POST by NESTOR (Nicavangelists' Youth & Worship Leader): Runaway Roberto

Nestor in San Antonio, Texas

Roberto, when he was just 8 years old, was a child like everyone; cheerful, naughty and clever. He met many friends at the school he attended, which was the poorest school in Nicaragua. His parents didn't have enough money to send him to a private school.

Roberto didn't know Jesus. “God” was just a part of his messy mind like the hero in a magazine. At home he was never loved, even though his grades were very good.

One day Roberto decided to leave home and never return. He was 19 years old when he started to explore the world by himself without any money in his pocket. Life sucked! Everything was going wrong for him. On that journey he wasn't lucky enough to find shelter, nor a steady job.

Being a homeless young man, he fell into the world of drugs, turning his life into a complete disaster. As time passed by, Roberto started to survive by robbing people in the street and bullying the kids around him.

One day Roberto bumped into an old friend of his who used to study with him at school. They talked for a while and the friend advised Roberto to change his life and live for Jesus only. Roberto smiled at him and said “Jesus doesn't exist, he’s just a man from history, from the bible, he’s not real.” Roberto then went on to blame God for everything he had been through in his life.

His friend asked Roberto to pray, and promised to leave him alone after praying, and so that’s what happened. The prayer touched Roberto’s heart and after a few minutes he began to cry. He realised that God had been with him all the time even during the worst times of his life when he was without a reason to live. He realised that God had protected him from evil that had surrounded him. 

One month later Roberto was sharing his testimony at his friend’s church. He praised God for everything and promised, in front of the assembled people, to honour him for the rest if his life.

Now Roberto is one of the ushers at my church. He works very hard and has a new reason to live. Can you image how powerful the love of God is, that with just with one simple prayer God was able to change Roberto’s life? God loves us all, no matter who we are or what we have been through. He has a plan for you and sooner or later you will realise what God’s plan is for your life here on Earth.

Nestor at home in his Native Nicaragua

POST by STIVEY: Family (Sighs)

Stivey with his Mum and some of his family (and friends)

This is a story about how my family and I used to live.

When I was just seven years old, my family and I did not have a place to live. We ended up living with some of my cousins but it was a terrible arrangement. During our time living with extended family, we experienced a lot of shame and humiliation.

Our relatives did not want us to live with them, but we did not have any other place to go. Our cousins insulted us and treated us badly. We are related to my cousins through my mum. However, it made no difference to my family that we were from the same blood. They hated us living with them. They swore at us constantly.

My brothers did not have high paying jobs. We only had sufficient money to purchase food.

My uncles and aunties were very mean. They would tell my cousins that they should make our lives difficult so that we would want to leave. Their hearts were not at all good.

But my grandmother (my mother’s mum) did not know what was happening to us because she did not live there in the house with us.

Years passed and when I was eleven years old I got my first job, selling cheese. Well actually, my role was to just carry the cheese with a friend of mine. Every day I took the cheese to a market, but the job didn’t generate a lot of money for me. Everything I made, I gave to my mum.

One day, my grandmother found out about the problems my family was experiencing. She went without telling anyone to the bank, and sought a loan for ten thousand dollars. All thanks to God, they gave my gran the money and she gave it to my parents.

When she gave it to them, they were really, extremely happy. They were then in a position to purchase a house away from where my cousins lived, in another part of town.

My dad and brothers worked hard to pay back my grandmother and thanks to God we are no longer in the same house as our cousins.

We thank God that he put our Gran on a path to help us. Now my family is happy because we have had so much help. Today, when asked, I say that my uncles, aunts and cousins do not exist.

True family are people who do not turn their back on you and who support you, regardless of circumstances. With God, everything is possible.

Thank you for Reading my story.

Stivey, performing at Solid Rock Assembly in Minnesota

ESTA ES UNA HISTORIA DE MI FAMILIA COMO VIVIAMOS ANTES

Cuando yo tenía la edad de 7anos mi familia no teníamos donde vivir y bueno y vivíamos donde mi primas y eso era muy feo en ese tiempo porque pasábamos penas y mucha humillación,

Porque ellos no nos querían hay viviendo más pero nosotros no teníamos hogar donde ir y nos insultaban y nos trataban mal y eso que eran familia de nosotros de parte de madre pero eso,

No le importaba a ellos pero a mis padres estaban muy mal porque no teníamos donde vivir y ellos nos decían malas palabras pero mis hermano n tenían trabajo que ganaban mucho dinero,

Solo para la comida nos alcanzaba solamente para eso pero también mis tíos eran muy malos le decían a mi primas que nos corrieran donde vivíamos que mal que eran ello  sin corazón,

