Project El Crucero

Blessed Be the Lord !!!

2010-09-11T21:22:00.002-06:00

It was a short but amazingly blessed weekend. Along with the community, we celebrated the arrival of the crate; a forty-foot container that was packed with much needed medical equipment and supplies. The Susie Syke Clinic is now home to medical beds, a dental chair, thousands of needles, casting supplies, catheters, wound supplies, and so many other products that will help the doctor and dentist care for patients with various ailments.

As part of the celebration, leaders of the community spoke of their gratefulness, a high school band provided entertainment, and food was provided for many. It was a fun-filled afternoon of laughter and togetherness, and an awareness and appreciation for how God has impacted this community.

The culmination of the combined efforts of Global Connection International, Project Cure, Cuenta Conmigo, the Nica team, as well as our dedicated supporters in the United States, have seen a vision come to fruition and we look forward to what God has in store for El Crucero.

We have so many to thank for your generous support and wish that each and everyone of you could be here to witness the happiness in our extended families faces.

God Bless.

2010-07-11T08:21:00.002-06:00

Our days in El Crucero have been filled with endless work and many blessings; therefore we have been very delayed to updating our status on the blog. Each night we return to our hotel hungry and exhausted with energy only to eat and go to bed. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve.

Over the last several days we have completed a great deal of renovation that is required for the medical license necessary to run the medical clinic. We have also had numerous challenges with the roof. It is currently the rainy season which brings strong winds and torrential down pour to the area. Our clinic sits quite high and powerful wind gusts and the roofing material is in sheets makes for a ongoing problem with large sections of the roof coming off and leaving holes allowing substantial rain damage to the inside of the clinic.

The first ever “Copa Nica” (“Nica Cup”) was held on Thursday. Six local teams signed up to play and numerous spectators were on hand to cheer for their favorite teams. The American kids played two games and faired about as well as the US team did in the world cup. After several games, the team from Casa De Ozgo (a local youth center) was the champion of the first ever Nica Cup in El Crucero. We served Gatorade to all of the teams and presented the winning team a replica of the World Cup trophy and t-shirts for all the players on the team as a prize.

We were surprised three days ago by the arrival of the Project Cure container of medical supplies and equipment. The container arrived one week earlier than expected to the port in Honduras and we expect it to clear customs here in Managua by July 16^th. Because we are still completing renovations to the clinic we will not be able to deliver the container directly to the clinic when it arrives on the 16th. It has been necessary for us to find a place to store the container until middle of August so that the renovations will be complete and we can arrange for a team from Colorado to return to assist with the set up of the contents of the container as well as be part of a large celebration for the arrival. Through a relationship and partnership with the Rotary Club in Managua we have located a very large home just two kilometers from the clinic that we will be able to store the contents of the container at no charge. In addition the owner of the house has offered to arrange for 10 workers from his coffee plantation to help with the unloading of the container into the house for storage. We are thankful for this storage opportunity and are amazed by the continuous blessings God is providing for our ministry in El Crucero.

Several visits to local orphanages have provided our team the opportunity to play and love the many children in El Crucero who are in desperate situations. Both the adults and the kids on our team have enjoyed playing duck duck goose, doing crafts, playing soccer and simply hugging and loving the endless amounts of kids in the El Crucero area who are either voluntarily placed in orphanages by their parents or have been abandoned. It is amazing to see the instant interaction and formation of friendships despite the language barrier and difference in background. It takes only moments after arrival to an orphanage to hear laughter and see smiles amongst all of the children, both American and Nicaraguan.

Seven team members departed Nicaragua on Friday and returned safely to Colorado. That same day, three new team members arrived from Texas to join us for the remainder of our time here. It is amazing to witness the hard work and dedication of each and every team member. Our days our long and our work is challenging, but the strength and energy of our team seems to flow endlessly.

The next few days will bring a milk handout outreach, several craft camps for the local children, more construction and one last visit to an orphanage. We are excited for our last few days here in Nicaragua but are sad to see the end of our trip coming so quickly.

2010-07-05T19:53:00.002-06:00

We have had three very successful days here in El Crucero.

We were blessed to help out with the children's activities at a local church in El Crucero. The love and dedication these kids have is amazing! Some walked for 3 plus kilometers in the pouring rain to celebrate their love of the Lord. After making home-made crowns, singing praises and whacking the pinata, we made our way to the ABC (Abandoned Boys Center) orphanage. It warmed our hearts to see the boys faces light up when they received the soccer cleats and shin guards we had brought them. After fitting each one of the boys, the game was on! Team Colorado (Taylor, Ryan, Jen, Abby, Reagan, Jaelyn, Hunter and Ellie) vs the "Bad Boys of ABC". The fog rolled in and the rain came down ... in buckets. The kids played their hearts out and had the time of their lives.

