Nicaragua Families and Kids' Mission trip – July, 2006
In July a team of 27 adults and children ranging in age from 4 to 72, participated in our first short-term Missions Trip. Our team traveled to Managua, Nicaragua and stayed at an orphanage for 10 days. We ministered daily in schools, churches and in villages in surrounding areas. The team ministered mainly in creative arts with clowning, drama and worship dance.
Each day the kids got to share their testimonies and interact with local children at schools, praying for them and sharing the love of God. We saw many salvations and had opportunities to minister healing to many others who God sent our way. The kids on our team had the awesome privilege to do the ministry and be involved hands on. For many of us this was our first time to ever experience “life” in a different culture. For some it was hard and stretching but overall many of us have come home with a desire to return and have the awesome opportunity to share God’s love to those who are hungry.
Thank you Lord for your hand of protection, favour and presence wherever we went. Thank you for providing in the most incredible ways, stretching our faith and showing that you are faithful in everything.
We plan to return to Casa Betsada in July of 2008 with another awesome team, God willing.
Daphne Clark
Children's Pastor
Here is a testimony from one of the parents who attended - Julie Daly:
I was truly blessed to be a part of the Nicaragua missions trip with my daughter. We experienced a tremendous amount of new things. Standing on top of an active volcano was a highlight. Also visiting a local jail was exciting. Many on our team were preaching to the men and God's presence was so strong. Some of the men wept. I asked the Holy Spirit what He would have me do. I heard, "Go to the women." I had seen four of them in a cell down another hall when we entered the jail. I learned through a translator they were in desperate circumstances. God did not want us to forget them and I had the privilege of leading them to Jesus. I encouraged them that I would remember them in prayer after we left.
Here is a testimony from the Ierullo Family:
On July 3-12 2006, Hannah (11 years old), Miriam (10 years old), Teresa (8 years old), and our dad Bruno Ierullo went on a mission trip to Nicaragua. It all started when we found out that we were going to Nicaragua in December 2005. We were very excited but we knew that it would be along way off.
In May, we started to have classes on Sunday nights. In the classes, we learned to speak and sing in Spanish. This was for our presentations at schools and in the orphanage. We learned to work with a translator so we could say our testimonies. And we separated into three groups to learned Dance, Drama, and Clowning, for our performances. We were excited about all of this, but scared at the same time.
Then on Monday, July 3, 2006, it was time to pack are bags and go. We were a group 18 kids and 10 adults, a total of 28 people. We all left the Toronto Airport at around 2pm. And we got to Nicaragua at 9:00pm plus the time difference. When we got to the Airport in Nicaragua the orphanage surprised us by being there. They took us to the orphanage to sleep. (We stayed in Casa Betesda orphanage.) It was very exciting to have the orphans come and meet us at the airport. They were so welcoming and seemed so excited!
On our first real day in Nicaragua, Tuesday, July 4, we spent the morning helping the orphanage plant trees at the farm. I, Hannah, really liked helping them plant baby trees because it made me feel that in a couple years when the trees get big, the kids there would look at them and think ‘the Toronto group planted those trees’. It also made me feel that I was helping out. In the afternoon, we had some fun at the farm, we played soccer, basketball, and we went horse back riding. In the evening we went around making balloon animals, and handing out invitations to come to watch our presentations, and watch a movie. The children in the community loved the balloon animals! They loved any gift they received because they did not have many toys.
On Wednesday, July 5, we visited the local school of Managua. We did our presentations, and shared our testimonies. In the afternoon we worked at the orphanage. I, Teresa, was very happy, because I met a new friend named Mara. She is very nice and was my best friend there. In the evening we handed out balloon animals and invitations to come watch our presentations and a movie. When I, Hannah, was handing out balloons and invitations, I felt really sad because seeing all the kids with nothing. They all had ripped up clothes their houses were made by themselves. I just felt really sad.
