David and Laura are serving in remote rural communities in Nicaragua through the training and support of village health leaders. These health care providers staff clinics in their communities to diagnose and treat the most common illnesses, teach nutrition and hygiene, and coordinate diverse community-oriented projects to improve health and prevent disease; they have significantly reduced deaths among children and women in their communities. David is an internist and Laura is a family physician. Their ministry to serve the poor focuses on health, hope and healing. Based in Nicaragua, they serve through AMOS Health and Hope and the Council of Protestant Churches in Nicaragua (CEPAD)

 

They write: “Alone” is how Catalino found Ana on the side of the road. He is on his way to his farm, and asks her if she is okay because at this time of the morning she was usually on her way home with a bucket of water on her head. She doesn’t answer and just keeps looking on the ground. So he tells her to cheer up and says he will see her later. But when he returns from the farm and passes by the same spot later that day, he said, “She had gramoxol (an herbicide) in a bottle next to her, and she drank it shortly after I left. She died a terrible death, and I wonder to this day if I could have done something….”  Catalino is one of the health promoters that we trained from the rural community of Cumaica Norte in Boaco. He recently shared this experience during a training we had on suicide prevention.

 

Since 2009, 6 people in municipality of San Jose de los Remates where we work have committed suicide because of domestic violence. The majority were young women, and many of the suicides could have been prevented had the risk been recognized earlier.  AMOS trained the health promoters from 23 communities in suicide prevention.

 

After the trainings, Catalino said: "If I had known then, what I know now…I would have suspected something and stopped to listen to Ana’s pain. And just maybe, I think that she might still be here.”

Another health promoter, Arellys, said:  "Before, I didn’t know we could prevent suicide, but now I have the tools to be able to tell someone I am here for you, I can listen so I can help them cope with their emotional pain.”

 

How many times have we passed someone in pain and walked right on by? Jesus encourages us and reminds us of who we strive to be -- someone who cares and knows to stop on the side of the road for someone in need. So we thank you for caring and taking the time to "stop at the side of the road" - listening to the stories of people in need we convey to you – and offering your support through prayers, financially, and by simply being there, allowing us to also be there for those we serve. 

 

·        Pray for David and Laura as they provide health care and train health care providers.

·        Pray for the ministry of the health care providers as they minister in Christ’s name.

·        Pray for their life as a family and for their children: Cristina (14), Scott (11) and David (9).