Rio de Agua Viva: Our Team Members, Nelly Fielding

Hi Everybody,  

I write a lot about the ideas behind the members of the Rio de Agua Viva team, but I forget sometimes to talk about our members.  Well, no more!  Each day this week I will feature a blog written by each of our members about why they are headed back to Honduras with us.  Feel free to come meet our team members at our meeting this Saturday from 10 AM - 12 PM at River of Living Water United Methodist Ministries.  For now, meet my friend Nelly.

Nelly Fielding

I was blessed to share in a mission trip to Honduras in June of 2014. The focus of the group I was a part of, Team Rio, was education. Rio has been training women representing local communities how to take care of themselves in several capacities, from filtering their own water, to helping women work towards becoming small entrepreneurs.

Dr. George and Nelly interviewed by Dr. Noe's Broadcasting Team

A new dimension, personal gardening, was begun on that trip. A master gardener, George Wong-Chong (Doctor George) spoke to those women about the imperative need for vegetables and fruits in the diets of the children to build up their immune systems. He imparted some simple steps towards making fertilizer from readily available materials hoping to propel people to build community gardens. I regret that George and his lovely wife, Mary Lou cannot make the trip this year. Imagine the boost in nutrition for the children, if people were able to cultivate the produce they cannot afford in the local markets. I had the privilege of interpreting for Dr. George, and hiking with him through a coastal village where other mission groups have impelled the villagers to start small coconut plantations and to raise chickens. We would like to return to that village in particular as the members we spoke to were very interested in starting a community garden.

Nelly's Bible School Students

Part of Team Rio held a one-day Vacation Bible School session for the children of a very destitute community. The Lord gave us a beautiful program for those precious children, who were very well behaved, despite the fact that we were in tremendously cramped quarters. They sang their hearts out to God and one could see the intensity in their eyes as they listened to Suyapa, an important local contact, tell them about the life of the Savior. The mayor of Jutiapa, Dr. Noe Guardado, and his wife, both very active in community improvements, gave us some very encouraging news. They said that as a result of years of American mission work in Honduras, there are now visible inroads of success through work. Many people now have hopeful attitudes that they can improve their own lives, as opposed to depending on handouts.  I think we all swelled up a little when the interpreter quoted the mayor on that point!

I am returning to Honduras because those people need us. Christ has given me so much that my cup runneth over, and I want to share the overflow.

Nelly de Los Laureles con Nelly de Cordova

Feel free to join the Rio team as a prayer warrior, fundraiser, member sponsor, or traveling team member.  We are a community of many different types of volunteers, and we need your help!  Contact me to learn more about our team today!

Together, we are the difference.