Pero mi abuela madre de mi mama no sabía nada de lo que pasaba donde estábamos porque ella no vivía hay pasaron los años y yo a la edad de 11 anos yo tuve mi primer trabajo que era vender queso bueno cargador de queso con un amigo mío en un tramo en un mercado pero yo no ganaba mucho dinero solo para darle a mi mama pero un día,

mi abuela se dio cuenta de los problemas que pasaba mi mama y  ella no lo creí mi abuela se fue  sin decir nada  y fue al banco a prestar 10.000 dólares gracias a Dios se los prestaron y se los entregó a mi mama y mi mama y papa  estaba muy alegre y feliz por ese sacrificio para comprar una casa lejos de hi y mis hermano y padre trabajaron duro para pagarle ese dinero que presto mi abuela gracias  Dios que salimos de hay,

y por gracias de  Dios y mi abuela que dios la puso en ese camino y ahora mi familia estamos felices y contento por esa ayuda, por eso yo digo no existen los tíos y primos familia es aquella que no te da la espalda familia es la que te apoya en todo momento solo digo que con Dios es todo posible,

If you would like to support this fellow on a monthly basis, please CLICK HERE

To learn more about our street theatre production, "CREATED", please visit our page,NICAVANGELISTS: "CREATED", North American Tour (2013)

If you would like to see a video of some of our Nica-Youths practicing, please CLICK HERE

We are not up to budget, and travelling with 14 people is very expensive. We need an investment from Christian people for our next evangelism tour to the Midwest. To support us or make a once off donation, please visit our page, Contemplating SUPPORTING something significant? 

To learn more about our home Church in Australia, please CLICK HERE
This story was written by a Nicaraguan youth, and was voluntarily given to Capital on the Edge for publishing. The subject choice was his entirely. He has elected to write about his experiences for the glory of God and so that others may learn from his experiences. The translation of this work is performed voluntarily and not professionally, hence there may be some errors. Any decisive deviation from the text is in consultation with the author, and is done so to make clear the life events written about and to provide further information so that the story is more understandable.  

This story was translated by Lorenzy and edited by Jed.

 

POST by SOPHIA: My Life

When I’m alone with Him, in my mind he takes me to a path in the woods that he’s leading me on.

Doing what we're doing, we come across a LOT of broken lives, and people desperate for answers. To date, I haven't been as moved by anyone's story, in the way that I've been moved by the life of Sophia. This young lass, is beautiful and talented, smart and driven, yet she has been used, abused, rejected, despised, and now works with everything she's got to get her life on track for the promise of glory.

I have met Sophia's parents, who are just human like the rest of us. They've done a magnificent job at raising their kids, with compassion and love, and yet, like other parents, they’re not supernatural beings and can only be in one place at one time. Unfortunately, their baby girl was deeply broken, and nothing that they could do would mend the heart of their daughter, which lay in tatters.

But, there is hope. Jesus Christ came for the lost. He came for the sinner. He came for the broken. He alone knows the pain and suffering of all humanity. He took it with him to the cross. And so I’d like to allow Sophia the opportunity of sharing with you her story. She’s a brave girl and I’m mightily proud of her:

Everyone goes through hard times in life, some worse than others. But it’s who you depend on and how you get through it that makes you who you are. I've been through a lot in my life, but instead of leaning on God, I just wanted people to pity me.

When I was ten, my best friend at the time told me every detail of how her dad had often sexually abused her and what he had done to her. I remember everything she told me, but because she told me when I was so young, I blocked out all memories of my childhood to protect myself. I don't have any memories of anything until about the age of 13, and even then I only have bad memories.

I am the 5th child of 8 in my family. I was homeschooled ‘til 9th grade and in 10th grade I started getting into drinking, drugs, boys and sex, and everything bad. I thought that the only way to be happy was to do all of these things.

Well, surprise, surprise, I was wrong. Guys and drugs only hurt me. I have had my heart broken in so many ways. Guys would tell me they love me and they don't want anyone else, and that I am so beautiful and special. Yet after they gotten what they’d wanted, they would tell me it was all a lie and that I am actually trash.

I tried to kill myself many times and I used to cut myself every day for many months. All I could think was I just wanted to get away from the hurt and the pain. Yet, I continued to run after guys and drugs.

Twice I thought I was pregnant and I would worry about what I’d tell my parents and what I’d do with a kid at 17. But lucky for me, I was not pregnant and God helped me through it.

Now, for the last four weeks or so I’ve been reading my Bible and talking to God. When I’m alone with Him, in my mind he takes me to a path in the woods that he’s leading me on.

I often feel really alone and sad. I cry myself to sleep because I wish I could remember my past... but then I remember that God is always there, even when no one else is.

A couple of weeks ago I met all of these wonderful, handsome, nice, crazy Nicaraguan boys who got me to think in a whole new way. They have been through hell and back and they still dance and sing for God with smiles on their faces. If they can be happy then I think I can too.

Sophia & Cecilia (Sophia's younger sister)

POST by JOSE: Trauma Mia (Mumma)

Jose, of Capital on the Edge, flying with Taca

My mum’s childhood was one of the cruelest experiences that I have ever heard of. Everything started when she was just 8 years old. My grandmother got together with a man who wanted to abuse my mum. He would tell her to leave the house and he would not give her anything to eat. My mum told my grandmother about it all, but she did not believe that she did not have a normal childhood.

My mum escapes her parents’ house:

Every time my grandfather told her to leave the house, she would sleep on the streets and would be really hungry and would suffer. She decided to escape all the suffering and abuse.

