THE UNION CHURCH IN WABAN
THE NICARAGUA PROGRAM
Pictures From the Union Church in Waban's Commitment to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.
(Click on the thumbnails to view.)
Nicaragua Mission Trip 2006
The following piece describes one of our past missions to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.
We are so thankful to God for the blessings of mutual support and united work that abound here.
In February, our Nicaragua mission team accomplished a great deal to extend and expand the friendships and spiritual solidarity we share with our Nicaraguan neighbors. Some hard traveling to rural schools to distribute the clothing and supplies collected from the Union Church yielded smiles and tears that easily broke through any lingering language barrier. Herbie, Hannah, Sarah, Steph, Susan, et al. gave their own meaning to the phrase: "Walk a mile in my shoes." Ask them.
Even with 28 strong souls, the job of building a "taller" for water filters seemed idealistically ambitious. The digging was daunting. Laboring in tropical heat and moving tough earth by hand, the task seemed impossible. Sharing shovels and stories kept morale high, even when the digital pictures of the work looked like illustrations for the book of Job. Finally with persistence and the miraculous appearance of an earth excavating backhoe, (Thank you Nancy Z!) what seemed impossible became likely. Then the concrete was mixed, the foundation perimeter finished, painted metal columns were soldered and secured; large stones were lifted and joined to make "earthquake proof" walls. Now, in the outskirts of San Juan del Sur, a brand new corrugated zinc roof shines bright atop the "Taller de Newton".
The work was funded by robust Christmas wreath sales and was nearly two years in the planning.
The candy sale, headed by Sarah Laski, yielded enough money that when combined with the Cookbook sales, purchased 82 books for the Mobile Library.
The home stays, the new friends and the accomplishments make The Union Church destined to return again and again. The successful intergenerational trip is a tribute to our youth and their parents.
Note: The Nicaragua Task Force returned to San Juan del Sur in 2007, and is scheduled to return again in 2008. We are collecting school supplies as usual.