The 18 Manzanas

El Ayudante, Inc. purchased 18 manzanas (31 acres) near Leon in October 2001. The property is located off Leon’s by-pass, adjacent Reparto Ruben Dario and has a picturesque view of the volcanoes Telica and San Cristobal. The groundbreaking ceremony for the complex, Hogar Cristiano Nicaraguense, was held on November 1, 2001.

Guardhouse and Entrance to the 18 Manzanas


Mission Team House (left) and Director’s Residence with
Telica volcano in the background.

Mission Team Housing

 
Mission team housing has been constructed to provide a safe and comfortable base of operations for mission teams. The present facility will accommodate over 50 short-term missionaries in four dormitories. Each dormitory has a bathroom with individual showers and is served by a central kitchen, dining area, laundry room, pantry, and offices. Recently, a veranda was constructed and has become a favorite place to relax and share a testimony.

The first mission team arrived September 23, 2002. Since that date, over 2,500 short-term missionaries from across the United States have come to Leon to partner with El Ayudante.

Initial Mission Team House completed in September 2002

Kitchen / Dining Area

Meal time at the Mission Team House

A veranda was added to the original Mission Team House in early 2005

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Additional dorms were completed in June 2005 allowing for flexibility
in scheduling mission teams.

Executive Director’s Residence 

This residence is located on the 18 manzanas and is “home” for El Ayudante’s Executive Director, Omar R. Alvarado, his wife, Ruth, and their daughter Jasmina (born April 16, 2004). Omar became El Ayudante’s Executive Director for Nicaragua in December of 2003.

Child Protection Center

There are tens of thousands of at-risk children in Nicaragua!  A child protection center has been constructed and will become home to 64 at-risk children (CLICK HERE FOR FLOOR PLANS). The child protection center will prepare children to be leaders in Nicaragua and to be citizens of a higher Kingdom. Plans are to double the capacity to 128 with a mirror image building in phase 4 of construction.

Medical Clinic 

Adequate health care is not available to the masses in Nicaragua. Some sources report that 80% of the Nicaraguan population have no access to health care or depend on public health clinics that are understaffed, ill-equipped and lack much needed medication. For most Nicaraguans, diagnosis may be available but treatment is not.

With God’s guidance and the cooperation of Nicaraguan healthcare officials, El Ayudante will construct a clinic on the 18 manzanas site. This will give healthcare professionals from across the United States an opportunity to serve along side their Nicaraguan counterparts in a safe and conductive environment.

A strategy has been developed for maximum use of the clinic which will include:

• its use as a training center involving both US and Nicaraguan doctors partnering with local universities and HEODRA, the teaching hospital in Leon

• a partnership with the public health clinic in Reparto Ruben Dario which will involve treatment and education

• providing health care to the children of other child protection centers located in Leon.

Construction of the medical clinic began in July of 2004 (CLICK HERE FOR FLOOR PLANS). 

 

Equipping the clinic is a high priority!

Future Construction 

Future Construction on the 18 manzanas will include a teaching center, offices, and a baseball and soccer field.

The baseball field will be completed the first week in January 2006.