600 SW 3rd Street, Suite 2201 Pompano Beach, Florida 33060 1-800-391-8545 PROJECT 1076 Final Report Beauty for Ashes El Crucero, Nicaragua Special Thank You! WWW.CROSSINTERNATIONAL.ORG/ASHES
TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I: THE PROBLEM & THE PLAN Last spring, you joined us in meeting this desperate need Executive Summary.................................... 2 Statement of Need..................................... 3 A God-Inspired Solution................................ 5 SECTION II: THE ACHIEVEMENT Your gift built sturdy houses for poor families struggling to survive Your Impact.......................................... 8 Lives Changed........................................ 10 Financial Summary.................................... 14 Thank You........................................... 15 i
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:1-3 ii
SECTION I THE PROBLEM & THE PLAN Executive Summary Statement of Need A God-Inspired Solution Thank you for fully funding this project! 1
Earlier this year, you joined us in meeting this desperate need Executive Summary Project Description Bring new life to families suffering the ravages of extreme poverty by providing them with sturdy homes and a new life in Christ. Location These families live in a region known as El Crucero, which sits about 20 miles south of Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. The houses were built in Pacaya, a small town in El Crucero located by the Pan-American Highway. Campaign Goal $110,000 was needed to build 25 houses, at $4,400 each, for impoverished families living in disintegrating shacks. The homes include a porch and latrine, and families were given a Bible along with the keys to their new house. Project Highlights In El Crucero, most people survive by subsistence farming or harvesting coffee on distant plantations. Many can only secure temporary work. Because of their poverty, these families live in dilapidated shacks cobbled together with pieces of wood, plastic and rusted tin. Fumes from a distant volcano cause acid rain that eats away at the families flimsy homes, leaving them in disrepair. Each family received a Spanish language Bible along with the keys to their sturdy, new home. With much of their income going to repair their dilapidated shacks every few months, families go without necessities like food, clean water and medicine. Cross International partnered with Rainbow Network our Nicaragua-based ministry partner to bring hope to the people of El Crucero by providing housing and the saving knowledge of Christ. With your help, Cross built 25 sturdy, cement-block homes for destitute families. 2
Irene Perez, 30, has often dreamt of what a sturdy house would mean for her family. We wouldn t be wandering from place to place like nomads, says the mother of three. My children could sleep without the worry of rain or wind coming in. We would have something of our own something permanent. Irene and her husband Julio struggle to support their children on the small income Julio makes selling recyclables. Their house is made from scraps found from the city dump. The flimsy structure fashioned from pieces of plastic and wood offers little protection from the inclement weather common in El Crucero, especially the acid rain caused by fumes from a distant volcano. Acid eats away at the walls and roof quickly, Irene said. Carolina Valverde, 18, and her husband, Juan, also struggle to keep their little shack standing. The roof is made of plastic tarp, which does little to keep out wind or rain. They also have to change the tarp at least twice a year when gaping holes form, and this can be costly. Juan cannot find steady work and does whatever he can to earn money to support his family, selling fruit in the market or picking up temporary construction work. Statement of Need Carolina Valverde and her husband, Juan, live with their two children in a dilapidated shack. Unable to find steady work, the couple struggles to survive in El Crucero. Recently, there was an earthquake and we ran out of the house for fear that it would collapse on us, said Carolina, who has two young children. This is no way to live. 3
Sadly, most families in El Crucero, a rural community that lies 20 miles south of the Nicaraguan capital, struggle with unimaginable living conditions like these. Many houses in this area are made almost entirely of plastic tarp, held up by wooden beams. Roofs are fashioned out of tin scraps, which corrode easily in the harsh environmental conditions of the area. El Crucero sits at a higher altitude than most of the country, which makes the climate much colder at night and prone to gusty winds. Earthquakes are also common throughout Nicaragua. El Crucero sits within an area affected by Masaya, a volcano that emits large amounts of sulfur dioxide gas. In the 16th century, Spanish settlers nicknamed the smoke-spewing giant La Boca del Infierno or The Mouth of Hell. Though the volcano is miles away, the chemical gases it emits affect an area that stretches to the western coast of the country. As a result of the volcano, the people of El Crucero experience frequent bouts of acid rain. The people cannot drink collected rain water because it gets contaminated and are forced to buy bottled water. The acid eats away at their ramshackle homes, leaving them in frequent need of repair an expense that these desperately poor families simply cannot afford. Jobs are scarce in El Crucero, as in much of the country, and most families survive by working as day laborers on coffee plantations. The work is hard and only available during part of the year. The rest of the time, the people work odd jobs or make handicrafts for a meager income. Most families live on just $1 a day. Life is a daily struggle for survival in El Crucero. Families battle against crushing poverty and inclement weather as they try to keep their small shacks from caving in on them. 4
