Fatima's story - photo below

Fatima del Carmen Medina
Regional CHE leader.

Aged 29. Married, with 3 children: Guidman, 13, Wilmington, 7, Abery, 3.
Lives in El Limonal, Chinandega

I began working with CHE in 2001 through the Nehemiah Center, in Managua (www.nehemiahcenter.org). We formed a CHE committee in El Limonal, and trained other women in preventive health care, promoting good health, and the abundant life in Jesus.

Everything I have learned in CHE has helped me so much.
I have learned to connect with many people, both foreigners, and nationals. I have been to other communities to share what I have learned. I feel very happy when I see women who have learned at my trainings.

Antonio Vivas, Roger Pavon and his family, and Leana Duarte at the Meso America Regional CHE Conference in Guatemala, July 2011

Introduction to Darling Lopez, Women of CHE Facilitator, Nicaragua

Darling and Kelly Diaz in folk dancing costume

I worked with closely with Darling during the 3 years I spent in Nicaragua as a Food for the Hungry Hunger Corps worker.  It was a great blessing to learn under her leadership, and I treasure her friendship.  We attended the first Women of CHE conference in San Jose with Charlene McWilliam (of LifeWind, who created the first Women of CHE classes).  We were both part of the first Women of CHE  National Gathering, in Nicaragua, along with Hermano (brother) Antonio Vivas, and Roger Pavon, held in Boaco, Nicaragua.  In September, 2011, we will be attending the first Women of CHE conference for all Central America, in Guatemala.

Each year, since I left Nicaragua in 2006, my husband and I have gone back to Nicaragua, with a friend or 2, and Darling, our friends, and I plan activities for women in the communities that the CHE team chooses for us to work in.  

I was able to ‘interview’ Hermano Antonio and Roger for this blog while we were in Nicaragua this year. However, during our time in the communities, Darling was either meeting with leaders, or dashing off on a motorcycle with a terrified Women of CHE leader clinging to her back, to visit other CHE groups, so her ‘interview’ will have to wait until Guatemala.

In the meantime, here is her prayer letter from autumn 2010.


                                                                                     
                                    Darling and her husband, Jose Antonio (Chico)

Prayer letter 

From Darling Lopez, 

Community Health Evangelism, Nicaragua

Dear brothers and sisters,

My name is Darling Lopez de Ramirez.  I am 32 years old, married to Pastor Jose Antonio Ramirez, who worked with Medical Ambassadors for over 12 years in the Dominican Republic.  I have 2 children: Alicia, 16, and Andres, 12.

Let me take a little of your valuable time to acquaint you with the beautiful life path that God has shown me over the course of the last 10 years.  I refer to the ministry program, Community Health Evangelism, through which I came to accept Christ.  He immediately sent me to work in the CHE ministry.  I met my husband at a CHE residential training course in Guatemala.  Thanks to the support of the Thomas family in Denver, Colorado, and God, I graduated as a lawyer and notary public.  Now I work as resource facilitator for the women of the CHE program.

Roger Pavon's story

We are happy to share with you the testimony of Roger Pavon, in which he describes his dedication to CHE work.  Roger serves as treasurer for CHE, Nicaragua, as well as CHE Coordinator for the region that includes Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama.  As we sat in a new church in Leon, on the edge of the city, with a new urban CHE group, Roger told me his story.  He appears in the photo with Pastora Mercedes seated, left,  Pastora Lourdes, seated, right, and Bill Freund.

Roger Antonio Pavon Sotelo 

I was born into a Catholic home, but when I was 10 years old my parents started to go to an evangelical church.  This was where I heard about Jesus and the Bible for the first time.  At age 14 I accepted Christ in Sunday School:  Jesus is the rock, and those who cling to this rock are safe.

So I began my Christian life.

After the Triumph of the Revolution, (1979) I joined in the government literacy campaign, and the anti-malaria campaign.  In my church I became a Sunday School teacher, and national president of the church (FIEMCA) youth organization.

I obtained a degree in Industrial Engineering at the University of Managua.

This was followed in 1985-1986 by military service.  Afterwards, my life was very busy: I was studying, working in the church, and I got married. My wife is Griselda Guevan Chavez.

In 1992, I was elected secretary of the mission (FIEMCA) together with brother Antonio Vivas.  Working together, we began giving workshops to pastors about the holistic ministry of the church.  We were concerned about the way that the churches and the communities that surrounded them were living separate lives.

There is a saying: Pastors are the key.

We trained the pastors, but we did not have a practical strategy for holistic ministry until brother (Dr) Hugo Gomez (Regional Coordinator for Central America, who lives in Guatemala) brought Community Health Evangelism.

CHE came by means of Medical Ambassadors (now LifeWind) after Hurricane Mitch devastated our country in 1998.  In June 1999 we had our first Training of the Trainers for CHE with 18 pastors.  From that first training came 2 teams:  one, in Daniel Guido, in the department of Nueva Guinea, and the other in San Juan, in the department of Boaco.  With that first training, John McWilliam and Hugo Gomez, of LifeWind, brought the seeds of CHE to our country.

