Deborah Elliot and Don Gibson are overseas personnel serving in Nicaragua. In trying to improve the lives of those they serve, they identified a group of young Indigenous men particularly at risk. They started a small-group ministry for these young men called the Warriors. Here is an excerpt from their letter describing the powerful impact they’ve had in these young men’s lives.

 

September 14

 

It is Independence Day in Nicaragua. The Warriors marched as a group for the first time. We all had new red shirts to indicate members of the group. We were so proud of the boys.

 

The Warriors was started about six months ago because we became aware that many boys live in homes of single moms and grandmothers, who themselves are busy trying to make ends meet. Plus we had concern that these boys are on the edge of manhood in a community where high youth unemployment prevails....

 

 

So, together with the help of Elvis, a young Moravian theological student who speaks Miskito, Spanish, and English, Don started the group. This group learns self-discipline and a better understanding of what it is to be a Christian through ritual and games, and the concepts of brotherhood and taking care of each other are stressed. The boys love it, and now we have a long waiting list of boys wanting to be in the group.

 

We could not do this without your support from the Mission and Service Fund. We like to think about the Mission and Service Fund as being the language of love: thank you for your gifts of love.

 

 

Every gift to the church’s mission and service is used wisely and helps transform lives. Please continue to give generously  - visit our donation page here.