Club Cristiano la Esperanza July 2014

Open Hearts Ministries, which ran a school inside Managua’s garbage dump (La Chureca), had to move when the dump was transformed into a landfill in the spring of 2013.  The ministry lost its building in the former  dump, but, with the help of Austin  Samaritans, a property in the new community of Villa Virgen de Guadalupe close to the reclaimed dump, was purchased.  In addition to one large functional building, the sizable lot also had the beginning of a second building.  It had four walls – but no roof, no floor, and no windows.

Austin Samaritans’ mission teams this year have painted the wall surrounding the site, installed ceiling fans in the larger multi-purpose building, and helped plaster the wall of the unfinished building.  The smaller building, when completed will become a kitchen, dining hall, and tutoring area.  Mission participants this coming October will help install a vegetable garden on the property and plant fruit trees.  The garden’s produce will be used for the feeding program and to help the ministry become self-sustaining.

The ministry itself underwent a transformation, when it moved from the old dump site.  Instead of a school, Open Hearts has formed Club Cristiano la Esperanza (Christian Club of Hope), a multi-faceted program to strengthen and enrich the lives of children living in poverty, many of whom lived in La Chureca, the former dump.  The ministry now consists of a Christian pre-school with 98 children, a mentoring program for 200 grade-school students; a twice-a-day feeding program for these children, and more.

A scholarship program has been created, as well as a high school youth group and a La Crosse team which plays in a local league.  Guitar and art classes are also offered.  It is a place full of activity, learning, and joy as children are helped to succeed in school, encouraged to continue their education, and offered a variety of extracurricular activities to explore, while learning how much God loves them.

Villa Esperanza Celebrates Their First High School Graduates

                       Families in the U.S. celebrate their children’s and grandchildren’s high school graduations .  However, for the young women who participate in Villa Esperanza’s program for at-risk girls, girls who come from poverty and abusive situations, high school graduation is an even more significant achievement.

Perla and Katherine were two of the first participants to come to Villa Esperanza when it opened in 2007.  Through its provision of a loving and safe home, education, healthcare, encouragement, and exposure to the Gospel, Villa Esperanza has helped re-direct the lives of these girls.

Katherine and Perla are the first girls at the Villa to graduate from high school.  They are now living in a transition home at the Villa, where they are taking on more responsibility to prepare for supporting themselves and living on their own.  Perla is preparing to be a teacher and Katherine has just taken entrance exams to be admitted to a university.  She hopes to study English and work as a translator.   Another young girl at the Villa, Marta, has entered the teacher training program, while continuing her high school education.  What a great example all three are providing for their younger “sisters” at Villa Esperanza – Congratulations Katherine and Perla!  Read more about Villa Esperanza…

It’s a trip! Learn….Serve….Love

If you have never gone on a mission trip, here is your opportunity.  The dates for Austin Samaritans’ spring trip are May 10 – 17.  It is only a three ½ hour flight from Houston; the cost is reasonable; the accommodations are lovely; and the experience – priceless.   May Trip Application
Austin Samaritans has been leading mission trips to Nicaragua for six years – you are in good hands.  If you have been with us before, we invite you to join us again and bring a friend.  Every person’s experience is different, but we can promise that your eyes will be opened to the hardships and challenges faced by many around the world, and your heart will be touched by what you see.

The activities vary from trip to trip, but often we assist our mission alliances through doing construction or maintenance work, offering Vacation Bible School for school children, teaching English and hygiene, sharing cancer packets and prayer with women suffering from this disease, holding and feeding malnourished infants and toddlers, and visiting and interacting with young women at high risk of sexual abuse and exploitation.

The most important thing we do is bring our love – for the people we serve and our mission alliance leaders who are “boots on the ground” every day.  We share the love of Christ through our smiles, our service, our prayers – by the very fact that we are there.  Learn more…

Students at CCP Receive Letters from their Sponsors

Fifteen children received correspondence from their sponsors last spring.  This is always a very exciting time for these students.  In turn, many of them wrote Christmas cards to their sponsors.  There are over 200 students at Colegio Cristiano Presbiteriano.  If you are interested in being a sponsor, please contact us at the Austin Samaritans office: info@austinsamaritans.org or 512/465-2073.

Learn about our child sponsorship program.

Sponsor A Child

You can impact the life and future of students at CCP by opening doors of opportunity and hope.  For just a little over $1 a day, you can become a sponsor and help provide disadvantaged children with a good educational foundation, caring Christian teachers, and exposure to The Gospel – a recipe for a promising and fruitful life.
For more information, click here.