Abundant Rain World Outreach Church from Coweta, Oklahoma took a missions team to Managua, Nicaragua November 1, 2009. In this Abundant Rain Missions Team were Pastor’s Ron and Terry Spradlin, John Castro, Jackie DuVall, Bill Harless and Mike Payne. We networked with Ron Bryant from International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri and Ruth Diaz of Instituto Biblico of Managua, Nicaragua. Ron and his wife Mary are the founders of Instituto Biblico and started over 300 Bible Schools across Nicaragua in 2003.
Nicaragua is a country about the size of Alabama. The population is 5.3 million with 4 million living in poverty earning less than $1.00 per day; that translates to 75% of the population being in dire need. In the Western Hemisphere, Nicaragua is the poorest nation second only to Haiti. The adult population suffers from a 33% illiteracy rate with 50% of the children dropping out of school before completing the 5th grade, usually because the parents cannot afford school supplies. There is 1 doctor for every 2,700 people and only 50% of the population has access to the most basic of medical supplies.
The morning that Abundant Rain Missions Team left for Managua we received a report that Nicaragua protesters chased off the U.S. ambassador. Demonstrators had hurled fireworks and chased the U.S. ambassador from a university fair because of his criticism of a Supreme Court ruling letting President Daniel Ortega seek another term. Robert J. Callahan, who was unharmed, was met by demonstrators wearing the red and black of Ortega’s Sandinista party. Riot police and bodyguards hustled him back into his car and he quickly left. Some of the protesters fired skyrockets from metal tubes. Calahan and the U.S. Embassy came under fire after the ambassador weighed in on a decision that overturned Nicaragua’s single-term limits. Callahan said the change requested by Ortega was “improper.” Sandinista leaders responded by calling for Callahan’s ouster. After receiving this news it was a bit discouraging for Abundant Rain Missions Team. However, we were excited to go to Managua because of the blessings God had given us to share with the Nicaraguan people. So by faith we ventured to Managua with the word of the Lord in our hearts. In Managua our Abundant Rain Missions Team was constantly reminded by the Nicaraguan people that they love Americans and that they truly appreciate all of the food and support our country has offered to their people.
The day we arrived in Nicaragua the country was celebrating the Day of the Dead. Obviously this is not a holiday celebrated by Christians so it was a little different from the moment we arrived. As we drove through town we saw many families at graveyards drinking and partying. One evening while we were in Managua we listened to the overwhelming sounds of fireworks and skyrockets for hours. It sounded like a war zone. We were completely assured that the sounds were traditional at that we should go to bed and not be alarmed regardless of the warnings and reports that we had received previously about the U.S. Embassy. It seemed as if the enemy was trying to put fear into our hearts to prevent us from speaking the word that God had given us.
Driving through Managua was interesting because of the black spray paint all over the cities walls with the words “Vive Daniel.” When we asked about these painted walls, which we would call “vandalism” in the United States, they told us that it is legal to spray paint only the presidents name throughout the country on city walls, businesses etc.
Abundant Rain Missions Team visited the orphanages in Managua and we supplied 900 meals to these children. All of the boys and girls in the orphanages of Nicaragua are beautiful and very well mannered. They kept their rooms clean and organized. The volunteers and employees at the orphanages were excellent workers and invited us to visit every area from kitchen, to classrooms, to children’s rooms. At each orphanage we were greeted with smiles and hugs. And all of the children welcomed us with songs of praise. In one of the orphanages they sang to us in English, “This is the day that the Lord Has Made.” At another orphanage one young boy stood up and said, “We all have a story to tell…” It was such a joy and an inspiration to meet each one of these boys and girls. In addition to hot-meals Abundant Rain provided for the children we also networked with Samaritan Purse an International Christian relief and evangelism organization that provides spiritual and physical aid to victims of war, poverty, natural disaster, and disease. Samaritan Purse fills shoe boxes with toys, school, supplies, hygiene items and personal notes for children and youth of all ages. When we left the last orphanage an attorney informed us that these orphans could be purchased for $2,000 to $3,000 which seems to be a small price for such beautiful children.
Abundant Rain Missions Team carried food and supplies to a “diner” which is a poor housing area of Managua. We networked with physicians and held a free medical clinic for the public which provided free medical services and free medication for adults and children. Abundant Rain provided 500 hot-meals for families in this area.
