Zion's mission
Team Zion has been hard at work providing spiritual care and Biblical materials to the people of Nicaragua since 2009. What started as a group of 10 faithful people, helping two local congregations and a mission station serve about 500 children, has grown to a team of over 30 serving more than five separate locations and around 1000 children.
Every year team Zion divides into two groups for their visit. One group completes a construction project for a local church community, either working on a new building or on the improvement of an existing structure. The remaining team members organize the week-long Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) for the children to be led by the Pastors and Deaconesses of Nicaragua.
Every year team Zion divides into two groups for their visit. One group completes a construction project for a local church community, either working on a new building or on the improvement of an existing structure. The remaining team members organize the week-long Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) for the children to be led by the Pastors and Deaconesses of Nicaragua.
While their children take part in the VBS, parents can participate in a Bible Study with an accompanying Lutheran Church—Canada pastor from the team. Since the VBS take place at multiple locations the team members break out into groups of 3 or 4 people who serve in the same location all week long. At each VBS, the children learn Bible stories through the instruction of Pastors and Deaconesses, and the message is reinforced through fun puppet shows, activities, crafts and colouring sheets. There is always a Spanish translator on hand to facilitate communication with the team, though many of the regular team Zion members have learned a basic level of Spanish over the years.
The Bible lesson is written in Canada, translated into Spanish and approved by the Nicaraguan team members. When the morning program ends children are encouraged to return the next day and bring their friends, siblings and parents. Everyone is given a substantial snack which can sometimes be the children's only meal of the day.
Team Zion spends the afternoon preparing materials for the remainder of the week, as well as visiting with local Pastors and friends. Team Zion brings much of their materials from Canada and purchases the snacks from a local wholesaler who provides the food at cost.
After the week's program, the team adds on a few extra days to visit the region, learn about local customs and culture, and enrich their knowledge of the beautiful country of Nicaragua.
Our mission creates long-lasting friendships with Canadian mission members and Nicaraguans alike, brought together through a common faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Always keeping our promises!
In January of 2018 we added a sixth location to the sites we visit in and around the city of León: Monté Rotondo. The main road to the remote village of Monté Rotondo is only accessible during the dry season because it is a river bed. Pastor Henry Ramirez leads the congregation in weekly worship on Friday afternoon. Until recently you would also find him at Grace of God Lutheran Church in Marañonal on Saturday and at St. Paul in La Cartonara on Sunday- in 2020 a newly ordained Pastor was assigned to Grace of God Lutheran Church in Marañonal. We do our best to develop relationships and demonstrate Jesus’ love by returning to the same locations every year.- this also alleviates some of the logistical and financial stress of the young Church Body of the iglesia luterana sínodo de Nicaragua (The Lutheran Church Synod of Nicaragua), freeing them up to send personnel and resources to other locations in the country.
The political turmoil in the spring of 2018 as well as the corresponding travel advisory meant that the team could not return in January 2019 to the newly supported Monté Rotondo. It was disappointing and we worried that the people of Monté Rotondo would be hurt because we could not return just like we promised when we left in 2018.
By the Grace of God alone, two team members made a short visit to Monté Rotondo in January 2019, to bring greetings and distribute food hampers donated by our Canadian churches. The visit was short, but meaningful and allowed us to keep the promise of visiting them again. They asked us to come back in January 2020 to work with the children at Vacation Bible School again.
Since 2012 Team Zion has been helping Pastor Maximo Urroz host two Vacation Bible Schools in León, that have welcomed up to 400 children and 100 adults in those two locations alone.
The political situation that erupted all over Nicaragua in April 2018 took its toll on the economy, significantly reducing property values. In January of 2019 when two members of Team Zion (with direction from LC—C) brokered the purchase of land on behalf of the Nicaragua synod in León at 30% of the original price.
The beautiful land in the heart of León is large enough for both a parsonage and a church. Construction on the parsonage began in late 2019, and in January 2020 Team Zion construction crew pitched in with manual labour. Pastor Maximo and his family moved into the completed parsonage in March of 2020. Not only do they live there, but Pastor Maximo and his wife -deaconess Jerryl, also host Sunday School and bible study. Worship takes place outside on the portion of the property that will someday hold a church building.
In January 2023 work begins on the church building that backs onto the same property as the parsonage in the Sutiyava community of León. Soon the Our Saviour Lutheran Church will have a proper church building in León.
In January of 2018 we added a sixth location to the sites we visit in and around the city of León: Monté Rotondo. The main road to the remote village of Monté Rotondo is only accessible during the dry season because it is a river bed. Pastor Henry Ramirez leads the congregation in weekly worship on Friday afternoon. Until recently you would also find him at Grace of God Lutheran Church in Marañonal on Saturday and at St. Paul in La Cartonara on Sunday- in 2020 a newly ordained Pastor was assigned to Grace of God Lutheran Church in Marañonal. We do our best to develop relationships and demonstrate Jesus’ love by returning to the same locations every year.- this also alleviates some of the logistical and financial stress of the young Church Body of the iglesia luterana sínodo de Nicaragua (The Lutheran Church Synod of Nicaragua), freeing them up to send personnel and resources to other locations in the country.
The political turmoil in the spring of 2018 as well as the corresponding travel advisory meant that the team could not return in January 2019 to the newly supported Monté Rotondo. It was disappointing and we worried that the people of Monté Rotondo would be hurt because we could not return just like we promised when we left in 2018.
By the Grace of God alone, two team members made a short visit to Monté Rotondo in January 2019, to bring greetings and distribute food hampers donated by our Canadian churches. The visit was short, but meaningful and allowed us to keep the promise of visiting them again. They asked us to come back in January 2020 to work with the children at Vacation Bible School again.
Since 2012 Team Zion has been helping Pastor Maximo Urroz host two Vacation Bible Schools in León, that have welcomed up to 400 children and 100 adults in those two locations alone.
The political situation that erupted all over Nicaragua in April 2018 took its toll on the economy, significantly reducing property values. In January of 2019 when two members of Team Zion (with direction from LC—C) brokered the purchase of land on behalf of the Nicaragua synod in León at 30% of the original price.
The beautiful land in the heart of León is large enough for both a parsonage and a church. Construction on the parsonage began in late 2019, and in January 2020 Team Zion construction crew pitched in with manual labour. Pastor Maximo and his family moved into the completed parsonage in March of 2020. Not only do they live there, but Pastor Maximo and his wife -deaconess Jerryl, also host Sunday School and bible study. Worship takes place outside on the portion of the property that will someday hold a church building.
In January 2023 work begins on the church building that backs onto the same property as the parsonage in the Sutiyava community of León. Soon the Our Saviour Lutheran Church will have a proper church building in León.
