The start of the mission in Nicaragua has several different dates that can be used. March 26, 1997, is when we first meet Mario Roque in Ola, AR and the statement was made, “Let’s open a medical clinic for the outreach of the Church.” Grand Opening of that clinic was Saturday, October 25, 1997, and clinic opened for patients October 27, 1997. Whether we take the March date or the October date we have the blessing of being into our 20th year of working in Nicaragua with the objective of sharing Jesus as we serve people. None of this would have been or continue to be possible without God’s blessings of your support, encouragement, and prayers.

20th Anniversary

It is hard to believe that we have finished the first two months of 2017. Two very challenging and exciting months! We look forward to what blessings the Lord has in store for us over the next months as we celebrate our 20th anniversary of serving and sharing in Nicaragua.

Finally, all SMILES containers were released from customs! Thanks to all who had a part in bringing SMILES to so many children in Nicaragua and to all who worked diligently to get them distributed. This is a perfect example of you doing your part, and us doing our part. Then with God's blessings, the impact is multiplied exponentially! Thanks to Jonathan for the photos and video to share the children’s SMILES, and most of all to allow their SMILES to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Our first group of the year arrived on January 1st from Lipscomb University. We encourage you to go their web page: Lipscomb Missions and read Mark Naguib’s reflections on his trip to our beautiful country. This was his second year to come and work with us.

The month of January also had the Bakers in the DFW area for Benny’s neck surgery. Special thanks to Myra Hutson who gave us a place to recover! Benny will be having shoulder surgery on April 12th. We do request your prayers for a speedy recovery.

January saw some very exciting changes and additions to the mission…

We had a great blessing in working with One Child Matters (OCM) over the last three and a half years, and we are thankful to them for the foundation they have given us for the Child Development Centers in Jinotega, Apanas, and Yali. We look forward to an even brighter future serving the children in Nicaragua, because on January 1, 2017, the mission took the full responsibility of the OCM projects. As a result, there was a name change. The work with the children in Nicaragua has not changed at all!

Only the name of the program has changed. Please keep this transition of Kingdom Kids – For Kids, For Kingdom, For Eternity in your prayers. If you would like to sponsor a child in Nicaragua, you may go to www.kingdomkidsnicaragua.com and sponsor a child today.

The needs of these children are SO great. Yes, they do become “your” child because you receive pictures and letters. One sponsor stated, “I have been corresponding with and praying for Sarai and Cristian for so long, but the day that I actually got to meet them ranks right up there as one of the happiest days of my life.” Do not miss out on a wonderful opportunity the Lord has placed before you.

School of The Good Samaritan (GSS)

The second exciting and challenging aspect to occur with Kingdom Kids is that in February, we accepted a partnership role with the School of The Good Samaritan (GSS) in Catacamas, Honduras. We were approached last August and asked if we would consider taking over the responsibility of GSS.

The reason was that the school was going to have to close at the end of the 2016 school year after 30 years in operation because of the reduction of sponsors.  There are 396 students with only 150 sponsors. On paper, there was no viable option for the school to stay open, but when Benny visited there in November, he realized that we needed to do whatever we could to keep the school open.  The school has great facilities, teachers, staff and leadership from Tonita and Karina, the Director and Administrator. A qualified Honduran Board of Directors in place to guide the school.

 

For more information, and if your heart is for the children of Honduras, go: to www.kingdomkidshonduras.com

The Chrstian Chronicle

In January, we had the blessing of having Bobby Ross from the Christian Chronicle with us to write an article on the mission for the January issue of the Chronicle.

Institute for the Preparation of Workers

In January, we also started a new year for IPO, Institute for the Preparation of Workers. This year, we have seven locations of study: Jinotega, Waswili Prison, two locations on the Río Coco River, San Jose Bocay, Ocotal and in Chinandega. We have started 2017 with almost a total of 300 students! Please contact us on how your support could help these centers of learning.

The List:

• Continue to keep the transition to Kingdom Kids in your prayers for the projects in Jinotega, Apanas, Yali, and for The School of the Good Samaritan in Honduras. Misión Para Cristo with Kingdom Kids is now serving almost 800 children in these locations. To sponsor a child in Nicaragua go to www.kingdomkidsnicaragua.com, in Honduras go to www.kingdomkidshonduras.comContinue to keep the transition to Kingdom Kids in your prayers for the projects in Jinotega, Apanas, Yali, and for The School of the Good Samaritan in Honduras. Misión Para Cristo with Kingdom Kids is now serving almost 800 children in these locations. To sponsor a child in Nicaragua go to www.kingdomkidsnicaragua.com, in Honduras go to www.kingdomkidshonduras.com
• Continue to keep the transition to Kingdom Kids in your prayers for the projects in Jinotega, Apanas, Yali, and for The School of the Good Samaritan in Honduras. Misión Para Cristo with Kingdom Kids is now serving almost 800 children in these locations. To sponsor a child in Nicaragua go to www.kingdomkidsnicaragua.com, in Honduras go to www.kingdomkidshonduras.com
• Please keep Benny in your prayers as he faces a second surgery April 12th at Texas Health in Alliance.
• We need $350 a month for IPO in Chinandega, San Jose Bocay and Ocotal. Your support of one of these locations would be greatly appreciated. This support covers food, transportation, and material for the students.
• Xiomara Garcia, the wife of Luis Garcia, needs a life-saving heart surgery that is not available in Nicaragua. We have found a doctor in the DFW area to donate her services, but we need to find a hospital that would donate the care. Please keep the Garcia family in your prayers and that a hospital will be located.
• We are in the final stage of selection of interns for 2017; we especially need one more male intern for the summer.
• This summer our Nicaraguan Youth Baseball team has been invited to Searcy in July. If you have United travel miles that you could donate for their travel, contact Colette, Andrew or Benny. We need 20 tickets. Tickets for the team would cost $18,000.
• SMILES 2017 - IT IS NOT TOO EARLY TO START PLANNING ON HOW YOU CAN BRING A SMILE FOR CHILD AT CHRISTMAS.
• For over three years Sheila Holland, Colette Price and Jonathan Holland have been working with some gifted leaders who have been training some willing teens to take the lead in two very unique children's outreach programs. Juan Carlos Rizo and Felipe Cuadra have been taking the final steps in making the program completely theirs. They have written, organized, prepared, and implemented the first series of children's 2017 outreach lessons. Presently, they are working with over 100 children in each location. We need to raise $60 per week per center to cover the cost of materials, training, food (the children are fed each week) and other special activities (which includes Bible class for the mothers of some of the children in Jinotega). A total of $520 a month is needed for expenses of both programs. Please keep this children’s outreach program in your prayers as young lives are touched.

Thanks for your continued support. 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 not have done apart from each other.

Because of Him: Benny and Donna

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