Bountiful Grace Corporation

August 2007 Newsletter

 

            It has been a while since Bountiful Grace Corporation sent out a newsletter. Even though we have been a bit shy on communication, the group has been very active with projects and mission trips. We are currently involved in some exciting ventures and plan to publish a bi-annual newsletter to keep our donors and friends updated. If you would like to be removed from our mailing list or email server please send an email to jamesdjmd@yahoo.com  or info@bountifulgrace.com.

            Our current board includes: Dick McNally – President, Dan James – Vice President, John Baggerman – Secretary, Doris McNally – Treasurer, Vibert Forsythe, Ginny Ecklund, and John Skaggs – directors-at-large.

            Since our last newsletter, we have continued our Nicaraguan work and have now completed the construction of a church in the village of Buena Vista and a grammar school in Pueblo Nuevo. The church is growing and now has about 60 members.  The project was amazingly finished under-budget because of the enthusiastic volunteer labor from the church congregation.

            We are also excited about having completed a grammar school in Pueblo Nuevo. The village had no school because theirs had been condemned (land-slide danger). For the last 4 years, the local children were either unable to attend school or needed to travel 1-2 hours by horseback, walking, or be transported by their parent via bicycle handlebar-taxi. The new school, funded by Bountiful Grace, was dedicated and began operation in February 2007. There are currently fifty-two children attending grades Kindergarten through 6th grade in the new four room building. Also exciting is our partnership with the regional Ministry of Education which committed 2 teachers for the school. We utilized most of our 2007 mission trip by having a vacation bible school to better acquaint ourselves with the community and children.

            In January 2007, Bountiful Grace met with Pueblo Nuevo’s community leaders. At our request, the village formed a leadership board to better communicate with our charity and help guide our work in the region, while making sure the community actively participates in the planning and prosecution of our joint projects.

            Our next goal is to help this region with public health related issues. In developing countries, establishment of a clean water supply is the first priority. Earlier this year, we met with a Nicaraguan environmental group (SELVA) and with the well known International charity, C.A.R.E. International. C.A.R.E. is active in many areas of the world and is currently working in the Northwest sector of Nicaragua to establish both a clean water system as well as an environmentally planned latrine system. In this project, C.A.R.E. requires local community participation through partial funding and labor donation. Bountiful Grace has made a commitment to help the Pueblo Nuevo and Gaspar Garcia villages by contributing 80% of their required funding. We will expect the villagers to contribute the remaining funds and supply volunteer labor. Our current fundraising is dedicated to reaching this 80% (approximately $23,000) commitment.

 

            There are other important health care needs in this region. Currently, the residents have very little health care resources. If they are sick, they must catch a bus that arrives at 4am and returns at 10pm for a 5-6 hour ride to the nearest health care facility. With an average daily wage of $2 and 60-80% unemployment in the region, there is little or no money for medicine. We are evaluating the possibility of building a regional health center and will be meeting with the Ministry of Health to facilitate working with the community leaders and government in this long-term, joint venture.

 

Other Activities:

            We have continued our mission trips to Nicaragua. Our January 2005, 2006 and 2007 trip highlights include:

1)      Working on the Tipitapa mission compound: This compound has been built to help house and facilitate mission groups coming to work on projects throughout Nicaragua. The couple we have worked with in the past, Ronnie and Angi Hopkins, are now permanent missionaries via the United Methodist Church. They live at the compound and facilitate construction and medical mission trips with many groups, including Bountiful Grace.

2)      Construction work on the Pueblo Nuevo Grammar school

3)      A vacation Bible School for the children of  Pueblo Nuevo

4)      Painting churches

5)      Children’s clothing, shoes, and school supplies (including backpack) distribution

 

            In addition to our Nicaragua work, Bountiful Grace Corporation co-hosted a mission trip with St Michael’s Episcopal Church, Lexington in October 2006. Approximately 12 adults traveled to the Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans area. The group worked long days mucking out homes for future rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Newsflashes:

1)      We are planning a fund raising Caribbean Pig Roast

2)      Our next Mission trip will be in January 2008. Please contact us if you might be interested in participating

Needs:

1)      Continued financial support

2)      Accumulation, donation, cleaning and sorting of children’s summer clothes and shoes for distribution during our mission trips

3)      Donation of books in Spanish for our Pueblo Nuevo school

4)      Mission trip participants for January 2008

5)      Donations for our silent auction at the Pig Roast

6)      Help with writing Grant Proposals

7)      Most of all your prayers!

Contact Information:

Dick McNally 859-221-8158

Dan James 859-219-1680

jamesdjmd@yahoo.com