In 2000 brother Antonio and I began to implement the CHE ministry in Nicaragua.  We helped bring Luis Palau, and the singer, Judy, to Nicaragua to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the gospel in our country. 

Also in 2000, I worked with the Timothy Committee, later with the Nehemiah Center, continuing to expand the CHE territory with both the Nehemiah Center and FIEMCA while receiving support from Medical Ambassadors, LifeWind, and CHE Global Enterprises.  

As time went on CHE grew from 2 local training teams to 15, then from 15 to 40 CHE trainers.

Now we have 12 CHE programs in Nicaragua in Boaco, Leon, Chinandega, Ometepe, Masatepe, and Nueva Guinea.  New programs, or better said, new ministries, continue to open.

My life purpose, from now until the Lord takes me, is to continue impacting as many people as possible with the gospel of the Lord Jesus, and involving churches, communities, and organizations in the CHE ministry, as much as I can. 

In 2010 we began Urban Transformation (urban CHE) in Leon and Chinandega.  Now there are 7 churches involved, working in 6 urban neighbourhoods.  There are many challenges to Urban Transformation, and one of the most significant is that, in contrast to the rural communities, there is not a strong sense of community overall.  We have to look at the communities within the larger city, and the fundamental community for this work, especially in the city, is the church.

The foundation on which the work of CHE must be built is the training team - it’s the base of everything.  One person alone cannot do the work.  It has been so important to be able to work with Darling and brother Antonio, with all the help and accompaniment of brother Hugo Gomez, and everyone connected with the CHE ministry.

I must say, too, that the support of my wife has been essential to my ability to dedicate myself to this work.  The support of our spouses allows us to be away from our families while working in the communities.  I have 2 children in high school, Urias Israel Pavon Guevan, and Gisell del Carmen Pavon Guevan, both believers, whose faith is strengthened by the many answers to prayer they experience  as our family prays.

Hermano Antonio Vivas, Coordinator of CHE FIEMCA, Nicaragua, shares with us some of the highlights of his ministry, and how he came to be involved in CHE

Hermano (brother) Antonio Vivas and his wife, hermana Mirna, in Urbaite, Ometepe, in February, 2011.

We are so happy to be able to share with you the brief glimpse into his life and ministry that Hermano Antonio gives us in the following paragraphs.  He is a great man of faith and service.  I'll add that he and hermana Mirna were just married last October.

Here he is:

I accepted the Lord on the 8th of August, 1973.  It happened during an evangelistic visit by a pastor who was going around preaching.  He had a family service in Zelaya, near Nueva Guinea.  He spoke on the story of Lazarus and the rich man.  When the pastor explained the gospel, I made my decision.  

It took a whole day on horseback over very rough roads to get to the pastor’s church.  The pastor came to see me once, and I went to the church once, in one year because of the distance.  I was baptized within a month, but for five years I was inactive in my faith because of the isolation.  However, I listened to Christian radio from Costa Rica.

In 1976 we left that isolated place to give our children the opportunity to go to school.  Later my wife left me and our children.  We had 5 children, and the youngest one was still crawling.  Their grandmother took care of her.

At Nueva Leon. in a little church, I took a Bible correspondence course, and learned basic principles.  I began visiting the neighbours, and the first man accepted Christ, along with his wife and their large family.  It was at Christmas time.  For 5 years I helped the pastor in this church of 70 people.

In 1978 I became a pastor, but without training.  Other pastors came to bring communion, I could only preach and teach.I worked in agriculture at the same time.  I never thought to be a pastor.

  The revolution happened in 1975, and between 1982 and 1983 the church split between Sandanistas and Contras.  Forty five people stayed with me.  The others went and joined a mennonite church.  I resigned in 1984 - the situacion had become very bad, and I believed that it was necessary for the church to have a different pastor.

After the 1984 elections came the Contra revolution.  I was at La Esperanza, in the El Shaddai church.   I went to Nueva Guinea to work, and take care of my family.  Most of the pastors had fled, if they could.  There were many people and pastors who had to go into military service.

In that region, region 1, there were 38 churches,  and the number rose to 55.  Because there were no pastors left, more had to be trained, and I was chosen to do that training and education.  For 7 years I was the only pastor taking services in this area.  We did graduate 2 pastors, but they would not enter the communities at this time: it was dangerous because of the contra war.

 I wanted to leave the pastorate, but I went on, and I was ordained, because of my work in the communities during the contra war.  It was a very tense time, but the ministry was beautiful.  After the war, in Nueva Guinea, I had the opportunity to participate in the Peace Commissions - in 1986 to 1991. Many people were demobilized in that period.  I still remember the first person who came to know the Lord at that time - Pedro Figaro.  He wanted to be baptized, so I invited him to devotionals with me - and he came to know Christ.

People appreciated my testimony because I was neutral politically, and just concentrated on the gospel.

