June Update

Family and Friends,

As we continue our journey serving in Nicaragua, I am daily reminded of how blessed we are to have those back home who are praying daily.  As I meet those who have no one, I give praise of thanksgiving on your behalf.  We wanted to send an update on our ministry within Project H.O.P.E.  As the season for short-term mission teams kicks into high-gear, we are given the opportunity to not only minister to the Nicaraguan people, but also to Americans who come here to serve.  

Travis continues to work with the men at Furia Santa (means “Holy Furia”). With the addition of short-term mission teams, Travis started a “block-making” activity that involves Gringos and the Furia Santa men working side-by-side making blocks.  They begin at 5:30 am every Tuesday and Thursday and make approximately 200 blocks.  This time of shared work is then followed by a devotion and testimonies.  By combining work, fellowship and discipleship, God breaks down boundaries and provides an avenue for the men involved to be real in their common struggles and successes.  In addition to working with the Furia Santa men, Travis serves as in the field as a team liason between the short-term mission team and the Nicca staff.  God continues to open doors for Travis to minister to men who tend to work hard…by coming alongside them and working with them, Travis is able to build a relationship first.  

To see God work through Taellor here is simply amazing….A couple of months ago, she was able to come with me to House of Hope for my Tuesday morning Bible study.  She kept noticing the children that were running about that no one was ministering to…and the next thing I know, she has gotten the extra supplies that I had in my tub and is holding an “impromptu children’s Bible study” under a tree.  This impromptu Bible study has continued and continues to grow as she (just her and God) reaches the younger children of the women in prostitution that come to the Tuesday morning outreach.  She typically has about 20 kids ten and younger.  She continues to serve at the Special Needs Orphanage assisting in their dance therapy.  God has gifted her with the ability to just simply love…  In the village that we are building, her time is mostly spent with the children.  They take her to their homes where we often find her assisting them with their chores, carrying water from the wells and building relationships.

 

 

Slaton has finished his PreK class at his school (Nicaraguan Christian Academy).  He will be promoted to Kindergarten next year.  For all of the struggle and difficulty in the beginning, he finished strong in the end.  

 He has made some wonderful friends here and is quickly picking up Spanish phrases.  He, currently, is in the States visiting his grandparents.  One of the ladies from the village gave him a bird that is extremely tame.  He walks around with the bird on his shoulder!   

(When he first heard that we were moving to Nicargua, this was one of the very first things that he asked for!!!)  He is slowly becoming more accustomed to the poverty that he encounters here.  The poverty in the village was difficult for him to comprehend at first.  He still wonders why they make houses out of trash and why they don’t have shoes….

 

My women’s Bible study in the Cuidad Sandino dump continues to evolve! We have anywhere from 50-70 children and that many women…with always a few men. We have added  a small children’s time with a Bible Story and craft before our women’s study.  We recently celebrated Mother’s Day with music (our very own Furia Santa band), cake, games and gifts.  It was an amazing evening to hear laughter and giggles as we tried to determine who had the most kids, who had the most girls and who had the most boys.  I enjoy seeing God work within these group of ladies as He works on me…showing me joy and hope in places of such desperation. 

 

 My Bible study on Tuesday mornings with the young girls involved with prostitution has continued to be such a blessing.  We are currently studying the Beatitudes…taking each one and discussing how it applies to our own lives.  They live in such a dark world…and, yet, Light is apparent.   

On Tuesday afternoons, I have began to spend time (also taking teams) to the Women’s Cancer Shelter.  Here, women await cancer treatment at the hospital nearby.  They are far from their families and typically have very little support emotionally.  Our desire is to remind them that Christ is there for them no matter where they are… 

 

 I have also recently added “Pan de la Vida” visits on Thursday morning! These are quickly becoming such a treasure in my world! (Granted, I think I say this about all of the ministry opportunities that God has allowed!!!) Each Thursday morning, Claudia (my translator), Taellor and I set out to visit 5 homes within the village that we are currently building.  We have began with the very first homes that were built two years ago.  We are simply coming to remind each home that Christ is the “bread of life” and asking how we can pray with them as we present to them a loaf of bread.  We have had times of sweet fellowship…woman to woman.  One of my favorite experiences was a couple of weeks ago.  Typically, we end up with several children following us….the also hear several times the message of Christ as we make our way through the village.  On this day, there was one boy about 9 years old who had been with us for several weeks on Thursdays.  When we came to our final loaf of bread that day and started to walk up to our last home for that day, I noticed there were tears streaming down his face.  This was  his home.  Today was his family’s day.  His mother was at work and he was alone, yet, he clung to that loaf of bread and asked us to pray for his family…for his mother’s health so she could continue to work.  As we prayed and the tears continued to stream down his face, I was reminded again and again of the faith of a child….for it wasn’t the bread that he was crying for….it was the prayers that were being said on his family’s behalf.

The faithfulness of God continues to leave us speechless….  Thank you for your prayers and encouragement as the journey continues.  We realize that there is so much that we have to learn…the language and the culture.  We are currently studying both Spanish and Nicaraguan Sign Language as God directs our path to those He wishes us to serve.   Please continue to pray for the language to take hold, for the health and safety of our family and for the people to whom we serve.

If we wish to follow us on Facebook, we are under (Tammy Conner Stearns) or our blog at stearnsfamilyinnicaragua@blogspot.com  

In His Hands,

The Stearns