Next up was the tradition of delivering the "food baskets". A group of local pastors pick 4 or 5 families (20 total for this trip) that are most in need of receiving the basic necessities that we take for granted. Oil, rice, sugar, soap, toilet paper etc. are given to each family in the name of Jesus Christ. It is always an eye-opening and moving experience for everyone involved.

While everyone in the US was celebrating the 4th of July, those of us who are serving in Nicaragua are grateful to be Americans more than words can describe.

The guys are making significant progress with the many construction projects that have been slated to be completed on this trip. The time and effort it is taking to rip down walls, and move and rebuild the walls is daunting. Jamie and Sean (along with help from many local "friends") are doing an incredible job. There is no rest for the weary!

We woke to a refreshing rain in Managua. The boys went straight to work on construction, and the girls went to the local market with the mission of finding soccer cleats and uniforms for the boys orphanage, so they can participate in the "soccer cup" planned for this Thursday. With God on our side, the mission was accomplished!

The afternoon was filled with kids "craft camp" for all of the local El Crucero villagers. It was a huge success!

So much has been done in only a few short days. It is refreshing to know we have the rest of the week to do Gods Work in Nicaragua. Please pray for the group and continued perseverance and success. It is with continual prayer that we are lifted up!

Auna Jornayvaz, Denver Magazine

2010-07-04T22:11:00.003-06:00

July 3rd, 7pm.

The sun has just set and the haze from the volcanic ashes make the few stars that much more enchanting. There are eight American children standing in a makeshift church in the outskirts of Managua, Nicagura; surrounding them are several dozen children from the small town of El Crucero. An observer can easily separate these children into two groups by the color of skin, the language they sing and their quality of their clothing, albeit these differences, there is something that all of these children share in common, a dedication to make the streets of El Crucero safer, healthier and a more promising place. That, and their love for the Lord.

This isn't the type of church that includes a Sunday school and a choir, there is no crowded parking lot and brunch at the Pancake House afterwards. A small dirt road will carry you thirty minutes into the mountainous terrain of El Crucero, the lush hillsides are misleading, with a population of only several thousand people, the poverty is fierce. A town running twenty kilometers long has less than a handful of homes with running water. This is the second poorest country on earth, and this is its poorest town. This is the stuff you find on the Discovery Channel.

The Trip:

Between the hurricane in Houston and a faulty engine at DIA, the fact we arrived last night is a miracle in itself. Two vans took Sean and Laura Tonner with kiddos Regan and Hunter in two, Then there is family number two; Sara and Jamie Hendren with kiddos Taylor, (along with her friend Jen), Abby, Jaelyn and Ellie… and cousin Ryan from Dallas. Then there are those from Phaseline, who have as much commitment to this project as the Tonners; Monica Owens, Liz Ryan, Jess Leyba and then there is a journalist, Ak: moi. For most on the trip, this is a familiar airport, they hug the van drivers hello, and for several on the trip this country, and the people are foreign… We lug the duffel bags into the motel, with its simple layout and picnic tables outside, we're eager to crawl into a bed, hopefully not an infested one. However, two of the girls (age 10) discovered a worm in their bunk… again, this is no first class accommodation. We're here as a group to provide medical care and hopefully some infrastructure in a struggling community. That said, these kids know that their idea of work is a few hours during a summer vacation, the kids that we'll see tomorrow morning live in an unending summer where school isn't an option and while some work for a meager penance, many go to sleep in dirty beds, unfed, some with fevers, and many don't know their parents and many will become parents far too soon from when they're ready.

While the photographs depict paradise, I've realized this is anything but….

So, I'm a journalist. I was brought on this trip after editing an article about The Project in El Crucero last summer for Denver Magazine, and since I've been intrigued, albeit the tragedy in Haiti, the sores in Nicaragua didn't occur over night, but have worn through the corruption, the poverty has withheld a civil war and the Red Cross handouts, but for some reason this village doesn't seem hopeless. So not in an attempt to save the world, but rather to quench some curiosity I packed my bags and my bug spray and prepared myself for the unknown.

