Another successful year has come and gone with the Smiles for a Child project here in Nicaragua. A huge thank you to all who helped to support this cause.

The pictures can tell the story best of how well they were received.





The only problem with Smiles 2010 is that we just did not have enough gifts for all the requests, and many children did not receive this year. Our goal for 2011 is to have a gift for each request.

Please help us by planning now to be a part of our 2011 Smiles Project. “A Smile for a Child at Christmas.”

October 10th, 2010
The rains have lessened in Nicaragua but have not stopped. The potential of rain over the next three to four weeks continues to be of great concern. It is hard to put into words the needs that we have in Nicaragua that are similar to the needs caused by the rains over all of Central America this year. As we look to serve those affected by the rains, our areas of focus are food, medicine, shelter and concern for their emotional and spiritual needs. Sergio, Doctor Judith, Porfirio and Alberto are leading our team in Nicaragua working with the church and community leaders. In conjunction with the church and community leaders we are also working with the Army, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Family. This allows us to identify the critical situations first and make sure that we are not duplicating what others Quick read more or view full article are doing. Our goal is to follow the words of Paul in Galatians 6:10.

Thanks to the response of so many we have been able to start responding to families in Moncotal, La Concordia and San Rafael. Today the group was going to Wiwili working with Mario, the preacher, and the mayor where over 55 families have lost everything along the river.

We are presently working to secure resources in three ways:

1. Financially so that we can continually move immediately in purchasing food, medical supplies and provide temporary shelter as needed. We will also need resources to rebuild houses in many communities, especially in areas where they lived mostly in plastic.

2. We are looking to secure three containers of food and supplies to send in the next 30 day. One has been secured and will be shipped next Tuesday (Oct 12th). We have funding for shipping of two more containers but need food and medicine for both, one out of Abilene, Texas and the other out of Dothan, AL. We have started a drive for over the counter medicines for the First Aid bags of our community promoters. Contact us misionparacristo@aol.com on more details of this effort.

3. To develop teams of people to come to help with the distribution of food, provide medical care, emotional and spiritual support. Also to help with different construction needs. (The cost per person is $575.00 plus airfare) These are the dates we are trying to develop:

October 23 - 30
November 6 - 13 (we have some scheduled for this week)
November 13 - 20
December 4 -12 (the December dates would also be a time to help with our annual "Smiles" distribution.)
December 11 -19
December 31 - January 8 (a group is coming from Florida)
January 7 - 15 (A group from Kilgore, TX)
January 28 - February 6 (Olive Branch Ministries will be bringing a group to San Andres on the Rio Coco, contact Malena Rampy, malena.rampy@gmail.com, on this group.)
February 7 - 21 (A group from Huntsville, TX)
(Those scheduled to come from December 31 till February 21 where already on the calendar before we knew how great a need we would have this year, God is gracious)

Hopefully one of the dates above can fit into your scheduled. Read Less

Updated Saturday January 9, 2010

Alba and Imer returned home to Jinotega in December. See the December 2009 Newsletter for more details.

Many of you that have been to Nicaragua know Alba and her girls.

About six years ago Alba's husband cut off her lower arms. Many of you have expressed a desire to help Aba. Well, on October 18th Alba and one of her daughters, Imer, will travel to Louisiana to be fitted with prosthetics for each arm and undergo physical therapy. Thanks to all that have help make this possible. Donna and I will be traveling to the states with Alba and her daughter Imer for this life changing procedure. They will be in the states for six to eight weeks in Monroe. Imer always sits with her mother in worship and there is no more moving scene than Imer feeding communion to her mother.

The ladies of the church Quick read more or view full article in Jinotega are having party for her trip to the states. We told the ladies that the "gringos" always bring snacks from home with them when they come to Nicaragua, so Alba and Imer probably need to take some snacks too.

Please keep this family in your prayers over the next few months. Specifically, pray that:

* the fitting can go smooth and a rapid success of the physical therapy.
* for Alba's other children that are staying with grandmother in San Jose Bocay...not sure about mother leaving for the states.
* for those that take the time to touch Alba and Imer while they are in the states.

More to follow as we arrive in Louisiana and set about the work of getting Alba settled.


