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 up to 30 serving eight separate locations and around 1200 children. and adults.
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 2 or 3 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. We bring some of the materials from Canada and purchase the majority of supplies and snacks from a local wholesaler who negotiates the best price for the materials and 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!
The team was able to serve our friends in January of 2020, and while on our journey back to Canada we were hearing about a potential illness that was making its way through Asia. We had no idea what was coming, but what transpired over the next few months meant that the borders in Canada and Nicaragua were closed and a trip to Nicaragua in January 2021 was not possible.
In January 2022 things were still inconsistent and travelling to Nicaragua meant taking a test before leaving Canada, submitting the results to the Nicaraguan government to obtain approval to enter the country, as well as a test in Nicaragua before coming home and submitting those results to the Canadian government for approval to return to the country. Those requirements did not make it possible for a team of 20 or more people to travel to Nicaragua. Instead our Team Leader Lisa and her husband Andrew decided to act as "craft mules" and make the trip. This would allow the team to prepare crafts for the Pastors and Deaconesses in Nicaragua and drop them off at each location as well as purchase the snacks and materials needed to hold a Vacation Bible School. Testing and travel was successful and the pair arrived in Nicaragua only to learn that new import rules were in force and all the crafts were confiscated to be reviewed before they could be released. After much discussion, negotiation and paying the taxes required on each little cotton ball and googly eye the crafts were released! Lessons were learned, and the team knew that if they were able to go back to Nicaragua in full force they would need to rethink the way that crafts were purchased, packed, and supplied.
This wasn't the first time Team Zion faced obstacles serving the people of Nicaragua.
January of 2018 we went from five to six Vacation Bible School sites 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. 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.
The team was able to serve our friends in January of 2020, and while on our journey back to Canada we were hearing about a potential illness that was making its way through Asia. We had no idea what was coming, but what transpired over the next few months meant that the borders in Canada and Nicaragua were closed and a trip to Nicaragua in January 2021 was not possible.
In January 2022 things were still inconsistent and travelling to Nicaragua meant taking a test before leaving Canada, submitting the results to the Nicaraguan government to obtain approval to enter the country, as well as a test in Nicaragua before coming home and submitting those results to the Canadian government for approval to return to the country. Those requirements did not make it possible for a team of 20 or more people to travel to Nicaragua. Instead our Team Leader Lisa and her husband Andrew decided to act as "craft mules" and make the trip. This would allow the team to prepare crafts for the Pastors and Deaconesses in Nicaragua and drop them off at each location as well as purchase the snacks and materials needed to hold a Vacation Bible School. Testing and travel was successful and the pair arrived in Nicaragua only to learn that new import rules were in force and all the crafts were confiscated to be reviewed before they could be released. After much discussion, negotiation and paying the taxes required on each little cotton ball and googly eye the crafts were released! Lessons were learned, and the team knew that if they were able to go back to Nicaragua in full force they would need to rethink the way that crafts were purchased, packed, and supplied.
This wasn't the first time Team Zion faced obstacles serving the people of Nicaragua.
January of 2018 we went from five to six Vacation Bible School sites 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. 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.
