Got To! A Film About the Poor of Nicaragua 3/3

March 6, 2017

Got To!

Got to go to Nicaragua Jan. 31, 2015 by Eric the flutemaker.

Got to bring children's clothes.

Got to see a team playing with kids at a garbage dump.

Got to jump in and help.

Got to hear a story.

"I want to tell you a story about one of our children. One of the children died. And there's a little cross in the dirt up there. We buried her here (in the garbage dump, where they are standing to tell this story)

"We were all here working and they had dumped oil from a restaurant way over there. And when the time came to leave, no-one could find her. We looked and we looked. We called for help and no one would come. We called the mayor's office and the police for hours, but no-one came. We looked all over the trash, we dumped trash...and finally, they dug through the oil and they found her. But, she didn't have anybody. So we said, 'Well. She's from here, let's bury her here.' And they dug a hole and buried her right here (in the dump). And she (the restaurant owner) said to me that night, 'We know you are so busy. But could you just pray for us?'

"And so I said, yeah - we could do that."

Got to meet this man, Patrick Brown, feeding thousands of kids a day.

Got to help, too.

"And at this moment, we're connecting with Samaritan's International in Nicaragua. This is one of their places. It's heading into the Miskito Coast, the second or third week of February, and they'll be moving the food into about 20 different villages. Nicaragua' s having a really difficult time right now, because the rains didn't come last year and people are really hungry.

"Stories before, the Miskito Coast, is simply that people, kids, were eating the bark off trees. And now, actually, we're hearing that further inland, children are dying of malnutrition.

"So, we've connected with some really cool people and we're taking a busload in a vehicle up with us to our children's home in the north. And later on, go into the Miskito Coast and into the (?) area. So I just want to say personally to those who have helped Flutemaker Ministries - it's been a blessing to be able to be here and partner with others who are really making a difference.

"So, thanks for your support."

Got enough food to feed 4,800 children in 60 feeding centers.

Got to visit one of them.

Got to visit our children's home.

Got to see the washing machine we bought months ago, finally get understood.

"We started this work when we found out there were 18 kids recycling in a garbage dump, and a lot of them weren't going to school, they had all kinds of problems. We decided that we were going to build them a home. And this is the kid's Cascabel. It's one of the greatest things in my life. I'm making not only new friends, but helping them out in their time of need. So, love you. (speaks in their tongue) God bless you, God bless you! Goodbye!"

Got to see the aftermath of the 2014 drought.

"One of the things about present life in Nicaragua is, this (standing in a dry bed of dirt) is a river, and they've had a really bad drought. And because of that, there are serious hunger. We were just meeting with Samaritan's International and in one area there were children dying because the food wasn't getting to them. They just had nothing.

"So, this is interesting. Here's a guy working on the Miskito Coast. His name is Pastor Abel. And I'm going to ask him some questions and translate for you."

"If this is a river, why is it dry?"

"This is the result of the drought in Nicaragua."

"Is it true that you are hearing of children dying of hunger?"

In 5 departments, or states, we have heard of this."

"What is a solution? What can we do to help?"

"One solution is to give a friendly hand with what God puts in your heart."

"Then we are here to help with the little we can."

Got to visit kids of the Mercy Ministry.

195 kids in this group.

"So, Eric the Flutemaker here, making the rounds to visit some of the kids from the Mercy Ministry. I just want to personally say thank you to those who have been able to do this. This is Brother Mario, he has three children with needs and he really appreciates when we come. And the foundation that we work with will bring food and toilet paper and things like that. And we'll take up a little offering with the teams we bring.

"But these guys really love when we come and we love being able to give them something. So, we appreciate your love. This is Vianna. Thank you, Pastor Mario. I'm amazed at this guy's love. Thank you."

Got to see a new house a donor but for 2 blind ladies.

"This is the new house Mario built for this wonderful lady. Her daughter is blind, also. She's been praying for those people that have been coming to bless her. Thank you, 'Ambassadors of Love'."

Got to see the kids Pastor Carlos rescued, helping to feed others.

"So, this is food arriving to Jalapa, the farm. I'm a staging ground for feeding centers."

Got to see the 25 acre farm bought in 2012.

"During the dry season we water from the stream. Pastor Carlos, executive director of A Heart to Love is shown in the garden. Thank you, Carabello Coffee for 2 oxen, a fence, cistern and drip irrigation. Thank you Lee Tyler for sending Torivio and his team to learn organic gardening."

Got to plant 500 fruit trees. Thank you, customers of Erik the Flutemaker.

"This is a banana plant that's a year old with their compost. (they are harvesting a huge gather of bananas.) Woo! We're glad that we've sowed into this place. I'm blown away that this papaya tree is only 6 months old (It's VERY tall and yielding dozens of papaya)."

Got to hear 600 coffee trees were just planted.

Got hear this orange tree bore 4 times in 2014.

Got to hear 15 lb. Yucca is now growing to 30 lbs.

"The worst thing that happened to me in the garbage dump was living without Christ in my heart." Jorge Luis

Got to have a Kodak Moment in the banana patch.

Got to play in their new park.

Got to inspect the new construction.

"Thank you, customers of Erik the flute maker. You have built 6 rooms and 2 bathrooms at the farm. And put in a well, a water tower."

Got to see the old fridge and want a new one.

Got to see Fanny cooking outdoors and want to build a roof.

Got to meet with our two teams to see where we are going.

Got to see 2 bikes bought. Thank you, Carabello Coffee.

Got to see the surrounding folks come out to give thanks for the farm and the new park.

(Video of people in the park singing and clapping along with Mary Nelson, a Fair Trade Advocate and Chuck Caine, Vice President of Flutemaker Ministries.)

Got to see an offering go to a little girl who lost her leg when she was 2 hours old, when the incubator light fell on her leg. To say 'sorry', the hospital gave her father a job taking out the garbage...

Got to hang with Pastor Abel, who lost his dad when he stepped on a mine and had to go to work at 7 years old.

"I asked Abel, 'Tell me about the poorest person in your church.' He said, 'A lady roaming the mountains abandoned by her husband came to a feeding center and gave her heart to the Lord. But she needs a house.'

"So, on our bus ride back to Managua, we got to take up and offering to build her a new home. Tin roof: $180. Nail: $10. Wood: $180. Adobe bricks made by the church. Free labor by the church. 2 doors and 2 windows and a bed!"

Pastor Abel serves many feeding centers and children in need.

Got to say goodbye.

Got to do more!

Just got to...