Monday Oct 19
Alba and Imer are safely in Monroe after a lot of firsts: traveling to Managua, traveling on an airplane, riding an escalator, riding in an elevator, visiting a McDonald's and the list of first goes on. Thanks to: those that met them at the airport in Little Rock, the Steelman's for hosting them last night, Dr. Mayfield and the folks at the Forysthe congregation in Monro for all they did in preparation for their arrival. Alba's first doctor's appointment is 9 AM Tuesday followed by another appointment at 2 PM that afternoon. She is scheduled to have casts made of her arms Tuesday evening.


Tuesday Oct 20
Today has been tremendous and the number of people involved in this effort is special. Alba had casts taken of her arms this morning and will fit the molds this afternoon. The plan is to fit the prosthetics on Friday and to start Physical Therapy Monday of next week. Please continue to keep Alba and all involved in this effort in your prayers.


Friday Oct 23
Today went from tears of disappointment to smiles and joy. The tears of disappointment were because Alba thought she was going to have hands that worked and disappointment because they conducted the fitting with hooks. However, the tears and disappointment gave way to smiles and joy when she discovered she could move her arms and the clasp(hooks) opened and closed. Then, she understood she was getting something more than just hooks. Alba will also be fitted for hands that are for appearance when she is out in public. The last thing she asked the translator was will she now be able to serve herself communion.

Dr. Greg Mayfield of the forysthe congregation in Monroe, LA has put all this together. Chris Wallace, a member of the North Brandon congregation in Jackson, MS and his staff of Richard Colvin and Lucy Johnson of the Methodist Orthotics & Prosthetics have donated their resources. Laurie Stickel of the Jackson Street congregation will do the occupational therapy. To witness how God has brought together so many people and congregations to serve on of his children is to see God. Reminds me of the song Have You Seen Jesus My Lord. Yes we have!

Blessings…

Benny Read Less

Friends of Nicaragua...Many have contacted us about Hurricane Ida. We are presently working on the best response to the hurricane that hit Nicaragua's southeast coast and moved north into western Honduras. The area hit the worst has the least ability to respond to what has happened to them and the second problem is

getting help to them.

The storm's path was east of Jinotega but it has brought rain to the area and it is still raining in Jinotega and north (UPI is reporting that over 20 inches of rain has fallen over northern Nicaragua) and we are waiting for reports from the north on any damage on the river, but the greatest problem in Jinotega could be the damage to the coffee crop which would cause major economic problems for the area....the economy in this area depends on the coffee harvest, each year the coffee harvest works about 40,000 people, Quick read more or view full article no harvest no work.....for many that is their income for the year.

We have the food (over 4,000 pounds of Breedlove soup mix, this was given to us earlier this year just for our ability for rapid response) and other supplies. We can send Jimmy and a couple others to help with construction. We are in contact with others that have more direct work in that area to see what most is needed and where.

We are in a position to respond rapidly (something we have been planning for and always pray we are able to do) with the supplies and help. But we need your help to secure additional resources for the area.

Positive note: first container of 6,603 "Smiles" left Arkansas yesterday and the second container with over a 1,000 "Smiles" will be shipped from Alabama in about two weeks. That container will also be used to send other resources for the relief effort. It is amazing how God always has the right things at the right time, like a container that has extra room.

Specific ways to help:

Food -- 10,000 pounds of Breedlove Soup Mix will cost $10,000
Medicine --- Needing to make up a 100/200 First Kits with basic items --- Cost...$20 per kit. (we will be looking at taking our Mobile Clinic as requested...$1,000 a day for medicine and supplies to see 250 patients per day.)
Mission Worker's Expense --- 4 workers for 10 days --- Cost -- $600
Rubber Boots --- $5.00 per pair
Buildling Supplies (tin, plastic and wood) -- $12,000
Transportation, one of the greatest expense will be getting the supplies to the area. $650 a day for boat on the river, $100 day plus $4 a gallon for fuel for trucks. Fuel has increased 30 cents a gallon in Nicaragua over the last three weeks.
Clothes -- yes, there is a need but there are many more pressing needs to get to them....

Your response is necessary! Please give prayerful consideration to this request and if you can help please send your contribution to the mission, marked IDA RELIEF, at the Highway Church of Christ, 128 Hwy Church Road, Judsonia, AR 72081 or you can make a contribution through our website www.misionparacristo.com by pay-pal.


Please keep our response in your prayers...Blessings in His name....Benny Read Less