The Day:

At The Clinic: Inside the small square building there is exposed brick and cement, and not the type people pay half a million for lofts in Lower Downtown…. and there were holes in the ceiling, a toilet that needed to be replaced, measurements and moldy dry wall to be torn down. But Sean, Jamie, Ryan, Taylor, Abby and Regan went after it and accomplished more than they planned. With some of the children of El Crucero helping carry the bits and pieces out to the trash, today they're rebuilding one of the walls.

At the Feeding Center: It took no time at all for Hunter to find his friends, many of the children whom stare at us, the white Americans with confusion… but when they see Hunter's open arms and kind eyes, they rush to him to play soccer and to have fun. The small children, the little girls and boys, those who needed laps to sit on, and hair to be played with, took quite a liking to Monica, Liz and Jess. I hung back with the teenage girls who took turns trying on my sunglasses. They devoured the rice and beans with hungry tummies and packed away more in plastic baggies to bring back to mothers and fathers.

Back At Church: After showering and putting on fresh clothes we all made our way back to the small town of El Crucero where we were greeted with Spanish music, a kid on a keyboard and another on the drums made harmonious music that yes, was quite Christian, but I'd be a liar to say it didn't entice me to dance some salsa. The elders held our hands and greeted us with the most grateful gestures as we left the small building, a square building put together by bricks I don't think we've felt closer to God.

As the day closed and we put the last of the cheese and pepperoni pizzas in our mouth there was a sense of peace and serenity. Far away from the bustle and stress of our day-to-day To Do lists, the highways and the car pools, the conference calls and deadlines, we're glad. But never for a moment are we not grateful that we can return to the chaos and the safety that is the United States. So as we embark on a 4th of July in the poorest country in Central America, and nearly the world…. we're never prouder to be Americans.

Hammer, check; Saw, check; Paint Brush, check

2010-04-07T15:23:00.003-06:00

Friends,

We are making our final preparations to travel to Nica in the coming weeks. The main objective for this trip is to construct a kitchen inside of the clinic. As most of you know, the clinic is host to an outreach program that feeds approximately 100 children a week. The installation of this kitchen will make cooking and food preparation easier.

We are also excited to see what progress has been made in the development of a soccer field on site. The local government was kind enough to scrape the land just north of the clinic so that we may conduct sports camps in the future.

The team is very excited to return to Nica and see our friends. Please keep us in your prayers and we look forward to providing you with updates each night.

God bless,
Team Nica

Team Nicarado!

2009-10-22T22:48:00.004-06:00

We have had another successful day in El Crucero. Liz's passion for missions coupled with her talent in sewing has truly launched the beginning of a great vocational program for the local women.

The children continue to enjoy their time with Taylor and Laney. Today they participated in a variety of activities from crafts and computers to sports and face painting! It has been a blessing to have their family join us this week.

Sara continues to work her magic in the communications department. She somehow manages to keep us all on the same page and focused on the same goal. Not an easy task! Her dedication is an inspiration for our leadership team. Both our U.S. team and our Nicaragua team, hence our nickname-Team Nicarado!

Our newest partner and friend, Jean Feist, was a welcome surprise. Her expertise, knowledge and advice have been priceless. Please continue to pray for the funding and processing of the crate. It is exciting to watch the pieces come together.

We are so blessed to have a God that is gracious and kind. He continually provides and guides us in this ministry and we thank each of you for your prayers and support. El Crucero is quickly becoming our home away from home!

God is Good!!

2009-10-20T23:01:00.003-06:00

It has been an amazing two days here in

Nicaragua. Although group is small (4) we have accomplished a great deal in the last 48 hrs. We have spent majority of our time in meetings with various government officials to discuss our plans to partner with Project Cure to have a 40 foot container of medical equipment and supplies delivered to the Clinic. All of our meetings have been successful and we are hopeful that we are beginning to build relationships that will insure continued medical care for those in need in El Crucero.

Jean Fiest from Project Cure has joined us on this trip to facilitate a needs assessment of the clinic in order to prepare a detailed inventory of what medical equipment and supplies will be best suited for the medical needs of the clinic. Jean has been a wealth of information through the process and is very excited about the future of the clinic and our ministry.

Our team of doctors and volunteers in El Crucero are doing an amazing job running the clinic and administering health care to those in need. It is amazing to see the clinic fully operational even with the limited amount of supplies, equipment and medicine. Nearly 30 patients are being seen each day the clinic is open. With an additional 15-20 receiving dental care.

Plans are underway for the construction of a kitchen at the clinic in order to better support the weekly feeding program that is being run out of the clinic. We are hopeful to begin the kitchen build out on our next team trip in December. A generous church in California has fully funded the kitchen build out. We are blessed by their support.

