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I wanted to take some time on this blog post to tell you about a little school called Oasis de Esperanza. This school offers a free Christian education to over 400 children pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Not only is this school educating these kids, they’re also providing meals, health care, and offering adult literacy and parental involvement programs. We spent the day learning more about the school, putting on presentations and work shops, and loving on the amazing students.

In order to understand just how special this little school is, you need to understand a little more about where these kids are coming from. Oasis de Esperanza is a ministry for the kids of la Chureca, which is the largest open air landfill in Central America, located in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods of Managua. Over a thousand people live in the enormous eighteen square mile dump, half of which are children. Residents of the dump spend their days searching for food through rotting waste from restaurants, biochemical waste from hospitals, and bones and other animal remains from a local slaughterhouse. The consumption of rotting food along with constant inhalation of burning trash has left the people of the dump with countless intestinal and respiratory issues. The extremely impoverished families fight vultures and livestock in search for any salvageable items to recycle for money. It’s no wonder why la Chureca has been classified as Hell on Earth.

One of the students of Oasis de Esperanza.

The entrance to la Chureca.

Child prostitution and trafficking has become a serious issue in La Chureca. The garbage truck drivers have obtained a position of power within the dump, in return women and young girls sell themselves to have dibs on trash in hopes of recycling for profit.

Enter Oasis de Esperanza, literally meaning Oasis of Hope.

It’s still difficult for me to connect these sweet, clean cut kids as the ones who live in the dump. It was completely obvious to us that they are so incredibly happy at their school.

Elaine, pictured above on the right, came to Nicaragua with her husband Wayne over 7 years ago to found Oasis de Esperanza. The couple was ready to retire and relax when God gave them their call. They sold everything they owned and moved to Nicaragua and faced countless obstacles in the process. Oh, if I could just have a pinch of the faith of those two… I admire them so much.

Elaine had explained to me that when the school first started, the kids were incredibly underweight and would hardly make eye contact with you.

When we visited, they were healthy, happy, and so full of love.

By God’s grace, Oasis de Esperanza is growing and expanding to help meet the needs of their impoverished community. There are some really practical ways to help out and partner, such as purchasing school supplies, shoes and uniforms, and backpacks, etc. If you’re interested at all in helping to change the lives of these kids, please get in touch with Bridges of Hope.

For more information about Wayne and Elaine and their ministry, visit their website here.

A hope in darkness.

Many women in Nicaragua, especially in Managua, are mislead to believe that the only way they’ll be able to support their families is through prostituting themselves. Prostitution over the age of eighteen is legalized, yet discouraged in Nicaragua. Still the exploitation of young girls and boys in Nicaragua has reached alarming proportions. Most girls, by the influence of their mothers, are being pimped out by the age of eleven. Many, even younger, are sold by their mothers into sexual slavery for just a few dollars.  Other young children are kidnapped and sold into sex slavery or kidnapped and killed for their organs. A shocking 60% of human trafficking taking place in the western hemisphere is from Nicaragua.

In such darkness there is hope, in a place called Casa de Esperanza or House of Hope. The name is quite fitting, as it is the only refuge for women and children trapped in prostitution in all of Nicaragua. House of Hope provides shelter, protection, food, and an education for recovering prostitutes, their children, and victims of human trafficking. Women also have the opportunity to be involved in a three year micro-enterprising program where they can build their own businesses and provide for their families in a non-degrading way. The women also receive counseling, have opportunities to speak with psychologists, and begin the process of healing from constant sexual abuse.

Most importantly, the women who come to House of Hope are able to learn about a God who desperately loves them.

We were able to visit on a Tuesday, the day of the week that over 350 women come from all over Managua to be at House of Hope. There is singing and praying, a message, and time for women to work on their micro-enterprising. It was incredible to see these women cry out to God in worship. You could feel the deep hurt and pain in their sobbing, but there was this obvious sense of relief and healing too.

Girls as young as five years old are rescued from human trafficking and brought to House of Hope.

Women arriving for the Tuesday morning program. They walk for miles or are bused in to attend, some are still involved in prostitution.

This is the apartment of a 13 year old recovering prostitute. It may not look like much, but for her it’s safe and peaceful. The image below is the door to her room.  My Spanish is rough, but I believe it reads, “I can do all things through His strength.”

Los Discipulos praying with a woman.

These ladies have been selected to be a part of the micro-enterprising program. They learn to make jewelry, cards, and other products to sell.

Some of our team members held a simple seminar for the ladies. They learned valuable ways to stand out and improve their businesses.

