What is Project H.O.P.E.?

We've been asked several questions lately regarding where we will be staying and who we are affiliated with regarding our mission work in Nicaragua.  We will be serving with the organization Project H.O.P.E. In 1998, Project H.O.P.E. was established after a group of friends felt God calling them to help the poor in Nicaragua. The founding directors had been traveling to Nicaragua for a few years, but felt obligated to do more than build homes and return to the United States. There was a need to share the gospel with the people of Nicaragua. Project H.O.P.E.'s very humble beginning consisted of the founding directors and their wives traveling to Nicaragua and slowly others joined. Some of the early trips consisted of camping in the mountains and bathing in the river. God has greatly blessed Project H.O.P.E. over the years. A full-functioning base camp, H.O.P.E. Central, was built in 2006 and serves as headquarters for our Nicaraguan staff and hosts incoming teams. Approximately 500 people will travel with Project H.O.P.E. to Nicaragua during a calendar year.

The H.O.P.E. stands for "Hear Our Prayers Emmanuel".

These humbly beginnings along with a genuine Christ-centered focus has continually drawn us to serve with Project H.O.P.E.   We've watched as the directors of the PJH serve with open hearts since our first trip in 2002.  We will be living at H.O.P.E. Central which is located just outside of Managua in the "suburb", if you will, called Ciudad Sandino.  Our base camp consists of two homes, a medical clinic, short-term mission dormitories, a kitchen with cafeteria attached, a small library, offices, warehouse and an outside cabana.  For those who have experienced Nicaragua with PJH, the cabana brings back memories of sweet worship and fellowship in the open air of Nicaragua.  We will serve alongside a staff of Nicaraguans that walk a servant's path.  

One of Project H.O.P.E.’s main ministries is home construction for the impoverished people of Nicaragua.  Project H.O.P.E. works closely with the Nicaraguan government to access areas of need within the country.  The mayor suggests specific areas in which the government will donate land to the building project.  The areas that are suggested are make-shift groupings of people living in unimaginable conditions.  Leaning on recommendations from the staff at H.O.P.E. Central along God’s direction, the sites are chosen for the upcoming year.  At the site, a community is developed.  A representative must be selected from within the community that assists Project H.O.P.E. with the logistics such as a census.  

During the building phase of the community, each family receiving a house is required to have one representative from their family working within the construction phase.  During this time, approximately 10 teams from across the United States come together to build homes in hopes that their actions will be a reflection of Christ’s love.  At the completion of the community, each family has worked with the “gringos” in order to build their new house on which they have ownership of the deeded land and have experienced the meaning of the gospel.

After the building phase is completed, the staff from H.O.P.E. Central continues to minister to the communities long after the "gringos" have returned to the States.    

We are so very excited as we moved into the month of December!  Our tickets are set to leave on December 31st.  We are still awaiting Slaton's passport, however, it has been processed and are eagerly waiting for our house to sell. (If there are any investors out there, we have been told this would be a good "flip" house!  ) It was actually quite freeing to see the For Sale sign go up in the yard!  I can't say enough wonderfully good things about Rick and Pam Gardner who have come alongside us during this journey to sell our home.  We've lived there for 18 years...so you can imagine the process that it has been. I was worried about the kids at first regarding leaving the only home they've ever known but they are all about it!  Slaton is loving the wide open spaces of our house as furniture and things start leaving.  

Please continue to pray for our transition specifically the selling our house and my car along with receiving Slaton's passport in the mail (hopefully before the 30th!!!)