It seems that through years I have started so many Newsletters saying that this has been one of the best ____ and you fill in the blank.  There is an old song that goes like, “if it keeps getting better and better, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”  God continues to be gracious to the church and the mission through His blessings of your support.
 
September started with us looking back over a summer that was full of many blessings because of the groups who come serve with us.  Sheila posted about our group recently.. “One of the most asked questions of the summer is always, "So what do you do the rest of the year?" And, as Benny always responds, "The work continues whether visitors are here or not." Which is very true. But today, after looking at the 2014 Calendar, I realized that 241 days had someone staying here--so it is fair to say "most of the time" some of you are here with us joining in. Thanks”
 

It was a blessing to have in September, Mark Blake from the 4^th Avenue congregation, they have been bringing a group to Nicaragua for 10 years and support our Aaron and Ur ministry to encourage the preachers we work with.  Part of that ministry is the support of the Annual Preachers’ Conference, this year we were the co-host of the conference and had the wives in attendance. Mark was also able to visit with the child his family sponsors in Apanas with One Child Matters.  Lives are being changed one life at a time.
 

We continue to work each month with the Juvenile Judge and the youth she is responsible for.  The last Friday of each month we co-host a time for her to have with all those she has on basically what we would call “House Arrest”.  The day has activities both fun and spiritual.  This project is part of our desire to reach more of the youth that are at risk to sex, drugs and alcohol in our community to come to know God can only feel the void in their lives.
 

Olive Branch Ministries returned in September for a trip on the Rio Coco.  OBM partnership started in 2004 and continues to be a great blessing for the church and the mission in Nicaragua.
 
 

The end of September was the start of the Smiles pick-up and preparation for shipping that goes through October.  David Catalina was responsible for the pick-up in Texas and Oklahoma (and he did go over in LA too), and he was also responsible for the container of Smiles shipped out of Dallas this year.  When it comes to Smiles the work of Patti, Karen and all that work with them cannot be overstated this year the Highway congregation packaged 4,414 Smiles for Nicaragua and was responsible for the second container to be shipped in October.  The third container out of Dothan, AL will be shipped the first week of November.  Still working on the final totals for the 2014.  Thanks for everyone that has a part on bringing a Smile to Child in Nicaragua.  The Dothan container will also have over 107,000 servings of soup that was packed by the Metro congregation in Orlando.  I had the privilege to be with them the day of the packing and it was very special time of blessings.  Thanks Seth and Mike, who had been to Nicaragua in September to see the need.
 

The end of September had Donna and I back in the states with a little change of plans, we start our trip to the states with Donna having back surgery, thanks Dr. K you’re the best.  That changed the start of the trip and limited Donna’s travels in the states but after her release from the hospital I was able to continue the planned trip with going to Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee,  Florida and Alabama.  And some of those states twice.  I am writing the newsletter as we return back to Nicaragua on the 30^th.
Jonathan and Sheila screened the eyes of over 2,000 children during the month of October.  They were add by a new piece of equipment that was funded by the Lions Club in Lubbock, TX and the extra blessing of support for the Decatur congregation in Decatur.  We were also blessed this month in part of their Mission Sunday that will help in the construction of the new Specialty Medical Clinic and a new outreach effort with Word Bible School in Nicaragua.
 
Thanks to Becky Brown and those that helped her so that the youth in Jinotega had a special 3 Day return at the Young Life Camp between Jinotega and Matagalpa.  Part of the funding for the retreat was from you that sponsored different youth as they accomplish different task.  Some learn scripture, other climbed to the cross, and others learned new words both in Spanish and English.  Thanks Becky for the idea, plans and the extra effort for a very successful retreat.

October is always a special month in that it is the month we celebrate a finishing another year of serving and sharing in Nicaragua with the opening of the medical clinic in Jinotega. On Saturday October 27, 1997 we had the Grand Opening of the medical clinic in Jinotega and on Monday October 29, 1997 the clinic officially saw it first patient.  The clinic has had only three director, Dr. Karla Roque, Dr. Ziamora Romero, and our current director Dr. Judith Pena.   Our medical outreach has expanded with the medical teams that come, our relationship with Texas Tech Medical School and Olive Branch Ministries, with Sight for Sore Eyes, full-time dentist, work with Casa Materna, and parasite treatment that now has us touching over 40,000 a year medically.
  
THE LIST: 

• Prayers for Nicaragua.Thanks to everyone that helped us respond to those that were affected by the earthquake in April.But now we face another crisis that is caused by the drought. The loss of crops, rises in food prices in the market and reduction of the projected number of workers for the upcoming coffee harvest is causing the beginning of major food crisis as we end 2014 and go into 2015. This Food Crisis is also being felt in Honduras and Guatemala.Some are projecting that by the end of the year there may be a need of response to this Food Crisis as great as the response to Hurricane Mitch in 1998.We presently are working to secure 3 containers of the soup mix and have received commitment of 425 (100,000 servings) cases of the soup mix to put on the Smiles container out of Dothan in October.
• Working with the Dr. Chad Stephens we are moving forward on the development of a Specialty Medical clinic as part of our medical outreach.Be in touch with us on how you can be part of the development of the expansion of our medical care in Nicaragua.
• $1,600 is needed to purchase glasses needed for children screened by Sight for Sore Eyes.Great effort by Jonathan and Sheila in October.
• Continue to keep the impact of One Child Matters in Nicaragua as we add additional children and look to the development of the new project in Yali.Contact us today to on how you sponsoring child can make a difference for life.You can sponsor a child through our website or through this link for Nicaraguan children:http://www.ocmpartners.org/catalog/
• We are regularly given many of opportunities to serve but we are not able to say yes to everything, please keep us in your prayers for wisdom from God for when to say yes and to say no.We pray for it regularity.
• Please keep in your prayers a developing new outreach with World Bible School with both their first lesson and Connect for Nicaragua.
• Our 2015 Group Calendar is filling up fast, contact us today if you are looking to bring a group in 2015.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement. 
 
Benny and Donna Baker
 
Thanks from all of those that God’s blessings of your support touch and serve in Nicaragua. None of this would be possible without God’s blessings and your partnership… by you doing something, we doing something and God putting it together we can do something we could have not done apart from each other…
I Cor. 12-13/Philippians 1:3-5 
 

The September/October  newsletter, pdf version, is full of additional pictures showing more of the activities going on around the Mission. Please download to see all that is being done.