Word & Deed: Focus on Nicaragua

Hurricane Felix Recovery Continues

2010-04-19T23:04:00.005-04:00

By John Otten

Flying over Nicaragua 7000 feet above the ground in a Cessna Caravan provides plenty of scenery. As we flew, we saw many abandoned farms, a result of the political violence of the 1990’s. We also saw vast tracts of empty land dotted by only a few broken and twisted trees, scars of Hurricane Felix that devastated Nicaragua in 2007. Word & Deed began working in Nicaragua after the hurricane by rebuilding homes and cleaning wells. In December 2009, I accompanied Bernie Pennings and Eric Pennings to oversee the progress and impact of these projects.
A vital part of the ministry of Word & Deed is to encourage people to help themselves. Teaching people to fish will have a greater impact than simply giving them a fish. However, relief workers realized that the hurricane had destroyed so many homes that we needed to help people find shelter and clean water before we could help them develop a new way of life.
The first village we visited was Santa Marta. Word & Deed provided wood and nails for 30 houses in this community, as well as material to make 30 wooden well covers. Over 140 contaminated wells were cleaned. Upon arrival we were greeted by about 25 people, mostly widows who had received houses from Word & Deed in response to Hurricane Felix. Imagine their joy at receiving a new home! Though they seem very basic, they do what our houses do for us: they put roofs over heads, give shelter from the weather and a place to call home. The judge in Santa Marta had the promoters stay at his place when they came to assess the work. Through their conversation he heard the gospel and has become a Christian.
On Friday we took a two-hour boat trip on the choppy Atlantic Ocean to Dakura to see more than 100 homes built in response to the disaster. Word & Deed only provided the materials, not the labor. The people hauled their own material and constructed their own homes. If help was needed, the community was encouraged to assist. One feeble elderly man was not able to carry the wood Word & Deed provided from the beach to his home a mile away. Santiago, one of the promoters who had opportunity to preach in the local church, made the need known to the congregation. The next day the church teamed together, brought all his wood and freely constructed the house for him.

After we saw some of the homes, the town mayor called a meeting by loudly clanging an old disk and everyone convened under a tree in the town square. The conversation had to be translated from the local Misquito language to Spanish to English and back again. When asked what their most important need was, the people decided it was a wire fence so that they could close in a large area of land for growing vegetables. Fishing, which was their main source of food and income, had drastically changed since the hurricane and people would have to look elsewhere for their livelihood. Dakura residents gather in their town square after the mayor called a meeting by clanging the old bell hanging from the tree.

There is presently very little agriculture because the cattle run loose and destroy the crops. Some people have closed in small areas with wood for their gardens, but the hurricane destroyed so many forests that even wood is a limited resource. Before the need for new homes had been fully met, promoters realized that the greatest need was provision of food. This was made apparent when some of the people began selling planks of wood for something to eat. Land is community owned and the town leaders decide how it is used. It was good to have the community think through their challenges and come up with solutions they felt would work.
We are impressed with the Nicaragua team’s effort to have the community participate as much as possible on the projects. They also see what an important opportunity these projects provide for bringing the gospel. On Sunday Pastor Eric Pennings preached about Daniel standing firmly on the Word of God. He used Daniel, Jesus, Luther and current examples to show how we must stand firm in Jesus. Trials will come, but God will bless these for His glory and the benefit of His people. Santiago, one of the Nicaraguan relief workers, told us that Nicaraguan churches typically have very weak leadership, and that one of the biggest struggles of church members is living out what they profess to believe. As we continue to minister to the physical needs of the Nicaraguans we are encouraged to pray for their spiritual needs as well, as we also bring them aid through the Word of the Living God.

Word & Deed provided the materials for more than 100 homes in Dakura

John Otten sitting with an elderly man in his newly constructed home.

