• Prayers of thanksgiving that the Holland’s adoption of their son Alajenadro is now complete and they have a New Holland in their family.

• With school starting and many getting new and updated computers, i-pads etc.  We are starting an effort to secure 350 iPad and e-readers to create a basic library in our schools and 3 Child Development Centers.  There are many Spanish books that can be download free but we have received a grant from the Kiwanis club in Abilene to cover any cost for fee-based downloads.  We will continue to develop and take our Mobile Library out with our groups but this will allow the teachers something extra for their Quick read more or view full article students…

• The Children’s Outreach Ministry Jonathan who has been working with the church in Jinotega and Apanas continues to grow.  Presently they are working with over 100 children in both locations with a small budget and to expand to serve more children we need to raise $60 per week per center to cover the cost material, training, food (the children are feed each week) and other special activities (which includes Bibles class for the mothers of some of the children.  A total of $500 a month is needed.

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2014 started with our first groups of year in Jinotega.  One group was the first of four groups from Texas Tech, their primary focus was on women's health doing PAPs screening training seminar for community health promoters. 

The second group was lead by Dr Doug Steele doing mobile clinics with a focus toward physical therapy. 


Thanks to Jonathan, Sheila and all our Nicaraguan staff for their extra efforts and work this week.

Casa Materna is a program created over 30 years ago by the government of Nicaragua to provide medical care for expectant mothers with "at risk" pregnancies.  Most of these women live in remote areas of Nicaragua with limited or no healthcare.  They may travel from 1 hour to several days to reach the closest Casa Materna where they stay until they deliver their baby in order to be near a health center or hospital.
 
Mision Para Cristo works hand in hand with the government to serve the Casa Maternas.  The mission has been serving the Casa Materna here in Jinotega for 9 years touching the lives of over 1400 women.  The mission's ministry is designed to teach these women about basic healthcare for themselves, their newborn and their family and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. When each woman arrives she is given a baby bag consisting of a Bible, diapers Quick read more or view full article (cloth and disposable),a blanket, baby wash and lotion, wipes, a onsie, and socks as well as other things the mom will need for the first few days of the baby's life. We also enjoy working with the women in making craft projects such as a quilt, baby hats, and bracelets.  All the crafts are made with materials and items that have been donated by women from across the US.   
 
In Jinotega every Friday the women of the church visit the Casa Materna and conduct  a devotional.  Since the women who come to Casa Materna are from different communities, their name is sent to the preacher in that area in order to maintain contact and provide support. At this time we are also working with the 4 other Casa Maternas located in the communities of San Rafael, San Ramon, La Concordia, and Yali.  Our goal is to have the ladies of the church in each of these areas develop a ministry of service to expectant mothers at the Casa Materna in their area.  The church in La Concordia is now serving the Casa Materna in their community and we pray the other churches will be able to start soon. 
 
One of the ladies supporting Casa Materna has a contact with Gerber and has registered us as a charity with the company.  This has made the mission eligible to receive many of the items for the baby bags at no cost.  We also have another woman who has her Dorcus sewing group cut out squares for the quilts the women make while they are at the Casa Materna. Every group that comes brings materials and items that enable the church ladies to continue to serve the mothers at the Casa Maternas. It is almost like Christmas to me when a group arrives!  Everything you send or bring is such a blessing.
 
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August 1, 2013

In September 1973 I meet a young lady from Plainview, Texas.  Her name was Donna Wood.  In meeting Donna I also came to know the people at the Garland Street congregation in Plainview.  Over the next 40 years they have been family to us.  In all that Donna and I have done in ministry they have always been there with support and encouragement.  When I think of Plainview many names come to my mind quickly, to make a list it would be long.
 
            In January of 2005 when we wanted to move full-time with the mission in Nicaragua we needed a home for the mission.  Who better to turn to than family?  And in March of 2005 they assumed the oversight of the mission.  Without that support and encouragement and God’s blessings over the last 8 years the mission could not have grown to Quick read more or view full article where we are today.  Every time we have had a need they have been there for us.
 
