WESLEYAN YOUTH
MISSION TO NICARAGUA
AUGUST 7-16th 2005
Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Children there go without many things we take for granted. Shoes are very expensive and difficult for many parents to provide for their children and without shoes the children cannot attend school.
Our team will be bringing shoes and school supplies and gospel literature to needy Nicaraguan kids in cities and mountain villages along with a few hours of laughter and fun with games, puppets and bible stories
Project Happy Feet is a one-week evangelical outreach to the children in the remote mountain villages of Nicaragua. These children are among the poorest in the western hemisphere. Having a pair of shoes in many cases can make the difference in whether a child gets an education or not.Luis Martinez brought the concept of Project Happy Feet to us in 2003 when we asked him to help us put together a trip for our teens. He has been using this type of ministry in his home church in Guatemala for some time. It has proven to be a very effective tool for our teens to use in reaching out to the young people in Nicaragua.
A nurse returning from a recent medical trip shared with us that almost 50% of the people they treated were for foot related problems. Wearing shoes that are ill fitted and worn out causes many of the problems. Many more problems are caused by not having shoes at all. Given the poor sanitary conditions they live in any cut or open sore on the feet can become infected quite rapidly.
In 2003 a group of 9 people delivered 1000 pairs of shoes to Nicaragua. This years trip is scheduled for August 7th thru the 15th. Our team is comprised of 22 people from 7 different churches in Wisconsin. In addition to raising the $1,200.00 per person needed to make this trip possible, we have set a goal of gathering 2,000 new and like new pairs of shoes for distribution. We will be delivering shoes and school supplies to as many as 1500 children at 12 different locations. We will also be performing puppet skits, playing games and building friendships.
Shoes will be collected until July 1st, 2005. Remember when collecting shoes that we are taking them to a very warm climate (so no snow boots.) We would also welcome any new socks, and new shoelaces.
By partnering with us in the shoe collection you will play an important roll in helping us reach our goals. Thank you for considering this ministry.
Happy Feet 2006 is already in the works and dates will be available upon our return in August. If you are interested in more information on how you can be part of the team please contact Ann Bechthold @ 262-968-5304 or Suzy Amos @ 262-492-1317.