John Otten is the Director of Administration for Word & Deed Ministries

Manna from the Sky

2009-10-20T15:05:00.005-04:00

Update from Nicaragua: By Carlos Coffin

Approximately 21 months ago hurricane Felix thundered past, destroying several miskito communities in the Port Cabezas municipality of Nicaragua. The aid offered to the communities by Word & Deed through the ministry of her local partner in Nicaragua has been a great blessing.

Two recent projects were the provision of wood for constructing 56 homes in the community of Dakura (November 2008 - February 2009); and emergency humanitarian aid to those affected by the passage of the storm Paloma in Honduras (December 2008).

Families in Dakura with newly built homes.

At the moment we have undertaken two more projects: cleaning 100 potable water wells, and rebuilding 30 houses badly damaged by the hurricane in communities located in the north plain of Port Cabezas for families of limited resources. This aid helps people who lack resources to confront the challenges of daily life. The projects have had a very positive impact – many lives have been changed as much with the aid as with hearing God’s Word.

In each project, we combined social aid with the Word of God. During the day we worked in the execution of the projects and at night we held church services. In this way none of the beneficiaries in the communities was without hearing the message of God. Our strategy is to coordinate with the pastors and Christian leaders in each community to facilitate the church services and the proclamation of the gospel. Our objective is that the community members know that all the aid they receive is by the provision of God through other believers, and they therefore must thank God and approach Him more.

The project of humanitarian aid taken to Honduran miskitos was very impressive. The aid was approximately seven tons of food, which benefitted over 636 families in seven communities. When we arrived, more than a month after the passage of the storm, the people were totally on their own and had not received any aid. Our visit to them was like a miracle of God. Some old ones even declared that truly God does not abandon them and cried with emotion. The delivery and distribution of foods were done through the pastors and leaders of each community. After giving the food to them all, we prayed in gratitude to God. All the people were thankful to God, the donors and Word & Deed.

Hondurans receiving aid.

Carlos (second from left) overseeing distribution of food to Hondurans.

The project of 56 houses in Dakura also was interesting. It is almost incredible that to date, aside from Word & Deed, no other organization exists to help these people construct their houses, not even the government. The town is fighting to construct their houses with pieces of wood, plastic, canvas and other materials. Before this initiative, we developed the project to donate wood for the construction of 56 houses. We selected the beneficiaries in coordination with the leaders of the community. Halfway through the project’s execution we saw that some people already were half-finished the construction of their houses. We decided to give only the amount they needed and this way help a greater amount of people. Dakura is a very large community with more than 470 families, so it appears that we have only made a small impact there. The beneficiaries, however, are deeply thankful to Word & Deed. Some express that Word & Deed is “manna from the sky” for them.

The ocean was used to transport lumber to Dakura

The lack of potable water is another problem in many communities. Towns use communal and personal wells to obtain water. We are executing a project of constructing new wells and cleaning the wells that already exist in the communities. The benefit is great, and we hope to impact more than 500 families in eight communities. The project is already underway, but the necessity is very great and the resources we have are limited.

A new project which we are starting is the construction of 30 houses in three different communities to benefit the poorest families from those communities.

In short, Word & Deed is a true blessing for the inhabitants of this region. Our objective is to help people rehabilitate themselves with aid in the construction of houses, wells and schools, and in agricultural production, all seasoned with consolation from the Word of God. We help physically, but we also take the Word of God.

Carlos Coffin is the Administrator of the Word & Deed partner in Nicaragua.

A Trip to Dakura

2009-04-06T15:45:00.002-04:00

Rebuilding after Hurricane Felix: By Corney Les

We woke up to the usual crowing of the rooster. It was just after 4:30 am in Puerto Cabezas on the east coast of Nicaragua along the Caribbean Sea. Any remaining traces of sleepiness are removed by an unfortunately cold shower. The friendly motel staff served us a breakfast in the motel kitchen of eggs, rice, bread, fruit and coffee.

Rick Postma of Word & Deed; John Langendoen, a businessman from Hamilton, Ontario; Rev. Eric Pennings, Professor at Miami International Seminary; and I were in Puerto Cabezas to see first-hand the progress made by relief projects supported by Word & Deed Ministries.

