Hi Everybody!
I should have informed you beforehand, but a couple of weeks after going to Guatemala, I went to Nicaragua! I was a part of a team of 25 people from Lenexa Baptist Church and from Fellowship West Church of Bonner Springs, Kansas.
Kelly Hughes, Missions Pastor of Lenexa Baptist, had been inviting me to come, and at the last minute everything fell into place for me to go. This team was partnering with a missions group called Project Hope. For over 20 years, this organization has been ministering to the poor and under-resourced people in Nicaragua (and other places) to help build houses, minister to children, rescue women in trouble, reach out to men with addictions, and more. Our team was helping to build 6 small homes, lead a Vacation Bible School, and touch base with the various ministries to men, women, and children. So each day our team split up to serve in various projects.
With Covid being something of a concern before the trip, we were praying that all 25 of us would test negative both before and at the end of the trip. Thankfully, everyone studied hard and passed their two tests!
There’s so much that I could share. For me, I enjoyed being a participant and getting to serve on the fly. As a result of the trip, I believe God is putting a few pieces together for more ministry in both Nicaragua and Guatemala. You’ll have to read through all the pictures to get the Guatemala connection!
The bottom line to the trip happened our last full day there, when 17 of our new friends were baptized! All told, over 50 people prayed to receive Christ during the trip. Here are some pics. I hope to explain some of these as you scroll through them.
Project Hope has its base outside of Managua, Nicaragua. Here we are eating together for the first time after arriving from the airport.
On our first day getting to the site, Travis Stearns (right) and Eduardo Mejia (left) get the group oriented. Travis and his wife, Tammy, have led the charge for Project Hope in Nicaragua for more than 10 years.
Here, Tammy Stearns leads a fun mixer activity with both Gringos and Nicaraguans!
Each day before starting our work on the homes, we started with a large group gathering of all who would be working together. The staff at Project Hope set the tone of fun and friendship and then a spiritual thought for the day.
Here Eduardo gets “volunteers” to perform various stunts as Siamese twins! Doug Hague is on the left. Ronda Reinhardt is on the right.
After large group, we broke into small groups that included most of our work partners. And in that smaller group we took the large group theme and had guided discussion and interaction before we started the work day. Here, Karl Pfloeger (seated on the right) is leading our group discussion. Standing next to him is Moises, a translator with Project Hope, helping the group with translations.
For an idea of the kind of construction we did, here is an example of what one of the houses looked like when we got done at the end of the week. Matt Clough, pastor of Fellowship West, myself, and a Nicaraguan friend, just got done roofing this house with its tin roof.
Mark Morgan and I were partnered with Alicia and Roberto Mendoza (Roberto is not pictured here.) as we worked on building their home with the whole team. Alicia gave both Mark and me a Nicaraguan-made maraca when we met for the first time.
Holding the shovel is Roberto Mendoza, our friend who Mark Morgan (standing on the left) and I partnered with in building their house. The Project Hope methodology for building the homes requires both future home owners and volunteers to work together to build their home and all the other homes in the new neighborhood. One benefit of this was that by the end of the week of construction, we had worked together many hours with dozens of people and had many amazing spiritual conversations in the process.
Tim Dykman and Nicaraguan friend, Carlos, finish out the last bit of the concrete block wall. In the background Doug Hague watches.
Here is the first sheet of tin on the roof of Roberto and Alicia’s house! The reflection in Matt’s face indicates that this job required some vigilance in keeping lathered up with sun screen!
Roberto shows his approval of the siding on the front side. Mark Schultze (walking towards the camera) was our crew leader helping us keep up with the jobs on each of the sites.
As a housewarming gift, at the end of the week, the completed homes completed received a new efficient wood stove for cooking. David, who is running the wheel barrow, was one of the guys I worked with a lot in mixing concrete. We had great conversations, and David was one of the 17 baptized the last day! Walking alongside is Kathy Moxley.
Doug and Debbie Hydeman give a gift to their family along with the stove to celebrate the completion of their house. Moises helps with the translation.
One of the defining moments of the week was when Eduardo gave a clear gospel message on our first working day, and about 18 people prayed to receive Christ.
People raised their hands to indicate that they had prayed a prayer of salvation.
After praying and raising their hands, Eduardo invited them to come forward. Afterwards our team prayed for them and congratulated them. Most of them were baptized on the last day together.
On three of our work days, we held VBS for an hour and a half in the afternoon. Eduardo led the charge, and we Gringos filled in to help and enjoy building relationships with the children. Here was a group pic after the first day.
The children used the chairs as their tables for drawing. During the week, they learned about God the Creator and what He created each day of the creation story.
Eduardo was a former professional soccer player in Nicaragua and loves to get everyone moving. From left to right, you see Brooklyn Linduff, Tricia Bell, Doug Hydeman, Halley Spencer, and Carol Dykman. Kathy Moxley was hiding behind Eduardo.
I loved the reactions of the kids. They were definitely into the motions.
Carol holds the microphone so Eduardo can tell the creation story and show the pictures to the children.
One afternoon during the week, Tammy Stearns led a women’s gathering where she and our team shared in a craft, a talk, and cake. At the end each received a crown to emphasize how special they are to God. Here, Tammy is praying a prayer of blessing over the ladies.