Tomorrow several from our team will begin a new arm of our ministry. A new vocational education program is underway that will teach women in El Crucero sewing as a trade. It will be an exciting opportunity to expand our ministry and help the local women towards a brighter future for themselves and their families.

Sunday, Day Seven - Travel Day

2009-07-13T12:18:00.004-06:00

Sunday was our travel day and we all arrived back home safely. We look back on our trip and are thankful for all the people God has put into our lives. We have strengthened existing relationships and have begun new ones that will grow to be strong. Our construction objectives inside the clinic were nearly completed with just one wall left to be dry-walled along with the remaining painting.

We all feel strongly that the clinic is continuing to proceed in God's plan and this beacon of light is growing ever brighter amongst the fog. And it is with all of you - our friends, family, and acquaintances, that are helping make this happen. Your prayers and financial support are touching so many lives in ways that we will never fully know. From medical and dental care, to the feeding of hundreds of children and adults, to the love given to the kids at the local orphanage. Your help is touching kids that may grow up to be Christian leaders - those that God will empower to make change and further provide help for the people in El Crucero and elsewhere.

In all of our endless appreciation, thank you.
El Crucero Leadership Team

Saturday, Day Six - Wedding Day

2009-07-13T10:21:00.006-06:00

Saturday - The morning saw us return to the clinic to finish installing one door and to begin painting the exam rooms (and continue painting the exterior). We organized the storage room, separating out clothing, shoes, and sports equipment. Around 11:00am, three of our team members left to attend the wedding of our local friends. It was a beautiful wedding at Pastor Luis' church with great food and fabulous conversations. We wish them a blessed marriage.

In the afternoon, the rest of the team traveled to Jinotepe and Diriamba to visit the local markets. This was a joy for all to experience - local goods from beans, coffee, meat, rice, cheese, shoes, etc. all being sold in an open air market spanning numerous streets.

As evening rolled in, we all met back in Managua to have dinner and pack for our trip home. The relationships that have been built are now more family-like. We will miss our Nica family and can't wait to return.

God Bless,
El Crucero Leadership Team

Day Five - a Day for Kids

2009-07-10T21:25:00.006-06:00

Our day began with an amazing food outreach and entertainment for 200 local children in the clinic. It was so much fun to see the various skits, singing, and laughter. Although the grill took some time to get started, it finally caught and quickly cooked more than enough beef to feed all 200 children. We held a sports clinic at Pastor Luis’ church in the afternoon. There were approximately 80 kids who played soccer, baseball, and basketball. Our big game against Real El Crucero ended up as a round robin tournament consisting of six teams. It was fun to see players of all ages and ability playing together. Due to time constraints we were unable to finish and our game ended up a draw.

Around 5:00pm, we hosted the children from the ABC orphanage back at the clinic for an evening of pizza and a movie – the Lion King in Spanish. It was such a joy to see familiar faces from the orphanage. This was a rare opportunity for these kids to enjoy a somewhat common pleasure we enjoy in the U.S.

Tomorrow we will return to the clinic to tie up a couple of projects and leave things in working order until our next visit. Three of our female team members will be attending a wedding for two of our local friends.

Dios le Bendiga (God Bless You),
El Crucero Leadership Team

Day Four - The Lords Work

2009-07-09T20:09:00.007-06:00

What an amazing day - from fellowship, to new experiences, from beautiful scenery, and heart moving moments. Today was the clearest day we have ever seen in El Crucero. We could see from the active volcano Masaya, all the way to the coastline. Some members of the team spent the day in La Chureca. La Chureca is an active community located inside the Managua city dump. There are approximately 800 people who call the dump home. In one moment of grace, an 8-year old boy walked into the center of a prayer ring in need of spiritual healing. This was one of those moments that words cannot fully describe.

Another highlight of the day was our meeting with the local soccer team call Real El Crucero. The purpose of our meeting was to discuss a possible partnership between their team and our Real Colorado soccer club. The El Crucero team is a group of boys aged 15 to 25, many of whom are attending school. Some of our team members, along with our friends from Pastor Luis' church will be playing a friendly match with them tomorrow. We have two food outreaches planned for tomorrow - one will consist of 250 people from the surrounding community. The other will take place in the evening as we host the local orphans for pizza, friendship, and a movie.

Please keep in your prayers a successful outcome from a very important meeting with MINSA, regarding approval of our clinic license. It is imperative that we get this license to receive donated medicine and other clinical supplies.

One final, important note is that the clinic has served 774 people for medical care from January to June!

