Bringing Hope to Remote Churches in Nicaragua
In spite of heavy rains and muddy jungle trails, 35 church leaders from 9 congregations showed up to participate in Mission Hope’s first two Transformation Training workshops to study and discuss how their churches can impact their communities for Christ and reach out missionally to their neighbors through their words and actions.
Where the Churches Are Located
These church leaders minister in very remote communities that lie along rivers and creeks in the Rio Grande de Matagalpa region of Nicaragua but also work hard as farmers, so simply “showing up” is a big deal and even a sacrifice. Furthermore, residents of these communities often travel by boat, paddling their dugout canoes for miles as they glide by lush jungle foliage and plantings of rice, beans or corn. Others travel on horseback through dense forest on a maze of winding trails.
Hard Lives, Strong Faith
It's a hard life and almost all the families scratch out a living by farming plots of land to feed their families and generate the income they need to survive. As a privileged, middle-class American, I find it difficult to imagine the obstacles they face and the immense challenges they must overcome to get by. After almost 20 years working in these villages, I am still astounded by their resilience and grit and admire their skill and knowledge, which enable them to survive and sometimes even thrive in their hostile environment.
Leaders Who Labor and Lead
Many leaders of these poor churches place a high priority on their Christian faith and church responsibilities and are dedicated to serving Christ and their congregations, despite the demands of working the land and caring for their families. Even the pastors in these poor communities often struggle to make ends meet and must also work the land to provide for their households.
Training Leaders to Transform Communities
Nevertheless, even under these challenging conditions, a strong number of leaders came to participate in our Transformation Training Program. Our church trainer and mobilizer, who was presenting the workshops, was warmly and enthusiastically welcomed by the church leaders. The leaders were very happy with the workshops, there was great participation, and attendees were very encouraged and shared their ideas in an atmosphere of trust and unity.
The Power of the Gospel to Heal Brokenness
The Transformation Training explores the brokenness in the world, the reason for that brokenness and the answer to that brokenness, which can be found in Jesus and His work on the cross. It also challenges the churches to see their own neighbors and communities as a mission field and to reach out to those around them to meet needs of all kinds and impact their communities with the Gospel message in both Word and deed.