Nicaragua Mission

In January 2003, the first member of St. Paul’s traveled to Nicaragua. Each year since then, the commitment and support from St. Paul’s members, their families, and friends for medical, construction, sewing, and education projects has grown.

St. Paul’s has had medical team members work for Sandy Carter’s Children of Destiny Organization, where they see between 200 and 300 patients each day. The medical teams travel to remote mountain villages, the Managua city dump, and villages like the one located in the sugar cane fields. The construction/education team began work on an infant orphanage in 2005 which now houses approximately 20 to 30 infants and toddlers. Teams have worked with the El Salero Sport/Ministry Center, which serves children and youth, outside of Managua. Here the teams have run sports camps, craft projects, teacher training workshops, sewing classes and construction projects. In 2010 a major project was the addition to the lending library at the center.

Several years ago the husband of one of our missionaries, Thomas Gutierrez, started a soccer program with youth in the area, many of whom had become involved in unhealthy activities. The son of our team members began collecting soccer cleats, bags, and balls for the program. That program has grown to include multiple teams that make up several leagues. In addition to coaching teams, Thomas now drives through the neighborhood to pick up all those who want to attend church with him.

Over the years, God has grown our efforts far beyond any human expectation. Although numbers tell a part of the story, the real stories in all of these efforts are in the relationships formed, the lives changed, and the realization that God can do anything, if we allow him to guide our work.