The day before, we had visited Maranatha School and saw that the work funded by an auction fund-raiser in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is well underway. Damaged classrooms have been substantially repaired and two new classrooms are being built. We also visited some in-land communities that still need substantial assistance to rebuild homes, schools, and churches destroyed by Hurricane Felix.

From left to right: Home owner, Corney Les and Pastor Santiago Lubuo, Pastor Joseph Lacayo and Carlos Coffin

On the morning in question, the Caribbean seas were too rough to travel by boat to Dakura – the preferred means of travel. Dakura is the remote village that the Chilliwack Word & Deed Business Group supported after Hurricane Felix destroyed it in September, 2007. We wanted to see this village of more than 450 families, so Pastor Eric Pennings went to arrange an alternate means of transportation.

We hired the same truck and driver that we had the day before when we visited the inland villages. After two hours on dirt roads to Krikura, we had to find a boat and pilot. This man then had to find someone else who had a 40 hp outboard since his 15 hp motor was not big enough. Finally, we were on our way upriver.

From left to right: Rick Postma, School Director, Pastor Eric Pennings, Pastor Santiago Lubuo, Pastor Hector Williams, Pastor Joseph Lacayo, Carlos Coffin, John Langendoen

We travelled through narrow winding channels and into a bay. The wind was against us and the sea was quite rough, so we got soaked with salt water spray every time the boat came down on another wave – with regular, unerring frequency. At least the water and the air were warm. In what seemed the middle of nowhere, we dropped off a local pastor who had hitched a ride; he would have a lengthy hike to reach his church. Then we went up the bay as far as the boat could go. The land was fairly flat, but marshes dotted the area and we were often knee deep in water. The entire hike was just under two hours, including a picnic lunch break.

The people in Dakura were expecting us, as our coming had been announced on the public radio that they listen to for information.

After the hurricane last year, Word & Deed, together with Carlos Coffin of Palabra & Hecho in Nicaragua, Pastor Santiago Lubuo, Pastor Joseph Lacayo and Director Hector Williams, assisted in efforts to rebuild many of the Dakura homes. The wells were cleaned to provide safe drinking water and the school rebuilt, but the Moravian church is still meeting under a tarp roof. Even the concrete block front of the church building is severely damaged and needs rebuilding.

A number of homes still house two families. They do not have all of the materials needed to build houses since all the wood from the downed trees has been used. The Chilliwack Word & Deed Business Group helped sponsor the rebuilding efforts by providing chain saws, which the pastors on the local Word & Deed team used to cut the downed trees into planks. The planks were then given to families in the village so they could rebuild their homes.

A family with five children, along with some neighbor children, stands in front of their home.

We met with a large group of Dakura residents at the Moravian Church to give our greetings and encouragement. Rick spoke on our behalf: "Word & Deed is delighted to help you with your food, water and shelter needs. We trust that the evening Bible studies provided by Santiago and Joseph serve to communicate our concern for your spiritual welfare as well. The Lord Jesus fed and healed the people but He also referred to Himself as the Bread of Life and as Living Water. We pray that through the ministry of this project you have been strengthened in your faith and that unbelievers, by God's grace, may come to know the Lord Jesus as their Savior."

Several of the men expressed appreciation on behalf of the community for Word & Deed. This was very interesting since the primary language here is Miskitu. Our English was translated into Spanish and then into Miskitu and when they responded or commented in Miskitu it was translated into Spanish and then into English again! They asked that we tell everyone how grateful they are for the support of the various churches and individuals and how much they appreciate the help of Word & Deed.

One of our priorities is helping develop an economy so that these people can become self-sufficient. There were quite a few cows and calves grazing in the area which appeared to be in better health than what we had seen in the interior villages. We discussed how to develop the use of these cattle into a dependable resource. This village submitted applications for several projects, and we later discussed the merits of each one.

