Two Year
Ministry Plan

Last month, a team from Grace spent a week ministering alongside our partners in Nicaragua. While the team was originally slated to host a medical clinic, they found out shortly before departure that the medical clinic was not approved for this trip. Although this news was disheartening, the team was able to pivot quickly and God worked in amazing ways to allow them to show his love, encourage fellow believers, and share the gospel in Nicaragua.

Some of our medical professionals were able to participate in health talks on a local Christian radio station. They shared information about pediatric care, dentistry, women’s health, and addiction recovery. The response was particularly encouraging around the topic of addiction and recovery, which is rarely discussed publicly in Nicaraguan culture.

The team also got to minister to local families in multiple ways—they hosted a kids camp at the church while ministering to adults in men’s and women’s groups. About 50 children participated in the camp, and they spent time enjoying skits, hearing Bible stories, memorizing Scripture, and doing crafts. The men’s and ladies’ groups spent fruitful time in discussion and hearing testimonies. It was an opportunity to bring to light many sins that are kept in the darkness culturally and talk about the gospel’s power to rescue us from the enslavement of sin.

In the local elementary school, team members got to spend time talking to students about health and interact with them in a variety of ways. A few team members partnered with translators, local church members, and the pastor to complete work projects at the church and the school. And finally, many local pastors and church leaders participated in training regarding marriage and parenting.

Although the original plan did not work out, God faithfully provided many ways for our team to reflect and extend his love to the people of Nicaragua. And it was an important discipleship moment for our team members as well—understanding that God is in control and we can trust him with our plans.

Will you join us in celebrating what God has done and praying for continued discipleship in Nicaragua? To learn more about international missions at Grace and see upcoming short-term opportunities, click below.

For the first time in over four years, Grace Church was able to send a medical team to Chinadega, Nicaragua this past week. The team of 24 covenant members from across all of our campuses consisted of doctors, nurses, physical therapists, a dental hygienist, and a number of willing servants who filled various roles throughout the different areas of the clinic. The scope of ministry included vision consults and glasses where appropriate, dental cleanings and evaluations, dental education, and a full-scale pharmacy where more than 1,200 prescriptions were filled during the week. More than 500 patients were seen, and many were receptive to the gospel.

The team also participated in children’s ministry and continued the Pastor & Leader Training that has been ongoing in Chinandega since last year with more than 60 participants throughout the week. It was also exciting to share the week with Mary Ezzell, a serving partner based out of our Español campus, who is living in Nicaragua and serving alongside our ministry partners, Christ for the City International.

What a blessing to be back in Nicaragua, working alongside fellow believers and showing Jesus’ love to those in need. Please join us in thanking God for all he has done in and through this team! If you want to learn more about International Missions at Grace and see opportunities for future mission trips, click below.

Earlier this month, our Nicaragua team faced disappointment as their trip was canceled at the last minute due to an airline cancellation. After finding no alternative flight plan, the team met to grieve, process, and pray together. God graciously reoriented both our partners in Nicaragua and our team here in Greenville, and they decided to move forward and serve “where they were.”

For our partners in Nicaragua—Christ for the City International—this meant they continued with their plan for the week. They taught a class for pastors and leaders, delivered 50 bags of food and staples to those in need, and worked on projects for two different schools supported through CFCI’s Hope School program. Grace funded the food bags and school projects, and CFCI team members made the deliveries, prayed with family members, and joined in the work. Mary Ezzell, a Grace member currently living in Nicaragua, represented us in all these projects.

Our team here in Greenville had already taken time off for the week, so they jumped into serving through various projects here in town. They did yard work at one of the Grace Housing rental units, helped with organizing at the Housing Warehouse, delivered Meals on Wheels for Greenville County, and did a clothes sorting/packing project at the Spartanburg Espanol Campus. Team members were even able to help a family deal with a last-minute, unplanned move. And over half the team ended their week serving at the Fusion student retreat on the work crew!

