Walakitang: Christmas reports…

I got a call from Pastor Victor last Sunday letting me know he was in Managua.  He was on his way through to Puerta Cabeza on the East Coast to visit with Pastor Earl Bouy who is the head of Verbo church in that region.  Victor’s wife Damaris was accompanying him as well as Felix and Elma.  Their children study in Verbo’s school in Puerta Cabezas and they were going to pick them up for the Christmas break.

These men and women have a passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and are so dedicated with joy, sweat, and tears!  We went to lunch in Managua and got to catch up on things.

Felix and Elma (pictured above on the right) have decided to get married.  They recently became members of Verbo Church in Walakitang and had long been an influential family in the community.  This Christmas they felt called to make their marriage covenant before the Lord and so on this trip they were getting their marriage license in the city of Wiwili and then heading back home to have a big wedding party with family and friends.  Felix is President of the community in Walakitang, so it is very special to see what God is doing in him and his family.  We are praying for major impact on the community through them.

There are also some other very cool reports from Walakitang.  Pastor Earl led a team to install solar panels in Walakitang and other communities along the Rio Coco where we are planting churches.  They installed panels and lights at each church, with a timer that comes on at 6pm and goes off at midnight every day.  None of these communities have electricity or running water, so this is a very significant thing!  The church will be a hub of meetings and gatherings in the community ever evening now…there are lights!

Another really cool development is what Pastor Victor (pictured above on left with his wife Damaris) has led the church to do.  They have a need for sound equipment that they run with a generator during church services.  The previous equipment has broken, so as a church they decided to go to work.  Victor secured a contract with a government project that is building a school in Walakitang.  The project would pay the church to use their boat to haul in sand for construction of the school.  All hands on deck…the church was able to raise almost $800 working together!  Victor was also in Managua to buy the sound equipment.  Isn’t that awseoms?  That this is how the church is celebrating Christmas this year…new sound equipment and instruments!  Praise Jesus.  We were able to donate a guitar, which we gave to Victor as they came back through Managua on their way home.

Victor and Damaris had their daughter Mirari with them as they came back through.  We have known her from over a decade and it was so great to see her again with them.  There is lots of love in their family!  She is finishing high school at Verbo’s school next year.  Something to pray about for the future is the possibility of helping young men and women like Mirari come to Managua from Walakitang to do their University studies.  We’d love to figure out how to incorporate them into living at Casa Havilah or Casa Robles, or figure out another way to help.  The idea is to help the youth in Walakitang make their next step towards their future.  Mirari would like to study medicine and become a doctor, and I am sure it is with a heart to return home and help her community one day.  This is something we are definitely excited about praying the Lord’s guidance with!

We are able to keep this church planting effort in Walakitang going with the generosity of people from all over the world who support our mission here.  So thank you for that!

Please keep praying for Walakitang!

Merry Christmas.