Pastor Eric Pennings of MINTS

Around 4:30 pm we left Dakura for the walk back to where our boat was waiting. A mother and her daughter came with us. One of her sons was in the hospital in Puerto Cabezas as a result of a fight at school and she wanted to visit him. We had a one-and-a-half hour walk, and it was soon dark, so we followed the trail to the boat using flashlights.

The boat ride back in the dark ended up being three hours long. The water was a lot calmer on the return trip and we did not get wet. However we had to watch out for fishing nets. When we found a net we had to lift the boat motor so that we were able to cross it without damaging the motor or the net. We saw several fishermen working the nets in the dark and the boat operator and guide called to them in Miskito. Once we were across the bay we had to find the right narrow channel through which to pass – by flashlight, of course. We made it safely back to Krikura and then rode back to Puerto Cabezas in the pick-up truck that had waited for us all afternoon. After we dropped everyone off, we made it back to the motel by 9:30 p.m. The showers had been fixed (sort of) and we were able to enjoy some lukewarm refreshment.

Corney Les is a member of the Chilliwack, British Colombia, business group in support of Word & Deed projects.

Nicaragua Projects

2008-12-12T12:38:00.002-05:00

Nicaragua – Maranatha School ($15,400)

Marantha School is operated by Maranatha Church of the Assembly of Christian Churches (a Moravian denomination not to be confused with the Assemblies of God Churches) in Bilwi City, Port Cabezas, Nicaragua – an area with a predominately illiterate adult population. The school provides a basic secondary education from an integrated Christian perspective to 200 students with an evening program that ultimately affects another 300 students in part time studies. The school was operating with six partially built classrooms when it was struck by Hurricane Felix in September of 2007. This project will restore the six damaged classrooms and add two additional classrooms which were part of the original construction plan. The building is also being used as a Bible Institute to promote theological education (including courses from MINTS – Miami International Seminary) to pastors and Christian leaders in the area.

Nicaragua – Hurricane Felix Recovery and Development

Two projects are planned for the second half of 2009 to continue recovery and development efforts related to Hurricane Felix which devastated the north eastern part of Nicaragua in late 2007. Many families have still not rebuilt their homes due to lack of resources. One project will provide building materials to several communities so they can build 16 by 20 feet homes. As well, an agricultural program is being planned for Dakura (where 180 families have already rebuilt homes using materials provided by Word & Deed – see picture) to replace the fishing industry which was wiped out by the hurricane. Both projects are estimated to be $50,000 CDN / $40,000 US.

Recycled Relief

2008-11-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Felix Update Hurricane Felix devastated areas of Nicaragua in the fall of 2007. Through its North American supporters, Word & Deed provided relief funds. Nicaraguan pastors, taking courses taught by Rev. Eric Pennings of MINTS (Miami International Seminary) in the area that the hurricane hit, were able to quickly bring food and clean water to a number of villages in areas around Puerto Cabezas. The latest project, based on funds donated by the Word & Deed Chilliwack (British Colombia) Business Group chapter, involved the clean-up of countless downed trees by sawing them into planks. The lumber went to 100 families in Dakur, Nicaragua, who used the wood to rebuild their homes. Unfortunately, while it was hoped that there would be enough for all the families, this has not turned out to be the case.
Pastor Eric Pennings, who visited in Nicaragua in August, reports the following:

Upon arrival we made initial contact with the judge of the community of Dákura. He provided a tour of the various projects that were underway. He gathered the other leaders of the community to meet with us and we spent several hours in dialogue with them. It was a very productive visit with them. They expressed gratitude for the efforts that are being done to date and requested further support for the development of their community. The existing fallen trees do not provide enough lumber for the proposed 100 homes. Due to a shortage of lumber and zinc for the roofs, they were not able to accomplish the full project as proposed. They are in the process of considering different options for securing the materials needed for the project. It was very encouraging to see that a number of families in the community have made an initiative to start their homes in spite of the shortage of lumber. Some have installed the posts on the location of where they hope to build from the lumber that they hope to receive.
There is a general discouragement in the community, but in general they are making an effort to move ahead. A significant problem is that the soil has been contaminated by the salt waters from the ocean that covered the community during the hurricane and in the days following the hurricane. Soil treatment will need to be considered. Yet some have resumed planting of corn and yuca in order to provide some of the basic needs. However the amount planted, and the limited yield of the crop is not enough to provide for the needs of the community. They have been able to do some fishing in the ocean to provide basic food for the community. But their usual staples of coconut and mangos have been wiped out, and the gardens are not producing well.
In our conversations with the leaders of the community, they were requesting additional help in the form of building a permanent pathway from the village to the access point to the ocean. Currently they have to go through a boggy, marshy area to get to the ocean. They are hoping to build a “side-walk” of sorts that would extend about 1.5 km through the marshy spot. They are also looking at the possibility of building a 160 ft bridge over another area that connects to neighbouring communities. Currently they need to go through waste deep water to make contact with the neighbouring communities. These projects were proposed to the committee who will no doubt be studying the possibility. The committee (overseeing the Word & Deed sponsored projects) appears to be very wise in determining what is the best way to be of support to this community. Pastor Pennings further reports that members of the team have been given opportunities to lead services in the local church and to pray with community leaders.

Please remember the needs of the Dakura community as they rebuild their lives after the Hurricane.
Carlos Coffin, project director, writes, Muchos gracias! Many thanks from Nicaragua! May this all be for the glory of the Lord Jesus.

Hurricane Felix update - Rebuilding Homes

2008-11-13T11:50:00.005-05:00

An elderly woman with her wood.

Donated funds from the Chilliwack Business Group chapter have been used to clean up downed trees by sawing them into planks and then providing families in Dakur with the wood so they can rebuild their homes. Here are some pictures from Carlos Coffin (project director in Nicaragua)....

People building their houses with the wood provided by Word and Deed. The man in a green t-shirt is Carlos Coffin, project director, on a supervision trip to Dakura.

Carlos next to an old woman thankful for the wood provided by Word & Deed.

A elderly man with his wood placed underneath his house that is to be repaired.

The promoter Joseph Lacayo doing calculations after the days work.

A promoter supervising the work of a chainsaw worker.

Partial view of a very large fallen mango tree. These trees were very difficult to cut.

Part of the destroyed room of a family in the community of Dakura.

Many thanks (gracias) from Nicaragua.

For the glory of the Lord Jesus.

Carlos Coffin
Project Director, Nicaragua

Eyewitness Account

2008-04-02T13:34:00.012-04:00

Hurricane Felix in Dákura

- By Rev. Hector Williams Padilla (Translated by Rev. Eric Pennings)

Hurricane Felix made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on the morning of September 4, 2007 in Honduras and Nicaragua. Dakura is a community of about 400 families located on the Miskito Coast in Nicaragua, near Puerto Cabezas.

I was in the community of Dákura on the day that Hurricane Felix shattered the community. My family and I and about seventy people took refuge in my parents’ home because it was one of only eight concrete homes in the community. The other approximately 400 homes were built of wood, so the people protected themselves in the concrete homes which would be less likely to be damaged. There were so many people in the homes that we felt like matches in a match box.

At about 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 4 we experienced the fury of the winds blasting through the community. We saw houses completely pulled off their foundations and tumbling through the air like broken parts of a toy. Trees were shaken and pulled up by the roots, and others were picked up and twisted like a rag and broken in half. Zinc sheets were flying all around. Pigs, chickens, dogs and even cows and horses were lifted by the force of the wind.

We saw men, women and children crying for fear of losing their lives. Some were holding tightly to tree trunks in order not to be carried away by the wind. Some parents with many children couldn’t hold them in their arms, so they took a rope and tied it around the children, and then around their waist so they wouldn’t be carried away by the winds. Most of the people who lost their homes took refuge in the trunks of the large trees that had fallen, because there was nowhere else to find protection. The only eight concrete houses were already packed with people. There was confusion, fear and desperation everywhere. Many confused mothers lost sight of their children and others in the community found them and returned them to their parents when the storm had passed.