It was amazing to see God’s sovereign hand at work in each of these situations, and even more so, God worked in hearts through this unexpected circumstance to teach prayerful dependence. We hope you will join us in celebrating what he has done both in Nicaragua and here in the Upstate. We do have mission trips scheduled to Nicaragua and Puerto Rico in the coming months. If you would like to learn more about our international mission opportunities or apply, click below.

One of our serving partners is Mary Ezzell, a member of our Grace En Español Taylors campus. Mary is leaving soon to work with our partners in Nicaragua, Christ For the City International. We are so thankful for Mary’s heart for missions and hope you will join us in prayer for her and those she will be serving in Nicaragua. Click the video below to hear her story about some of the unique challenges she has faced and the peace God has provided. To learn more about our partnerships in Nicaragua, click below.

The last two years have presented a wealth of difficulty, and with travel restrictions, supporting our outreach partners around the globe has been a challenge. While we’ve been able to stay connected virtually, we’re excited that multiple opportunities have opened up to serve and support our outreach partners in person. See below for a summary of what’s coming up. For more, visit our outreach page or click on Bill White’s full update.

• Nicaragua: For the first time in several years, a team will join Christ the City International in Chinandega, Nicaragua, to train local pastors and leaders and host a children’s program and medical clinic. Medical professionals are still a need for this trip, March 19–26, 2022. Apply here!
• Puerto Rico: Continuing in our partnership with Hunger Corp, a team will serve in Puerto Rico February 5–11, 2022, helping to rebuild homes damaged by natural disasters in the Dorado Community.
• East Africa: This fall, Bill and Rachael White will spend time in Rwanda encouraging pastors and their wives, then join Robby and Nathalie Richard in Kenya, where they will work with Bernard Kabaru and the Aberdare Baptist Convention to help train pastors and leaders.
• Germany: For the last few years, Grace has been a resource for several local churches in Frankfurt and Munich. Currently, our leadership is working with a German church as they begin leadership succession.
• Israel: Grace is currently supporting a full-time student ministry staff member in a church in the Arab community of Israel.

Ken and Doris Bickel are members at Grace’s Downtown campus, and they have been going on mission trips to Nicaragua since 2012. They’re excited to be leaving for yet another trip this weekend. We had a chance to chat with them about their experiences, why they continue to return, and what God has taught them.

How many times have you been to Nicaragua? At least eight times.

Why do you keep going back? Our partners—the ministry team at CFCI—have become very special to us. They are more than ministry colleagues; they are friends. We both also enjoy teaching. I (Ken) believe God prepared me, through years of pastoral ministry, for the opportunity to teach other pastors. Doris loves to teach Ezer studies and assist the medical teams when they go. We both find great fulfillment in being able to teach and interact with our Nicaraguan brothers and sisters.

What challenges have you faced? We’ve faced sickness at times, and the climate can be difficult. You can’t drink the water. The basic challenges of being in a third world country can be hard to navigate, but we’ve always felt protected and cared for. There’s really no reticence to go on our part. We just live with the minor inconveniences and get on with life. Ministry can be fun, and this is the kind of ministry that is fun!

What would you tell someone who is considering going on an international mission trip? It’s important to experience different cultures. It’s wise for personal growth, especially if you’ve never been to a third world country. You will learn to appreciate the believers there. They have to live with disadvantages that we take for granted. We can pray better and respect them. This can challenge our spiritual growth. I’ve never met anybody who regretted going on a mission trip. It’s an opportunity for personal growth, spiritual growth, and treating others as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Many thanks to Ken and Doris for sharing their experiences with us! Will you pray for them and the rest of the team as they depart for Nicaragua this weekend? Click below to learn more about our ministry and partnerships in Nicaragua.

One of our partner organizations is Christ for the City International in Nicaragua. They have been working hard, along with local churches, to support the countless individuals who have been affected by the pandemic as well as recent hurricanes. Although we haven’t been able to travel to Nicaragua over the past year, we have closely partnered with our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua through prayer, virtual teaching, and financial support.

