As we prepare to head to our annual Jenkins Restorations packing event and Christmas party next month, we thought it appropriate to share a post written by a Jenkins employee who traveled to Nicaragua this fall. Lyndee also writes that she has been inspired to work on learning Spanish now and has downloaded DuoLingo. She is so excited about understanding Spanish better, ”which will be fun when I go to Nicaragua again… I will be able to speak more with the people!”

I had the incredible privilege to travel to Nicaragua for a long weekend with several people from my company, Jenkins Restorations. We pack food every year in December with Servants With a Heart. This year, we got to actually see the very boxes we packed being given out to the people of Nicaragua and how this physical gift opens the door to their hearts and provides an opportunity for us to pray with them and for lives to be changed for eternity.

Back at home, I received an email from my work about an opportunity to go to Nicaragua. I very casually responded to the second email sent out thinking I might be interested. I didn't hear the voice of God saying I shouldn't go. So, hey, what the heck, let's fly to a third world country. My movement to sign up for this trip could not have felt more casual and less exciting. Instead of knowing God's voice and recognize this calling in my life, it felt like a whim that I may or may not follow through with.

Now, I contrast this casual decision to fly to Nicaragua with every decision that was made while I was in Nicaragua. When the plane touched down, it was “go time.” Suddenly, all the distractions in my life were gone. I didn't have email to check, shopping to do, cleaning, playing with my new Fitbit, going to the gym—everything from my normal life was removed. Now, the only thing on my agenda was to listen to God and do what he says. A casual whim turned into clear direction from God and his voice became distinct. When I am not distracted by the things of the world, the spiritual battle takes a front row and I remember that I am a warrior.

The first thing we did (after eating food—because that is what Americans do), was go to a dump. When we arrived, there was already a man there from our partner ministry, Samaritans International, singing worship songs with the people who lived in the dump. I could not sing along, since I don't know Spanish, but I could feel the Holy Spirit moving as I listened to the song. I was drawn to this one particular girl. She looked to be 12 or 13. She was raising her hands as she sang and I knew that she trusted in God. This girl lived her life digging through trash looking for things to sell. From a worldly view, she had nothing, but the truth is, she had the only thing that really matters. She had hope in God. My heart was filled with joy as I watched these people who had no earthly treasures raise their hands and worship God. They didn't have the distractions that I have at home. They knew that God was their only hope. They chose to rest in Him because they didn’t have anything else to rest in.

We went to several churches, a school, and into communities. We delivered a lot of food. Wherever we delivered food, we prayed for the people. We asked for specific prayer requests. We unashamedly went before the throne of God and asked Him to save their souls, heal their sicknesses, provide jobs, and bring joy. The spiritual warfare was so evident. At one church, our preacher's translator, Jackie, was physically attacked by a demon. She was pushed back and she almost tripped. It was telling her she was unworthy and that she should not be translating. The master of lies was attacking her. However, God is stronger than any devil. Jackie knew that these were lies and she kept on translating. She spoke God's truth to the people. At that very same church, as we prayed, God healed a woman's kidney pain and took it away. In Nicaragua, I remembered that we have access to the amazing power of God and when we pray in faith, we will see God do amazing things.

Now that I am back home, I am once again surrounded by many distractions. Many of these things are necessary—doing chores, checking email, going to work. These are things I am thankful I have, but I pray I will not allow them to distract me from the voice of God. I pray I will not forget the spiritual battle that is going on daily. I still have access to God's amazing power and all I need to do is pray in faith and God will do amazing things.

We have access to God's power, so let's unleash it.

Lyndee Fritzemeier, Jenkins Restorations

Mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given. Mercy is most empowering, liberating, and transformative when it is directed at the undeserving. The people who haven’t earned it, who haven’t even sought it, are the most meaningful recipients of our compassion. Bryan Stevenson

I was fortunate to meet William at Mateares dump on a trip to Nicaragua in June. William is 4 years old, has never spoken and looks as one would expect a 4 year old would look who spends his days at the dump sorting through garbage to find what he and his family can eat, use or sell. His little face and eyes, and pants that were too big, tied with a plastic cord, made an unforgettable impression on my heart. William has been going to the dump every day since he was born. He communicates with hand gestures, but he has never been to a class to learn any type of sign language.  

