At my church, (East Grand Church of Christ in Springfield, Mo.) we have supported missionaries in Central America since 1974, but with only limited visits until recent years. In mid-April, 1992 a volcano erupted near the city of Leon, Nicaragua where one of our missionaries lives. Now, my image of a volcano erupting was what I had seen in the movies, hot molting lava and destruction all around. However, this volcano deposited about 15-18 inches of black ash on the city of Leon. This ash found its way into every crack and crevice, breaking many roofs. The streets were so covered, it was like driving on sand dunes.

As we learned of this natural disaster, our church leaders felt we should do something to help. As one of the youth deacons, I suggested we get some of our teens to go with some adults and try to help in some way. So with a handful of very mature teenagers and about the same number of adults, we gathered up rice,beans, tools, etc., and headed for Nicaragua as a disaster relief team from our church.

This was my first trip to a third world country, and I wasn't quite prepared for everything that we were going to encounter. This country was just coming out of a civil war. They were also at the end of a 5 year drought that had destroyed nearly all the vegetation. The country side looked like a nuclear bomb had gone off. I was placed to work in women's homes whose husbands had been killed in the war, replacing roofs and making what repairs we could in our limited time there. Now poverty was nothing new to me; I had grown up on the banks of the Tennessee River in western Tennessee. But working with these widows gave me awareness and desire to help the needy that I had never felt before.

One instance in particular raised my spiritual awareness to a new level. A preacher of the Gospel in Managua was involved in a terrible accident, and was left with severe head injuries. He had been taken home to be made as comfortable as possible with his wife caring for him as best she could. It was obvious that he would not live long. As Kermit Brown, Leonel Valle, Jose Florez and I stood around his bed, we placed our hands on him and began to pray. As those prayers in Spanish and English were spoken, I could feel the Spirit of God moving in us. And those prayers were answered! Within 18 months, not only was I able to talk with him, I was allowed to watch him teach others about Christ!

Since that first trip I have returned to Nicaragua on 20 different occasions. I have helped organize 7 medical missions trips, numerous construction projects, helped to build youth camps and a Christian preschool. All of these trips have many stories to tell, many God-blessed events that have taken place. I have been blessed myself to watch many people accept Christ and be baptized into His kingdom.

Another natural disaster occurred late last October when Hurricane Mitch stalled northwest of Nicaragua dumping 40 to 100 inches of rain in certain areas. Along with their neighbors in Honduras, the Nicaraguans suffered greatly. Thousands were killed or injured. Thousands more lost all of their worldly possessions.

This hurricane has brought an awareness to people around the world that there are those in great need. Eight months after the hurricane, I've seen better built bridges and roads, better housing, a general improvement in living conditions in Nicaragua. There are people working on highway projects who could not find any adequate ways to earn money before. I am very thankful to God for all of the assistance to a very deserving people.

Still, in the midst of all this, I continue to see thousands living in plastic tents in unhealthy environments, children without clothes and many without enough food to sustain them. One of the reasons I am so excited about Project H.O.P.E. (besides being able to work with some of my dearest friends) is that God has given us the perfect chance to obey some of His commands such as giving to the needy, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked... the list goes on and on.

Last, but certainly not least, is the opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ with others in such a variety of ways. It is my constant prayer that we will always keep in mind that all of this is for God's glory.