Through this partnership, we have been able to help provide food, water filters, clothing, medical assistance, and other vital supplies to those in need. Recently, our Nicaragua Partnership Lead Wes Cavin was able to have a conversation with Fabricio Mendoza, the director of the Christ for the City International Nicaragua base and get an update about how things are going. Watch a short clip from the update below. To watch the full conversation, click here, and to see related photos, click here.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been unable to send our usual mission teams to our outreach partners in Nicaragua. Thankfully, we have been able to pivot to virtual connections—proving that the fruitfulness of the gospel cannot be limited.

Using Zoom, we have been able to teach several courses—including Core Values of the Church and Leadership Values—and spend time helping pastors and leaders think through how best to lead their congregations during a global pandemic. More than 30 pastors and leaders participated in our video sessions each month and received training/equipping that helps them lead their churches and in their communities. What we learned over the past year is that while the significant benefit of in-person interaction was missed, the work God is doing through our teams in Nicaragua can still have an impact until he opens the doors for us to travel once again.

We hope you will join us in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua. As we rejoice in the opportunity to connect with believers around the world, we pray that God would continue to expand his kingdom.

Continuing our recently-started three-year Grace Institute Nicaragua in Chinandega, Tom Fowler has returned for the week to train approximately 70 pastors and leaders. Tom is leading the participants through two studies: 1) Study of the Holy Spirit; and 2) Bibliology - A Study of Biblical Doctrine. These classes continue to lay the foundation for the curriculum to be executed over the next 36 months. Please pray for Tom and all the students who participate.

Continuing a partnership started 16 years ago, we are excited to launch a new three-year Grace Institute Nicaragua. Tom Fowler and Herson Lopez will be training approximately 70 pastors & leaders in Chinandega, Nicaragua from August 26-30. To kickoff the new set of classes, the participants will go through 2 studies: 1) Soteriology; and 2) Survey of Genesis. These classes help set the foundation for the curriculum to be executed over the next 36 months. Our teams are excited to return to Chinandega, as it takes us back to our "roots". The first Grace Church team to serve in Nicaragua spent a week serving in a local church in Chinandega, and the city is also the childhood home of the Christ for the City International - Nicaragua Directors, Fabricio & Claudia Mendoza.

In two days, June 22, three Grace Church members and staff leave for follow-up training with pastors and leaders in Nicaragua, specifically in Rivas (2010-2012) and Matagalpa (2013-2015). Merritt Anderson will be teaching our "Leadership Values" course, David Vaughan will be teaching a "Study of Parables", and Wes Cavin will be leading a session on "Growing Church/Christian Unity".

What has changed?

While the situation in Nicaragua is still very fragile, we're seeing several encouraging signs. In addition to a resumption of talks and negotiations between the government, private sector, and religious entities, we are also learning about other missions teams from the U.S. that are returning to Nicaragua (medical teams, teaching teams, and construction/other humanitarian teams).

Why are we returning now?
Through prayer and consult with our Christ for the City International - Nicaragua (CFCI) partners, we have determined that the situation is at a place where we are willing and able to send a small team. When our trips were interrupted last year, we were in our final year of a three-year focus training pastors and leaders in La Dalia. Returning now gives us the chance to complete classes with that group of pastors and leaders and celebrate what God has done and is doing in their lives, churches, and communities. A trip at this time also gives us the opportunity to support our CFCI partners in efforts they have continued during our absence—training for women in Matagalpa and other pastors and leaders in Managua.

How can our church family be praying?
First and foremost, we give thanks to God for working and moving during the year we've been away. Please pray for team safety, that God will use the team (Tom Fowler, Mary Ezzell, and Ken and Doris Bickel) for his glory, and for the continued efforts to help an under-resourced group of pastors and leaders. Finally, pray for our partners in Nicaragua as they continue to face living in a very difficult situation on a daily basis—economically and spiritually.

These 41 women completed the Redeeming Sexuality course in Matagalpa. Keep up with Nicaragua missions and view more pictures of our partners, CFCI, and graduation ceremonies here.