John and Wilma Hall

Wilma´s  DREAM

THE MINISTRY OF EL CAMINO – NICARAGUA’S SUNDAY SCHOOL ON WHEELS

Back in 1999 while serving as missionary associates and working with Latin America ChildCare, the ministry of the El Camino (a Sunday School on Wheels) was birthed in our hearts.  God began our ministry on a small patio in Managua, Nicaragua.

The early morning was our time for devotions, which we did on our patio.  In the very poor barrios of Managua, early morning tasks for the children include collecting wood and water for the day.  Now, as we reflect back on this, it is obvious to us that the Lord was preparing the way for future ministry.

Our house was one of the very few in a large subdivision, where the children were able to see through the front gates and into the side yard (our patio).  As we responded to their needs with water, and then adding sandwiches, our “Gate Ministry” touched as many as 20 children each morning.  On one such morning the Lord impressed upon us, “Isn’t it time for you to share my Word with them?”  We are retirees, and were new to the church, so we had never been involved in any type of ministry, but now our “gate ministry” became a “patio ministry.”

The patio held about 35 children comfortably but within eighteen months, we were elbow-to-elbow children…85 plus and growing.  We began by showing “Veggie Tales” videos (in Spanish of course) and teaching them Scripture memorization.  The praise and worship, and especially the prayer time, was so revealing as Scripture was opened to us by the children’s simple but fervent faith.

As missionary associates we were running out of resources (financially and materially).  We were asking the Lord, “What do we do now?”  The answer came in applying for and receiving missionary appointment in July of 2002.  We returned to Nicaragua with a truck donated to us by friends in our home church in Erie, PA.  This truck would enable us to minister to not just 85 children, but maybe hundreds as we decided to “go to the children”.

The El Camino is a self-contained vehicle.  The side opens up to a nine-foot platform where we have video, puppets, music, and drama.  The children, many of whom would not enter into a church building because they have no shoes or appropriate clothing, will coming running when the “big truck” comes with the stories of the love of Jesus.