Relationship of my mum and dad:

My mum ran away from her house at the age of 10. She had a boyfriend who is my dad. He gave her a place to stay and they lived together. He was 19 years old and my mum was only 11.

Abuse to my mum:

After a while, my mum became pregnant. She was only 13 years old. She bore her first son, my first brother, who died. This death affected my mum a heap. At the age of 14, she had me.

Then my dad started to change and he would hit her and treat her bad. There were a lot of times where he would grab her hair and pull her across the room and sometimes he would try to kill her. She had my brother at the age of 17, yet her boyfriend kept on abusing her.

The abondoning:

At the age of 18, she decided to run away from the abuse. She went to another country leaving us with him. Years passed and we did not hear anything about our mother. My dad said that she had been bad to us and that she had abandoned us.

After many years my brother and I grew up. One day I was playing and I saw an elegant and beautiful lady and she approached me and said "son, how are you?" and at that moment I felt really happy and all the hatred I held for my mother, disappeared.

Forgiveness to my mother:

My mum took us with her and we were all very happy. Though, she was the happiest out of us all. The most important thing is that she forgave my grandparents for all of the damage that they had done to her, and the traumatising pain that they left her with.

Years passed and the economic situation became more and more difficult. There were times where we would go hungry and she would always prefer to give us her food so that she would be hungry instead of us.

My mum is my hero and a marvelous woman. I love her a lot. We are extremely poor but at least we are together. I will always help her. I love her.

Forgiveness sets you free:

The best advice you can get is that it does not matter what your mother does, nor what she is, she will always be there to protect you and take care of you. She is your best friend and forgiving makes you feel free. Thank you God for giving us all marvelous mothers!

If you would like to support this fellow on a monthly basis, please CLICK HERE

To learn more about our street theatre production, "CREATED", please visit our page, NICAVANGELISTS: "CREATED", North American Tour (2013)
If you would like to see a video of some of our Nica-Youths practicing, please CLICK HERE

We are not up to budget, and travelling with 14 people is very expensive. We need an investment from Christian people for our next evangelism tour to the Midwest. To support us or make a once off donation, please visit our page, Contemplating SUPPORTING something significant?

To learn more about our home Church in Australia, please CLICK HERE

This story was written by a Nicaraguan youth, and was voluntarily given to Capital on the Edge for publishing. The subject choice was his entirely. He has elected to write about his experiences for the glory of God and so that others may learn from his experiences. The translation of this work is performed voluntarily and not professionally, hence there may be some errors. Any decisive deviation from the text is in consultation with the author, and is done so to make clear the life events written about and to provide further information so that the story is more understandable. 

This story was translated by Lorenzy and edited by Jed.

Jose enjoying dinner with Siren Assembly of God

La niñez de mi mama fue una de las más crueles y duras todo empezó cuando ella tenía 8 años mi abuela se juntó con un hombre quien quiso abusar de mi mama repetidas beses, el la corría de la casa y no le daba de comer mi mama le decía a mi abuela y ella no le creía ella no tuvo una infancia normal.

Escape de mi mama de la casa de sus padres:

Cada vez que mi abuelo la corría ella dormía en la calle y pasaba hambre y sufrimiento, ella decidió huir de todo su maltrato y sufrimiento.

Relación de mi mama y mi papa:

Mi mama huyo de la casa a los 10 años ella tenía un novio que era mi papa el le dio refugio y vivieron juntos el tenía 19 años y mi mama 11 años.

Maltrato de mi mama:

Después de un tiempo ella quedo embarazada a los 13 años de mi primer hermano quien murió en el parto eso la afecto mucho a los 14 años me tubo a mi, mi papa comenzó a cambiar y le empezaba a pegar y la maltrataba mucho hubo veces que la agarraba del cabello y la arrastraba barias veces la intento matar, ella tubo a mi hermano a los 17 años mi papa cada vez la maltrataba mas.

El abandono:

A los 18 años ella decidió huir de ese martirio y se fue a otro país dejándonos con el , pasaron los años y no sabíamos nada de ella mi papa nos decía que mi mama había sido mala con nosotros y que nos había abandonado, mi hermano y yo crecimos paso el tiempo, un día yo estaba jugando y mire a una mujer elegante y bella ella se me acerco y me dijo hijo como estas en ese momento me sentía muy feliz todos los rencores desaparecieron.

Perdón hacia mi madre:

Ella nos llevó con ella y éramos felices ella lo más importante perdono a mis abuelos de todo el daño que le hicieron y los traumas que le dejaron, pasaron los años y su situación económica se iba haciendo más difícil habían beses que pasábamos hambre ella prefería darnos su comida y ella pasar hambre ella es mi héroe, es una mujer maravillosa la quiero mucho somos pobres pero unidos y siempre la apoyare en todo.

El perdón te hace libre: uno de los mejores consejos es que no importa lo que nuestra madre haga o sea ella siempre estará ahí para protegernos, amarnos y cuidarnos es nuestra mejor amiga y el perdonar te hace sentir libre. (gracias a dios por darnos un ser tan maravilloso nuestras madres).