January 26th, 2010
Imagine your church without electricity or running water! Imagine having to schedule everything before the sun goes down, not being able to have church dinners or Bible studies or meetings in the evenings unless you bring a bunch of candles or a lantern. Imagine having to haul every drop of water into the church for Sunday after worship church dinners, for both cooking and washing dishes. Imagine having to go all the way home when one of the children (or you yourself) need to use a washroom.
That’s what our Lutheran friends in Jinotega, Nicaragua have been dealing with for many months now since their church was built, but not quite completed. We intend to put an end to this situation this coming March break. A team from Niagara area will be leaving on March 14th and returning on the 22nd for the mountains of Nicaragua. We are hoping to collect enough money to complete the projects mentioned in the Jinotega church as well as add to the funding of feeding projects there and in Matagalpa. If you would like to help, please direct your cheque to Christ Lutheran Church, 140 Russell Ave. St. Catharines, L2R 1W1. mark it for the Nicaragua Mission trip. Of course, the great need is to Haiti right now and we are personally directing our greater gifts there; but we also want to see other work like this continue on as well. Perhaps you do, too.
The other purposes of this trip revolve around more comprehensive planning for future trips, including a youth trip March Break 2011. We would like to go even beyond that with our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua, planning together perhaps 3-5 years in advance based on their perception of what is needed and our perception of what we in North America might be able to contribute. If you have questions, please contact myself or Frank Parkhouse, the chairman of the Nicaragua Coordinating Committee. Both of us can be reached through the church office of Christ Lutheran, St. Catharines. Keep us in your prayers!
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January 6th, 2010
Hello Brother:
All the team say hello. This is after noon and I am sitting in the courtyard were we hold our debriefing and planning each day. Things are progressing and we are rapidly learning to be very flexible. Our group (Myself, Liz, Danielle and Ray) is in the most remote area, yet largest number of children. We are under a tree with not a blade of grass anywhere with goats crossed with sheep on one side. There is a family home outhouse, and shower on the other, a kitchen of another home on the other with a well. A Fighting Cock in a cage just over the fence a few feet from the group – he likes to crow loudly when the Pastor starts to talk. No tables – no chairs – no electricity but we still manage to colour, cut, paste and hand out the goodies. Many of these little ones have already latched on to the each of us. They are well cared for and well groomed and so appreciative of what we have to offer and never hesitate to yell out “amen!” Some children that live close by are accompanied by mothers, grandmothers or older siblings. We are thankful for their presence as they lend a hand when it comes to the cutting and colouring. Others come walking in groups from a distance, through the fields and down very remote looking roads. 20 + were delivered in a stake truck that would have drawn many tickets and probably the vehicle would have been impounded in Waterloo. A few have even proudly tried some English words, while Pastor has learned to yell out “Silencio” very loudly. At times the situation is very emotional. Group 2 (Ruth, Lucille, Kristen and Darla) can look out the church door, across the field to at an active Volcano. This is the setting that most reflects what we would know as a church structure. It has pews and kneelers. It is quite a beautiful site out in the middle of the Nicaraguan countryside. Group 1 (Cathy, Darryll, Wayne and Myra) are meeting in the church that you have seen in pictures before and where we attended service on Sunday. Every time we look around Wayne has a little one in his arms, yet has time to address the organization of the older boys. Tomorrow afternoon we are going to a retreat at Pastor Maximos’ house. He is anxious for us to see his home, which he says Redeemer congregation helped pay for.
Pastor & Liz (Roberto & Leez)
Carol please include this letter to Bernie in this Sunday’s bulletin
Rejoicing in His days
Robert C. Krestick, pastor
Redeemer Lutheran Church,
Waterloo, Ontario
2nd Vice President, Lutheran Church-Canada
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December 31st, 2009
Hi all from Matagalpa:
Happy New Year to you and hope you have a great time with friends and family.
It has been a great week with so much happening and very little time to communicate with you. We decided to cut the Jinotega VBS to 3 days as it was taking us 1 hour there and back and we, including the Nicaraguan pastors, were exhausted.
This morning was our last session and we have averaged about 80 children in Matagalpa and 130 or more in Jinotega. With one lost suitcase that has not turned up, we breathed a sigh of relief knowing that each child enjoyed the crafts, the sacks, games and music. Today we wrapped up with a pinata, ice cream and a lot of pictures with children. They are so darling and lovable.
Tonight Pastor Hamp, our team spiritual leader, will give a sermon at the New Year´s sermon at the Matagalpa church. It is also the confirmation of Pastor Immer´s son. We will have a full fiesta after this service with chicken, pizza and ice cream, etc. We are expecting about 125 people, so it should be a fun evening. We´ll see if any of us make it to midnight, but I suspect some will and where better to greet the New Year than here in Matagalpa.
We still want to send pictures but will try to reduce the size before
sending them. They are now loaded on Roberto Carlo´s computer, but this sender needs some help with the techie stuff. Where is Jon when you need him? Out at a coffee plantation of course 
with half of the team. The other half is tearing up the town this afternoon shopping to their heart´s content.