Please pray for safe travels for two of our team members as they head home tomorrow - muchos gracias.
El Crucero Leadership Team

Day Three - A Day of Outreach

2009-07-08T21:36:00.003-06:00

Hola friends and family. We had a very busy day in El Crucero. The day started with team members applying much needed paint to the exterior of the clinic. Throughout the day, construction was being done on the exam rooms and tomorrow we will apply the first coat of paint. In the afternoon, team members used one of the exam rooms as a tienda (shop) where children and some adults received shorts, shirts, pants, and shoes. Team members also delivered food baskets to four families in great need. We prayed that God would look after each family and provide for their needs; they were very appreciative and many will be coming to the clinic in the next few days for medical and dental care. We concluded the day by attending Pastor Luis' church service - it was a great interaction between two cultures, sharing laughter, praise, and devotion. We followed with a wonderful Nicaraguan dinner at the church; a good time to further our relationships with our local friends.

As each day passes, we continue to be reunited with friends from the past and our belief in our mission here in Nicaragua is solidified.

Adios,
El Crucero Leadership Team

Day Two - Open for Service

2009-07-07T20:51:00.005-06:00

Mucho fue alcanzado hoy. Nos acaban casi con la construcción de tres cuartos del examen y de una cocina. Oops - sorry about that, we are still thinking and speaking in Español. Much was achieved today. We are nearly finished with the construction of three exam rooms and a kitchen. We had a successful day treating 30 patients in need of medical care and 15 dental patients. Many of the team members spent the afternoon with the local kids making cross necklaces while other children played baseball. On the way back from El Crucero, one of the vans stopped at a children's orphanage in Managua to deliver blankets and spend time holding the infants. Tomorrow we will spend the day finalizing construction, providing medical care, and attending a service at Pastor Luis' church. Although we have only been here a couple of short days, we have accomplished a lot and have begun new relationships and have furthered others.

Please continue to pray for our friends in El Crucero,
El Crucero Leadership Team

Day One - Back in Action

2009-07-06T23:25:00.005-06:00

We have arrived in Nicaragua and are pleased that EVERY one of our bags made it through customs! Our first day up at the clinic consisted of exam room construction and food outreach for 21 families. We were all very excited to see familiar faces and the kids had so much fun reuniting with their Nicaraguan friends. We have four guests with us on this trip and they quickly realized how El Crucero has become such a big part of our lives. Tomorrow we plan to finish constructing the walls for the exam rooms in time for two general practitioners and one dentist to begin seeing patients. We look forward to sharing with you tomorrow's experiences.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support,
El Crucero Leadership Team

Bags are Packed

2009-07-01T13:24:00.004-06:00

Our bags are packed and we are ready to go. . . .

Soon our travels will begin and the entire team is eagerly awaiting the friendly and caring faces of our Nicaraguan friends. Over the course of the next two weeks, we will be providing regular updates to the many who track the work we are doing on behalf of God's kingdom. We appreciate all of your prayers and ask you to please continue praying for safe and healthy travel, productive work, and fellowship.

We appreciate your prayers of support and protection!

God Bless,
Project El Crucero Leadership Team

Summer Fiesta Fundraiser

2009-06-12T17:19:00.002-06:00

We want to say thank you to everyone who helped make our Summer Fiesta Fundraiser a success. It was an entertaining evening and a chance for our team to share our passion for El Crucero with our many friends and family. We are gearing up for our next trip and look forward to providing updates in the near future.

With God's Blessings,
Team Nica

Safe Travels

2009-03-10T22:29:00.007-06:00

Many thanks to all of you who prayed for the team's safe travels. We were able to make our tight connection and returned home late Sunday night. We are so appreciative knowing that we have a dedicated prayer team including us in their conversations with our Savior.

Our trip was a tremendous success, highlighted by seeing the clinic lights beaming in the darkness. We can't wait to return and we look forward to sharing this most recent experience.

In God's love,
Team Nica

...let there be light...

2009-03-08T08:01:00.003-06:00

The clinic finally has power and lighting fixtures! The installation of 15 light fixtures and numerous outlets now provide light and power to every corner of the clinic. It was so great to see the clinic, a beacon in the night, all lit up in darkness and hurricane force winds. Yes, hurricane force winds last night. It does make you wonder how long the roof will last.

We also completed the construction of three, seven-foot benches to be used in the waiting area. The repainted Clinica Susie Syke sign was hung and the lower outside of the clinic was painted.

