Nicaragua (MNN) — Nicaragua is the poorest country in Latin America and the second-poorest country in the western hemisphere behind Haiti.
Orphan’s Heart ministers to poor and needy in Nicaragua (Photo Courtesy of Orphan’s Heart)
Orphan’s Heart reports that malnutrition is a problem throughout the country and that 25% of children do not attend school because they must work.
The public market of Managua attracts many of these children because there is greater access to food.
Bethel Baptist Church, a community church in Managua, does its best to reach out to the poorest in the local community.
Orphan’s Heart partners with them by doing week-long mission trips throughout the year to supplement and expand the work already being done there.
Andrew Tattrie of Orphan’s heart says, “Each Saturday, members of the Bethel Baptist Church provide a hot meal and discipleship programs to the children living in some of the poorest neighborhoods that surround that church in Managua.”
The partnership is a service to the “least of these” in Nicaragua and goes along with Orphan’s Heart’s mission.
“Basically our mission is to provide for the spiritual and physical needs of orphaned and disadvantaged children around the world,” Tattrie says.
This August, Tattrie will be leading a group with Orphan’s Heart on a week-long discipleship trip to work with Bethel Baptist Church.
In the mornings, Orphan’s Heart is providing a medical clinic for the community. Later in the afternoon, they will conduct VBS-style Bible lessons that involve worship, games, activities, crafts, and Bible stories.
Large crowds are drawn to the medical clinic because many individuals have not seen a doctor in years. Doctors are overworked in Nicaragua, and hospitals are overcrowded. Rooms are reserved for more serious illnesses, and lesser health issues are often overlooked. Another barrier is lack of travel and funds for a hospital visit.
Before or after their visit to the clinic, patients have the opportunity to pray with the team and hear about God through Bible stories.
“Our mission team is completely focused on serving and working with those children in that community around Bethel Baptist Church,” Tattrie says.
For people living in poverty, the service that Orphan’s Heart brings is significant. Tattrie says, “I think it sends a huge message just to see that God loves them and there are other people that love them as well.
“Some of the families that those children come from are struggling either to put food on the table or to find work, and so when they see a mission team come in, they get the sense of love.”
(Photo courtesy of Orphan’s Heart)
Tattrie explains that the medical mission is a part of what God is calling them to do in reaching out to the poorest children and families of this country.
So, what does this have to do with you?
Well, for starters, this opportunity is something to praise God about. To see His hand moving among poor neighborhoods around the world is truly a blessing for any follower of Christ.
On the other side of that, you can be praying.
“Prayer is one of the most important things that we can do, and we would appreciate and covet any prayers that come our way for Orphan’s Heart,” says Tattrie.
Pray also for the Bethal Baptist Church and their staff as they continue their feeding program.
One last thing you can pray for is that God would open the eyes of many hearts through the partnership.
Tattrie is excited about the upcoming trip. He says, “I think it just reflects God’s love and just shows the kids how much we love them, how much God loves them. It’s such a great time to be able to worship with the kids, to share Bible stories, and also to feed the kids. So, it’s just a tremendous ministry we have there in Nicaragua.”
The registration for this trip is closed. However, you can look into upcoming trips with Orphan’s Heart here.
If God is calling you to support this ministry financially, find out more here.
View our other news with Orphan Outreach right here.
