Winamba! Back from Prinzapolka

Winamba means (You got to move it, move it..) It means you gotta stay active to be healthy. Many people of the northern regions of Nicaragua are active doing work at 4 am or earlier if they fish or do farming.
 
My trip to Prinzapolka started off like an impossibility. I didn’t know how to get there. And no planes went close to where I needed to get to. But if God wants something to happen he opens the doors for it. At the start of the trip I only had the funds for the transportation and 3 filters. But God provided along the way for medicine and food for the community. I came in contact with a friend of a friend that had family close bye. So after a 6 hour bus ride to Managua, a 14 hour bus ride to Puerto Cabezas, and then a 3 hour ride in speed boat we were able to reach our destination.
 
On the way there the language started to slowly change as more and more people spoke Miskito the local language of Puerta Cabezas and the surrounding communities. We passed a small part of a forest reserve where we saw very large trees bigger than in other parts I’ve seen in Nicaragua. Arriving in Puerto Cabezas we were taken in by a Christian family that were half Miskito and half Garifuna. They were very hospitable to us and we were very blessed by them. Through their family contacts we got a good price on a speed boat to Prinzapolka. So we went to pick up the gas and load up for the trip down river. Part way by ocean part way by river and channel. We passed  the mangrove forests and swamps  but were unable to see the crocodiles that live there and I thought happily I was I was living an episode of swamp people or duck dynasty as it looked pretty much like southern louisiana.
 
Arriving in Prinzapolka we came in off the ocean and down the River Prinzapolka to the town. We were met by a large group of people and when we got off the boat the arguing started and the people were yelling at each other in Miskito. The local government leader wanted us to send all the food, medicine, and water filters to his home and than have a meeting to talk about how to distribute it. Another family of about 15 people said that was wrong and took all our goods and we went to their house. They were distant relatives of our friend Jairo. I also later found out another year a red cross boat came there and the goods on the boat were ransacked and the boat had to leave.
 
We prayed over the goods on arriving to the wooden house on stilts and were ushered into the house where we were welcomed. The lady of the house was called Nikolasa. She also was Christian. But I noticed that few knew much about the bible except what the local minister told them. They didn’t know their bibles. This town was a fishing village and most everything revolved around that and transportation. There were a small amount of crops and animals like pigs and some cows. The flooding had stopped there and didn’t seem too bad by the time we got there. And praise God the rain stopped for the duration of our trip.
 
Arriving the first day late just before sunset our ministry would start the following day. I did a devotional with the family before bed. Waking before sunset as the custom is there we prepared for the day. Asking God for wisdom and how to give out the food in a way that the people would not fight as we only had packets for some 30 families. So with the Lord’s help we made a list with Nikolasa and the local government leader on reaching orphans, widows, and people sick or that couldn’t work. With that we were able to reach the people with the most need. All in Jesus name (Jesus Ninara)
 
We than had people show up to the house that were sick. The main illnesses there were malaria and stomach issues from bad water. We did 2 house visits to the sick. The first house was close to the river on the sandy beach and upon arriving the man of the house came to greet us “Bara” means Hello in Miskito. Going into the house we soon saw 2 women layed out on the floor without the strength to get up. They had malaria and there was no medicine in town to treat them. We prayed over them and pulled out some malaria medicine that I had with me which I pray helped them. Myself and those that traveled with me had been taking anti-malaria medicine before the trip which should help if we were to be bitten. The family didn’t have much food either so I went to the local store they didn’t have much. But a man paddled  bye on a canoe that had turtle meat and turtle liver. So I was able to get him some of that which is high in Vitamin B which would help. God’s timing is perfect.
 
The next lady we saw was different. As we entered the room where she was her daughter was huddled over her as the lady cried in pain. She looked pregnant but it was a tumor that caused her much pain. We prayed over her for God to take control of her and her pain. We gave her pain meds. At the end of our trip we took her by speed boat to the hospital in Prinzapolka where she was able to get a more thorough treatment. Please continue to pray for her healing and that the pain would stop.
 
During the afternoon at 4 pm we organized a service. We planned on doing it for adults too but the Christians had traveled to a neighboring community for a retreat that had been planned. So we ended up with 50 moskito kids that showed up. Quickly I changed the duration of the teaching and we added games. And the kids helped us sing to God in Miskito. Jairo was a great help in translating the teaching he accompanied up all the way from Managua.
 
With that we passed the night with the family at the house and with visitors that came to see is. We passed a lot of time giving godly council as there were many problems in the town.
 
With that we ended the day and the next morning I got up and took a trip on a Kiuko (canoe) around the river to see on the other side of the river they did have a well which is a blessing. We than paddled out to the ocean and than came back. It is tough paddling a wooden canoe if you’re not used to it. The canoe’s there are basically a large tree they felled that they then carve out the inside into the shape of a canoe and make the paddles out of wood as well.
 
With that we took the long way back on the speed boat with the lady that had the tumor. We placed her on a crate in the boat and but cushions on top of it where she layed with a plastic over her to protect her from the sun.
 
Oh yes, the 3 filters God gave the wisdom on how to give them out without fighting. One went to the local church, the other to the school which was in shambles, and the other went to the local clinic. At the local clinic they sometimes have a nurse but no doctor.
 
There are many communities like this in the Northern Coast of the Caribbean. We are praying about God’s will in visiting other communities in the future when the Lord permits.
 
God bless you this week and pray that we can all be a blessing to someone as you all have been to me.
 
Greg