When you gave to support this campaign, you helped answer the prayers of a community desperate for help, making this housing plan a reality! Your generous gift was an answer to prayer. It helped provide impoverished families with safe, sturdy homes like this one, which was built a few years ago by Rainbow Network in another community. A God-Inspired Solution Even before Cross International learned about the desperate need for housing that existed in El Crucero, families from the area s two poorest towns of San Ramon and Pacaya were praying for help. Rainbow Network, our longtime Christian ministry partner in Nicaragua, shared the heartbreaking stories of some of these families with us. Touched by their need, Cross International agreed to build sturdy, cement-block homes for 25 families in desperate need of a safe place to live. Overwhelmed by the plans for their impoverished community, the people of El Crucero rejoiced at this answer to prayer. They were excited to partner with Cross International and Rainbow Network and agreed to provide sweat equity by helping with the non-professional work during construction of the homes. Rainbow Network identified the families with the most acute need and assembled a team of builders with a proven history of constructing quality homes. Plans were made to build the roofs of the homes using a strong, anti-corrosive material called Nicalit, which is made with fiber-cement. Rainbow Network had used this material to build several houses and has found that it stands up well to the harsh environmental conditions of the area. When the original land planned for the project fell under an ownership dispute, Cross International provided funds to purchase a few acres of land about a mile from the original site. The land was being offered by the owner for a fraction of its actual worth and it s in a prime location along the Pan-American Highway. With the land and building plans in place, all that was needed were the funds to break ground. 5
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2 6
SECTION II THE ACHIEVEMENT Your Impact Lives Changed Financial Summary Thank You! Oscar Velázquez and his family received this sturdy house thanks to the generosity of friends like you. Read their story on page 11. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Isaiah 32:18 7
Your Impact Thanks to Cross International s generous benefactors, 25 desperately poor Nicaraguan families received an unbelievable gift a few weeks before Christmas a sturdy cement-block home. Among them was Darling Marin, a 29-year-old mother of two. As a single mom, Darling struggles to provide for her children. She supports them by selling food and knickknacks at a small convenience stand in town. Until recently, they lived in a small rented shack made of plastic walls, a rusted tin roof and dirt floors. But all that changed when Darling and her children received the keys to their safe new home built through the generosity of friends like you. Look at the things of God! exclaimed Darling. I never would have believed I could have a house like this, a safe place to raise my children. As Darling and the other beneficiary families gathered to dedicate their new homes to Christ on December 12, there were tears of joy, songs of praise and many words of thanks offered by the grateful families. Each received a home with strong cement-block walls, a thick cement foundation to withstand earthquakes and a sturdy roof made of anti-corrosive material, called Nicalit, which is resistant to the volcanic acid rain. The homes have wooden doors, windows, a porch and a latrine. Each house sits on a plot of land that will allow the families to grow gardens to help supplement their diets. Darling and the other beneficiaries worked for months alongside the construction team to erect the houses. A team of American volunteers also helped with the construction during the summer. Heavy rains during September and October delayed construction, but the construction team worked diligently to make sure the homes were complete before the end of the year so the families could move in before Christmas. Grateful families gathered to dedicate their new cement-block homes to Christ during a ceremony held by Rainbow Network on December 12. 8
Thanks to contributions by friends like you, 25 of El Crucero s poorest families no longer have to brave the harsh cold or rain coming through their walls or worry that their dwelling may collapse on them at any moment. They have left their flimsy shacks behind to live in houses built on a solid foundation. Moreover, they have received this gift in the name of Christ, the ultimate foundation for their lives. As the families received their keys on dedication day, they were also given a Spanish language Bible. This gift was a reminder to the families that their homes were built in the name of the Lord and that their new community is one founded on the firm foundation of Christ. Thank you for your gift, which BEFORE enabled this life-changing work to be done. Be blessed as you read more about the impact your gift has had on the people of El Crucero. Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Matthew 7:24 AFTER Darling, a poor single mother, is so thankful for the gifts of friends like you, which provided a sturdy new house for her family. The difference between her old shack and her family s new home is dramatic. 9
