Why don’t I just set my alarm for 3am every night? …
Often on the WR, God wakes me up early in morning to talk about things that matter, things that He plans to do, or even just to sweep me away in His Love. Today,
He awakens my soul to Eternity. Today, He awakens my soul to Reality.
This is a typical night at La Quinta Esperanza, one of Casa Mateo’s many orphanages in Jinotepe, Nicaragua. I woke up around 4:30am and the wind seemed to be sprinting through the courtyard of the orphanage, the only sound to be heard was the banging and crashing of mangos as they tumble onto the tin roof of the kitchen. Although there’s not a soul in sight, it occurs to me that I am not alone. During the weeknights a watchman sleeps soundly on the front porch with a shotgun slung across his chest and a Bible resting under his chair, but it was Sunday & our protection was nowhere in sight. The empty rocking chairs are rocking themselves; the dogs are scrapping for bones or hides of anything they can hunt down, and the rooster faithfully crows every hour, on the hour, for an hour. BTW, who came up with the rumor that the rooster crows only when the sun comes up??? Yeah right!
Believe it or not I was actually comforted by these sounds, not that a mango or a dog or a rooster would help me in the case that a thief try to break into our orphanage and rape me. Terrible thought? Terrible thing to say?
It happens all the time here. The children at this orphanage are ALL victims of sexual sin such as perversion, molestation, pornography, homosexual abuse, and rape.
Mostly, children are abused by their own family members; in fact, the majority of young Nicaraguan girls have been “passed around” to every male member of her family, even daughters as young as the age of three or four. Adolescent males learn that they are the superior sex, and (specifically Nicaraguan) females are considered “basura” in the eyes of Central America.
Nicaraguan children live a typical lifestyle as victims of sexual sin, either they have been abused because of the wickedness in mankind’s (sinful) nature and/or the wickedness of the evil one. Certainly, Father has a special place in His heart for daughters & sons that are victims, orphans, and/or widows (James 1:27, Psalm 34:18). According to our Pastor and the local government, statistics are worsening in Nicaragua, possibly due to the ratio of females to males (70/30).
Nicaragua contends with Haiti for the ‘poorest country in the western hemisphere’ and the corruption within the government doesn’t add any relief for orphans, missionaries, or ministries within the borders. There is a high demand for ‘control’ within the heart of the government (of people and businesses);
Typically, the government is known for its persecution of the Church & its opposition towards Ministries/Missionaries in Nicaragua.
For example, the government demands that children must be sent “home to their families” after spending the day at an orphanage, unless the orphanage offers full time preparatory education.
There's more than one problem with this law: not only do the children return to the barrios where they find alcohol, drugs, and prostitution on every street corner, they also become probable victims/members of the gangs that run the streets of Nicaragua. In the past, many children spent the day with Casa Mateo Ministries but were forced to return to their families who didn’t want them and could not afford to meet the bare necessities of life.
In Jinotepe and Diriamba, our main ministry location with Casa Mateo, children are forced to watch and perform many kinds of pornography within the household; many of them are raped, many teens become pregnant, most children are given drugs and alcohol, and most are ‘borrowed’ or sold into prostitution.
Success stories…
by the MERCY and LOVE of our Abba, Father…
These are the typical friends a World Racer may make in Nicaragua
Everyday…
I wrestle with twin boys, both named Gustavo, who are products of rape & sexual abuse. “Chelae” acts as an older brother to (his twin) “Chico-tin” because “Tin” was born with a disability which is not yet diagnosed; but, officially, I have met "living JOY" in a childs body- his name is Gustavo Chic-Tin.
Tin is non-verbal, & his lack of balance & coordination causes him to fall at least 120 times a day (average of 10 times an hour)… with a permanent smile-laugh on his face. Their (single) mom lives at the orphanage & is responsible for feeding every mouth at the Casa Mateo orphanage.
Everyday…
I also give a 9 year-old girl named Amy reading homework in the Word of God; she has read all of 1 John, most of regular John, at least half of Romans & is seeking quiet time with me daily for more Bread. Amy is an orphan who was left on the street to die because she was “worthless, another Mouth to feed” in the eyes of her own mother, who gave birth to Amy after she was raped one night the poorest barrios in Nicaragua. Amy is in full-time school learning English & desires to be a “Profesora de Ingles en Los Estados Unidos un dia.”
Everyday…
I disciple in Love 10 year-old boy named Sámi, who came to be in this world because his grandfather molested, raped, & impregnated his own mentally retarded daughter when she was just 16 years old. True Story. As early as age 3, Sámi spent many days with his grandfather watching & performing homosexual pornography. Sámi has learning disabilities, such as speech impediments, stuttering, & attention deficit disorder. Sámi also experiences problems with violence, bullying, anger, rage, emotional outbursts, & possible turrets syndrome. His sister Flor used to live at Casa Mateo, but she returned to the streets because she is hooked on sex, alcohol, & street drugs; pray for God’s Mercy upon her life!
Today…
I met a boy named Frankie who is 28 years old & is dying of alcoholism; Frankie has been addicted to alcohol for 20 years. Frankie cannot speak, he weighs about 70 pounds, he is in a comatose state of mind, not able to eat or drink or move from a bed. Doctors say that there is nothing they can do to help him because he is dying from alcohol withdrawal and sickness. A Team of World Racers spent the afternoon with Frankie & his family; we are praying for Mercy, Life, Resurrection, Light, Salvation, Freedom, & God’s Healing Touch; we are praying for a milagro, for Power to bring him back to life.
