In 2006, LUMC began a relationship with El Ayudante, in Leon, Nicaragua.  The ministry of El Ayudante was born of a call to share God's love and care with the many orphaned and abandoned children in Nicaragua, the 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  Today, in addition to a child protection center that provides a loving home to over 30 "at-risk" children, El Ayudante hosts over 1,000 international missionaries each year who minister both at the child protection center (HCN) and in local communities. Two LUMC teams made up of high school and college students and adults traveled to Nicaragua in 2007 and 2008, where they led VBS-type programs in neighborhood schools, churches and community centers, provided medical and dental education and clinics, painted, provided a meal and care packages to workers in the local landfill, and helped with construction of a new community center in a nearby neighborhood.     

     Our next trip is scheduled for June 25-July 2, 2010.  Our 2010 team consists of 15 students and 11 adults and we are excitedly preparing for our week of ministry.  El Ayudante Director Bill Cox wrote in December '09:

  "We are very excited about your team!  We really love your church family!  (This summer) we will be working to make capital improvements at the Special Needs School of Leon (125 kids) and are building homes for the most needy families including families of children in protection centers for reasons of extreme poverty of their family.  In building the homes, we are helping families start small businesses like making tortillas (we build the kitchen and install a smokeless wood burning stove while buying initial stock of food items), simple stores with drinks/food items.  Making and selling tortillas has been successful for us!  The home/small business can be done for about $3,700.  The home is $2,600, a kitchen and initial food items/stock is about $1,100.  Some teams are building the house and others the kitchen/small business.  We would need about $4,000-$5,000 to work at the Special Needs School.  Helping us with our children at the Center is a high priority!  They are doing so good and their lives are changing.  I hope you received the newsletter.  It tells the stories!  Great new rural locations for  Bible Schools/medical ministry, etc.  Give my love and thanks to the Lynnhaven UMC Family!"

     Read more about the ministry opportunities and priorities for 2010 HERE.   And learn all about the work of El Ayudante, including its life-changing Child Protection Center at www.nicamissions.com.  We are excited to have this opportunity to be part of God's work in Nicaragua and invite you to be part of this ministry through your prayers and, if you are so led, your financial contributions.  You may make a tax-deductible donation by check to LUMC (memo:  Nicaragua Missions), or watch for an online donation outlet coming soon!