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Our
story
Even before its inception, God began to weave together the
framework of El Ayudante. He stirred a passion within the future
leaders to be more deeply involved in His work, especially that
of missions. In the fall of 1997, He sent one of the future
leaders to Honduras where He placed a burden on him to organize
a non-profit corporation to serve Central America and Mexico. During this time,
God orchestrated the transfer of a prominent, Christian lawyer
to the hometown and church where this effort was evolving. This
lawyer was instrumental in the legal formation of the ministry
now known as El Ayudante, Inc. (The Helper), which serves
Central America and Mexico. El Ayudante became a 501(c)3,
non-profit, tax-exempt corporation on August 10, 1998.
Until the fall of 1999, El
Ayudante, Inc. had been active in the nations of Mexico and
Honduras, being involved in the construction of a Christian
school, the construction of a kitchen to feed street children,
the provision of much needed medicines, and the sponsorship of
children in various Christian schools. During this time the
leadership was impressed by the Holy Spirit to expand ministry
into Nicaragua. The directive was puzzling at first, because
they had no contacts in that country. The leadership began to
fast and pray for direction as the Lord moved them into new
territory. The Holy Spirit began to speak to them through the
Word.
God’s direction was
to fulfill the Scripture found in James 1:27 that says, “Pure
religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit
the fatherless…”
At this time, God began to accelerate His pace by revealing to
two participating brothers the location of members of their
Central American family from whom they had been separated for
almost 100 years. These Central American relatives hold
prominent positions in the governments and business communities
of Nicaragua and Honduras, and have formed a close bond with
their relatives involved in El Ayudante. God also led the
organization to a missionary who had served in Nicaragua. This
missionary was originally from Tennessee, and his child had gone
to school with a daughter of one of the ministry’s leaders while
on furlough. Through this association, He directed the
principals to yet another Tennessean who had been led by God to
leave his Oak Ridge church and home and go to Nicaragua and
share the Gospel. He was joined by a fellow Tennessean who is a
contractor and land developer from Kingsport. He was severely
burned in May 2000, and while he was enduring the painful
treatment of his burns, God called him to Nicaragua to build
churches and a child protection center.
It is the belief of the leadership of El Ayudante that the Lord
has miraculously brought together these and many others to build
a complex in Leon which will include a child protection center,
medical clinic, teaching center and housing for mission teams.
Furthermore, we believe that this complex will serve as a base
of operations for ministry into Leon and throughout Nicaragua
which will transform the nation!
God has and is continuing to put
together an incredible network of people to accomplish His
purposes for Nicaragua. Construction of the complex began in
November 2001.
Mission Statement for Nicaragua
In obedience to and in total
dependence of God, El Ayudante, Inc. will construct a complex
in Leon, Nicaragua whose centerpiece will be a child
protection center. Support buildings will include a medical
clinic, teaching center and housing for mission teams
The objectives of the child
protection center will be to:
- provide for basic physical needs,
- instill the knowledge of Jesus Christ
as Lord of all life and Savior,
- develop social, physical, and mental
abilities,
- prepare leaders for Nicaragua.
The complex will also serve as a
base of operations from which coordinated, Spirit-led mission
teams will build bridges of hope and influence into Leon and
throughout Nicaragua.
Construction Phases of Hogar
Cristiano Nicaraguense
Phase 1 -
complete
1. Land
procurement
2. Architectural design and drawings
3. Clearing of property
4. Permanent power and water
5. Construction of entrance gate and guardhouse
6. Road construction—base and temporary
7. Housing for mission teams
Phase 2
1.
Construction of executive director’s home
2. Construction of child protection center
3. Furnishing of child protection center
4. Expansion of mission team housing
Phase 3
1. Construction of medical clinic
2. Construction of offices
3. Construction of teaching center
4. Fencing of the complex
Phase
4
Construction to
double capacity of the child protection center to minister to
128 at-risk children.
Our Distinctives
El Ayudante
is a Great Commission ministry serving Central America and
Mexico that has sprung forth from the commitment to share the
Good News of Jesus Christ. The purpose of El Ayudante is to
bring people to Jesus by continuing His ministry of service on
Earth until His imminent return.
El
Ayudante, Inc. is a 501(c)3, non-profit, tax-exempt U.S.
corporation (August 10, 1998). In Nicaragua, El Ayudante, Inc.
has obtained NGO and tax-exempt status. The ministry is committed to “render
unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Luke 20:25), honoring
the laws of both the United States and Nicaragua where we enjoy
the privileges of legal status.
El Ayudante
is an inter-denominational ministry bringing together “fellow citizens,
members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ Himself as the chief
cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19-22) to serve in unity so the world
will believe that Jesus is the Messiah. (John 17:20-21)
El Ayudante is an outwardly focused ministry, utilizing
its facility as a base to build bridges of influence into Leon
and Nicaragua through works of service. We believe
that these influential works of service will not only impact
Leon, but the nation and will glorify our Father in Heaven.
(Matthew 5:16)
El Ayudante is a ministry which believes in and is in
partnership with the “Nicas,” a resourceful, gracious, and
gifted people.
Our
Belief
We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible,
authoritative Word of God. (II Timothy 3:15-17)
Milestones
August 10,
1998
El Ayudante, Inc. obtains 501(c)3, non-profit, tax-exempt
status (charter qualification date-State of Tennessee)
November 1998
El Ayudante, Inc. begins its
ministry of service in Honduras shortly after Hurricane Mitch
destroyed its infrastructure. Ministry included medical help
for children, scholarships to quality Christian schools for
children from underprivileged families and school
construction.
October 1999
El Ayudante, Inc. expands
ministry into Mexico to construct a kitchen to feed street
children and educational classrooms onto an existing church.
November 1999
God gives a vision to the
Board of Directors of El Ayudante to expand the ministry into
Nicaragua.
November 2000
Board of Directors goes to
Nicaragua in obedience to God’s call to see first hand the
multitude of orphaned and abandoned children and consider
possible locations for a facility.
October 2001
Thirty-one acres are
purchased near Leon, Nicaragua on which a complex would be
constructed which would include a child protection center,
medical clinic, teaching center, and housing for mission
teams.
November 1, 2001
Groundbreaking ceremonies
were held for the complex, Hogar Cristiano Nicaraguense
(Christian Home of Nicaragua).
September 23, 2002
Mission team house opens as
the first mission team of 15 people from West Tennessee comes
to Leon to build the complex and minister to the city of
200,000.
July 9, 2002
Construction begins on the
child protection center, Hogar Cristiano Nicaraguense.
July 17, 2002
El Ayudante, Inc. registered
as a corporation in Nicaragua.
December 15, 2003
Omar Alvarado and wife,
Ruth, begin their ministry as the first administrators of El
Ayudante in Nicaragua.
June 2004
El Ayudante, Inc. obtains NGO Status in Nicaragua.
July 5,
2004
Construction begins on the medical clinic.
October
2004
El Ayudante, Inc. obtains tax-exempt status in Nicaragua.
January 14,
2005
Ribbon cutting ceremony for the child protection center,
Hogar Cristiano Nicaraguense.
March 2,
2005
Nicaragua’s Ministry of the Family places the first
children into the child protection center.
November 7,
2005
El Ayudante’s medical clinic opens with Nicaraguan doctors
and a medical mission team partnering to treat over 400
patients and fill 1600 prescriptions.
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