Many of you will remember pictures from our October trip. There was a picture of a 15-year old girl with her daughter wrapped up in car insulation. Yesterday, we returned to her home with a blanket for her daughter, a couple of shirts, and food.

It has been a quick, albeit successful trip. As we prepare to head home, we are already looking forward to returning and have a new list of projects. Thank you again for all of your support and we ask that you continue to pray for our safe travels.

Another Blustery Day in El Crucero

2009-03-06T20:33:00.006-07:00

Much progress was made despite another windy day. There was activity in all corners of the clinic today - retrofitting existing doors, the continuation of the electrical buildout, signage repairs and painting, lock and hinge replacements, cabinetry construction, and several other renovations. See a portion of today's activity below:

Winds were again consistently 50 mph with periodic gusts even greater. This wind provided challenges, whether we were repairing the side of the roof, painting, or even during door repairs (as seen below).

Return to the blog tomorrow evening to see video footage of the clinics new lighting system.

Building the Faith

2009-03-05T16:54:00.009-07:00

Today was a tremendous success. We replaced several door hinges that have corroded due to the sulfuric air and built a new door inside the pharmacy. The electrical framework has been installed and ready for the finishing touches. A new project has been undertaken as there is an urgent need for roof repairs. When we arrived, there was a two-foot hole in one portion of the roof with smaller holes in other parts. Supplies have been purchased, and God willing, this project will be completed tomorrow. Our challenge today was the 50 mph wind that was relentless and we pray that it subsides for tomorrow's task.

This afternoon, we visited the local orphanage to donate fleece blankets. The welcome we received - open arms, playful banter, and faces full of joy were such a blessing for our eyes to see. We got to tour the facility, speak with the staff, and watch class being conducted.

Tomorrow, we will complete the electrical buildout, roof repairs, and other maintenance projects. Thanks again for all of you prayers and support.

We've attached a short video of the elements we dealt with today - enjoy, we did.

Arrived!!!

2009-03-04T21:45:00.002-07:00

Members of our team have arrived in Managua, Nicaragua with a warm welcome from our friends. We have a busy day planned for tomorrow as we begin electrical renovation and general maintenance. We will also be working with the local officials to finalize a needed permit. Good night and thank you for your support.

Construction Trip

2009-03-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

Several members of our ‘Leadership Team’ will be traveling to Nicaragua in the coming week. The purpose of this trip is renovation and construction. We will be rewiring the electrical framework in order to provide better and more reliable electricity throughout the facility. We will also be building out cabinets for storage, plumbing, and other general maintenance. Please pray for safe travels and may God bless you and your family.

January's Success

2009-03-04T21:36:00.002-07:00

After deep thought, lengthy conversations, and many prayers, we have established the Susie Syke Leadership Team. The purpose of this Board is to show and spread the love of Christ and to empower and serve the people of El Crucero, Nicaragua.

The trip in January was a glowing success. There was much groundwork that was achieved and many strategic relationships established. Soon the clinic in El Crucero will be operational on a consistent basis. There will be a general practitioner, dentist, and ophthalmologist in the clinic regularly. Additionally, pharmacy services will be carried out. We are very excited that soon, the clinic will be carrying out the healthcare needs for the community. We have great aspirations for the clinic to be a focal point in El Crucero and this success will help us serve and empower the people in the community.

Kicking off 2009!

2009-01-05T14:49:00.002-07:00

This upcoming week, members of our group will be traveling to El Crucero to locate and hire an administrator for the Susie Syke Clinic. Additionally, the team members will be meeting with local doctors to establish a formal schedule of health services at the clinic and will be meeting with local pastors to develop a service partnership to aid in the daily operation of the clinic. Please pray for the safe and successful journey.

God Bless,
Team Nica

Thank You

2008-10-25T17:56:00.002-06:00

Thank you friends and family for all of your prayers. Our travels went smoothly and we are all safely home. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you.

In God's Blessings,

Team Nica

Until Next Time

2008-10-25T17:01:00.007-06:00

With God's blessings, your prayers, and our warriors on the ground, Randy and Sean, we were blessed with the release of our medical bags yesterday morning (Friday). With this success, we were able to provide our ophthalmology outreach. In four short hours, we were able to provide eyeglasses to over 70 community members - with hundreds more recipients in waiting.

Later in the afternoon, the team members were able to go out into the town and pass out 10 meal baskets to families designated by the local pastor, Pastor Luis. This was truly a rewarding and memorable experience, providing us with special moments of interaction, prayer, laughter, and tears.

As we were leaving the clinic, there was a vibrant rainbow overhead - what a beautiful way for God to punctuate a special week for both our team, and our friends in El Crucero.

