MANAGUA – Chosen Children Ministries is a faith-based, non-profit organization focused on reaching families and communities in Nicaragua. Its methodology is unique in that the organization has field staff in two locations within the country through which it utilizes teams of volunteers from evangelical churches, schools, universities, and businesses to expand its outreach.

Because Nicaragua is a developing country, much of the humanitarian aid that accompanies the spreading of the Good News is similar to what is done in Africa, Asia, and other regions where extreme poverty is the norm.

Since its founding in 1996, more than 12,000 short-term mission team members have served in Nicaragua. The ministry does not accept individuals on mission trips. All volunteers must come as a cohesive group ready to put their hands to the plow. Once teams arrive, they are put to work teaching Bible studies, feeding families, and building homes.

By and large, children in Nicaragua are not starving. They are malnourished because they do not have a well-rounded diet. Providing healthy, protein-rich meals is, therefore, an essential component of the ministry. CCM has provided over a million meals since launching in Nicaragua in 1996.

Like so many in other impoverished countries, homes are made of an array of makeshift materials erected on dirt floors.

Clean, fresh water and safe sanitation are often unavailable for many families, so the ministry digs well and builds toilets and latrines. To support these efforts, they provide clean clothing, medical supplies, and personal health products.

CCM regards the local church as the center of the community and the hub for all the ministry’s endeavors, including reaching the children. Church planting is the core of the work in Nicaragua.

The ministry had developed a particular concern for children who have not completed their education and who, therefore, have little hope for their future but to remain in poverty. CCM describes them as vulnerable to drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, and lives of crime. An entire arm of the ministry is devoted to older teens – the largest segment of the Nicaraguan population.

The group, based in Inman, South Carolina, conducts other projects in its holistic outreach, including the Yellow Bag Project and the Harvest Project. Yellow Bag provides children with school uniforms and supplies to help kindle a sense of value and worth in them.

CCM uses their own tractors and equipment to aid local farmers in planting and harvesting. It’s a cooperative effort much like wheat and soybean growers in the Midwest employ. Neighbors helping neighbors become more productive.

You could describe Chosen Children Ministries as the embodiment of what Jesus described as the first and second great commandments. To love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

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