Servants with a Heart hosted several packing events during Love Week at Elevation Church in July. I was leading the event at the River Walk campus in Rock Hill, SC. During the service time before the packing began, I went around to all the classrooms of kids from age 3 to 5th grade. I told them about the food and how the packing they were going to be doing would make a difference for children’s lives in Nicaragua. I showed them a picture of William and told them about his life. Specifically, I shared that when he gets the food, our hope is that his mom will allow him to go to school and not have to look through trash at the dump to find food or things to sell to make money to buy food. I told them I was sure William’s mom does not want him to have to eat trash and she does want him to be able to go to school. The food packing they were about to do was going to help William have a better life.  

Annabelle (age 4) and James (age 3)  were at River Walk that morning and were moved by the story of William. They asked their mom that afternoon if William got his food yet, and they continued to ask her every day, not comprehending the distance and logistics involved to get the food to William in Nicaragua. In the meantime, Ashley, their mom, talked more to Annabelle and James about what William’s life was like. Annabelle and James decided they wanted to send William a blanket. Servants with a Heart found out more information about William, including that he has an 8 year old brother and a 10 year old sister. Ashley took Annabelle and James to pick out and buy some blankets for William and his siblings.

In September, Jeff and Suzanne Yoh, the founders of Servants with a Heart, took another group to Nicaragua. They carried the blankets to William and his siblings and were able to take some photos for Annabelle and James Needless to say, William was thrilled to have a Spiderman blanket all his own that was picked out just for him.

The pictures of William and his mom receiving the blankets showed a happy, shy little boy and a proud and appreciative mother. What I noticed is William’s face was clean the day he got to cuddle his new blanket. His mother knew there was a gift coming for her son, and I believe that someone valuing and caring about the comfort and future of her child gave her renewed hope for her little boy.  

Cynthia Hair, SWH Leadership Team

This past September, a group of 7 Jenkins employees and their families had the privilege to travel with Servants With a Heart to Managua, Nicaragua. While our mission was to serve, we quickly found ourselves being blessed by those we came to serve. It was a truly humbling experience delivering food and toys to nearby villages, dumps, and churches. Things we take for granted in our day to day lives meant so much to those receiving. At each stop, we had the opportunity to share and pray with the people. It may seem, coming from a country of plenty, that these people would be sad or depressed over their situation. On the contrary, they were joyful, thankful, and full of hope. We were always met with smiling faces and welcoming arms. The link below shows you a little of what we experienced on our trip, I hope you enjoy.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qm4skz4f8sx0lph/SWH%20Jenkins%202019.mov?dl=0

Rebekah Zahory, Jenkins Restorations

After a great few days in Nicaragua with Servants With a Heart and a team of Jenkins Restorations employees and their families, I met up with Elisabeth Munford to do branch visits in Lakeland, Florida and then Atlanta, Georgia.

One of reasons I really wanted to go to Nicaragua with Servants With a Heart and Jenkins was because I used to be in the foreign mission field. I thrived on that environment, seeing God work and feeling his presence as he made things happen. In the US, we are more insulated so I have intentionally sought out situations where I have greater dependence on God and can feel and recognize him moving and working. This trip seemed like a perfect fit.

One evening as we were sitting around after a busy day in and around Managua, Lance (another Jenkins trip participant) asked us, “When was the last time was you asked a friend to pray for him or her? When was the last time you asked a stranger?” That hit me. Now back to my experience after returning home…

I met Elisabeth in Miami and then we flew to Atlanta with only carry-on luggage, but at the gate, they asked for volunteers to check their bags on the full flight. We both offered, landed in Atlanta, and my bag landed on the carousel; however, Elisabeth’s did not. As we watched the carousel slow to a stop, we recognized the inconvenience…we had someone waiting for us in a truck outside, and we both knew the hassle of dealing with missing baggage. Elisabeth waited (just in case the carousel started up again!) and I took her claim ticket to the office of lost luggage.

