What does education mean to You?

Children in Nicaragua I imagine only think of or dream about getting an education.
Can you imagine what this is like? A book becomes a treasure that you are looking for.

I have met children in Nicaragua who only complete the 2nd-grade education.
The problem is even if they can go to school lots of times they do not have a pencil to write with or paper to write on. When I first found this out it was astounding to me.
The building that I visited that is called a school was a shamble.

Meeting children who are not going to school or who have dropped out weighs heavily on my heart.
They are starting to work as early as seven years old selling food on buses.
In Nicaragua the public buse is a means for these kids to earn a wage.  That wage is usually just to feed them and help their families.
This does not mean they will later get an education as that will be forgotten about.

The second scenario is chiIren are in a home with no opportunity to go to school.  They are lucky enought to have meager amounts of food to eat.

Can you try to imagine what that is like?  A book becomes a treasure that you are looking for.

Meet Caterine, when I met her, her elderly aunt and uncle were taking care of her as her mother abandoned her.  She was a very sad little girl who looked like she had no hope.   They told us we are taking care of her the best we can but life is hard.

Luckily for her we found her a sponsor to help with a her basic daily needs.

 Now, she is much happier and she has enough food to eat.

Her future has a brighter side as she is now being educated.

Our next step in this program is community development.  

You may ask what does that look like?  Well, we want to be able to share the love of Jesus 

with these children.  So, when they start feeling alone and hopeless they will not look to themselves, but to Jesus. We are looking to teach them songs, bible stories and interact with them through

crafts.

I believe one of the best ways is to build a solid relationship with someone is to spend time with them.  That's why I have made it a priority to go and visit the children every 4 months.  I want to be involved in their lives.

These children are living very remotely where no organization has gone before.

If we want to help the problem of poverty for the next generation the time to act is now!

Today I want to ask you would you consider investing in the future of children in Nicaragua?

Women in Missions

Corrie Ten Boon

Holocaust Survivor

After she was released from a concentration camp she travelled the world

to share The Love of God!

January 2017

        

The Child Sponsorship program is to help keep children in school to change the next generation. At the Bethlehem Farm, we want to make an impact on the people of this region.

According to the pastors we work with, the children in this region typically either never go to the school or drop out to go to work.
When parents have no food, everyone has to help, and that means a 7-year-old might work. I know this to be true as my daughter and I (in the early years) rode the buses from Chinandega to the farm. This opened our eyes of child labour issues in Nicaragua.

For us, going to Nicaragua to be with the sponsored children is always a highlight of the winter months.

 When it is winter in Kentucky, it is our summer in Nicaragua. We arrive in Chinandega, where we typically stay in the city at a hotel.

 Chinandega has public transportation and we can buy our food from a local market. The city gives a feeling of a small town where people are very friendly. As we

walk along the streets, everyone is out in their rocking chairs, talking and socializing.

 The Bethlehem Farm is located 45 minutes outside of Chinandega where people live in very rural areas.

It is truly amazing how the Lord fills our hearts with the love of children. Especially when we get there and a child we may not have seen in

many months comes to give us a hug. Now, that's a good day!

Each January, the Nicaraguan Ministry has a Christmas celebration for the children that live close to the farm, as our goal is to have an impact on this region. This year we were able to invite 250 children from the area and each child received a gift: a doll for the girls, a truck

for the boys, and building blocks!

 

This was definitely an exciting time for everyone.

We also presented a video to the children for the first time, and we chose the story of Goliath.

 

My hope is that this story will stick in their minds so when they feel there is a giant in front of them they will not be afraid.

You could be a part of this amazing change that is taking place. Come to Nicaragua and help change lives!

 https://www.missionsdoor.org/project/nicaragua-child-sponsorship-program/