Ministry in Margarita

This mission trip was quite a luxury compared to my recent trip for Haiti. It was a bit disconcerting for me to stay in an air-conditioned room with a pool outside my door, eating three full meals a day, and then go out and meet persons who had little to nothing to eat.

These children were so happy for the
pack of Crix we shared with them

As I mentioned in my post Venezuela in Crisis the situation in that country is really bad. The average family has to line up for hours to get into the grocery to buy basic food items, and for some of the families we visited, this was not even an option as they were not working, so they had no money to buy food.

I wished we had a doctor or nurse who
could have prescribed something for this
baby's rash

A team of 11 of us travelled from Trinidad with our bags mostly full of groceries and toiletries to give away. God granted us favor with the airline, so not everyone had to pay for the excess weight we were carrying. We also received favor from the customs officials in Margarita. Out of the 33 pieces of luggage we carried, they only searched about 3. Not only this, but they helped us take the bags off the carousel and drag them outside to where our transport was waiting, because there were no trolleys!

Our mountain of bags

Safely landed at the airport in Margarita

Sorting and packing the items we
brought from Trinidad

Our mode of transport was a tour bus, so we did not arouse the suspicion of the armed security forces which were positioned on the streets as we drove through town. The first community we visited was Paraguachi, where we visited homes in the area which were identified by a local school teacher as the most needy families in the area. At each home, we presented the gospel message and gave them an opportunity to surrender control of their lives over to God. When we were leaving, we presented them with a small food hamper, for which they were very grateful.

Listening attentively to the gospel presentation

Receiving spiritual food 

One elderly lady that we met was so grateful for the food stuff she received. She was cleaning a bag of sardines when our team visited, because that was all she could have afforded, and she had nothing to eat it with. With her husband dead and her two sons in prison, she had no one who could help her get to the grocery to get the items that she needed.

Sample of the hampers they received

In the afternoon we partnered with a church in La Vecindad for a time of ministry in the community. We broke up into seven groups, with members from our team and members from their church, and went house to house distributing gospel tracts and New Testaments courtesy the Gideons, and invited them to a special service being held at the church.

The personal touch

My team :)

I was so encouraged by my team, which consisted of 4 teenagers and our bus driver! They were all full of enthusiasm and executed the task assigned with joy. It was so refreshing working with them, and practising my Spanish to communicate with them, since they did not speak a word of English.

Bilingual worship

After a short time of worship with songs in English and Spanish, I shared about the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in the life of someone who has committed their life to God. Thanks to Aunty Carol's and Karla's translation services, I was able to clearly explain what happens on the inside when someone becomes a Christian, and then elaborate on how that change should be seen on the outside. The message was very well received, gracias a Dios.

Using visual aids

Afterwards, some team members shared words of encouragement with those who were gathered, and spoke about how the trip had impacted them so far. Then Pastor Sharon delivered a powerful message encouraging those gathered to not allowed the forces of the enemy to gain a stronghold in their community. When she gave a call for persons who wanted to commit their lives to God, almost the entire audience came to the front, where she prayed for them.

Ministering to members of the community

Blessing them physically after they have been spiritually filled

There was so much love flowing after this service. There was such a spirit of unity that no one wanted the time of fellowship to end. Eventually we had to say our goodbyes and after many hugs and photos we departed.

Having fun after receiving their packages

On our final day of ministry, we joined with another local pastor whose church organised an outreach in the community of Los Cocos. This community is situated on the coast, as the primary source of income is fishing. Many of the residents there live in homes made of plywood and galvanize, and had the reputation of being one of the less safe areas in Margarita. We left the food hampers at the church to be distributed so as not to cause too much disturbance.

These homes get flooded whenever there is high tide

Once again we went from house to house sharing the gospel with the families there. There were some who were already Christians who shared with us the faithfulness of God in providing for them. Although it is not the season for sardines, the fishermen were catching sardines in abundance, thereby providing a source of food for their families, as well as income.

Enjoying the arepas which were 'left over' from our hotel breakfast ;)

In the afternoon, we journeyed to the maternity ward of the hospital where we met with new mothers. We shared the gospel, prayed with them and for their new babies, and gave them gifts of diapers and formulae. Some of the mothers were not able to produce any breastmilk due to their poor diets.

Karla presenting the gospel message

Mothers listening attentively

For some of our team members, this was their first missions trip. They shared about the love that God placed in their hearts for the people of Margarita, when they met them in their homes and saw the challenging circumstances they live under. In the midst of their troubles, however, many are responding positively to the gospel message, and looking to Jesus as their only hope. The local pastors who we partnered with expressed how grateful they were for our presence and gifts at a time when they were experiencing a drought, and told of what a blessing and encouragement they received from our time there. Please remember our Venezuelan brothers and sisters in your prayers, that they would not give up but keep trusting in God to make a way of escape for them.

View from Pedro Gonzalez coast

One of the most popular beaches - Playa el Agua