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)