Dave Ford, the forwarding guy back home, will send on photos when he gets them which hopefully will be before Jan 1. He is joining his wife Jane in Nicaragua on the 2nd and won´t be able to forward messages after that.
Blessings to all,
MataMission Team
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December 30th, 2009
It was our first day with VBS in both Matagalpa and Jinotega. We are very tired. In Matagalpa, we had about 75 children and in Jinotega we had about 120 kids. Pastor Immer and Hector were with us, along with about 10 deaconesses and parent helpers. The children are very good and eager to try out all the activities that we are trying with them. Everything is working and we will just repeat what we have been doing today with rotating the 5 different groups.
The trip up to Jinotega was amazing. It is a new road with hair pin turns and magnificent vistas. Can´t say we appreciate the diesel trucks, especially when we get stuck behind one.
We are so amazed at the support in each community. The snacks are going well and the crafts and games are a lot of fun. The secret seems to be in having many helpers and each one knowing what he or she is to do.
We had downloaded a picture last night on the desktop at the hotel
computer,but it was gone tonight when we decided to send this message. So will try to get a picture off tomorrow night.We all send greetings to family and friends. Abrazos and there are lots of those!
Adios from Matagalpa,
The team
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December 28th, 2009
Matamission update – Dec 27
Hola Amigos!
We are waiting for our last driver to arrive from Chinandega.
Everyone had a good night sleep and a good breakfast. Some even had a swim.
Worship today will be in Matagalpa at 3 pm with Rev Immer and his
congregation. It will give all of us an opportunity to meet the members of the congregation and plan for tomorrow. We will have 150 children in Matagalpa and 150 in Jinotega. Rev Immer has this all planned out already.
Our translators are Roberto Carlos from the ILSN (Iglesia Luterana Sinod de Nicaragua) and a new Lutheran, Lidia. A woman translator will be a great benefit because some times the women in remote communities really like to discuss issues concerning women and Roberto Carlos is very shy about translating things like that – mostly because he does not know the words.
Jose is driving the microbus (van) and his English is limited but he is a very nice guy and many of us know him already. Everyone says hi and some family members may have gotten phone calls or personal emails already. The best Western has free internet. Must go now.
MataMission team
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December 4th, 2009
The children’s breakfast and Bible story program, which has been running successfully in Matagalpa and other parts of Nicaragua, has been expanded into Jinotega by Pastor Immer Montoya. He has sent us some pictures of the program in action.
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November 19th, 2009
________________
MataMission Prepares to Leave Dec 26/09 for Matagalpa
5 weeks and counting. Yes, after 10 months, ten members of Faith Lutheran Church in Kitchener, joined by two members of Historic St Paul’s Kitchener and two member of Messiah Waterloo, will begin packing 14 suitcases of VBS Spanish-language lessons, crafts, skit, musical instruments and special gifts for an expected 300 children.
Pastor Immer Montoya of Matagalpa is the Nicaraguan pastor in charge and will recruit his own church members to lead the lessons and work through the student leaflets. The MataMission team, in their striking royal blue T’s, will provide snacks, crafts, sports equipment and all the hugs they can dish out.
Logistically, Pastor Immer is considering where to hold this mammoth event. While he may decide to have a morning and an afternoon VBS right at the church, he also told MataMission that he may ask the Matagalpa District school board to use the public school to accommodate everyone. He explained how excited the local children are and how blessed they will be.
Meanwhile for us in KW, we are visiting travel clinics, deciding what to take and calculating how we really will manage that many children. Christmas? Who is even thinking about that?
Are you interested in following this expedition for the Lord? Email djford@sentex.net if you want to be added to the MataMission Amigo Contact list so you can follow the progress being made by the MataMission team in these last few weeks and during its time in Nicaragua. We would love to have you on board with us.
The Road to Matagalpa
Tags: The road to Matagalpa
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November 19th, 2009
At this point, the Nicaragua Coordinating Committee is aware of two mission trips to Nicaragua scheduled for the March school break. Pastor John Trembulak serving the Dashwood and Goderich parish (bnz (at) hay.net) is leading a VBS team to Chinandega Province, and Pastor Gary Kuenzel serving Christ, St. Catharines (gwkuenzel (at) yahoo.ca) is organizing a construction, outreach and future planning trip to Matagalpa Province. At last report, there way still space available on both teams- but don’t wait if you are interested!
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May 19th, 2009
Want someone to come to your church and talk about a mission to Nicaragua? Greg and Lois Munz, members of Prince of Peace Lutheran in Burlington, Ontario and the Nicaragua Coordinating Committee are making themselves available to do just that. They are have a marvelous presentation with pictures of their most recent trip there. They have plenty of Nicaragua experience, and have lots of great advice for potential mission trip takers. They can be reached at greg_munz (at) sympatico.ca or 905-844-6567.
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March 17th, 2009
On the road to Chinandega
See more pictures and reports on “most recent trip” page
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