            Over the last six years the Grapevine congregation in Grapevine, TX has continued to expand their partnership with the mission. That partnership came to a point that the first of this year discussion started about the possibility of Grapevine Elders and Mission Committee assuming the oversight of the mission.  In February Bob Burkle, one the Elders at Grapevine, was in Nicaragua.  In March I visited with the Elders in Plainview and with JW Hamby that Grapevine had the interest in assuming the oversight. Over the last two month that discussion has continued and the decision has been made that Grapevine will assume that responsibility as of August 1, 2013.
 
            It is always hard to single out specific people when so many have done so much for us. But we must express a very special thanks to JW Hamby, Becky Watson and Beverly McDonald who have had the most direct contact with us throughout the eight year.  JW serves as the mission chairman, when he came to Nicaragua I always introduced him as our boss, and Beverly was the one responsible to deposit, notify those that had given and provide us with deposit reports, almost weekly.  And Becky was always working to keep our accounts balanced and money distributed.
           
            Donna and I can never express fully our love and appreciation for the support that Garland Street has been not only over the last 8 years but throughout our 38 years of marriage and ministry.   They are family and always will be.
 
            New mailing address for the mission:  535 N Park Blvd, Grapevine, TX 76501.

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A special thanks to Truth for Today in Searcy who gave us this month 3,000 more copies of the book “Becoming a Faithful Christian” in Spanish. Over the last seven years we have distributed over 15,000 copies of the book and now use it to give the ladies at Casa Materna with their baby bags that have been prepared before them. This book could have been titled “Where There is No Preacher” as it combined both God’s word and teaching material. Thanks to Janese Davis, Becky Brown and all the ladies at the church in Jinotega that work together to serve these ladies in the name Jesus. The books will be on the container out of Sylvan Hills in Little Rock in May.
 

We are working with Ron Cook with the Sylvan Hills Medical Missions putting together a group to come to Nicaragua, August 3 - 10. This group will be mainly a medical/evangelistic team but team members will also do some things in construction, with the Casa Materna, Hope for Life and with our schools.
If you would like to have more information about this trip contact Ron Cook -- 501-350-7427....

Also they are staging a container of supplies for Nicaragua with the target of shipping the container in April. We are especially looking for school supplies (pens, pencils, crayons, paper, notebooks, etc.). Other items: hospital sheets, baby and children's clothes, supplies for the Casa Materna baby bags (pampers, cloth diapers, diaper pins, ladies hygiene items, small powder and lotions, bar of ivory, washcloth, baby wipes, receiving blanket, shampoo, new 0-3 month clothes), used glasses for our Sight for Sore Quick read more or view full article Eyes project, toothbrushes and reading books in Spanish for our mobile library..

If you support a effort in Nicaragua and need to get something shipped there should be space to send it.

Ron has arranged for a storage container to be place on the parking lot at Sylvan Hills to stage the supplies for the shipping container.

Contact Ron Cook for additional information and to make arrangements to bring things for the container to be shipped.

Sylvan Hills Medical Missions
9305 Hwy 107
Sherwood, Arkansas 72120
Phone: 501-350-7427 or church PH 501-835-4141

Please keep the development of the group coming and the container in your prayers
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We look forward to starting the Instituto de Preparacion de Obreros (IPO)(Institute of Preparation of Workers) in 2013 with 6 locations in Nicaragua:  Jinotega, Waswali Prison, Chincandega, Ocatal, Rio Coco-- San Andres and La Esperanza, with over 300 students and a name change, IPONOC (Institute of Preparation of Worker North and West).  Please keep this in your prayers. Today was the leaders meeting of the different locations. As I shared with them I don't know anything we do that is more important than the work they have accept to do. Please keep this expansion of the IPO in your prayers and contact us today on how you can help with this ministry of learning. www.misionparacristo.com