CHE ministry, Ometepe 2012

The old FIEMCA church, El Congo, Ometepe

Interior of the old church

Our first stop in El Congo was at this lovely, little church.

You will see the new one, next door, later, but this is where we were welcomed to the community by the Community Health Evangelism women,  their pastor, Edin, and his wife, Juanita.
Juanita is the Regional Leader for Women of CHE on Ometepe island.  She heads a team of 10 community leaders.  Edin rides his bike many kilometers a week to pastor the people of El Congo.  While we went about our activities, he cared for the people who came, calling various people over to pray for a boy who accepted Christ one morning, and 2 women who reconciled with Jesus one afternoon.

Pastor Edin and Pastora Juanita

We go to Nicaragua under the leadership of the Nicaragua National CHE Team; we offer activities, planned with them, in support of their ministry in communities. Darling's work with Women of CHE, Ometepe, is funded by Samaritan's Purse, Canada.  We brought  sewing and baking projects, Fatima taught jewelry-making, as well as helping Kelly and Darling with baking.  Tania and Darling also led devotionals.

                                                          


We all stayed in nearby houses, Bill and I stayed with Marta, right next to the church, and all of the classes: jewelry, sewing, and baking were held in her patio, as Nicaraguans call the part of their property that immediately surrounds the house.  Everyone ate all our delicious meals there, too.  Brother Antonio gave spiritual leadership, and his wife, Mirna, an accomplished seamstress, worked with Heide on the sewing project.
                                                            

Marta is keeping an eye on her grandchildren
 while doing embroidery with me

The best thing about these last 2 trips has
been being part of an integrated team.
Below, Fatima, Tania, Anne, and Kelly enjoy
dangling their feet in the water, each other's company,
and the Lord's exquisite creation.

                                                      Marta suggested we all go down to the dock, a few hundred yards away, to    watch the sunset.  We watched a magical sunset turn the cap of cloud over the volcano a rosy pink, and listened to the Congo monkeys passing on their nightly patrol through the enormous mango trees hanging over the edge of the lake.  They make an echoing, roaring sound that I would never have connected with monkeys.  Marta led us into the twilight under the mangoes to watch a mother and baby.