Thursday, July 6, we visited Leon, a city 1 hour away from the orphanage. For the morning we went to the school in Leon, we did our presentations, and shared our testimonies. In the Afternoon we went to the local church of Leon. We did our presentations, we sang the songs we learned and shared our testimonies. In the evening we had a break. We went to Lake Managua and took a boat through the lake. I, Hannah, had the time of my life on that boat, but a lot of people were crying because the boat was rocking a lot. Daddy got the Nicaraguan pastors to bring a TV on the boat so he could watch the World Cup – Daddy was funny, on a mission’s trip yet really into the World Cup, but Italy won – YEAH!
Friday, July 7, we visited Matagalpa, a city 2 hours away from the orphanage. We went to the local school there. We did our presentations, and shared our testimonies. In the afternoon we went around giving out balloon animals and handing out cards about the lord. In the evening we slept over at Selva Negra. Selva Negra is a coffee farm on the top of a mountain, in a rain forest. At Selva Negra it was very cold, but that did not stop me from having a good time. I, Hannah, loved Selva Negra. The part I loved the most about it was looking down the mountain at night. All I could see were the street lights in every color. The street lights formed a cross that was very comforting. It was so nice and beautiful to sleep in a coffee farm in the rain forest. I, Teresa, loved it!
Saturday, July 8, we were going to go horse back riding in the morning. But it started to rain, so we did not go. In the afternoon we drove to the orphanage. In the evening we played with the kids in the orphanage. But it was raining. It was really fun because the Toronto group was so happy it was raining we started running around in the rain playing soccer rolling on the floor. And the all the kids from the orphanage were sitting inside saying to each other “What are they doing?”
Sunday, July 9, we went to the Church Service for the morning. We did our presentations and shared our testimonies. It was really neat to go to a church in a different country and to see how they work their church there. After the church service we went to a separate part of the church to eat lunch. It was raining. It was fun to see rain because this was the rainy season but the country was in a drought. It was also nice to try different food. Then we went back to the orphanage to play with the kids for the evening.
Monday, July 10, we drove to Inotepe 45 min away from the orphanage. In the morning, we visited the local grade school in Inotepe. In the Afternoon we went to the Masaya Volcano. Masaya is Messiah which means anointed. I, Teresa, think that was the deepest hole I ever saw, it was so cool smoke was coming out it was so cool. I loved it, it was beautiful and powerful.
On Tuesday, July 11, it was our day off, because it was are last real day in Nicaragua. In the morning we went to the “Paloma Beach.” Otherwise known as the Pacific Ocean. It was fun . It reminded me of the beach at home, and my memories of when I was little and would go to the beach. It was so beautiful, and salty .In the afternoon we did something everyone loved, SHOPPING! We went shopping for souvenirs, at the market. It was neat getting to see how everyone made the stuff they sold. In the evening it was time to pack our bags, and say our goodbyes. We felt very sad because the next day we would be leaving all the friends we met there.
Wednesday, July 12, was our travel back to Toronto day. We left Nicaragua at 7:00am. And arrived in Toronto at 6pm. I, Hannah, was happy I came back to Canada, it was good to see my mom, John-Paul, and Abigail. I was also sad I left, but I knew I did the right thing by going there.
When we went to Nicaragua we learned a lot of valuable things. A really important thing Teresa learned is that everyone is special in their own way. A really important thing Hannah learned was not to waste what you have, because there will always be someone with less than you. A really important thing Miriam learned was not everyone in the world has as much as we do.
All of us loved the trip, but we did have favorite parts. Teresa’s favorite part was getting a chance to swim in the Pacific Ocean. Hannah’s favorite part was being able to help the people in Nicaragua, and telling them about Jesus. Miriam’s favorite part was going to the volcano.
The trip was a success in so many ways, people becoming Christians, helping out the orphanage with food and clothing and new wheels on their bus, but it was also a success for us in learning that there is more to life then all we own.