Could any place in the world truly be called God forsaken?

That phrase is often used to describe a place that may be unpopulated or in some way undesirable. If anywhere in the world could deserve such an adjective many would think that La Chureca is one. About 1,300 people live and work in la Chureca scavenging the garbage for food and recyclable items. But God has not forsaken the people that live in the huge city dump of Managua, Nicaragua; indeed God is blessing them with several groups of people who desire to serve God in a place described as a horror of the world.

As you read this, a team of doctors, nurses and others who heard God’s call to serve are in Nicaragua, this time with special interest in helping the hundreds of people that must call the dump home. Austin Samaritans, a group which includes people from several Austin churches, is working with Fundacion el Samaritano, Open Hearts, Forward Edge International and the Nicaragua Christian Education Foundation to improve life for the people, especially the hundreds of children, who live there.

Thanks to a book fair through Barnes & Noble and Cokesbury Christian Bookstore we are giving bilingual and Spanish books and teaching materials for a library at Colegio Cristiano la Esperanza in la Chureca. This school serves 350 of the children living in the dump. Doctors on the trip will see patients at Casa Base de Salud, the medical clinic supported by Austin Samaritans that serves residents and workers at the dump. We will restock the clinic with medicines and supplies.

We will also be meeting with other ministries to develop a coordinated program to deal with conditions at the dump. The cooperative efforts that are in the early stages will be more effective in helping people survive and eventually leave the dump than any of the groups could by working alone. Our goal is transformation of the lives of those living in the dump. It is as or even more important to get the mindset of the dump out of the people living there than it is to get people out of the dump. Pray for this effort to be successful through the transformation of lives that only Jesus Christ can bring.

Thank you for continuing to support us with your prayers, by donating items, and your financial support. You can support this effort through Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church, Nicaragua Missions or Austin Samaritans.