The team from Main Street Baptist in Oneonta has returned from Nicaragua and by now is back into the swing of their normal routines... the small church community in El Pochote just finished their worship service in their new sanctuary! Boy, did we have an awesome experience in the process!
My last visit to El Pochote was after the team from Oneonta left Bluefields last April… I was able to tag along with Rigoberto Reyes, Aaron Palmatier and Mike Najjar to venture to El Pochote amongst other destinations in that region. The church at that time was a dilapidated structure that needed to be torn down. Not only was it in poor condition, it also would be too small for the potential growth of this church community.
So, after our arrival on site on December 27th, we started working and the church emerged from the flat ground. Slowly but surely we organized into jobs that utilized our skill strengths and progress was immediately noticeable! Digging foundations was necessary to begin the process of wall building, so immediately the team got busy. Columns needed to be made out of rebar and formed metal rods… column manufacturing was one project that never ended throughout the week – both upright vertical columns within the walls and cross beams required the same technology! 
Concrete had to be made, but first materials had to be moved about the work site… the sand and rock were delivered by larger trucks and sometimes had to be moved twice to a strategic location. The building blocks for the church were large quarried stones… weighing just about 100 lbs. each, so for those with the energy and stamina were enlisted to move these closer to where the masons could use them.
Most noticeable throughout the week were the relationships that were formed between our team and the local folks that volunteered to help build the church. Actually some traveled from as far away as Chinandega… about 2-1/2 hours away… others from nearby Nindiri also contributed their time and skill to accomplish the overall goal – it was awesome to see! Everyone has their sties of how they were impacted… all I can say is that as a first time leader of a team, it was so cool to see how we all cooperated despite the language barrier… Christ’s love was shared… and that is universal!
During the week, our team shared with the local children through puppet dramas depicting Bible stories, singing and craft making. Even the simplest crafts became treasured keepsakes. The children seem to have a natural ability to open up quickly and the teams responded with their creativity. Many times you would see kids playing with team members… sure the building needed to be done, but most importantly, relationships were formed. Jesus taught us about relationships… and that lesson will last a lifetime!
By the time for our departure, just 9 days after we arrived, the church was completed all except for the roof… and that could be finished by local volunteers. One of our team members, Justin Leuttger carved a sign into one for the quarried 
sytones with 
the name of the church - it was such an awesome gift from Justin... and it was a gift in return to Justin when the stone was placed on the last wall... God gives gifts to those who freely give of themselves!
All week, we were blessed by the awesome service of our sisters in the kitchen… out of a basic structure cam food for our army of workers… I do not think I noticed any dissatisfied customers all week! What a true blessing this ministry is… the women are up at least 3 hours before the team and spend most of the day preparing and cleaning up after the current and next day’s meals. The women always greeted the tired and hungry workers with a smile or a kind word… I will never forget them!
On the last day, while preaching for the first time in the new sanctuary, the pastor, Gonsolo stood and praised God from the new pulpit area, raising his hands to the open sky… he looked like he felt very comfortable. We worshiped together and after tearful goodbyes, we departed for our hotel in Masaya for the last time.
After all that hard work, we headed off to Granada for well deserved R&R&R… rest, relaxation and reflection. A definite highlihght was the canopy tour at Volcan Mombacho... everyone tried and and survived to tell their story! It may take a few weeks or months for some folks to comprehend how God wants them to use this trip… for some, maybe a career change is in the future… some need to make college choices… some have to ponder post college career choices… some will consider how to serve God more sincerely… the list goes on I am sure!We praise God for safety during our travel and work… we also praise and thank Him for his desire to befriend us and guide us on our Earthy experiences.
