Disaster and Relief Effort Projects
Rio Coco
The village of Krin Krin is on the edge of the longest river in Central America. The ‘Rio Coco’, defines the Honduras/Nicaragua border. Along the Nicaraguan shore are 40+ river towns, all with sad histories of war, political contention, disease, national abandonment and poverty. This area originally settled by the Mosquito people, followed by the extraordinary expression of Christianity by Moravian missionaries. Its geographical remoteness limits the people to a survival existence of rice, bananas and fish being the basis to their economy.
Verbo has been working in Krin Krin for 5 years. Children have been sent down river to our orphanage in Puerto Cabezas. In Karin Karin we have constructed a school, church building, and are working on community development programs. Gaining the villager’s confidence requires a clear commitment and understandable vision. Simply ‘good ideas’ do not hold too much weight with the river people. Suffering though, thankfully, has not lessened the warmth, and the reasonability of these people.
Tasbapauni
Tasbapauni, an outreach mission by the Verbo church in Bluefields. It is on the Atlantic seaboard side of Pearl Lagoon (90 sq miles). As a major ‘drop off’ point for the South American drug trade Cartel, international embassies have warned their nationals not to visit this area. A fishing village enriched by cocaine trafficking, made it a difficult target for normal church evangelism. Numerous 3 hour open boat trips up to Tasbapauni, has helped win the respect of the village elders. We were honored by being permitted to purchase the actual founder’s original piece of beachfront land for church activities and community services (medical teams, community seminars, etc).
Like so many remote areas, Tasbapauni has only water access, the economic factor must be considered in the presentation of the gospel. Crop introduction, minor industry, appropriate education (vocational, literacy) and marketing strategy, as well as evangelism to especially challenge the men of that town, will both help promote the Christian values and character that will change Tasbapauni.