Dios de Bendiga (God Bless You),

Team Nica

2008-10-23T22:13:00.003-06:00

Of course today was another great day, especially because it was Patty’s 29^th birthday….AGAIN. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATTY!

We spent the day at La Chureca. (The Dump) Although visiting the dump was mentally draining it was also equally rewarding. La Chureca is a community of approximately 750 people who live in the confines of the city dump in Managua. These people live solely on the provisions that they find in the dump. Health care is a major concern in La Chureca and our team spent a good portion of the day shampooing the hair of those that have been infested with lice. We did lice treatment on approximately 15 people, both kids and adults. The team members that participated in the lice treatments had to also treat their own hair with lice shampoo to protect from potential infestation.

While some of the team did lice treatments the rest of the team repainted two swing sets and put on new swing seats. The painting provided a great opportunity for the kids to serve and they were quite excited to be able to choose the paint design for the swing sets.

We were also given the opportunity to tour La Chureca and experience a small glimpse of how these people live. It was an extremely hot day mixed with rain and a great deal of humidity making the smell of the dump much more exaggerated. Because of the amount of trash and bugs we were required wear long pants making it even hotter for everyone. The entire team did a wonderful job of staying focused on the purpose of our visit and sharing God’s love with many. Our visit to La Chureca proved to be both an eye opening experience as well spiritually rewarding journey.

After a trip to the local McDonald’s for a late lunch we spent the afternoon at the hotel resting and recuperating. We celebrated Patty’s birthday at a Mexican food restaurant and returned to the hotel for cake.

The day spanned the entire spectrum of emotions……we celebrated, we laughed, we cried, some of us nearly lost our stomachs, we did things outside of our comfort zone and we reflected on the reality of how many people in the world live like this and how fortunate we are.

Grace and Peace,

Team Nica

2008-10-22T18:54:00.008-06:00

It was another fantastic day! Today was similar to yesterday in that we provided medical and dental care to those living in and around El Crucero. Today, the people lined up early seeking care. By the end of the day, we provided medical care to 70+ patients and dental care to nearly 30 patients. We wish we could work round the clock to meet the needs of the community as there is much that is needed.

Unfortunately, we are still seeking the release of our pharmaceuticals. After each hurdle, we have been presented with yet another but are hopeful that our medicine will be released tomorrow.

Day 2 of the soccer camp was filled with fun. At any one time, we had four games going. We were blessed in that the resident horses never had the desire to play. One of our soccer highlights today was the fact that so many children wore the t-shirts, jersey's, shorts, socks, and shoes they were presented with yesterday. They wore them with pride and joy.

Blessings,

Team Nica

God is Great!

2008-10-21T20:20:00.004-06:00

Our third day proved to be a wonderful success. We spent the day at the clinic serving the needs of the villagers of El Crucero. Part of our team arrived at the clinic at 8am to assist both the Doctor and the Dentist in seeing patients. The remainder of the team arrived at the clinic at 10am to see a large line of villagers waiting for medical treatment. The Doctor was able to see 72 patients and the Dentist was able to see 26 patients. It was an amazing experience for the members of our team who were here last year to see the clinic in operation.

While the Dentist was treating the last patient of the day, God provided an amazing provision. The dentist was able to talk with the patient at length about his life and the many struggles he has had. Through much discussion and prayer, the patient accepted Christ and committed to changing his life. It was a true testimony to God's work and the purpose for our efforts. The clinic has been blessed with the service of this Dentist; he is also a pastor and interested in not only treating their ailments but also witnessing to them for God.

We had team members who helped kids and adults make more crafts and spent time loving them as they waited to see the Doctor and Dentist. We shared cookies and crackers with patients as they waited and prayed for their healing. One of the team members scoured the countryside in an effort to find materials to repair the roof of the clinic - it was a success.

In the afternoon, a portion of the team headed to the local soccer field (actually a horse pasture) to conduct a soccer camp. When we arrived and began to hand out the soccer cleats and equipment, there were 200+ children. It proved to be quite a challenge to fit each one with cleats, but with the help of many local volunteers we were able to hand out all of the cleats and soccer equipment. We spent several hours laughing, playing soccer and enjoying all of the smiling faces of all who participated.

