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The Country's Name is derived from Nicarao,
the name of the Nahuatl-speaking tribe which inhabited its shores
and the Spanish word Agua, meaning
water, due to the presence of two large lakes.
Nicaragua is the largest nation in Central America and has one of
the lowest populations. The country is bordered on the north by
Honduras, and on the south by Costa Rica. Its western coastline is
on Pacific Ocean, while its east side is on the Caribbean Sea...
Religion: "Roman
Catholicism is the predominant religion, claiming the allegiance
of about 72.9% of the population. Approximately 15.1% of the
populace are members of evangelical churches...There are also
small communities of Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Mennonites, Jehovah's
Witnesses, Unification Church members, Baha'is, and members in the
Church of Scientology. Amerindian tribal religionists and
spiritists also practice, usually combining
elements of Christianity and African religions." [taken from
The Encyclopedia of the Nations]
The
People:
Most
are Spanish-speaking mestizos—people of mixed American Indian and
European ancestry. A small number of Monimbó and Subtiaba Indians
live on the west coast, while the eastern region includes Miskito,
Sumo, and Rama Indians, as well as Creoles and Afro-Caribs.
The language:
Spanish is the official language. Indigenous languages are also
spoken.
DESCRIPTION & HISTORY:
"Nicaragua
has rightly been described as a tropical paradise. Its eastern
shores look out on the clear, turquoise waters of the Caribbean
Sea. Its western coast is washed by waves rolling in from the
mighty Pacific Ocean..." and so begins an incredibly interesting
account about "Nicaragua" in the 1993 Yearbook of Jehovah's
witnesses.
IS THE NEED
GREAT IN NICARAGUA?
On Page 143, the 1993 Yearbook answers this
question, stating, "In the last nine years, Nicaragua has also
received 58 Gilead graduates, who are based in six missionary
homes throughout the country. Their maturity has contributed to a
healthy spiritual atmosphere in the congregations, and they have
helped many youths view full-time service as a desirable goal.
"Those who came to Nicaragua during the 1960’s and
1970’s to serve where the need was greater called it a
preacher’s paradise. This still holds true today. A brother in
the Service Department at the branch comments: "Nicaragua is still
a country where publishers and pioneers determine how many Bible
studies they will conduct, for there is so much interest."
Understandably, many who are eager to help where the need is
greater and who have counted the cost have inquired about serving
in Nicaragua. In fact, by April 2002, 289 pioneers from 19
countries had moved there to help out. How grateful the local
Witnesses are for all these harvest workers!—Matt. 9:37, 38."
The Yearbook account continues with the fascinating
account of how the preaching work was begun in Nicaragua, the
challenges of the missionaries and other needgreaters throughout
the years and how Jehovah blessed their efforts! It talks too
about the opposition and natural disasters that Nicaragua has had
to face and the wonderful worldwide brotherhood that came to its
rescue. Be sure to read the rest of this account on Pages 66-149
2006 YEARBOOK: Pop: 5,600,000. Publishers:
19,000; Ratio: 1 pub. to every 297 persons; Congregations: 322
A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN THE
MISSIONARY WORK!
- In the Islands of Nicaragua -
CENTRAL
AMERICA'S FIRST FLOATING KINGDOM HALL!
[A
Letter from missionaries preaching in the Islands of
Nicaragua]
PAST EXPERIENCES:
Aaron Perkinson is a needgreater from
Chicago, Illinois, now serving in Nicaragua. Before going to
Nicaragua, Aaron Perkinson served at Bethel - Patterson Educational
Center- for 3 1/2 years (from 1990-1994).
In 1993 he changed to
a Spanish congregation in NY to learn the language and began
investigating all the Spanish speaking countries to see where he
should go to serve. In the meantime, he left Bethel and returned to
Chicago and served as a regular pioneer in a Spanish congregation in
the suburbs of Chicago. Within the year, he had made his decision
on where to serve where the need is great and was on his way
immediately!
Aaron writes:
" I
am now serving in Nicaragua because of the great need here and I have
the privilege of serving as a special pioneer. I originally came to
Nicaragua in June of 1995. I started serving as a special on July 1,
1995. Shortly afterwards, I was invited to attend the 9th class of
Ministerial Training School in El Salvador. Then, I was re-assigned to
Nicaragua again as a special pioneer.
"Some questions most commonly
asked me from brothers & sisters interested in serving where the need
is great in Nicaragua are:
How many Bible studies
do you have? Are studies easy to start?
"Right now I have 16 Bible studies. The
Require brochure has proved to be an awesome tool in finding sincere
Bible students. Studies are so much easier to start with the brochure.
And without spending months, we can see if they are sincere or
not. The brochure lets people see in a very short time what Jehovah
expects of His witnesses. They can make up their mind quickly as to
whether they want to serve Jehovah or not. For example, although we
are studying lesson 6, Juan Carlos has already asked me about why we
don’t celebrate Christmas (he was reading ahead and captured that
point). If they want to continue studying after the brochure, the
study usually progresses very quickly. It has also helped to get
people to the meetings a lot sooner. It is an incredible tool Jehovah
has provided for the work of making disciples of Jesus.
Is the need really great where you are?
Do the brothers need help?
"YES, WE COULD USE A
LOT OF HELP!! There is a lot of interest here in this country and
there is a great need for brothers to come and help study with all the
interest, as well as to help out in the congregations.
