More than a Chance to Study… (La Isla)

    Last week I went out to visit our children from the church in La Isla. I've written about this village before (read: Rivers of Living Water). La Isla is located deep in the heart of the sugar cane fields. It is known at the "Village of Widows". They live in an area highly contaminated by pesticides from the sugar cane. People are dying at alarming rates of chronic kidney disease and various forms of cancer. Many of our children here are living in one-parent families because either their mother or their father has already passed away. Many of the families are struggling to survive with the loss of their loved ones and the remaining parent trying to balance child care and work.
       I have been so exicted to see how our Sunday school program is growing at our church there in La Isla (La Isla kids- pictured above right)! More and more children are coming to our church here. Some of the children as young as three have been walking 20 minutes or more in the Nicaraguan sun to come to the church and to learn more about Jesus. (Don't worry we're in the process of finding a way for these children to be a part of Sunday school without having to walk such long distances). I loved getting to spend the afternoon with them and meet all of our new lovely kiddos there. Right now we only have a few kids who are currently sponsored in La Isla. The children who are sponsored do not horde these blessings and use them as a way to feel superior to the students that do not have sponsors. They truly want to freely give as they have freely been given to. These young children and teenagers are moving with incredible compassion and the heart of the early church (Acts 4:34). I was so moved when the sponsored children in this community came and asked me if it was possible for each of them to give a portion of their sponsored money so that we could help Catherine and Karina participate in their graduations. The kids knew that these two families would not be able to help their children. They knew that without this blessing these two girls wouldn't be able to participate in their own graduation ceremony. These children where moved to compassion and gave sacrificially in order to meet the needs within their church family. THIS is the true Church. 
   Thanks to their generosity, Catherine (pictured above left) will be able to celebrate with her classmates as she graduates preschool and Karina will be able to walk forward and receive her elementary school diploma. I love to see a church that is not only building up children to rise above their poverty, but building them to encourage and help one another, to move in compassion and unity.