For the month of March, my team served in a smaller rural town in the north of Nicaragua called Palacaguina. We worked with an organization called 5:16, which seeks to bring local churches together and partner with all the different denominations. Our work mostly included construction and church youth programs.
Our home in the baptist church last month
The town, Palacaguina
We did some construction projects, such as painting, creating a space for outdoor Sunday school, and digging a septic hole for a new building.
We took over youth group on Sundays (first photo) as well as youth night on Saturdays (second photo).
We also initiated a girls night. We painted nails, played several games, and talked to the girls about boyfriends, purity, and the difference between sex and love. Palacaguina has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates around the area – and there that means teen girls UNDER 15. We opened up the floor to questions also and talked a lot about how boys who just want your body aren't the kind you want around anyway. It was a great opportunity God gave us to help the community.
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The last Sunday in town, I was able to preach at our church. It was the first time I've ever preached a sermon, and I received lots of positive feedback from the community. I hope God used it to challenge and encourage such a strong community of believers!
And finally, for fun, we did something called the barter games with all of our stuff. It is essentially just opening up a space to trade the limited stuff we have for other people's things. And may the odds be ever in your favor…
That was March in Nicaragua!
