LIFE is taking a team of volunteers to Nicaragua this September. The purpose of this trip is primarily to "partner with the Nicaraguan people to transform the nation." In other words, we are connecting with the mission and ministry of El Ayudante, a kingdom-minded para-church organization that seeks to reach the Nicaraguan people with the Gospel.
Why are we going?
To download our Nicaragua Mission Trip Brochure, click here.
What will we be doing there?
Teams are usually scheduled with a Saturday to Saturday flight schedule. Flights from the US into AugustoC.SandinoInternationalAirport in Managua arrive from lunch through early evening.
Teams are met by El Ayudante staff with transportation after they claim luggage andclear customs. Luggage in loaded and the team departs for Leon (2 hour drive) or Matagalpa (2hour and 30 minute drive).
Sunday’s schedule includes attending/serving at a local church, ministering to the children at El Ayudante’s child protection center (HCN), and preparing for the week’s ministry.
Monday through Thursday, team ministry is determined by the team considering their gifts, yet strategically coordinated to build on the ministry of previous teams. Supplies and funding for the week’s ministry is provided by the team.
Friday after breakfast, teams leave Leon or Matagalpa to tour Nicaragua. Potential tour sites include MasayaVolcanoNational Park, Lake Nicaragua, and the Managua zip-line over the lagoon of an inactive volcano. Shopping for local crafts at Masaya or Managua is also included in the day’s events.
Hotel options for Friday (the last) night in Managua include the Camino Real which is three minutes from the airport and offers a continental breakfast and transportation to the airport. Special rates are also available for El Ayudante teams at the Intercontinental Metrocentro and Best Western.
Who can go?
We would like to invite anyone who would like to go to come along. This is a very cost-efficient mission trip and would be a great opportunity to check out foreign missions not too far off and see what "diving into another culture" with the Gospel may look like. eMail pastor Philipp if you're interested, or simply show up for the informational meeting at the church on March 16.
How do I need to prepare?
Three P's:
Prayer.
Mission trips are a life-changing event for anyone who goes. It is exciting, interesting, and different. You get to experience a different culture, language group, economic standards, etc. people for whom Christ died just as much as He died for you. People who are close to His heart and who have a need to hear and see the Gospel. We ask that you pray about going. Download the devotional guide here (43MB).
Passport:
Make sure you either have a current passport or you get a new one. This has top priority as you will not be able to leave the US without it. Click here for more information about passports.
Participation:
Schedule:
March 16, 5.00 pm at Life Baptist Church: Informational meeting about the Nicaragua Mission Trip
March 30, first deposit of $200.00 and commitment card due.
April 20, 12.15 pm second meeting and second deposit of $200.00 due. During this meeting, we will form different teams responsible for different tasks.
May 18, third deposit of $250.00 due.
June 22, 12.15 pm and fourth deposit of $200.00 due.
July 6, 12.15 pm third meeting and progress report on teams' preparations.
July 20, fifth deposit of $200.00 due.
August 17, final deposit of $250.00 due.
August 31, 12.15 pm Immunization
September 14, 12.15 pm last meeting prior to trip
September 19, 6.00 pm at LIFE Baptist Church: packing empty suitcases with supplies.
Finances:
This is the perfect mission trip to go on for everyone: one, it is a very affordable mission trip in that all each team member has to come up with is a total of $1,300.00 for the trip. That's it. This includes airfare, lodging, food, and money to do ministry. Be sure to plan on $150.00 for immunizations! Two, the travel time is very short.
There are several ways to get the finances together:
As a team, we want to bring as many items to Nicaragua that are needed locally. From March through August, we want to challenge everyone who can to help purchase supplies, which will be packed by the team and distributed locally. Here are three lists (downloadable as .pdf files) of needed items:
