Summer Review--Part 2 Concord Mission Team

"CONCORD MISSION GROUP"

Brandon Heffner, Mark Whitaker, Nancy Whitaker, Paige Whitaker, David Whitaker, Mary Alejandra Laguna, Brianna Ferrell, Hanna Honeycutt, Chloe Durham, Carol Durham, Brad Price, Lillea Lamb, Susan Green, Tim Green, Bryan Murr, Brandon Murr, Caleb Richardson.

These are our friends from Concord, NC.  They came with eager hearts to work and serve.  
Below are pictures and a summary of how God used them during their time with us.

 Our first major project was to rebuild the church in our village at San Antonio.  They have outgrown the first church in 

only two years.  First we had to tear down the old structure.                                                                                 

Some of the team were able to play with the children and love on the families. 

Construction of the new church was a wonderful learning experience for us.  Our friends at San Antonio obtained a
permit to cut down a dead tree in the forest near their village.  A second generation craftsman used a chain saw 
with a 3 foot blade to cut down the tree and then saw it into 1 x 8 and 2 x 4 boards 10 feet long.  We had to carry 
the boards down through the valley and up to the village. We did not have to purchase any wood to build the church.
The new church will "stand" over 300 people.  The first Sunday morning in the new church 17 were saved.                  
Thanks to the team for your faithful service that led to many new brothers & sisters in Christ. God gets glory!!!

We were then able to worship with about 300 people at the Drug Treatment Center.  This is a Christian run 
organization that ministers to both the physical and spiritual needs of the participants.  We always appreciate 
their allowing us to participate in their sweet, pure, unreserved worship to God.  

On Friday night we hosted an activity at our English Academy.  Our team was able to meet and enjoy getting 
to know some of the students from the academy while they sang, played some games and enjoyed some skits.  We 
always make sure that with the fun we take time for share a devotional message and explain what Jesus Christ did 
for each one of them.   

Our team was able to assist with the construction of the temporary school at Delirius.  They have a teacher from
Nicaragua that volunteers to come up to this community every day to teach these children--she is such a blessing. 
Since this trip we have also completed the walls and now they have a nice, dry, comfortable place to learn.  

Another small but sweet project for our team was to help Ms. Santos.  She is a wonderful follower of Jesus that is 
recovery from knee surgery and had water pouring down the mountain and through her house when it rained.  
Brandon and Tim did a wonderful job of cementing a walkway to divert the water and also allow her to get up 
the hill.  At the completion we were able to pray with her and she prayed for us also and thanked God for  
answering her prayer and "sending angels".   Small things can result in huge blessings!!! Well done!!!

Finally our team was able to enjoy getting to know more about Nicaragua with a trip to shop at the Masaya market
and a trip to the volcano.  We were able to get Joel as our guide again and this time he indicated concern over
the evil practices that occur in these caves and asked our team to pray.  A member of the team prayed and
a group of our men were able to share with him about Jesus Christ after the tour.  

What an amazing 12 days with this team.  Much was accomplished for God's glory during their visit and we pray 
that each of them allow God to work through them in their daily walk for His glory!!!  Thank you for your service
to God and Nicaragua.  God gets glory!!!!!!  

Summer Review--Part 1 Philly Mission Team

"PHILADELPHIA MISSION GROUP"

Mark Lisalata, Ryan Hinchcliff, Paige Covington, Lindsay Covington, Craig Covington

Chrissy Garrison, Steph Covington, Molly Covington!!!!!

These are our new family from Philly. They served the Lord tremendously during their

week here.  They helped changed the lives of many here for the better and I know they

will never be the same either.  Below are a few pictures from their week.

The team was eager to help a family that we had identified in the Lucidia Mantilla area of Matagalpa. 

They are a family of five--mother, three teenage girls and a grandson.  They were in extreme need of

a kitchen for their house.  The team provided both the muscle and funding to complete the project in two days. 

Below are before and after pictures.  

We were able to pray for and with their family. 

Clarabelle and her family were so appreciative of God sending help their way.  Recently two of the daughters--Nazareth and 

Guadalupe helped us for two weeks building a house for another family in their community.  They indicated that they 

want to continue to help bless others in return for the way God has blessed them. God gets glory!!!

One night the team hosted a movie night under the stars for the community at Lucidia Mantilla.  We served refreshments, handed out glow 

bracelets and showed the move "Despicable Me" in Spanish.  Craig Covington shared during a break that just like the girls in the movie 

found a father who loved them, we all have a father in heaven that loves us. 

The next stop for our team was at the village of San Antonio.  The team was able to meet the families, play with the children

and share the gospel by making salvation bracelets with the children and some of their parents. 

Delirius was our final stop for the day.  We were able to use our partially constructed school as a gathering place to spend time

with the families, make balloon shapes, face paint and more importantly share the gospel by making salvation bracelets.   

Both the families and the team had a great time. 

During the week Norman & Virginia prepared meals for the team with a special flare. On this night we were treated to

a traditional Nicaraguan meal along with a mariachi band.  Our dinners were always a great way to end the day

with great food and no clean up--Yeah!!!!

The final destination before our team had to leave was a treat--we were able to take them to Masaya to tour one of the many active

volcanoes in Nicaragua.  We were not only able to see down into the volcano we were also able to go into lava caves down under the 

volcano.  Our guide was "Joel" who spoke English. He became our friend and we would see him again soon with another team.

What a great week with our team.  I did not get to take pictures of our teams visit and worship at the drug treatment center. The worship 

was special and had an impact on our team. God is always great and blessed us with a group that loves the Lord and has surrendered their lives 

to serve Him wherever He leads.  God gets the glory!!!!!!