Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This upcoming July, during the week of the 20th, Kaitlin and I will have the
opportunity to continue in the ministry we joined last year and share the love, truth, and grace of our LORD with the people of
two communities in Nicaragua – Managua and El Bongo. Nicaragua suffers from
terrible poverty, with over half of the population unemployed or underemployed,
and a fourth of the country without safe drinking water. A quarter of a million
children in Nicaragua are illegally employed to supplement the bare survival
income of their families, and a third of all children suffer some degree of
chronic malnutrition. The poor have little to no access to health care, and
child mortality rates are six times worse than the United States.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Christ, in accordance with
Old Testament prophesy, quotes Isaiah 61:1, which reads:
“The
Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to
preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”
The people of Nicaragua face poverty and darkness that
Christ’s love can set free through our faith and obedience, and Kaitlin and I
feel the LORD’s calling to be a vessel of that love this summer. During our
trip, July 20th-26th, our team will be able to serve orphanages,
including one specifically established to help infants and children who are
malnourished. We will be able to provide basic needs (food, water, clothing) to
residents living in a small village in Managua, as well as help support and
expand the ministries of an emerging church in El Bongo.
This picture shows an example of a home in the small villages in El Bongo, taken on our trip last June.
In addition to meeting the physical needs of the people
of Nicaragua, we will be working with fellow believers in the city of Managua
to minister to those that have yet to hear or receive the love of our LORD. Much of this will include door-to-door ministry and inviting people to our services. Followers of Christ are a minority in the area, and we hope to be an
encouragement and support to their ministry during our stay.
The children of El Bongo, who hung out with the team even after we were finished with our lessons at the school. (Taken during our trip last June)
As we prepare to allow God to use us this summer, I pray
that your heart may break for the people of Nicaragua as ours have, and that
you may join us in our mission to reach these people. Please pray for us
throughout our journey. Pray for safe travels for our team. Pray that God may
move us out of the way and bring His truth, grace, and love to the people of
Nicaragua. Pray that the hearts of non-believers may be softened to hear the
good news of our Savior and the great love of our mighty God. Pray for us as we
prepare physically and spiritually for this trip. I also pray that if you are
able, you may support our team financially. Each person on our team is seeking
to raise $1,400 by the middle of July. This helps pay for our travel and living
expenses while we are there. Kaitlin and I are continuing to give sacrificially
towards our $2,800 goal, but we need your help to meet it.
However God calls you to be included in our mission, I
pray that you may respond accordingly. Kaitlin and I are eager to see how God
is going to work through you and our team this summer, and cannot wait to share
our journey with you later this year.
In Christ,
Zack and Kaitlin Akvan
