May 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

          During Sunday School I could see two of our men carrying a lady in a wheel chair over the soft sand that leads up to the church entrance. After the services I learned that Maria Louisa had been in a terrible motorcycle accident. She told me that she believes that God spared her life and is giving her a second chance. She had abandoned her children, one of whom is a student in our literacy program. Now she is home and is trying to make amends. Maria asked if we could have a special prayer service for her in her home. Of course we could do that. As people were arriving I had a chance to speak with her and learned that she had never been born again (John 3:3). She wanted me to pray with her and oh what a prayer she prayed as she asked forgiveness of Christ for her sins and received his gift of salvation. Then she publicly asked her mother to forgive her for the way she had treated her. The hugs and tears were abundant and beautiful.
          The literacy program continues to reap dividends beyond our expectations. Some of our students have started coming to OANSA (AWANA) and also to Sunday school. Now they are bringing friends and the church is gaining a good reputation in the community. However, we ask your prayers for Yorlene, the 11-year-old girl that had begged us to teach her to read and was the catalyst to start the program. She rarely is allowed to come anymore. She is forced to stay home and work. Her aunts tell us that the physical and verbal abuse that they can hear coming from her house is as bad as it gets. Her aunt Maritza recently interfered in this home when she heard screaming coming from the house. Running in, she found her brother Augustin, Yorlene´s dad, about to bash his wife´s head with a large rock. Augustin then went into a further rage and tore his house down upon them. Yorlene suffered scrapes and bruises on her arms and body. Maritza ran from the rubble towards a sister’s house to try and call for help. Augustin caught her, picked her up, and threw her down the side of the mountain. She thought for sure she was dead. But as she flew through the air over the side of the mountain she felt as though someone grabbed her and set her softly on her feet, sustaining no injuries. God has intervened many times on behalf of this family and we ask you to continue your prayers for them.
          It is exciting to see the youth program expand. As I pick up young people in my 8 passenger Sequoia (its held a high of 24 so far), for the various services, they continue to point to little roads and trails in the jungle for me to go down to pick up more of their friends. What a joy! But, oh how we need a bus!
          With the continued rise in violence in Nicaragua, we appreciate the regular emails from the U.S. Embassy, which gives us warnings and advice as to how to improve our safety. The following are some things that have happened since our last letter, all within a half mile of our church. A friend was ambushed and stoned while on his motorcycle. He lost his bike but escaped with just cuts and bruises. A security guard was shot and killed and robbed of his pistol. An American woman was kidnapped in her home but we are happy to report that the perpetrators could be candidates for the world’s dumbest criminals. The lady was easily rescued and unharmed. Last Saturday on my way to our youth meeting I saw a fellow near the road who was face down in the dirt and his hands and feet were tied behind his back. I later learned that he had robbed the wrong lady who cried for help and he was then immediately over-powered by the folks nearby. Good for them!
          I had to go someplace last week that I desperately try to avoid. Two of the men from church went with me to the Mercado Oriental to purchase tarps for the large windows at church. (The rainy season is upon us and we must cover the windows to stay dry.) The Oriental is the largest market in Central America and has a violent reputation that causes smart Americans to avoid it. I was amused as my dark skinned companions turned us into an Oreo cookie. They kept the soft creamy one in the center as we walked through the crowded market place. No one was going to bop their missionary on the head! Their care for me is really precious. Our quest was successful and we had no problems at all, “gracias a Dios”.
          God is good, and we feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to work amongst the people of Nicaragua.

Thank you for your continued love, prayers, and support,

Ken and Krista Dowell – Nicaragua