What is a Barrio?

For the past 4-5 years I have heard this term, but had never even heard a definition. But if you read the definition, as I did this morning, it would still not be as clear as if you visited one like I did last week.

The dictionary definition is: [an urban district or quarter in a Spanish-speaking country]. The urban district or quarter that I visited was called Paradise outside the city of San Benito in the Central American country of Nicaragua...which is definitely a Spanish-speaking country.

Certainly, it was a defined area. There is only one road in and out...dirt. There were over 200 homes, each with a fenced yard. The yards were little squares of cracking lava rock surrounded by make-shift barb-wire fences. The houses were made of sticks, card board, plactic, and tin (if you had money to acquire it). They had dirt floors and were normally about 100 sq. ft. [smaller than your average Marriott hotel room]. The average occupancy was 5 [higher than your average Marriott hotel room].

In another month, the dry season will end and they will see 3-4 inches of rain each day for a month. It will make the dead vegegation come back to life...but will wash away almost everything they own. The parents will sleep at night on top of their children to keep them dry.

Sounds pretty terrible? Physically it is. We had the priviledge to help build 9 block houses (16' x 12') and to provide plastic for 11 more houses to keep them dry. We also were able to provide food for the 1,000 residents that should last them nearly a month. So maybe we were able to help the barrio a bit. But Paradise is not just an 'urban area'...it is a community.

Life Changing Observations:

I watched many people who were not the recipients of a block house or even plastic work for 5 days straight in 95+ degree temperatures for 10 hours each day so that a neighbor could have a better home. I assumed that they were going to be the recipient of one of the homes...but most of them were receiving no immediate assistance. How many of us would see our neighbor out installing sprinklers or building onto their home and just help with no expectation...just because they are a part of our community? I would say few of us.

On day one, I had an 8 year old child persistently asking me for money. Although I wanted to just give him something, I had prepared myself for the begging. But that was only one of about 3 instances of requests for money. What I was not prepared for was the steady stream of little kids who just wanted a drink of clean, cool water. That broke my heart...so much evidently that by the 4th day I watched a few stealing bottles of water [and I could not bring myself to stop them.]

After sharing the gospel message with a young mother in a small 'hut', we asked if there was anything she needed for her family. Although there was no evident food in the house, all she asked for was a notebook, pencils, and a book bag so that her younger daughter could join her older daughter in going to school. When we took back some school supplies and a Spanish Bible the next day, she wept. After asking if she had thought about the story of Jesus that we told her the day before, she said that she knew that she should begin seeking God. After a little more conversation, she prayed and received Christ. Over the next few days we saw the change in her.

A last memory for today is a vivid picture of my 14 year old son and a 13 year old Nicaraguan girl. After handing a man enough plastic to cover his house, my son began sharing his salvation testimony with him. Needing a translator, a 13 year old girl who spoke pretty good English, was introduced to us and offered to help. As I watched, I was so proud of my son. But my thoughts went to the girl and what a great tool she could be for God in reaching this barrio for Christ. As I told the story to one of our teammates that night, Bart shared that he had the privilege of leading that 13 year old girl to faith in Christ the day before. What a neat picture of making disciples. Come to Christ one day...translate a witness to your neighbor the next. What potential!

Some personal thoughts:
(1) We cannot individually rescue an entire community in a week, but we can bring some hope.
(2) We cannot individually save an entire community in a week, but we can reach one at a time.
(3) I figured up an estimate of the cost of this trip, including: [Between $45,000-$50,000]
a. travel, meals, etc.
b. building 9 homes
c. renovating 11 homes - putting them in the dry
d. feeding 1000 people for a month
e. materials for teaching 45+ women a home business
f. Pastor conference / training for 3 days.
g. Helping to keep approximately 10 Nicaraguan believers employed by the ministry.

I would like to see any government program in the U.S. accomplish this for that dollar figure.

Some might say, "Could that money not be spent better by just sending it to Nicaragua?" My answer is, "Possibly." But when you look at the spiritual investment of 27 team members' lives who have been effectively changed by the experience...the investment for the future could be worth it, especially since it was not made in AIG...but rather in God's Kingdom which will not fail.
Oh, please allow me just one more analytical thought. We saw and recorded at least 15 people who's lives were changed by making Jesus Christ the Lord of their life. If none of the physical ministry took place, the spiritual fruit may have been less. But let me compare with a typical southern church with 600 in attendance and a $1,000,000 budget. They would have to lead over 300 people to faith in Christ and grow by 50% in the next year to get the same return on the monetary investment made in this one week.

I'd say that the trip was worth it! This BARRIO changed my life and the lives of my two sons. We are already talking about going back and where else in the world God might want us to invest in His Kingdom work of connecting the world with Christ...one person at a time.