top of page
Untitled-1.png

PAST TRIPS

2017 TRIP

Thank you so much to all who go with us and all who send us! It has been another amazing week in Nicaragua and I am blessed to present you with these summary results as we wrap up another year.

Welcome Home

With sincere thanks to each and every person who traveled to La Pita with us this year,

welcome home! We are blessed once again to have served in His mission field, for His

good, pleasing and perfect will.

​

This was my tenth year serving in Nicaragua. I hope and pray the Lord will bless all my

years ahead to continue serving and I hope the same for you.

​

This was a great year and my thanks go to all who traveled with us and all who helped to

send us!

Update-1_reduced.jpg

How beautiful are the feet…

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

​

And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!

– Romans 10:14-15

​

Last week we deployed the second-smallest team from the US in our history as a team. This year we were 39 strong and we previously had a team of 36 in El Pinuelar where we saw 1,969 through the clinic.

​

This year, by the grace of God, we saw 3,180 through our clinic and it was noted by many, just how smooth-running our operations were. We had both our dental and triage teams managed by one of us and staffed with all local help.

​

This was a new village for BMDMI and we were blessed to be the first team serving there. La Pita is an agriculture-centric community with plantains and coffee as the primary crops. Those who do work, only work during the harvesting season and go the rest of the year without employment – this is typical of the underemployment that is pervasive in Nicaragua.

The harvest is plentiful…

And the workers were amazing! Our team goes with evangelistic intent and the Lord truly provided an abundant harvest this year.

Things fell into place with our team and translators. People listened to understand. The prayers for hearts to be prepared were most certainly answered. I was blessed to work for most of one day in our small group evangelism where I coined the term ‘eyeball to eyeball evangelism’.

​

If you have not traveled with us or are not familiar with our evangelism efforts, it is important to understand that we are meeting people in their place, face to face. We don’t just count some hands that we see going up. We see heart felt decisions and it is common to see tears accompany these decisions and the understanding of the saving news of Jesus Christ. The Gospel becomes clear to people – sometimes for the first time. Yes – it is a life-changing message!

​

I don’t know about you but my human mind is quite limited and it still cannot grasp or contain, that with God noticeably working through our team, we had 609 people hear the message and respond in faith to ask Jesus Christ into their life as Lord and Savior. Take just a minute to be quiet, to pray and meditate on this. Consider the lives, the families, the generations and the eternities. This is what all the labor and expense of this mission is about. This is why we go.

Update-7_reduced.jpg

Pray for this year and next

Please be in prayer for strength and guidance for all those who made a decision for Christ last week along with the countless seeds that were planted. Everyone who comes to our clinic hears the gospel a minimum of two times. Pray also for the pastors who will be following up on the cards containing the names of all those who made a decision.

​

I have no idea what village we will work in next year but I am very confident that God does. Pray ahead for those who will find our next village assignment, for our preparations and for each and every heart to be opened in the community for hearing and responding to the good news of Jesus Christ. Pray for a strong team in 2018 to work in His mission field.

Stand with us!

You can be part of building and sending us in 2018 starting right now. Here’s how:

– Sincerely pray about going and then listen to God.

– Start your fundraising and preparations now. All too often we have people who want to go but did not have sufficient time to save, fund-raise or plan the time off. You have a 50-week head start and they will quickly fly by. Next year’s dates are August 11-18.

– Flip Flops are on clearance sale right now – this is the season! Please go out and get however many you can and will be willing to ship to Tim and Nancy in Colorado for next year’s family packs.

– Help build our 2018 financial support base. Click here to see our annual needs. Click here to donate online – scroll down to “Make a Donation”, click… and be sure to select Nicaragua from the drop down menu when you get to the donations page. Or, send contributions in any amount to:

Community of Grace Church
4343 South Flanders Street
Centennial, CO 80015
Attn: Nicaragua Mission Fund

Thank you so much…

It is truly the body of Christ, coming together and working as one, that makes it possible to do what we do. Thank you again to all who have listened to the call and responded in faith to go with us and to send us.

Please help us to get the word out and to grow our email list so even more will know about this opportunity. Use your social networks…

The Holy Spirit was moving and this community was ready for the word of God. So many people including the youth took hold of the message of salvation and many started digging into their Bibles the moment they received them. Thank you to all who prayed ahead for the people’s hearts to be ready in Las Sabanas.

​

In all of our preparations, in all of our prayers… we answered the call to be His hands and feet… to serve the beautiful people of La Pita and, here is what He accomplished through us:

​

  • 3,180 patients through the medical clinic.

  • 12,608+ prescriptions dispensed.

  • 5 Project Life commitments (serious medical needs requiring surgeries or other major procedures at a hospital).

  • 361 dental patients and 529 tooth extractions.

  • 92 women through cervical cancer screening with 29 positives who received cryotherapy treatment (lives saved!).

  • 366 head of cattle, 24 horses, 61 dogs and 27 pigs vaccinated.

  • 1,216 pairs of eyeglasses distributed.

  • $19,304 in family & baby packs plus 8 tons of rice and beans distributed (4 tons each) along with lots of clothing and shoes.

  • 1,367 meals prepared in the field.

  • 1,000 Bibles and 700 books of John + tracts given (the word of God in the hands and homes of people).

  • 609 professions of faith (eternities saved!).

Update-4_reduced.jpg

With thanks and blessings,

Eric Paulsen

Team Captain

bottom of page