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MASATEPE TRIP 2022
MASATEPE, 2022.
BY MADISON FLOWERS
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It did not take much thought for me to apply for the Nicaragua mission trip when it was advertised at the end of a church service one Sunday. I honestly did not really pray about it either. I figured if I had the ability and the funds to go, why wouldn’t I?
Whenever I would share with people that I was going to Nicaragua to serve, the first question they would ask was, “Well, are you nervous?”
I assumed they wondered if I was nervous about going to a foreign country with a different language and completely different culture. It wasn’t that part I was nervous about. It was the fact that I would be doing all this with seven strangers; the only thing we all had in common was Mars Hill and the Lord.
I had only officially met Brad Hill a couple days after applying to go on the trip. I had seen him around the church and leading worship on Sundays, but I had never spoken with him. Brian, Isaac, Doyle, Damien, Dylan, and Danielle I didn’t know from Adam. I would love to say that we all clicked immediately during our first pre-trip meeting and that it was smooth sailing after that, but I would be lying. The first few meetings were pretty awkward. None of us really knew what to say and there were often technical issues when we tried to Facetime the Fairhope campus or Claire from One Collective (the organization we work with in Nicaragua). But we all eventually warmed up to each other after a few good laughs when people’s faces would freeze over Facetime when the internet would lag.
The internet issues during our first few meetings were not the end of our problems but actually the first of many as we attempted to meet and serve with our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua. However, after multiple interesting interactions with the employees of Avianca airlines and three days in Miami, we finally made it to Nicaragua. If you know anyone who went on the trip, pull them aside and ask them what all we went through to get there because it was WILD but it was so worth it. A beautiful blessing that came out of our trip being delayed was being able to worship with fellow brothers and sister in Miami at Providence Road Church. They were such an amazing community of believers who loved us well while we were there. If you ever find yourself in Miami on a Sunday morning, I would encourage you to take some time go worship with the believers at Providence Road. It is always an encouragement and a wonderful learning opportunity to meet and worship with other believers from different places.
When we finally landed in Nicaragua, it was a great surprise to learn we would be doing just that––worshiping with fellow believers. One of the many ways One Collective connects with the community in Masatepe is through Beto’s Bistro.
Many young people in the community are employed at the bistro and it is a popular place for many in the community to hangout or get work done, much like what we do at the coffee shops around here. The employees at Beto’s hold worship nights regularly at the bistro, and we were able to attend one our first night in town. Two local worship bands led in worship, the staff of the bistro presented a drama piece, and Don Beto, after whom the bistro is named, led everyone in prayer. There was no better way to begin our trip than to be with the community of Masatepe as they came together to worship and fellowship.
As we worshiped, I spent some time in silent prayer asking that the Lord would bless our time there and make it fruitful in whatever our endeavors may be, since I still wasn’t quite sure exactly what we would be doing there. Most of the previous mission trips I had been on with my old church consisted more of putting on Vacation Bible Schools and community outreach activities, which I knew wasn’t on the agenda for this trip. It turns out, Nicaragua is not a country devoid of the gospel. In fact, the city of Masatepe is most known for its large cathedral in the middle of the city square, and there are many other churches in the country as well. The people just do not have access to common needs or good education.
During our time there, we were able to do home visits with some of the team members in Masatepe and in Papagyo, a farm about an hour away from Masatepe. It was during these home visits that we were able to talk with some of the people in the town. We saw the need for better education and more opportunities for work. Giovanny is one man we visited at his home. He works for One Collective as farm manager for both the Papagyo farm and the Posada farm. He shared what a blessing the two farms are that One Collective runs. The Masatepe farm, Posada, is the base for their OneEgg ministry, where they provide one egg to every student in the surrounding schools. This helps provide the students with needed nutrients and aid in their brain function as well. The farm is also where they provide rehab and counseling to the community of addicts that live near the farm. Drugs and alcohol are a large problem in the community and often affect many of the men and their families in the city. The farm is a place these men can go to find help.
Unfortunately, the rehab program had to pause because of Covid. The One Collective team is working now to figure out the best way to get it up and running again and seeking funding for this much needed program to restart. It not only aids those struggling with addiction but also provides jobs for others in the community.
The same is true for the Papagyo farm, a pineapple and dragon fruit farm, and hopefully a soon-to-be “eco-lodge” or hostel.
It is a wonderful outreach to the community and provides much needed jobs for the surrounding community. When running at full capacity, the Papagyo farm has 17 full-time farm hands, however, right now, due to lack of funding, there are only three. Since it is farming season, they were able to hire six more farm hands but only for the season. After the season ends, those men will have to find jobs elsewhere, often two or more hours from home. Brian and I were able to speak to one of those men when we went to his home for a visit. He told us of the blessing the farm is to the community and how encouraging it is to have the opportunity to work there.
We were able to see first hand the impact the Papagyo farm has on the community when we went to build a roof for a widow and her baby. The farm hands had gone the day before we arrived to begin working on it, and we were able to finish it up. The woman explained to us that she had reached out to the government for help with her roof but they would not help. Others in the community had told her to reach out to Giovanny and the people at the farm because they knew she would be taken care of if she went to them.
This is exactly what the One Collective team hopes to accomplish through their outreach avenues in Nicaragua––empowering the people in the community and coming alongside them to serve.
Much like the comfort a friend brings when you are feeling low or going through difficult times, the short-term trips are a comfort to the people we visit and serve alongside. It is our job, once we return home, to talk about the experiences we had with our brothers and sisters and continue to support and encourage them as the Lord leads.
To find out more and to financially support One Collective, visit: onecollective.org/community/masatepe-nicaragua
Andy Davis