Personally, it felt like not only a hurricane had passed through, but it seemed there was a tremor in the earth as well, because the concrete floor under us was dancing while the wind was beating against the walls and roof. In addition, the water level of the sea advanced inland about one and a half kilometers.

When it was over, we saw the confusion and the grief of people whose houses were destroyed, their animals dead, their belongings disappeared and even loved ones killed. In Dákura alone eleven people were killed, among them eight members of my family. One of them was my favorite uncle, Fruto Padilla, pastor of the Moravian church, who was killed when his house was destroyed. My parents’ house, where we took refuge, also had the roof torn off.

After it was all over, approximately 400 families were left, arms crossed, without food, without homes and with nowhere to go. The three churches in the community were completely destroyed, as well as the school. Today the community is filled with fallen trees. But at the same time, we are witnessing the will of the people to rebuild their houses and their village.

Rev. Hector Williams is the pastor of the “mother church” (in Puerto Cabezas) of twelve churches of the Assembly of Christian Churches. He is also the director of the MINTS Study Centre and the president of the newly formed relief agency made up of four MINTS students and it’s director (also a MINTS student). He was visiting his “home village” of Dákura where he was raised and most of his family still live.

Out of Destruction, a New Beginning

2008-01-04T12:32:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Felix disappeared from the news very quickly but left a trail of destruction in Nicaragua. Over $23,000 has been spent on emergency relief. In 2008 we will see the beginning some major rebuilding projects. Can we count on you to partner with us?

by Rev Eric Pennings

In my ministry of training church leaders throughout Central America for MINTS, (Miami International Seminary) I often have people wonder what it would be like to follow me around to observe what my ministry activities are like. Most of my ministry activities revolve around establishing study centers and visiting them several times a year to teach courses. One of the study centers is in Puerto Cabezas, located on the Northern Atlantic region of Nicaragua. These students had formed an informal interdenominational leadership training center among the Miskito indigenous population of that region called The Interdenominational Theological Seminary of the Nicaraguan Miskitos (SETIMN). A subsequent partnership with MINTS resulted in the formation of a more formal seminary which they called SETIMN-MINTS. So please accept my invitation to join me in my last two visits to this study center. August 13-20 – We fly from Managua to Puerto Cabezas (located on the east coast of Nicaragua) in a small 13-seater airplane. During the week, you observe me preaching, meeting with the board of SETIMN-MINTS and teaching four conferences of eight hours each to introduce six courses which they will follow up on after my departure. One of the courses is “Christian Leadership”, another is “Worldview”. You note the challenge in these two courses for the student pastors to model a leadership profile that reflects the wholistic ministry of Jesus Christ in Word and deed.

September 3 – You sit with me in my home office in Brampton, Ontario and you watch me fidget nervously through the day. Hurricane Felix has devastated Puerto Cabezas, and we are watching “CNN-Hurricane Update” throughout the day. You listen in to a phone conversation I initiate with the administrator of SETIMN-MINTS to get a first-hand report of the damages. A brief (and interrupted) phone call determines that the damages are phenomenal.
September 4 – I make a phone call to Bernie Pennings, Director of Word & Deed Canada, to ask about the possibility of partnering to provide relief to the affected communities. Bernie requests specific information about the damages and the potential for the local church to coordinate such an effort.