The Team appreciates all of your prayers and support, God Bless,

Team Nica

Team Nica Day 2

2008-10-20T21:05:00.004-06:00

Today was another inspiring day! When we first arrived at the clinic this morning, there was already a substantial line of patients waiting to be seen. Although we have not yet been successful getting the bags of medicine out of customs, we had a very busy day treating many patients in need of both medical and dental care. Many on the team tried their hats assisting in dental extraction, taking blood pressure, and medical clinic administration. Needless to say we were quite challenged but up for the task and very successful. The need for medical care is overwhelming and treating the patients will fill a good portion of time over the next few days.

Several members of our team also repaired the water tower behind the clinic, without the appropriate tools and a make shift ladder. The tower on which the water tank sat was sagging and nearing collapse. This tower serves as the main water source for the clinic and is an integral part of its operation.

The heavy rains today did not deter the children of El Crucero from having a great time playing soccer, doing arts and crafts and playing with their new American friends. There was much laughter and joy on the faces of everyone.

Tomorrow we will continue our efforts in getting the medication out of customs and are hopeful that with the assistance of some local politicians, we will have all the meds out by noon and up to the clinic. We will conduct medical clinic services again with the Doctor and the Dentist. In addition tomorrow afternoon will be the first day of our soccer camp. We will be handing out nearly 300 pairs of cleats and numerous soccer balls.

In God's Blessings,

Team Nica

Team Nica Day 1

2008-10-19T21:28:00.004-06:00

Today was awesome!!! The food outreach was a tremendous success. We had an amazing turn out from the local village of El Crucero. Everyone went home from the outreach having been well fed. The children had a blast playing soccer, getting their faces painted, doing arts and crafts, and having a personal photo to take home with them.

Tomorrow promises to be another action-packed day where we will provide much needed medical and dental services to the people of El Crucero, as well as, light construction and arts & crafts activities.

Although this was only our first day, the experiences we shared with the people of El Crucero today certainly touched our lives and we look forward to the experiences God will bless us with throughout the week.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and support,

Team Nica

2008-10-18T22:35:00.005-06:00

Friends & Family,

We would like to inform everyone of our safe travels to Managua, Nicaragua. Thank you for all of your prayers. We did have a slight snag in our travel plans in that some of our medical bags are being held by customs. Please pray for a speedy release of those medical bags. We are all very excited to be here and look forward to our lunch outreach tomorrow with approximately 300 residents of El Crucero.

In God's blessings,

Team Nica

Thank You

2008-10-15T21:35:00.003-06:00

As we prepare for our trip, we wanted to say thank you to Ben. We were all touched by the special efforts he made to help collect used soccer gear for the children in and around El Crucero.

Packing Festivities

2008-10-14T11:47:00.003-06:00

Sunday, October 12th, provided another moment to reflect on our awesome God. The grace he has bestowed on the people of El Crucero was evident in the 38, 50-pound bags that we packed for our upcoming trip. These bags include medicine, spectacles, soccer gear, tooth brushes, tooth paste, and many other needed items. The team is excited to serve and we can't wait to share our stories with all of you. Please look for our daily email and visit this blog each day for updates and occasional video.

God Bless,
Team Nica

Bronco Game Fundraiser

2008-09-23T22:29:00.003-06:00

Thank you all for coming out to the Bronco Game Fundraiser and supporting our team; it was a success. We also want to say thank you to all those that donated items - we had everything from jewelry and gift baskets, to sports tickets and memorabilia, to a helicopter ride and a special get-away to Cabo! Thank you all for your support, we sincerely appreciate all that you have done to help make this trip special for the people in El Crucero.

God's Blessings,
Team Nica

Nicaragua 2007

2008-09-08T21:38:00.004-06:00

Upcoming Event

2008-09-07T09:14:00.003-06:00

Thank you for all of your prayers. Plans are being finalized and excitement is running high. Our team has organized a viewing of the Broncos game against New Orleans at the CB & Potts Restaurant off Arapahoe Road. Not only will this be a great gathering of friends and family, but it will also provide guests the opportunity to bid on a selection of cools items that range from sporting tickets to memorabilia to medical kits for El Crucero. Please join us for this fun afternoon of snacks and conversation.

God's Blessings,
Team Nica

Exciting Times

2008-08-21T13:53:00.007-06:00

Preparations for our October 2008 trip are in full-scale. Our team is very excited to return to Nicaragua and serve the people in and around El Crucero. Please visit our blog often as we will update our fundraising progress and highlight upcoming events (which will be displayed to the right). This blog will also help our many friends and family keep track of our progress while in Nicaragua. Moreover, we are excited to share our experiences and photos and will use this blog as a medium while we are in Latin America. We welcome any encouraging posts, and most of all, we would love to be in your prayers.

God Bless,
Team Nica