 Later, I wanted to learn agronomy, but I was accepted into a course that  CEPAD .was offering - in human rights.  There was a group of young men and we struggled on behalf of minors, the sick and so on.   Everything was voluntary - God clothed us.

In 1991 Auxilio Mundial made an agreement with our denomination, FIEMCA, in the region.  Freddy, the FIEMCA president, said to me, "We are going to work in agriculture".  This made me very happy

Also in 1991, the Wholistic Biblical Training Center for Pastors at Zelaya trained us, and from that training, came a movement of wholistic ministry.  This was what I wanted - I dreamed of CHE long before I heard of CHE.

Later in 1991 the process began for elections to the National Council of FIEMCA (the Fraternal  Evangelical Church of the Mission to Central America) and, to my amazement, they chose me as one of the candidates.  I said it was crazy, but then I realized that I was resisting like Moses, so I accepted the candidacy.  And I became president of the council.  In 1992, I moved to Managua because of this position.

When I arrived at the office I didn't know anyone.  I worked as part of a team with a very understanding colleague.  I was president for 4 years, and then Roger (Pavon) was president, also for 4 years.  I helped him.  While I was president I organized the coordination of regional councils.  By now, my children were adults.

In 1999, both Roger and I resigned our positions, because, at that time, Don Hugo Gomez came (from Guatemala) and brought CHE to Nicaragua.  We immediately wanted to be part of this ministry, we took the 3 training of the trainers classes, and started work to train others in 2002.  We had no money, but a friend in Germany helped us.  Then an agreement was signed between FIEMCA and Medical Ambassadors (now Lifewind) and we began to be paid.

Roger took on the coordination of CHE, and I helped him.  The Nehemiah Center helped Roger, as well.

To sum up, the 3 stages in my ministry are as follows:

1)  From 1978 to 1984 I was pastor of El Shaddai in La Esperanza.

2) From 1984 to 1986 I went from congregation to congregation (because the pastors had fled) taking   communion, baptizing - doing the ceremonies.  And participated in the Peace Commissions.

3)  From 1992 to 2000 I was involved in administration at FIEMCA, and then went on to work in CHE until the present (2011)

Ana Kerina's story - she is a CHE leader in Balgue

Ana Kerina Alvarez Alvarez

aged 27,married, with 4 children

I was at church and the pastor invited all the members to come to a CHE meeting, and said that this was an important opportunity.

I went to the meeting,there were just 4 of us from the church, and Darling and her husband, Chico, were there.  They explained what CHE is, and encouraged us to keep our homes and our children clean in order to improve our children’s health.

There weren’t many people there the first time, but there were 14 at the next meeting - I invited several people.

I began in my own house: encouraging and counseling others, practicing and teaching what I was learning.

It was difficult at times, because I have 4 children, but I was interested, and I saw it as important work.

At the third meeting we felt as though it would not be possible, but Neyda and I were visiting and encouraging the 14 who had come. We made ourselves available, we trusted in the Lord, and we were seeing that we could do things with the Lord’s help.

Later, we had meetings in the church, one of which was with the Women’s group.  The church Women’s Group supported  the development of CHE.  We talked about different ideas.  I was president, and Neyda was Vice President of the Women’s Group, which was organized to work within the church, but not for CHE.

The pastor was very happy with the meeting, We talked about the things we had done as part of CHE so far, and this really motivated the whole church.

Some of the women in the sewing class to make bags are not believers.  These activities help to bring in people who are not yet believers.  The class was fun, and motivates us to do things to get ahead in our lives. It was a blessing to see people there who are not believers. I saw women there who did not want to praise the Lord at first, but later they joined in.  

I shared my Bible with someone.

There were 2 girls, and I said to Neyda, pass me your Bible, so the other girl could have one, too.  Later, the pastor gave her his Bible, and after that, she was singing, too.

After the class, everyone was so happy with their bags.  Every few minutes they were saying to each other, They’re so pretty!

For me, it was a great blessing.  I would love to have a little shop, with sewing machines, and women would make things, and sell them. 

I accepted Jesus in an evangelistic service that I went to with my mother.  Sister Candida invited us.  We got separated, so it wasn’t until afterwards that we discovered that we had both begun new lives in Him that day.  My husband is a believer, too.  

Welcome to the Community Health Evangelism, Nicaragua blog

The purpose of this blog is to share with you the work of individual, family and community transformation that God is doing through the CHE ministry (Christian community development strategy) in Nicaragua.

Communities are working on, and achieving goals such as clean running water, latrines for every household.  People commit to their community and to the Lord Jesus.

Individuals are starting tiny businesses, with CHE classes and supportive mentors, receiving visits from neighbours who care enough to commit to bringing all they learn from the monthly CHE classes to others in their community.  People come alive in Jesus, (and the discovery that God has a purpose for their lives) in their opportunity to learn, and in their relationships with each other.

Families are changing as Jesus enters their lives, and chaos is replaced by commitment to each other's well-being.  Money begins to come into the home instead of the bar. Children start going to school.

Women discover their abilities through new opportunities, through learning, and classes that specifically deal with women's and family health.