Open Hearts Nicaragua - Farrington Family

We have sad news to share from Nicaragua, this past Saturday our beloved Gigi went to be with the Lord. Earlier this year we celebrated her 94th birthday and only a couple weeks ago she was celebrating Aliyah’s 19th birthday with family and friends. Though her death was sudden and caught us a little by surprise we are so very thankful she did not have a long suffering bout with illness. God’s grace is so beautiful and her life was a constant testament of what God is doing. She loved Jesus and being a part of God’s Kingdom work here on Earth, now she is with her beloved Jesus. We are surely going to miss her.

Gigi moved to Nicaragua over fifteen years ago, she built her little house here at Quinta Havilah which many of you have visited over the years I am sure. She loved to talk to anyone who visited and share stories, which were grand! She would also love to ask about our lives and what God was doing all around the world. She was been a constant presence in our children’s lives, celebrating every birthday with laughter and a special birthday card with some money in it. She never missed a party if there was one going on, and she always looked beautiful. The kids would have ice cream on her porch and help her make one of her special cakes. When the cousins were in town just recently she gathered some of them near her and told them “when Gigi dies you all don’t need to be sad, I am going to be with Jesus and I will get to see my mom and dad again.” She was just so sweet to know how when this day came, they would all be wondering and be sad thinking about their great grandmother.

Many of you will recognize Fredder who grew up in Casa Robles. We have shared stories on numerous occasions about the awesome things Jesus is doing in his life. Fredder is still doing amazing. You may recall how he had left Robles and ended up back in La Chureca for a time before God moved in his life and brought him to the Northern Mountains of Nicaragua to work with his Uncle in a carpentry shop. He left the darkness behind him and took the Lords hand, getting his high school diploma via exams, taking leadership in his local church, entering into University to pursue a degree in English Education as well as a second degree in Theology at Universidad Martin Lutero. All the while keeping the first things first in his life and making Jesus his number one priority.

Hello from dry, sunny, hot and sweaty Nicaragua! We are in the peak of the dry season and it is brutal, but we are praying for the rains to come soon, will you join us in praying for that? Amen Amen Amen!!! We hope this update finds you well wherever you are and that you had a wonderful Easter celebration. We took this picture as we gathered together with friends on Easter Sunday. It was a wonderful time together to celebrate the most important weekend of our Christian faith. Jesus is alive!

Before we share some stories of the past months we want to ask for your support. We are so blessed to have spent that last 18 years serving the Lord here in Nicaragua. We could not do it without your prayers and generosity towards our mission and our family.

Would you consider becoming a monthly giver? Each of the donation buttons below have the option to make your gift a recurring donation. It would help to sustain our family on mission if you were to support us in that way.

Thank you and we pray the Lord would bless your generosity…now on to some fun Spring Happenings!

We love the impact that we have for Jesus in the lives of kids here in Nicaragua! We call our ministry centers Kid’s Clubs because the Lord has called us here to Nicaragua to bring relief and hope to the lives of young people. It can sound funny when we constatly say we are going to the Club today, or yesterday I was at the Club…reminds me of a funny Saturday Night Live Skit from years ago. But when we go to the Club…we go to serve, we go to Love, we go to have fun…it is the best type of Clubbin’!!!

As we head into this new year of 2024 we want to start the year off by recognizing all of these amazing graduates from Ileana’s School down at Club Esperanza! We had a full class of excited preschoolers heading into elementary school, and a overly full class of graduates heading into High School!

Open Hearts International had another successful year serving the most vulnerable and impoverished communities. The resources we provided also affected the families of our students, more specifically families who have children with special needs, pregnant and nursing mothers, and families trying to find their own home.

In 2023, Open Hearts International:

• Served 161,250 meals
• Provided education to 390 children
• Awarded scholarships to 210 students
• Helped 7 vulnerable children find full-time family support.
• Gave aid to 13 families with special needs and disabled children
• Provided consolation and assistance to 25 pregnant and nursing mothers
• Put 5 families into their first home
• Supported 17 churches along the Rio Coco in the indigenous region of Nicaragua.

This would not have happened without support from individuals like you. In 2024, we need your help to keep these efforts running and expand our mission. Our additional initiatives next year will include:

• Creating a home loan program for the families of our students at Club Esperanza, along with new textbooks for all our students.
• Roof repair and replacing lead pipes in our rescue homes, Casa Havilah and Casa Robles.
• Establishing more churches in Walakitang, a remote indigenous Miskito community on the Rio Coco that separates northern Nicaragua and southern Honduras.

If you would like to give before 2023 ends, you can find our donation information here. And, if you would like to get in contact with us for ways you can be involved next year please email us at losfarringtons@gmail.com

We Praise the Lord for all of these great projects that are helping to raise people out of poverty and be the touch from the Lord that many have been praying for. We thank you for your giving!

Chris & Kirsta Farrington