It’s easy to imagine the scene: five women sitting behind the counter and a line of angry customers waiting to tear into them. When it was my turn, I handed the lady the ticket, explained the situation, and she asked me if we had looked in the oversized baggage door. I said we had not (it was a small carry-on), and she suggested I go check. As I started to walk away, she said that actually she would call to ask on our behalf. While she was calling, Elisabeth called me to say they DID turn the carousel back on and her bag arrived! The lady behind the counter making the call stood up, said something was wrong with her back, and asked her colleague to “hit her back.” That was my cue. I asked her if I could pray for her.

So right there, out loud in front of all the ladies behind the counter and all the people in line, she put her hand over the counter and held mine. After I prayed and turned to leave, the next woman in line had her mouth literally hanging open.

I am so excited to be caught up in what God was and is doing. It’s all around us but we miss it so often. I want to live my life this way so I don’t miss a single thing. That’s why the bag did not show up!

Joshua Jenkins

Jenkins Restorations

Below is another report from one of our partners, Samaritans international in pochocuape, Nicaragua

Ashly Vega is a 10-year old girl from the community of San Isidro, El Rosario, Carazo department of Nicaragua. In this municipality, people work the land to cultivate grains. There is a lot of poverty and inequality between those who have land and those who do not. Many who do not own land must work on it for others to survive.

Ashly has been part of our feeding program since January 2019. Since this time, God performed a miracle in her life. She could not walk, and now she walks and runs throughout her house with an incredible sense of awareness, although she is blind. She has gained weight and her health is much improved.

She has learned a few words which she now repeats, indicating that from the beginning of the Samaritans International Disabled Monitoring Program, her mental development has progressed. The vitamin-fortified soy-rice has helped her in her physical and intellectual growth and also has provided the nutrients she needs, which were missing due to her family's lack of financial resources. Ashly now has a balanced diet, rich in vitamins and nutrients.

Her mother and brothers are very happy and grateful to Jesus for the provision that God has sent them through Samaritans International and the Disabled Monitoring Program. Thank you Servants With a Heart volunteers, because without your support we would not be able to reach Ashly's home.

Ashly at home

WE had our most recent SWH leadership team meeting this past Sunday and had two new participants! Below, Ashley talks about her experience in this group; please reach out if you’d like to join us.

How do you define family?

Your immediate family? Your supporters? The people who comfort you when you need it most? To me, a family is the people I love, the people who will always be there for me no matter what. A family does not only mean an immediate family like parents and brothers or sisters. A family can also be people who work together for a larger purpose or a common good like we do at Servants With a Heart.

I have grown up serving beside the Servants with a Heart team and I know no matter what, they will always come to my aid and they're just one phone call away. I have grown up with all of these people by my side and it’s been awesome. One of my many hopes is that during a packing event someone, maybe just one person, will notice this close-knit family working together. A family, whether it's an immediate family or a serving family…when it works together it's unstoppable and it can move mountains and change the world. Every single member of the Servants With A Heart family, old or young, a rookie or a veteran, is appreciated and loved more than they can imagine.

We hope you have a serving family. If not, we would welcome you to see if Servants with a Heart is right for you! Come and say hello at one of our upcoming packing events. Explore our website. Email info@servantswithaheart.orgfor more information. We hope to see you soon.

Part of our SWH Leadership Team serving together in Nicaragua this summer!

Today’s post is from SWH Leadership Team member David, who shares his feelings about his recent visit to Nicaragua to distribute our food.

I went from the dumps of Managua and absolute poverty to the bluffs of Del Mar, CA and its immense beauty and absolute wealth within a couple of weeks. There can be no greater contrast. As I am taking in the coastline there is a couple beside me drinking coffee and enjoying the beach, and I wonder if they have any idea about who created this. It strikes me that having this awesome environment with all the beauty and amenities can actually cause you not to see God. The forest from the trees thing. You’re too wrapped up in your own world and pleasures and don’t see God. I then think of the faces of the people of the dump singing praise songs and I think of the lyrics, “I can hear the rush of angels’ wings, I see glory on each face, surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.” I ask myself, which is the better place? Where would I rather be? I can’t answer. Both? Doesn’t that sum up my life? Torn between two worlds, metaphorically speaking. I don’t think God is asking me to choose one or the other in physical terms but I know he is asking my heart.

