The Northern District of Nicaragua has provided clean water to more than 30 families near the district center, located in Somoto, Madriz, Nicaragua. 

District Superintendent Denis Espinoza said that the church collaborates with its community especially in the dry season when the wells dry out.  This has been possible thanks to the water well that the district center has. 

Previously they used a handmade pump. Recently, with the support of the Casa Unida Foundation, they installed a more modern pump, which has allowed them to share the water with families.

According to Espinoza, there is currently a serious water shortage. 

“Some families told us that they did not have water for two days,” Espinoza said. “That’s where our church comes in; we have the well which supplies them with the vital sustenance for free.”

Blanca Rosa Aguilar, a single mother with two children who attends the Second Blessing Church of the Nazarene, shared her experience. 

“The area where I live is located in the dry corridor of the country, [and] during the summer season, water is scarce,” she said.

“Drinking water comes at night, but there are days when water does not arrive, which makes us desperate. But, thank God and the Church of the Nazarene that the well of the church supplies us with water. For the 18 families who live here and the 12 that live in neighboring sectors, this supply is very important. Every time the water does not arrive at our homes, this is where we come to receive it. We use water to drink, wash, bathe, and even to water our plants.” 

Blanca said that many people come to receive water: Nazarenes, members of other churches, and even people who do not profess faith in Jesus. She said that if it were not for the well, they would have to go to the river to wash and bathe or visit wells that are very distant.

The new pump has also facilitated the irrigation of some orchards, including part of a forestry project that was funded by Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and is carried out in coordination with the National Forestry Institute.

--Church of the Nazarene Mesoamerica Region