please keep Candida Godoy and her entire family in your prayers. Good news...The father is in the hands of God. Bad news...Heavy rains have made construction difficult. Good news...The house construction is well underway any way and there is actually a possibility that it will be completed before we leave. The construction crew had a great day. GOOD NEWS...We continue to feel your prayers for patience and peace with the culture and road blocks. It is who we are while we are here that is most serving, and not always what we do. Prayers are not always answered in the way we anticipate. I imagine you knew that already! And so your prayers have brought us through, not always in the way we anticipated! Until another day, In Christ, Cathy
Wednesday, June 6, 2012 Day in Managua Hi! Pastor Abe's sister Rosario is in line to go through customs to pay tax on glasses, and Carol and Abe are getting Nicaragua money to pay taxes! Customs is about the only place in Nicaragua that does not take American money. I know some are already praying, please don't stop! Well, imagine this conversation: Hey Sue, last night I stayed in a hotel where the room was as big as a house and the bathroom was as big as 6 normal size ones put together! And the food last night. Wow! They piled my plate so high with so many delicious dishes, I could have eaten off of it for days! Well Tom, I stayed in one last night where the room was as small as a postage stamp. The food was good, but the portions nothing out of the ordinary. Sue, where did you stay? The Best Western in Managua. You are kidding. Me too. Where do they have rooms like that? You probably guessed by now that Tom was comparing his stay with the lives of many impoverished not only here in Managua and Nicaragua, but in many countries through out the world. Even the quote, luxury, unquote, homes we build are 400 square feet. Tiny latrines are the norm, but even as we saw in El Higo where we provided latrines last year, many do not have even that. If you look up Best Western here on the internet, last year there was a very negative complaint about how tiny the rooms are. There is room for two double beds and about 6 feet beyond. As someone sitting next to me on the airplane said, our two car garages would be a luxury home for millions. I remember a few years ago we offered an obviously, extremely poor woman living by a graveyard in a hut a meal. She hurriedly bagged it up to share with her family of four. For those of you who have been following these stories for a few years, you will find repeated themes. I find even for myself who comes every year, it is never a bad idea to remind ourselves of the tremendous need and suffering in the world every where and of our need to reach out to help. In an hour, we will depart for Somoto. Blessings, Cathy
Tuesday, June 5, 2012 Arrival in Managua Hello Everyone! We are all safe and sound and have finished eating at 11:30 PM Colorado and Nicaragua time..they are the same...at our hotel in Managua. All items got through EXCEPT the eye glasses. Please pray the glasses through customs. Tomorrow very early Pastor Abe and Carol Kobel who has built and maintains the eye glass project Lens Crafters Pequeno will go to customs to pay taxes. The problem is, the 400 glasses cost 1.25 a piece, but they make up prices and charge 25% tax... So please pray that rescuing the glasses will go smoothly and with very little cost so that we can afford to retrieve them and have no delay! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS and positive thoughts and energy that you sent our way. I felt it while flying into the country and I am sure others did too. ALL of our dental equipment got through along with everything else. We are so very thankful for each and every one of you and your support. Blessings, Cathy
Tuesday, June 5, 2012 - The mission trip begins! The Nicaragua Mission Group leaves for Nicaragua on June 5th and will return on June 15th. Please pray for God's peace and for the Nicaragua Mission Group to get through customs and for safety and God's guidance for our group . The knowledge that so many of you will be praying for is comforting! Blessings to each of you, Cathy Goodman
Planning News
May 29, 2012 First Group email for 2012 Trip Hi Everyone: This is the "pre-departure" E-mail. Here is the first story: Then other bad news comes. Managua has flooded in areas and two people died. Torrential rains are hitting northern Nicaragua around the area we go. Already, roads are being washed out. We will have to change where we go for some clinics, but will we make it to Somoto? My head is starting to hurt. Then I remember that three weeks ago I was very nervous because we had not raised enough funding for even our very basic projects. We were looking at what projects we could cut, and even cutting a major one, there was not enough to do the very basics, even if we used every penny we had. Then donations started coming in after the fund drive was officially over, then more...and now every project will be funded, including Then I remember the disciples after Jesus was crucified. They were nervous...more than nervous, they were scared. They locked themselves in a room, afraid. Then Jesus came among them and said "Peace be with you....I am sending you." I sigh and bow my head in prayer, feeling the peace that only God can give starting to seep in. I hear His words again, "Peace be with you...I am sending you." So tonight I will sleep with God's peace and the knowledge that so many of you will be praying for us to get through customs and for safety and God's guidance for our group. Blessings to each of you, Cathy May 4, 2012 House recipient for this year chosen Here is the story of the mother who is receiving our constructed home this year...We just received it. Jaqueline is a 40 year old mother with three children whose home is made out of plastic, cardboard, and sticks. Some of the family has to sleep on the dirt floor, and when it rains, the water penetrates the home, soaking everything and making mud out of the floor. She sells enchiladas and beverages, feeding her family on what little she makes. For years, she has asked for a home, and the mayor gave her a small piece of land, but this dream has never been realized for her. For this reason, the ex-mayor Marcio Rivas and the board of Ninos y Ninas del Futuro, the children's project, have chosen her and her children to be the next recipients of a home. Also, we wish to express our deep gratitude to everyone who has donated to date. We still have a ways to go to pay for the home and other projects. Matching funds for donations in the amounts of $1000, $500, $200, $100, $50, and $25 (or a combination if your desired amount does not appear)....for donations and donations may be designated. Blessings to each of you, Cathy 2012 Plans underway Plans are well underway for the 2012 mission trip. We currently have 20 signed up to go, so we have only four spots left. We could really use another doctor, so if you know of one who may be interested, please let us know. Susan Chidley of Shoes for Children International just returned from Somoto and reports that all the projects are going well! Also, if you have a connection with another organization that might be interested in helping with this project, please check the following list for different ways that interested groups can help. Any donations can be deposited in a box in the narthex; larger items may be left in the choir room at Bethlehem (please email Cathy that you’ve left them there). The fund raising campaign at Bethlehem runs April 15 - May 6. Please look at all the information in the Star, the weekly bulletins, the displays in the Narthex, and on the website and prayerfully consider whether you would like to support this mission this year. Thank you for any help you can provide. If you have any questions, please talk to a Nicaragua Mission Project Task Force member (Margot Hoffmeyer, Dave Hooley, Jenny Kelley, Paul Dorn, Chris Buff, and John and Cathy Goodman) or e-mail us ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ). How to Help the Nicaragua Project
If you would like to read our posts from the 2011 trip, please click here. If you would like to read our posts from the 2010 trip, please click here. If you would like more information on Bethlehem's Nicaragua Mission program, please click here. If you would like more information on the cooperative Nicaragua Project, please click here. |
MY NAME IS KARLA ANABESY SANCHEZ. I AM 18 YEARS OLD AND LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY OF EL RODEO THAT IS SITUATED 5 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF SOMOTO. WITH MUCH EFFORT, I SUCCEEDED IN FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL TWO YEARS AGO. AT THIS TIME, I CANNOT ENROLL IN THE UNIVERSITY BECAUSE MY PARENTS HAVE VERY FEW ECONOMIC RESOURCES. I HAVE 5 BROTHERS WHO ARE ALSO STUDYING. THIS YEAR I STARTED WASHING CLOTHES AND IRONING TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR MY STUDIES. WITH THE LITTLE THAT I EARN, I HAVE TO HELP MY BROTHERS.