Covenant Presbyterian Church

CPC Team Serves in Nicaragua (part 2)

July 30, 2014

A portion of our trip to Nicaragua focused on Discipleship and Leadership Development. We had the opportunity to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ in the area of biblical marriage.  We met with many of the married couples in the church and shared God's plan for healthy marriages.  There were many good questions and discussion about how to keep marriages Christ-centered and healthy.

During the Sunday worship service, Gaston Formisano gave a message on the role of
discipleship in the church.  The women of the team (Jillian Beharry, Heather Bennett, Hayleigh Bennett, Ananda Elam and Cathy Formisano) had the opportunity to share a message and a craft with the children in the church.  Daniel Hedman and Brian Lum Shue Chan brought their guitars along and participated in leading worship while Cathy Formisano did an amazing job singing a solo in Spanish.  During one of the evenings, David Schatz led a prayer meeting sharing God's will for us as we help to build His church.

Speaking of building the church, one of our tasks on this trip was to come alongside our brothers and help begin the construction of a new church building.  I would love to say that our team was instrumental in preparing the foundation for the building. Unfortunately, that would be a lie.  We were hopeful as we were given the task of digging two holes about 1.5 meters square and 2.5 meters deep, with the end goal of setting up rebar and pouring concrete in the holes.  Though our hopes were not met with success (not even close), it provide an opportunity for great fellowship with our brothers as we moved some dirt around together.  We were the recipients of quizzical looks (okay, they really thought we were nuts) when we suggested renting a backhoe to dig the holes.

All of this reminded me that relationships are more important than progress - I know that is often very hard for us productivity-minded Gringos.  Roy Oishi, videographer, documented all of our attempts at digging during those days, as well as all the other activities throughout the week.

We rounded out the week with a "Fiesta de adios" where we exchanged gifts and words
of thanks.  This event included a time of worship with our friends, eating together, sharing testimonies about how God was working in us and through us throughout the week, and saying our goodbyes (some of which were tearful).

Relationships really are the key to the inter-dependent partnerships that we are seeking as we act on our desire to be a part of building the Kingdom.  We were all extraordinarily blessed as we developed and strengthened relationships.  We are humbled by our like-minded kingdom building partners and their love for us, for each other, and for the communities they serve.  Pray for them as they seek to share the Good News with those who desperately need it.

Written by Mark Diener


For more information on our Global Missions program or upcoming short-term missions trips, contact Mark Diener, Global Missions Director at mdiener@covenantpalmbay.org.