While we were in Managua we visited the city dump …a dreadful place that many families call home. With the passing of bulldozers and dump trucks, people live at this site to make a day’s work by digging through the ruble for collectibles. Hoping to have a first – pick through a new arrival, scavengers chase down and hitch the back of a garbage truck as it rolls into the dump. Through the swarms of flies we saw rotting food, discarded cardboard, and crushed plastic containers, broken bottles, used hypodermic needles and rotten animal carcasses. Then to our utter shock we witnessed dozens upon dozens of young children, pregnant mothers, and entire families, sifting through the heaps of refuge, desperately looking for something to eat and something to salvage. These are called the “Children of the Dump.” This is a glimpse of the lives of these families, workers, and children that live in Managua, Nicaragua’s central landfill. This affected population has remained without clean water, eating food from garbage, no suitable housing, no electricity, improper sanitation, low-employment and little education. They are caught in a vicious cycle of severe poverty.
Abundant Rain Missions Team brought 600 hot-meals to children living in the dumps and networked with Samaritan Purse to bring kids boxes of toys and hygiene supplies in this area as well. The room we brought the food to had a cemented floor with walls and most of the children here were clean. But when we stepped about twenty feet outside of these walls there was trash everywhere, with sewage running along the side of the walls and there was so many dead animal carcasses that we were surrounded by hundreds of vultures. The smell was nauseating. No person should live in these conditions. It was absolutely heart wrenching.
Abundant Rain Missions Team ministered to adults and children that live in this Managua City Dump with love and compassion carrying in meals for these families. These precious people live in some of the poorest conditions in the world. Many families have built homes from scrap metal or cardboard boxes in a place they call home in order to make money some people recycle plastic, glass, paper and metal. In America we have recycling bins setup outside our local stores. It is the goal of the Abundant Rain to help bring proper knowledge for recycling to these workers and to help relocate these families out of the garbage dumps.
Abundant Rain Missions Team visited the women’s prison sharing the love of Jesus Christ. Our mission’s team was able to minister to these ladies with Ruth Diaz who has setup a program which assists women by placing them in jobs when they are released from prison and helps them to be restored with their families. Abundant Rain Missions Team also ministered in the Men’s Prison in Managua. The men in this correctional facility were serving six months to thirty years. The Abundant Rain Missions Team was the only team from America to come into this prison in the year 2009. We had an influential time of ministry and God opened many of these men’s hearts. We have powerful testimonies from the prisoners and the prison guards because of Abundant Rain Mission Teams willingness to go into this prison system. We have now opened another door for Instituto Biblico to start a Bible school inside of this Managua Prison for Men.
After having a few days under our belt in Nicaragua we received another bad report that Hurricane Ida hit the Nicaraguan coast. Hurricane Ida ripped into Nicaragua’s Atlantic coast, destroying several dozen homes and forcing the evacuation of more than 3,000 people. Ida, clocked 120 km/h winds, struck land around sunrise in Tasbapauni, northeast of Bluefields. About 80 percent of homes were destroyed in nearby Karawala, a fishing village. The storm knocked out power and telephone service. Ida was moving to the northwest at nine km/h and was said to dump as much as 500 millimeters of rain in parts as it crossed eastern Nicaragua, with the risk of flash floods and mudslides. At the Oasis Hotel and Casino it was said that winds were strong and guests from the United States, Italy and Guatemala were hunkering down inside. Abundant Rain Mission Team was very happy to receive the prayer coverage from our home congregation at Abundant Rain World Outreach Church as we faced many challenging reports and continued preaching across Managua. In the entire time of our ministry in Managua we only saw a light rain one evening. We were completely safe and God opened many doors for us to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ across this nation.
Abundant Rain Missions Team ministered inside of the drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility bringing hope and restoration. Our mission’s team shared life changing testimonies with each of these men. We had an awesome time of worship and prayer and God poured out His love upon these precious people.
Abundant Rain Missions Team ministered on national television and radio station in Managua, Nicaragua sharing the love of Jesus Christ and offering hope to the nationals. Our mission’s team held a sixteen hour conference for 175 pastors. Some of these ministers drove five hours to come to this meeting. They were very attentive and listened with open hearts as our Abundant Rain Mission Team shared many valuable leadership skills through the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell. At the end of the conference we had an awesome time of prayer as we united with these pastors for the nation of Nicaragua.
Abundant Rain Mission Team spoke in the men and women’s prisons. We went to orphanages and ministered to families that live in the city dump. We held pastors conference and spoke on national television and radio. Our message to the people was “Against all hope, we always have hope in Jesus Christ.” Abundant Rain Missions Team and Abundant Rain World Outreach Church is very thankful to have had an opportunity to minister to these valuable people of Nicaragua and we pray for God’s continued blessings upon these wonderful people.
Bill Harless passing out Samaritan purse at orphange.
Pastor Conference with 175 pastors.
Ron Spradlin & John Castro on radio in Managua.
Bill Harless at orphange with kids.
Boy digging through trash.
These two little beggars were standing outside the convenient store asking everyone for money. We watched them for a long time and then called them over to the van and gave them some money. They are happy because we just handed them the money.
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