Thu
May 20
2010
St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Omaha sent nine members to Nicaragua April 14-18 to take part in a vision trip.
The mission was to share Christ’s love with Nicaragua’s poorest people by partnering with The Rainbow Network to help the vastly impoverished portions of the country with healthcare, education, economic development and housing.
Verne Sandhurst said they expected some of what they witnessed on the trip.
“Shanties which seemed barely fit to be used as chicken coops served as a home with dirt floors for a family of four. Children were living with barely more than the clothes on their backs and parents were grinding out a hard day’s labor for $1-2 in order to ensure their families can sporadically eat and simply survive,” he said.
However, Sandhurst added, they did discover some pleasant surprises.
“The mercy and power of God radiated from the eyes of school children who burst with pride and enthusiasm for the future. Hope flowed from the medical clinics where the sick and downtrodden gave thanks to God for his ability to help heal them. Joyous songs of celebration rang out from the feeding centers where children whose families can’t afford to feed them can find a hot meal every day,” he said.
Sandhurst described the experience as overwhelming and the people they encountered as faithful.
“We found the people of Nicaragua to be happy, faithful, proud and peacefully content… not because of us and what we did, but because of God and what He has done and will continue to do in their lives,” he said.
