Dear Friends,
This spring has been full of some fun and exciting things at Tesoros de Dios here in Managua, Nicaragua.
At the end of March, Tesoros de Dios hosted a women’s retreat for all of the girls on staff. Don’t worry, the men got their own retreat, too! We spent time at a very nice hotel where we learned about different leadership abilities from women in the Bible—Deborah, Ruth, Abigail, Mary, and more. It was great to spend time with my coworkers outside of the office and get to know them more while studying Scripture.
Me with some of my teammates at the retreat.
I then had the privilege of hosting the General Synod Council President, Rev. Sarah Palsma, with other Global Mission representatives and missionaries from Brazil. We spent time with our physical therapists to understand all of the different types of therapies they provide and went to visit Ismael and Aaron, who receive their physical therapy at home.
Aaron (age 9) and Ismael (age 18) both have spastic Cerebral Palsy. Because of their size and distance from the Tesoros de Dios center, they are eligible for our home visit program, where a counselor and physical therapist visit them once a month to provide therapy and emotional support. We were able to go with one of the PT’s, Sharon, who performed respiratory massages and stretches to help Aaron and Ismael maintain their range of motion and flexibility. While Aaron and Ismael will not improve or see much progress in regards to walking or talking, their goals are to preserve their quality of life.
Aaron receiving his PT at home. He doesn’t always love to do his stretches as they can be uncomfortable, but they are important for his wellbeing.
While Tesoros de Dios has many beautiful testimonies of children learning to walk, read, live independently, etc., around one third of the students we serve currently are or will be in our palliative care program as we seek to maintain comfort and quality of life even with their degenerative diagnoses.
It is always an honor for me to get to sit in on our palliative care students or attend home visits. While the disability community is often one of the most unreached and vulnerable people groups around the world, this group is even MORE ostracized and often have more difficulty performing everyday tasks.
I love seeing how invested these students’ parents are as they also perform physical therapy techniques taught to them by Tesoros de Dios, often having to perform massages and stretches daily while also tackling nutrition and feeding issues, mental and physical stimulation, and hygiene. A group member commented that even though we were visiting open-air homes with dirt floors, Ismael and Aaron were so clean. Their moms are very hands-on and take such good care of them.
What a gift for these moms to receive support and education from Tesoros de Dios amid challenging circumstances. RCA Global Mission is partnering with Tesoros de Dios to provide physical therapy for over 150 students weekly. You can give here to allow kids like Ismael and Aaron receive the therapy they need.
You are also welcome to come visit and see first-hand the impact that YOU are having! Respond to this email for questions or more information about a trip to Nicaragua. I also made a quick video from the GSC team’s visit. Check it out!
Friends, it is always a blessing to share about life and ministry in Nicaragua. I am blessed by your support, encouragement, and prayers. Thank you for partnering with me in ministry.
Nicole Opgenorth
Prayer Requests:
• We are currently doing evaluations for new students with the hope of opening up more spots. There are just over 150 kids who come each week with almost 80 families on our waiting list. Some wait a couple of months up to a couple of years for a spot to open up. May God provide guidance in the decision-making process and understanding for the families as well.
• The rainy season is approaching, and that means cold and flu season is right around the corner. Pray for health and safety for all of our students and their families as many of our students are already immunocompromised and can face serious health challenges from a simple cold.
• On a more personal note, I am getting my paperwork organized to apply for Nicaraguan residency. Pray that I would be approved and that the overall process would go smoothly.