Nicaragua 2011

Imagine with me for a moment that you are standing deck-side on your boat, life preserver in hand attempting your best throw to the human being overboard paddling to save his/her life and they are screaming your name for help! As you quickly prepare to toss the Life Preserver to the wearisome helpless soul, you say a prayer asking God to direct your aim that it be good enough for the individual overboard to reach it and save their life!

Oscar & Rosibel (Directors of Sobre Las Alas Del Aguila)

I had the same feeling as I watched a courageous young man named Oscar Corea in his country of Nicaragua rescue thousands of children from empty stomachs. I wasn't observing deck-side from a boat, or shoreline from a peer, I was observing first hand at the feeding centers of Sobre Las Alas Del Aguila. I remember the second day of our trip seated on the bus approaching the next feeding center our driver blew the horn alerting the children to our arrival. They began to appear from the edges of the villages, overflowing into the bumpy dirt road. Hundreds of heads bopping up and down running as fast as their little legs could carry them toward our bus. Waving as they ran, you could see a glimmer of "hope" in their eyes. Hope of being rescued and the hope of a warm cooked meal...they knew we had Life Preservers on board and they weren't going to miss it!

Nicaragua

Kids running to meet our bus

We exited our bus and were greeted by the most precious smiles on the face of the earth. Every feeding center reflected a different scene, but one constant remained, there were hundreds of hungry children all needing our help. Their ages ranged from infants to teens and their smiles I shall never forget.

Marta! Oh she stole my heart.

Oscar and our team began to follow off the bus with the mission of "saving lives" on the forefront of our minds. Some on the team were assigned to play with the children while others like myself, were given the privilege to bless the feeding center volunteers with a much needed manicure and hand massage and as you can see from above, some of the little ones were excited to get their nails painted too.

Feeding Center - they were waiting on us!

Feeding Center one line of many...

The Team preparing meals.

Prepping the meals

On the opposite end of the center, others from our team prepped the food, chopped vegetables and gathered wood for the fire to prepare a nutritional meal for the hundreds who waited. Every day (several feeding centers per day) I was amazed how the single pot of rice and chicken would multiply, feeding every child in line. It reminded me of the story in Matthew when Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and fed the multitudes. I am still amazed at what God can do with "just a little". Life Preservers ------ I saw them everywhere!

Oscar giving kitchen utensils to the Pastor of this feeding center.

So thankful for a larger bowl and supplies which helps this Pastor feed more kids.

Life Preservers in the form of new cooking pots, plastic bowls, spoons and kitchen utensils which better equipped centers to feed more children from the community.  Life Preservers  in a hug, a handshake or a simple smile that extended from one mother to another. The language barrier could not and did not prevent the love of God's children one for another. A Life Preserver in the form of a warm bowl of chicken soup and rice, lovingly made, poured and distributed to everyone who came hungry. Saving lives, giving hope, filling empty stomachs ----the mission was being fulfilled.

Quickly I grabbed for my sunglasses to hide my tears. I was overwhelmed by the realization of knowing we held the Life Preservers in our hands and today we had the ability to save another life.

Chicken and rice meal

No kitchens, refrigerators, or stoves -- just some firewood a large pot and a few utensils!

A few days later our trip came to an end and we had to leave Leon, Nicaragua, the kids at the feeding center, Oscar, Rosibel and their team. We boarded the bus headed to the airport and arrived back in the USA within a few hours. After talking with my team-mates on the trip home, it's accurate to say we left a part of our hearts in Nicaragua. There is no way to experience such a fulfilling moment and not carry that experience with you forever. I guess that's what the Lord meant when he conveyed to his disciples that it was "more blessed to give then to receive."

Our American Team Nicaragua 2011!

Some feeding centers they are still without supplies. (Spoons, bowls, utensils, pots etc.)

Lining up the bowls.

I'll never forget these smiles!

Oscar's Team!

Empty stomachs!

What a monumental task one man and one women, feeding 10,000+ children a day! A burden carried by a courageous warrior named Oscar and his sweet wife Rosibel, who daily give of their lives to save others. Tears flow down my eyes and onto my cheeks even now as I type my blog, because I recognize their burden. Even with their vast efforts, still so many children in Nicaragua will go to bed tonight hungry, loosing hope that anyone will hear their cry to be rescued. God help us to recognize we hold the Life Preservers in our hands. We have the ability to save lives, to feed empty stomachs and empty hearts. May we stop trying to protect our own lives by holding so tightly to our Life Preserver, and instead may we be willing to toss them overboard to save another.

This experience has made me reflect on my own life and ministry. I must admit that I have repented on numerous occasions over the last week for my ungratefulness, my lack of compassion to the needs of others, my unwillingness to be concerned about the things the Lord is concerned about and most importantly my idea that what I do for the kingdom is enough. My mere sacrifices are small in comparison to what Oscar and Rosibel give on a daily basis and only heaven will accurately reflect the cost. They truly are heroes in the Kingdom.

Oscar and Rosibel -- True heroes of God's work. I love you both!

I am motivated by their sacrifices, for what matters to God should matter most to me. Lord I thank you for this experience, may I make it more about you and less about me.

If you are interested in giving to help Oscar and Rosibel continue their ministry in Nicaragua you can visit Honoringthefather.org for more details or you can connect with me on my website at www.moms4him.com  No amount is to small or insignificant. Every contribution helps! Thank you!!!!


Blessings, Polly