Hope Monthly

International Fellowship in Northwest Arkansas has begun our summer with a kickoff event in Fayetteville. There were friends from India, Nepal, Mauritania and Indonesia! We had food from South America and India and played bean bag toss, ping pong and spike ball. It was a great time of connection for both old and new friends. Our dinner reading nights will continue in Fayetteville every Wednesday, and we will be reading the book of Acts. This summer there will be three Monday Night reading times offered for the international community in Bentonville, Arkansas. (Almost half of our international friends are driving 30 minutes from the area to read with us in Fayetteville!) This coincides with recently announced university to be developed in Bentonville. We think God has provided this opportunity for us to offer a place for other internationals to meet and experience a Christ loving community. Please pray for others in the Bentonville community to be a part.

Arkansas has onboarded a new part time staff member, Rachel Holcomb. Rachel has a passion for Jesus and the international community. She just graduated from the University of Arkansas and has joined our staff team this spring. Welcome Rachel!

This past month in Nicaragua, we have seen God move in powerful ways through each area of ministry. In Children’s Ministry, preschool teachers in Mateare were reminded the impact that they have through their teaching and ministry to the children. Through our Medical Ministry, children at Riley’s Preschool participated in a lesson on nourishment, where teachers were encouraged to see how informed and engaged the students were. At New Beginnings, one intern was overcome with emotion while unloading food donations, expressing gratitude for the people God uses to support their recovery journey. During visits with families in Phase VI through the Construction Ministry, one woman broke down in tears after learning she would receive a home, sharing that she had been praying for a miracle and God had answered her prayers. Another woman, Tania Noguera from Phase II, shared her deep gratitude: "Firstly, I am so thankful with God for my house, secondly for our missionaries’ brothers and sisters, and Project Hope, I am eternally thankful."  At Taellor’s House, a young girl shared how prayer helped calm her fears during an exam which one of her teachers had recently taught her about. She could not answer the exam's questions, but she remembered what she was taught and prayed to God; afterward, she felt she was not alone and that God was backing her up. She later affirmed God helped her, and she learned to be thankful to God and to put God first. 

During the month of May, we focused on preparing our garden and fields for the upcoming rainy season. A great deal of work went into clearing and securing the planting area, including building a protective fence to help safeguard future crops. These preparations are an important step toward ensuring a productive growing season and providing food for the community we serve. As we look ahead to June, we are excited to begin planting peanuts, sweet potatoes, and cassava. We thank God for the progress that has been made and ask for your continued prayers for favorable weather, strong harvests, and opportunities to minister to those around us.