A Year on Mission in Nicaragua

By Hannah Welch

This past year, I’ve had the privilege to serve alongside several medical teams, two special needs focus teams, and several church partners, and I’ve served in several other areas of the ministry of Nicaragua Resource Network (NRN). Words cannot describe the joy I have experienced serving here in Nicaragua over the past 15 months, and the last few months of the summer season were not to be excluded from that. I have witnessed lives coming to Christ, hardened hearts softening, people living into the hope of heaven, and prayers being answered. I have continued to be amazed by people’s faithfulness despite every bad thing this world can throw at them. The promise of heaven feels more real and important than ever before to me.

I have often been asked, “What do you do in Nicaragua?” This is a question that is hard to answer — because our culture focuses so heavily on “doing” instead of “being,” I often feel those who ask are disappointed with my response. My favorite thing I’m blessed to “do” in Nicaragua is to able to continue to invest in the lives of many students, teachers, church members, and ministry partners here. I believe that has been the most special and powerful thing God has been showing me this year: the power of relationship, the importance of community, showing up for others in the good and in the bad. The fact is that the most beautiful thing you can “do” for someone is show up for them, invest into their lives, and remind them of their worth in our Creator.

I believe that has been the most special and powerful thing God has been showing me this year: the power of relationship, the importance of community, showing up for others in the good and in the bad.

I thank God for the call He gave me this year on my life which is to allow Him to be my vision. This has changed the way I see ministry, the way I see the world around me, and the way I choose to spend my time, energy, emotions, and resources. He has a funny way of breaking us of habits that we think are beneficial, like always thinking I had to do a tangible act in order to aid another person. Don’t get me wrong, I believe Jesus has called us to serve the least of these, to deliver biblical justice, and to aid those in need. Yet, how many times in my life have I done something that was “empty” for another person because all they truly wanted was for someone to show up and remind them how loved they truly are? I’ve learned the way He changes and deepens your relationships when you allow Him to work instead of having your own agenda. I am thankful for these and many other lessons that have enriched my life, my relationships, my heart for Nicaragua, and my heart for the world around me.

I have spent much of my time being a part of the “doing” part of the ministry of NRN as well, including providing medical care to students and children with special needs; delivering food to families in need; seeing homes being built for those who don’t have shelter; taking part in children’s ministry, women’s ministry, and family ministry; feeling the Holy Spirit flow as the gospel is being spread; praying for needs to be met that seemed impossible and watching God provide time and time again; sitting down with students who are struggling, hearing every sad and seemingly impossible thing they are facing in their lives. God has truly blessed me with the opportunity to sit and invest in others’ lives in a painfully beautiful way in my time here in Nicaragua. I often know I can’t “do” anything for those around me but pray for them and love them as Jesus has called me to do.

I’ve learned the way He changes and deepens your relationships when you allow Him to work instead of having your own agenda.

I also wanted to give an update on what I believe God has for the next season of my life. I have returned to Indianapolis to live with my two sisters, a huge blessing that I’m thankful for. I look forward to continuing to build community at Soma and be back with my church family here. I give thanks to God for the passion He placed in my heart for Nicaragua, and I look forward to continuing to serve with NRN from Indy as well. This is a bitter-sweet change, but I’m trusting in God’s plan for this transition in my life. I will never be able to stop thanking God for this time He gave me in Nicaragua and the relationships He has given me both in Nicaragua and in Indiana. Another exciting plan is I will begin a master’s program to become a Family Nurse Practitioner at Indiana Wesleyan in the spring of 2020.

Words can’t sum up what this ministry in Nicaragua means to me or how thankful I am for this calling I’ve been given. I want to leave you with this verse that continually reminds me of the promise of heaven despite all the ugly this world shows us: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).