The rest of our team got to spend the afternoon with the younger kids. :)

I love the image above. To see a child, who has gone through so much, be absolutely lost in laughter makes me so, so happy.

It doesn’t take much to change a life, and I’ve seen first hand how badly these women want to change their circumstances.

For more information on how you can sponsor one of the kids’ education or help a woman start her own business check out Bridges of Hope.

For additional information on House of Hope, check out their website.

I didn’t want to go.

I heard all the details about the people, the projects, and just nodded my head and brushed it behind me. Even though it was an avenue of photojournalism I’ve wanted to explore for the past five years, I knew I wasn’t the right man for the job. I needed time. Time to recover; time to heal. I was picking up the pieces after a painful divorce, quickly followed by the heart breaking loss of my oldest brother to cancer. How could I ever be of use after the year that I’ve had? God, you’re crazy and you’re just going to have to find someone better suited for the job.

I have nothing to give.

It’s funny how things happen in your life. Things that were never supposed to be a part of your plan. Things you thought would destroy you. God’s timing is a funny thing, it sure is.

I lost people in my life, who at just the right time were replaced by solid, influential people, and sometimes frustratingly persistent friendships. I was scheduled to be in Mexico at the same time, which fell through.  My plans and my wants kept changing uncontrollably. The final straw came when I flew home from a long week documenting a wedding out of the country. Out of emotional desperation, and a pinch of boredom, I opened one of two purchased books on my iPad that I hadn’t touched in a long time, and began to read.  I was skimming through the pages and my eyes caught a verse from Isaiah. It read,

“And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday
And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring, whose waters do not fail.”

I began to see why God was changing my plans and prompting me to get past my deep hurts. This verse was opening my eyes to look past my own pain and grief, and focus on anothers needs. I made the decision there on that plane that I would cast my fears aside and to commit to this trip. I would use what resources and talents I had to help. I would somehow bless these people in Central America.

What I never suspected, however, is that they would bless me.

That they would heal pieces of me. That these people who seemingly had so little to offer would give me a joy that I’ve never felt in my life.

God’s timing is a funny thing sure, but it is so perfect. I can’t fully understand why I had to go through the things that I did to get here. And I can’t explain the feelings of peace, and contentment I encountered while I was in Nicaragua and since I’ve returned.

All I know is that I serve a God who has it figured out, and it is just my job to be still.

–

As I’ve been preparing images and video to post, I catch myself wrestling with doubts. Will these sufficiently tell their story? Will you understand their pain and their struggle when you see their faces, in the same way I experienced first hand? Will you see the simple hope and joy they have in Christ? Will these images create a reaction in the people viewing them? A reaction to give. A reaction to serve. And a reaction to live more simply? I certainly don’t claim to be the most amazing photographer out there, but it certainly is my hope and prayer that these things translate through my work.

So, here it is. My first post from my time in Nicaragua, documenting the efforts of Bridges of Hope. Feel free to leave any responses or questions you may have in the comments section below.

Our first location, Barrio Santa Elena. Here we distributed beans and rice and put together a simple eye clinic.

The line waiting to enter the church where we held our make shift eye clinic. Over 200 people walked away that day with a new pair of eye glasses.

We did not have nearly enough supply to meet every need. It was heartbreaking having to turn people away.

Some ladies eager to show off their new specs. :)

We traveled with Los Discipulos, an amazing group of ex-gang members from El Salvador, led by pastor Giovanny (above). By using their talents in break dancing and rapping,

they share their stories and faith to others in ways we couldn’t. More on these awesome guys later. :)

It’s safe to say that the children everyone loved them.

An impromptu break dance lesson at the local school.

I had the opportunity to walk around the barrio and meet more people who lived there. We met a widow whose feet and shoes were in terrible condition.

We asked her if we could buy her a new pair of shoes, and she obliged. We drove her to the nearest market and let her pick out a new pair.

The kids absolutely loved having their picture taken, and would squeal when I turned my camera around to show them the photo.

I photographed this group of older boys several times throughout the day. It wasn’t until later that I realized they were gang members,

who were threatening our efforts at the church.

I’ll end this post with a few moments that broke my heart the most that day. It was explained to me that many of the kids become

ill with parasites due to the sewage in the yards and streets. Above is a photo of a girl running through the sewage overflowing into the street.

Below is a toddler I found alone playing in the sewage runoff in the backyard.

I’ll be posting more from Nicaragua soon. If you’re interested in helping the people of Santa Elena

or if you’d like to support Bridges of Hope,  please visit their website.

Bridges of Hope International