We’ve been at our ministry location for just over 2 weeks, here’s a quick snapshot of what we’ve been doing.
Light and Salt Ministries is primarily a boys discipleship program in a small city in Nicaragua. They work with 30 boys a year, all coming from homes in poverty with preference given to homes of families that are not Christian. Here the boys are given at least one healthy meal a day (not always a given for them). They also receive help with and encouragement to continue their education in the public school, English classes, and strong Christian role models. While we’ve been here we’ve also helped package rice and beans for to give to the families of the students as an end of year gift.
I’ve been able to teach art to the boys a few times and I love incorporating messages from the Bible in them. These boys are well versed in the Bible and are growing strong faiths here at Light and Salt. We were greeted on the first day here with a moving skit about the crucifixion by the boys.
Some of our team have been giving English classes to the boys, having native speakers help them has been really beneficial. We are also working on updating their website and other administrative tasks while we are here.
When we first arrived here at the Ministry I was greeted with a room full of sewing machines both treadle and electric.
I quickly jumped in to see what they were doing and was greeted by Esther, the instructor. We struggled to communicate but she was more than willing to let me try my hand at a treadle sewing machine and teach me.
The sewing program focuses on women in the community who have limited support or opportunities for income. This could be a single mother or widow who has the potential to make an income off of sewing in the community, but they just need a little training. Esther is an amazingly talented seamstress with years of knowledge and experience. If the women are willing to put in the work they have a very viable career option. The items they make in the classes are put up for sale at an annual bazaar and online to help support the program.
To say that I have a heart for this program is a HUGE understatement, and I’m not quite sure I could do it justice in this post. The women I’ve met and worked with have been kind and generous to me as I invade their space and work alongside them. Praying about this ministry and my role here have been a huge focus for me the last two weeks. I’m not sure yet what my future holds, but I’d be happy to come return and help in some way.
LASM also has programs to give to those in need in the surrounding communities throughout the year. Over the years this looks different depending on the need and the resources, but while we were here we got to participate and help with a fiesta for the elderly and disabled in the community who have no one to help support them. These people are left primarily alone to care for themselves with little or no source of income.
We met these (primarily) women and were moved by their stories and their attitudes. We prepared an afternoon of a message, a craft, some dancing and a little bit of food for them. At the end of the day they also received hampers of basic food and household supplies, including more of the rice and beans we packaged as a team.
While here we’ve also had the opportunity to bless our hosts through some much needed manual labor at their home. Alex and Tara, and their daughter Molly, have graciously welcomed six strangers in their home. We are tenting in a covered porch area and sharing meals and space with them everyday. While the necessities of their house are complete they are slowly acquiring things like dirt to level their backyard and paint to complete their walls. Later to come will be projects like tile for their incomplete bathroom, finished flora in the whole house, and finished doors. All of this they acquire when they can afford it from their limited budget. Our team helped with some cleaning, leveling of their backyard and back filling, and I got to paint. I am now somewhat proficient at using oil paint to paint concrete walls—not an easy job.
Our time here is coming to an end far too soon as we’ve all really loved our time here and the people we’ve served. Even so, we were incredibly grateful to be here and with such an amazing host as our hearts were missing home over a favorite holiday. We’ll be moving on to Cote D’Ivoire Africa very soon. Please continue to pray for me and my team (we’ll be transitioning to a new one) the new and the old. And keep us in mind as we celebrate the nativity season far from home.
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Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Sara
