It is crazy to think that I have already been here in Jinotepe, Nicaragua for three and a half months. Where has the time gone???
Since being here, my incredible team has worked with a ministry that has reached so many hearts in this area of Nicaragua. Mateo 5:16 was created 10 years ago by Glenn and Lynne Schweitzer. They heard the voice of the Lord speak and walked in obedience-not realizing what the Holy Spirit would do in and through both of them throughout the upcoming years. As Glenn and Lynne listened to and acted in the Spirit, they developed deep bonds with the Nicaraguan people and have shared the love of Jesus Christ with the poorest of the poor, hopeless and forgotten. This remarkable couple runs Casa Mateo (hotel) as part of their ministry; which houses missionaries, backpackers, and others from around the world. Glenn and Lynne have also constructed an orphanage called La Quinta Esperanza, a few local churches they built from the ground up, and Nueva Vida which is where my team lives and does most of our ministry.
Nueva Vida (New Life) is a center where locals may come and indulge in a Christ-like community. Nueva Vida holds church services four times a week and also holds a variety of activities throughout the week/year, such as: English classes (which a few of our girls lead), sewing classes, sports, medical treatments, pre-school, etc. A woman by the name of Bonnie runs Nueva Vida and she has become like a mom to us girls. Bonnie has an amazing testimony that the Lord is using in beautiful ways here in Jinotepe and the woman is a prayer-warrior like no other; it is an exquisite sound to hear and to see.
A major part of our ministry for Nueva Vida is visiting people in the Barrios (neighborhoods). As my team makes our way to certain families, we stop and invite locals to the Church services that are held at our humble abode. Barrio walking is a great way of building relationships with the Nicaraguans, spreading the love of Christ, and to help the word get out about the endless opportunities at Nueva Vida.
Besides the usual Barrio walking and Church services, my team also works alongside other ministries and organizations throughout the week. On Mondays we go to Los Pipitos which is a school for children with disabilities. Wednesdays we visit the local hospital and pray over the sick and their families and then on Thursdays, my team visits a retirement home; which is probably one of my favorite ministries. Most of the elderly living in this home do not have families close by so the men and women living there are consumed with the Spirit of loneliness that only Jesus, Himself, could mend. Since our very first visit, my team has noticed a difference in many of the patients-they now have huge smiles on their faces when they see us walk in. It is so beautiful to see the works of the Lord in tangible ways.
Well, this is just a little peek at what my team has accomplished since being here in Nicaragua. I have been truly blessed, to say the least, and know that the Lord has big things on store for this country. I am excited to see how Mateo 5:16 will flourish in the next year and how the Lord will move in the little town of Jinotepe. Please join with me in prayer for this ministry, for everyone involved in seeing Kingdom come in Nicaragua, and for my team as we are in the last weeks of ministry. Kingdom IS happening, so thank you all for your incredible support throughout the past few months. Blessings.
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