Lives Changed The following pages share the stories and photos of some of the families who received safe new homes thanks to your support. The dramatic difference between their previous dwellings and the sturdy cement-block houses they now call home is a testament to the transformative power of Christ s love in action. We hope you are blessed as you see the dramatic difference your selfless gift has made in the lives of impoverished families in rural Nicaragua. BEFORE AFTER The Lazo Family Carlos and his wife, Lissteh, have never had much. For years, the couple battled to keep their small rented shack made of plastic and rusted tin from caving in on them. Carlos works hard as a taxi driver in El Crucero to provide for his wife and son, but there never seems to be enough money. With their son starting school, the family has had to stretch their meager income even further to buy school supplies and school uniforms. Now with the gift of a sturdy home, the money that was going towards rent each month can be used for food and for their son s education. Praise God! 10
Ana, her husband Oscar, and their two children are so thankful for their new home (see page 7). Before receiving a house through the generosity of friends like you, they lived in a rented room in a small house shared by several families (pictured above). The Velázquez Family Ana and her husband, Oscar, have two children. Oscar works as a laborer on a farm, which provides the family with only $100 a month. Most of that money was being used to rent a small room in a house shared by several other families. This left little money available for necessities like food and clean water. Ana and her husband are overwhelmed by the generosity of American benefactors like you who blessed them with a sturdy, cement-block house and a small plot of land to call their own. Now they will be able to provide for their children and send them to school without worry of where the money will come from. The Castellano Family Haydé and her husband, Santos, have five children. The couple ekes out a living working as farmers. Santos also has a second job as a guard for a housing community in Managua, which helps bring the family s monthly income to just $100. For years, Haydé and Santos wanted to leave their ramshackle house made from plastic and pieces of scrap wood and move their family into a safe, cement-block home. But with their meager income, the couple is certain that dream never would have come to pass if it wasn t for the support of friends like you. Haydé wanted us to share a few words with the people who answered her family s prayers for a safe place to live: God bless you for your kindness. We cannot stop giving thanks to God for you. AFTER BEFORE 11
BEAUTY FOR ASHES BEFORE PROJECT 1076 The Ríos Family AFTER AFTER The Silva Family BEFORE 12
The Morales Family AFTER BEFORE AFTER The Lanzas Family BEFORE 13
Financial Summary The generosity of friends like you was overwhelming. Your support helped Cross International raise the $110,000 needed to build 25 homes for desperately poor families living in squalor in El Crucero, Nicaragua. Thank you for being an instrument used by Christ to bless these families and create beauty from ashes. 2013 Campaign Budget DESCRIPTION COST Building Materials: Cement/Rebar/Timber/Brick/Nails/Tools $2,439 Roof $704 Windows and Doors $240 Latrines and Porch $122 Professional Labor: Construction crew/foreman/guard $374 Transportation of Materials $80 Legal Expenses $41 Project Management $400 Cost Per House $4,400 Total Amount Needed to Build 25 Homes $110,000 Fully Funded Thank You! God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10 14
Thank You! In 1 Thessalonians 1, the Apostle Paul commends the believers of the early Church for their steadfast faith and their acts of kindness towards others, which serve as an example of Christ s love on Earth: We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (verse 3). For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything (verse 8). In the same way, we are deeply grateful for your generous act of faith that helped bring sturdy homes to 25 impoverished Nicaraguan families. Your gift has not only provided safe shelter for those in great physical need. It has also ministered to the spiritual needs of a community desperate for the love of Christ. Because of your generosity, these families have experienced a tangible example of God s love for them. Thank you for sowing into the lives of these desperate families. Though you will likely never meet them face to face, know that your gift has made a lasting impact on their lives. God Bless You! 15 [rj1401]
We consider every donation as a gift from God, and ourselves as honored stewards of those gifts. The following organizations can attest to Cross International s faithful stewardship of God s precious resources: Delivering Food, Shelter and Hope to the Poorest of the Poor 600 SW 3rd Street, Suite 2201 Pompano Beach, FL 33060 Victor Biggs, International Development Director: 800-391-8545 ext. 238 www.crossinternational.org/ashes 2014 Cross International. Cost-effectively written and designed in-house, and mailing facilitated by volunteers.