September 5 - October 19 – You observe numerous emails and phone calls being made between Word & Deed and Puerto Cabezas, using me as a facilitator and inter-mediator. There are reports from about forty indigenous communities of lack of food and contaminated wells. An amount of $23,000 in emergency funding is transferred to Nicaragua. Promotion begins through emails and website updates to raise funds. Five MINTS students coordinate an effort among members of the churches they are pastoring to distribute food to 1,050 families, each of whom share the food packets with other affected families in the affected communities. Three students receive training in “well-cleaning” and three pumps are purchased. Over a period of five weeks, three work teams are organized to travel through the affected communities to distribute food and clean wells during the day, and invite the communities to a church service in the evening. You are amazed at the number of people from the community who come to hear the Word of God in churches without roofs. In many communities the cement slab floors are all that remain of the church buildings. You hear about one of the student pastors who reports on preaching in each community, “The Cleansing of Physical and Spiritual Wells.” This student explains how this past spring I taught a course on the book of Joel and how he is using his exegetical term paper on Joel 1 from the course as the basis for his message. You read the passage and are thankful to the Lord to see how effectively he applies his homework to this particular ministry situation.
October 19-22 – You join Bernie Pennings and I in a visit to the affected area (this time in a 35-seater airplane) to do an investigation and to consider possible future disaster relief work in the area. You sit through over 12 hours of meetings with the five MINTS students over a period of four days. You watch as the meeting is conducted in Spanish and translated by me. You follow along as we intersperse those meetings with visits by land to eight communities in the plains. You see the destructive effects of the hurricane: roofless buildings, animals carried away, numerous injuries from fallen trees and flying debris (including sheets of zinc that whirled through the air like helicopter blades), crop destruction, contaminated wells. You see the smiles of the community elders as they thank Word & Deed for the food and well-cleaning efforts. You also hear a plea for further help in each of the communities.
On Monday you climb aboard a small motorboat to join us in making a two hour trip along the ocean to visit Dákura, one of thirteen communities along the coastal region, and home to one of the MINTS students. The student reports that he was “home”(quotation marks not needed) with his parents and extended family when the hurricane brought in water from the ocean that came as high as the neck, washing their entire village of 400 homes and three churches away. A death toll of thirteen is reported, eight of whom were members of this student’s immediate family, all of whom he buried before returning to Puerto Cabezas to help coordinate disaster relief for his people. You walk with us through what is left of the village as we meet with village leaders and pastors of the churches to hear the reports of the disaster. They report that other communities in the area experienced the same effects. You hear reports of depression as the indigenous villagers have no idea what steps to take to rebuild and the hopelessness in the realization that there are no materials with which to rebuild. Literally every fruit tree (which doubles as shade from the sun) is washed away. Huge trees that have been there for hundreds of years are uprooted. In the background you hear hammers and machetes as some villagers pillage the ruined forest area to build simple shelters from pieces of leftover materials that have washed into their area from surrounding villages. You listen to the villagers report their concerns: food, shelter, clean water, hygiene, and protection from a plague of mosquitoes and small biting flies, treatment of soil contaminated by the salt water from the ocean, rebuilding of the churches. October 23 – On the eve of your departure, you sit in on a final meeting with the five MINTS students. Bernie reports that he is overwhelmed by the tremendous needs we have seen. He notes that he is impressed with their accomplishments to date and with the professional quality of the reports presented. He challenges them to consider forming a formal partnership with Word & Deed in providing necessary relief to the affected area. The students respond favorably with much enthusiasm (and accompanying trepidation, recognizing the responsibility). They meet together amongst themselves to formalize a new agency which will be supervised by the church which supervises the seminary, with the pastor of the church serving as the president of the newly formed board of directors. They name their new agency SETIMN-MINTS-Word & Deed. You celebrate with the students as one of them is appointed as the full-time director of the new agency. Potential specific projects are discussed which will be more formally presented by the committee for approval and implantation. A formal contract with a minimal commitment of three years is signed in this partnership between Word & Deed and SETIMN-MINTS-Word & Deed. A final prayer is offered by the newly appointed treasurer, dedicating these efforts to the glory of God, in the name of Christ through their churches, and in service to the Miskito indigenous population. Please prayerfully consider generously supporting this new initiative.

Rev. Eric Pennings lives in Brampton, Ontario, where he works for Miami International Seminary (MINTS) as Regional Director for Central America.