Here we have a field report from our partners in Nicaragua, Samaritans International

Las Hamacas is located in Ciudad Sandino. It is a community far from the city and civilization, with roads that are very difficult to access. Health centers and schools are also far from the community. Once we visited Las Hamacas, we became committed to its inhabitants and their needs. Thank you to the donors who have made it possible to deliver food each month to this place!

Diana’s Story

Diana is 16 years old, and has a 3-month-old baby. She is a single mother and her baby's name is Ana Carolina García Fernández. The young Diana only reached fifth grade and because of her pregnancy, she could not continue studying. She is so grateful to Samaritans International and Servants With a Heart for the food they bring to her community and for the support they have given her with milk for her baby Ana Carolina.

Diana has started a beauty (styling) course that is taught by Samaritans school, together with the organization Beauti of Hope. This technical course is for young ladies who are looking for better opportunities in life and have an entrepreneurial spirit, and is a great blessing for Diana. She knows that these studies will be a tool to be able to get ahead and care for her daughter. She is grateful for the opportunity to be living under a roof provided by Samaritans, where she is supported with food for her and her daughter, along with the technical education being offered.

Diana thanks each person who volunteers so that her future and that of her daughter can be filled with opportunity.

Below is a “field report” from one of our local partners that tried out our food for the first time last week…

I am excited to report that I cooked an entire bag on Wednesday morning and brought it to our center in a large crock pot. I enhanced it with some spices (salt, pepper, red pepper flakes) and herbs (chives, Thai basil, regular basil), and added a can of black beans (for additional protein). Then, I placed a few spoonfuls in a bathroom-sized cup and gave out samples (with plastic spoons/forks) to each of our 45 clients and their children who came on Wednesday. The response was very positive! I encouraged them to take a few bags home with them if they liked it (I didn’t want to put them "on the spot" if they didn’t like it), and by the end of our 2-hour session, all but two of the bags were taken. I gave the remaining two bags to a Loaves & Fishes client as she was walking to her car in the parking lot! I also encouraged our clients to “spice it up” with whatever spices they like to use and/or to add their own cut-up meat and vegetables.

A few of the Bhutanese-Nepali folks told me that they did NOT like it because it was not Jasmine rice, which is what they mostly cook with. One Montagnard gal told me it tasted more like porridge or soup than the rice she is accustomed to using in her meals, but that her kids seemed to like it, so she took some home; she also said she would try to cook it with less water than I used and see if the texture was better.

So, yes, I would say it was a “hit!”  And if you are available to deliver more to us, I think it would be great!

This post was written by one of our SWH Leadership Team members, Ashley, 14, who is excited to be returning to Nicaragua with our team this weekend!

Much of the food that is packed by Servants with a Heart goes to Nicaragua, but most do not know where Nicaragua even is, much less what is going on there. We ask students in schools, “Does anyone know where Nicaragua is?” and the first answer often is “Africa.” Nicaragua is actually in Central America, and it's the second poorest country in our hemisphere.

When people say “poverty” I used to think of hunger, but it is so much more. It’s only having enough food for one person in a family of five, it’s living underneath a cardboard box during the rainy season, and it’s digging through trash at the dump looking for something edible. When I went to Nicaragua I saw all of this, and it’s hard to live my normal life knowing what I saw.

Servants with a Heart is here to help, with a mission to deliver food to those who need it most. I try to share the love of God while working at packing events and distributing food in Nicaragua. People anywhere should never have to live starving for food or rummaging around a dump for something to eat. I met some people who had never taken a shower or eaten a decent meal, ever.

Servants with a Heart is driven to make this reality ancient history; we want to feed hungry children. The children in Nicaragua are the same as the children in the United States: they love playing sports and hanging out with their friends. As much as people may not want to hear it, people and kids here in the states are often (not always!) spoiled. They come home from a free public education in their cars or on a bus, maybe going home to play Fortnite or watch television. Kids these days, me included, should go home and think about how lucky we are. Go home and enjoy life, because we are so lucky! If you want to make a difference come and join Servants with a Heart at one of our upcoming packing events. Check out our website or email info@servantswithaheart.org. We hope to see you soon!