BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (BP)–A six-month evaluation of a five-state Baptist convention response to needs in Nicaragua stemming from Hurricane Mitch has resulted in more than 235 houses being built, five new churches and 600-plus recorded professions of faith, reported Tim Bearden, leader of the Tennessee Baptist Convention’s missions awareness and involvement group.
“All of these statistics are important because people are out of the rain, people have come to know Jesus Christ and houses of worship have been left behind for people to be discipled,” said Bearden, who traveled Feb. 14-16 to Nicaragua to evaluate the disaster-recovery partnership with leaders from the Arkansas Baptist Convention, Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, Missouri Baptist Convention and the Baptist General Association of Virginia.
The evaluation revealed more than 180 volunteers have responded to needs in Nicaragua. Besides numerous construction teams, one medical team from Central Baptist Church, Johnson City, Tenn., treated 770 patients.
Other results of the partnership effort include the distribution of 1,000 Bibles and more than 20 showings of the “Jesus” film.
From the volunteers’ response to Nicaraguans’ needs, 10 people have made commitments to career or long-term missions, Bearden said.
