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ABC/OHIO
MISSION TEAM TO NICARAGUA 2006
REPORT |
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The ABC/Ohio Mission Team to
Nicaragua pictured with retired ABC missionary, Dr.
Gustavo Parajon, at the new AMOS center in Managua
(AMOS - A Ministry of Sharing - Health
and Hope). Also pictured with the group are Felicia
Zamora - Brigade Coordinator and Heidi Bender - an
International Ministries volunteer. The group was in
Nicaragua from July 21-31, 2006 and included people
from the Akron area, Newark, Zanesville and Vinton.
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Thank you for your
prayers.
It is a privilege
for me to bring you greetings from members of the
First Baptist Church and Second Baptist Church of
Managua, Nicaragua and also from the people of the
village of San Jorge de San Francisco Libre. Along
with ten others I was honored to once again have
the opportunity to worship with, to serve, and to
build relationships with wonderful brothers and
sisters in Nicaragua. The Mission Team included my
son, Jacob, Kim Keslar and Rachel Smith from the
First Baptist Church of Akron and four of their
friends, Kristin Kullander, Matt Sebestyen, Lisa
Troyer, and Adam Warszawski. From the Southeast
Area, Cindy Morgan from First Baptist Church of
Zanesville and Aaron Metzler and Tina Wolfe from
the Vinton Baptist Church completed the group.
We left on July 21
(returning on July 31) after meeting together
twice. We were still a group of individuals but
soon developed into a team that worked together,
took care of each other, and prayed for and
encouraged one another. Together we had the
opportunity to help make a difference for the
development of a new facility for housing work
brigades and training community leaders AMOS
A Ministry of Sharing-Health
and Hope a new ministry for Drs. David and Laura
Parajon, our American Baptist Missionaries.
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The ABC/Ohio Mission Team to
Nicaragua with the people of the village of San
Jorge de San Francisco Libre. The group spent four
days in the village helping to work on a new clinic
building, sharing a Bible School time with the
children and building relationships.
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Our team gutted an
existing room, carried blocks, sifted sand for
mortar, dug a trench around the inside walls, and
helped install pipes for a new bathroom. We also
traveled to the village of San Jorge to assist
them in completing a new clinic building, to work
with the children in a Bible School program and to
develop relationships with the people of the
village. We went with many expectations, but we
were deeply moved by the wonderful hospitality of
the people, their openness to share their lives
with us and the way that they survive the day to
day hardships of life with perseverance and
working to care for one another. We asked Fermina,
a woman who seemed to be the matriarch of the
village, How can we pray for you? She said, We
are very poor and dont have much, but we get
along. Just pray for our happiness.
We pray for her and
her extended family that through Jesus Christ, she
and others in her village will continue to find
happiness. We also give thanks for American
Baptist missionaries, and staff members who work
with them, who have provided hope for their
village with training of community leaders and
continued contact.
Thank you for the
privilege of sharing in this marvelous adventure
that came just prior to the promotion of the World
Mission Offering this year. The theme: Be
Surprised by God Pray. Give. Be Amazed! is so
appropriate as we covered our time in Nicaragua
with prayer, gave of ourselves to others and
indeed were amazed at how God used us and filled
each of us to overflowing. May you too be amazed
and surprised by God as you prayerfully give to
the World Mission Offering.
Rev. Dan Taylor
Minister of Congregational Development
American Baptist Churches of Ohio