I walked up on the ladies’ gathering as I was finishing my work on the concrete sand pile for the day. Alicia wanted to get a picture with me.
With the men at New Beginnings ministry, Travis Williams shared his story of addiction, trouble with the law, and coming to know Jesus.
A group prayer concluded our time with the men.
Most evenings, we ended the day with a time of worship and a devotion. Here, Howard Dickinson and Kelly Hughes lead us in a song.
The one evening we didn’t have our group devotion was when we celebrated with the children and families of Taellor’s House. This is a ministry to single mothers and their children that was started in memory of Taellor, Travis and Tammy Stearns’ daughter who died unexpectedly at 19 years old in 2014. Today, this ministry is a hub for over 112 children and their families. This evening the children performed, and our team served hamburgers to all.
The team serves hamburgers to the kids and families at Taellor’s House.
Kyler Reinhardt shares his testimony with some boys at Taellor’s House who he spent time playing baseball with earlier in the day.
The children reenacted the story of the good Samaritan.
Before leaving for the evening, the team gave bags of food to each family represented. Each mom got a hug from Tammy before getting the food.
Here Sterling Farber gave a bag to one of the mothers.
On the last day, we stopped by this church in Nagarote where the last Lenexa team had been a couple of years ago. The purpose was for some from that trip to reconnect with their partnered families from the last trip and to deliver food.
Kathy Moxley shows pictures to the family she was partnered with in Nagarote. This little girl was about two years old at the time and can barely believe she was that little in the pictures!
Kyler and Ronda Reinhardt give a Bible and food to one of the moms in Nagarote. Standing to the left is an official from the mayor’s office who was working alongside us that day.
Before heading into the water, Kelly Hughes (far right) asked for a raise of hands of all those who were getting baptized. He then gave an explanation of what baptism means and how we were going to do it.
One of the things I loved about this baptism was that we had worked with most of these people for a week, and our whole team had new friends getting baptized. Several of us got in line with them just to celebrate the moment with each one.
Here Randy Schmidt baptizes a woman that he led to the Lord during the week.
Alicia was baptized.
And so was her husband Roberto.
It never gets old getting wet with new believers!
David and I had some amazing conversations working together, and his willingness to be baptized was a huge step for him. Being there for that moment was one I’ll never forget.
The Guatemala Connection
During the week, Eduardo Mejia and I got together several mornings to run. I am training for a half marathon, and Eduardo runs to stay in shape for soccer.
“You doing any soccer evangelism?” I asked, after hearing him talk a bit about his days of playing professional soccer.
“Yes!” he laughed. “Have you not heard about our soccer tournament we do every year?”
“No!” I said, my curiosity perking up.
“Last year, we did three tournaments, had over 150 teams participate, with over 1000 players, and many spectators. All told we won over 700 people to Christ!”
“Whoa!” I marveled. “When can you come to Guatemala and teach me and some friends how you do that?” I asked.
“As soon as possible!” he exclaimed. Then he told me that at the beginning of the year, he was talking with Travis Stearns about how he was feeling convicted by Jesus’ Great Commission to go into all the world, and that he felt that God wanted them to take the tournament outside of Nicaragua. Since that conversation, they have been waiting on God for direction in where to go and who to talk with.
“Have I got a deal for you!” I said lightly punching Eduardo in the arm with my fist. “I can’t wait to tell my friends about this conversation!”
Here is the flyer that Eduardo made to highlight the last tournament they did in Nicaragua. Note that they use the ball of many colors to share the gospel. We have used the same approach in Guatemala, only on a much smaller scale than what Eduardo has done.
The last night together, before our devotion, Eduardo shared with us the locations where they have done their tournaments in Nicaragua. The day before I had called Cesar Gonzalez in Guatemala and told him about our conversation. “Tell him to come to Guatemala!” Cesar exclaimed over the phone. After Eduardo’s presentation, I asked the group to pray for this to happen, and they committed to do so.
This past weekend, March 25-26, 2022, Eduardo’s team led a tournament in Matiguas, Nicaragua. Shortly before finalizing this update he sent me a note saying that 186 people prayed to receive Christ! Here he is holding the MVP trophies that were to be given out for the tournament.
10:02 PRAYER
Please pray for the new believers and our friends with Project Hope as they follow up with these dear folks. Pray too for Eduardo, the Project Hope leadership, myself, Cesar, and our friends who could multiply this kind of soccer tournament in Guatemala. Right now, I plan to be in Guatemala May 18-31 to make the rounds with Cesar and our Christian Rancher groups. Cesar has plans for us to hit up a couple of mayors about the possibility of doing soccer tournaments. Let’s pray this one through!
ENGAGE
Bill Burrows and I will be near Belden, Nebraska, at Camp Assurance April 8th and 9th for a men’s retreat. If you are up that way in Northeastern Nebraska, touch base with us. We might be able to see a few of you as we come and go!
INVEST
As always, we are grateful for your faithful prayers and support!
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And do keep us up to date on your prayer concerns as well. So many of you are doing amazing things for the sake of Jesus and the gospel. We consider it a privilege to pray for you as you pray for us.
Love y’all!
Steve
Tammy Stearns took this pic at the Taellor’s House celebration. I think my face says it all for how I felt about this trip!