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THE MESSENGER

LIFESTYLESUNDAY

APRIL 5, 2015

C

From left, Ed Ramsey, translator Olivia Holt and Mark Lee enjoy a moment in Los Quinchos in Managua, Nicaragua.

Mark Lee, Ed Ramsey and Mary Susan Fishman from First Christian Church

in Madisonville are home after spending two weeks in Nicaragua as part of an ongoing partnership to help people living in the Central American country.

“It’s a three-part partnership,” Ramsey said. “There is a Kentucky part, a Nicaraguan part and then there is the Council of Protestant Churches, known as CEPAD, that holds everything together.

“The Kentucky part is not just us,” he continued. “There is the Community of Faith Presbyterian Church in Covington and the First Christian Churches in Madisonville and Princeton.”

Other members of the annual mission include Susan Fox from First Christian Church in Princeton, Bill Lindsey from Covington and Don and Dawn Farwick.

The team has worked with several communities in the Rio San Juan region over the last several years, Lee said.

“The group started out being focused on relationship building,” he said. “We’ve morphed into some real, tangible, collaborative efforts as well.”

One of the group’s initiatives has been to set up and support a sewing cooperative, Lee said.

“The goal of that was ... to help teach — typically young women — how to sew and learn a trade,” he said. “The by-product of that is to provide school uniforms for the young children to go to school, the poorest of the poor who otherwise might not go to school.

“There’s been a long-standing tradition that kids wear school uniforms,” he continued. “Even though it’s not the law anymore, it’s so deeply ingrained that it’s like putting a target on your back if you don’t wear one.”

Lee said the group has supported numerous other projects over the years.

“We support what they call a theological school,” Lee said, “but it’s essentially dealing with social issues in the community and helping people with that.

“We help support a group in Managua that is kind of a rescue group to give alternatives to street kids,” he added.

The main focus for the past few years has been a water project, Lee said.

“We started working on that about four years ago,” Fishman said. “When we met with the people of the small communities, we asked them about their needs and we kept hearing the need for good, clean water and access to water.”

The partnership has been instrumental in laying water lines, installing faucets and building large holding tanks for water treatment.

When Ramsey irst became involved, the focus was to build relationships, he said.

“To me, that is still our number one project,” he said. “Out of relationships come good projects. Our number one task is listening to the community and hearing what they have to say to us.

“They know their needs,” he continued. “If we listen, then we ind out what their needs are and we can respond.”

Lee agreed.“We don’t take the attitude

that we’re from North America and we have all the answers,” he said. “It is a partnership. We do bring things to the table that they may not have in order to enhance it, but it is really driven by their needs.

“We approach it as true partners in collaborating and respecting each other,” he added.

Fishman said each year they look for a new community to work with.

“There is an evaluation process after we discuss the project with the people of that community and their water committee,” she said.

There are questions that need to be answered prior to funding to ensure the funds will be beneicial and used wisely, Fishman said.

“We do have a real sense that we need to make sure that there is good stewardship with the funds and that it is used in responsible ways,” Lee said.

The group, however, has experienced a few challenges throughout the years.

“The irst sewing group we set up was in the little community of Los Chiles,” Ramsey said. “Our machines were wiped out by a landslide.”

Most recently, the members have had to deal with the issue of theft.

“Two years ago, and again this year, the van we rented was broken into and some of us lost our backpacks,” Ramsey said.

The trio lost passports two years ago, Fishman said.

“Quite often, good things come out of bad situations,” Ramsey said. “The one good thing that came out of this year’s incident was the fact that, due to the break-in, they were able to capture the people involved really quickly.

“Right now there are nine people in jail and they’re still looking for quite a few more,” he continued. “In essence, that broke up a pretty well-organized ring that was targeting tourists, so some good comes out of the bad.”

Special bonds have been formed with many of the Nicaraguan people over the years, Fishman said.

Ramsey agreed.“When I made my 15th trip —

15 is a big number in Nicaragua — this one family had a big party for me,” he said. “They had a cake and the whole bit. It was fun.

“This year, I was adopted by an 11-year-old girl and I’m now her grandpa,” he added.

Fishman said she was thrilled to see one particular person this past visit, who had been suffering from a severe infection due to diabetes the previous year.

“There is one gentleman that we’ve known for many years, Don Santos,” she said. “When we left last year, we felt that we wouldn’t see him again. Fortunately, they got the infection in his legs cleared up, got his diabetes more under control…and he was there healthy and well.”

Deep friendships have been made, Lee said.

“There is a story from before I started going of our group seeing another group going in the Houston airport who had T-shirts on stating, ‘Taking Jesus to Nicaragua,’” he said. “That’s all ine. But when I go, I see people who, probably because they’re so close to the edge, they get their reliance on God better than what I do.

“Sometimes, we can all get a little puffed up with our accomplishments and kind of forget,” he continued. “We igure Christ knew all about Nicaragua and those people — his children — long before we ever heard of the country.”

This group goes with a different more collaborative partnership mindset, Lee said.

“We bring back far more than we are able to take,” he said.

Creating friendships, building hope in NicaraguaBY FELICIA STEWARTMESSENGER STAFF WRITER

FSTEWART@THE-MESSENGER.COM

Above:

Mark Lee works at digging a ditch for a water line in Nicara-gua.

Left: Mary Susan Fishman gets her hands dirty help-ing with a water project in Nicara-gua.

Local group takes annual mission to assist Central Americans in need