1 John 4:9 - "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him."

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

God's love and your love became real through us by supporting us throughout 2013, enabling us to be your hands and feet in Nicaragua.  Our hearts were filled with gratitude to God and to you when we saw the joy of boys and girls in our first Kindergarten graduation at Bethel Church in Bluefields on December 3rd.

December is the end of the school year; graduations all over town celebrated the joy of finishing the race in spite of many obstacles. We also entered into a new phase of our journey with the celebration of the birth of Jesus and are looking into the new year with great expectations.

So much has happened this year where we can testify that Jesus lived through us, giving us the strength to continue until the end and become more like Him.  Let us share with you the work that you have been part of so you can rejoice with us just as we have rejoiced with many graduates.

The 2013 school year started in February with three classes of children from 4 to 5 years old. At the beginning of the year, most of the children were crying for their parents because of the separation from their loved ones, the people that have cared for them since their birth. Likewise, we had to deal with new situations in the ministry: the opening of the school in Bluefields, dealing with government regulations for school, attending various meetings with the Minister of Education, taking care of a bipolar young man for during five months, facing obstacles from the government to open the school in Rama, working through internal problems with some members of the church, etc. All of these situations brought us closer to God, crying before the Lord so He could bring victory in all of the situations mentioned above. Yes, just like God brought us to the end of this school year with success, now there are no more tears. God gave us our diploma.

While we were going through difficult times in many occasions, God gave us surprises that really helped us to concentrate on His goodness: 

1) The joy of seeing Indira and Ricardo responding to the call from God, from the marketplace in Bluefields to the church/school in Kukra Hill.

2) The joy of seeing three children taking over the music ministry in the church, playing the instruments, and singing to the Lord.

3) The joy of seeing lives being restored into fellowship with God.

4) The joy of the birth of many babies in the church.

5) The joy of seeing Jessica graduating from Preschool, helping us see the persistence in the eyes of a 5-year-old who was eager to learn in spite of the lack of interest of her parents.

6) The joy of a 19-year-old volunteer who had begun his trip to Nicaragua with no vision for his future, and who left with new vision after serving for two months.

7) The joy of receiving work teams and finances for the construction of the church/school in Rama.

Just as you have walked with us during 2013, please continue to make your love manifested through your prayers, visits, and financial support during this New Year 2014. Happy New Year!

In Christ,

Vital and Ketly

To see the Pierre’s MPT website, go to -- www.missionbluefields.org