For example: Last
Friday, I had the privilege of conducting the school, giving talk No.1
and No.4, giving the announcements and the two talks in the service
meeting. Sunday, I gave the public talk and conducted the Watchtower.
I was tired of talking, but I couldn't help thinking about the ears
and brains of the poor brothers who had to listen to me. Obviously we
have to rely heavily on Jehovah with so much responsibility!
 Do
you have to wash your clothes by hand?
"Some months of
the year are very hot and dry. It doesn't rain sometimes from January
to March. For that reason, the dust is ridiculous and causes much
discomfort. When brothers return from field service, their collars
are often extremely dirty. Also, my eyebrows and faces can be
covered with a thick film of dirt. At times, it is a bit difficult
to clean clothes well. Where I am you have to wash each piece by
hand. With a brush and a bar of laundry soap. Every morning, I iron
two or three items. That's how the week goes and how I keep my clothes
clean.
What is the daily schedule generally
like?
"Monday is the day we take off from the field
service activities. (In many countries where there are missionaries,
the congregations adopt the missionary schedule of having Mondays
off). From Tuesday to Sunday we start field service at 7:45 a.m. as
we leave the house. We usually offer tracts to the people that are in
the street. At 8:30 a.m. we have the meeting for field service with
the congregation.
"At noon, we eat lunch. In the afternoon my partner begin service at 2
o'clock, going our separate ways to conduct Bible studies. As in many
countries, the people take off noontime to 2 o'clock for lunch, many
businesses closing during those hours. At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday and
Thursday we have another meeting for field service and go out for an
hour in the evening. Tuesday's and Friday's we have our meetings at
6:00 p.m. With this schedule it is not difficult to reach our goal of
140 hours every month.
 Are
there many English-speaking folks here? Any English congregations?
"On the east coast of Nicaragua, there is a
large population of English speaking people. That is the only place
where there is an English speaking congregation. It is a Caribbean
style English (like Jamaica "mon").
"Among the Bethelites at
the branch, there are many that speak English. The branch coordinator
is from Ireland. The head of the Service Department is from Germany
and his wife is from Panama. Both speak English.
"There is another
couple there, Ken and Sharon Bryan, who have served in Nicaragua for
more than 25 years. Of course there are others as well. There are a
lot of missionaries here in Nicaragua who all speak English. In Estelí,
where I am currently assigned, there are 9 foreigners serving here,
all of which speak English. In most of the major cities here there are
brothers who speak English. Thus for needgreaters moving here, there
is lots of help available for assistance in knowing how to
learn Spanish and to get settled.
Is it difficult to
learn Spanish?
"Learning a foreign language requires a lot of
work...time and patience, but is a joyful process when you are
learning it with the purpose of helping so many interested persons
learn the truth!. In regard to myself, I did not find it a struggle
nor do most needgreaters. I enjoyed the mental challenge and the
satisfaction of making progress. I have never found any other personal
project so satisfying as learning another language--Spanish! The
spiritual blessings are even greater. Imagine being able to teach the
Bible Truth to people in a new language that you had not known
previously, and see many of these persons make progress and become
part of Jehovah's people! That's a grand privilege!
 What
are the people like in Nicaragua?
"There are variations in the personalities of
the people according to where they live. All my experiences with the
Nicaraguan people are good ones. Generally speaking, they are very
hospitable. As we go preaching, it is rare that a person would have to
stand and preach at the doors the whole morning. Almost everyone
invites you in to their house and offers you a seat.
"After forming a
friendship, the people are even more hospitable, sharing their food or
drinks with us. For instance many Bible studies invite me to eat with
them from time to time. Others offer a Pepsi or a fruit drink.
"It is a very nice
experience to listen to their comments about how life was 25 years ago
in Nicaragua. They tell about how, if someone slaughtered a hog or
cow, they always set aside portions for all their neighbors. If
someone went to buy bananas or eggs, the seller gave the person 2 or 3
times more the amount that they were going to buy (for the same amount
of money). In the past, it was customary for all the children to come
and greet the older members of the family (including older brothers
and sisters) and any visitors with their hands crossed (or folded).
They would say their greeting that way. Well, the years of war and
political oppression as well as the influence of the Western culture
have done their damage to the customs of these beautiful people.
"Soon, however, those
days will return to Nicaragua and the whole world. That's why I am
here preaching. There area lot of sincere and good-hearted people here
in Nicaragua that have yet to become servants of Jehovah.
 What
is the typical diet?
The Nicaragua diet is fairly simple. Beans and
rice can be find in almost all the meals. There is a combination of
the two that is called "gallo pinto". It can be accompanied by a
tortilla (made by hand every day of course) and a type of local cheese
or cream. That's a typical supper for the Nicaraguans. Soup,
nacatamales (corn mush--kind of--stuffed with rice, potatoes, pork and
spices and then wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked for several hours)
and other typical plates are popular on the weekends. On the street,
you can find enchiladas (Nicaragua style), stuffed potatoes, tacos
(Nicaragua style), grilled meat, salad, etc. The salad is
simple--shredded cabbage with vinegar and salt. It is a great
combination with the other food. My favorite plate here in Nicaragua
is the following: scrambled eggs cooked with tomato, onion and green
pepper, gallo pinto, a fried ripe plantano (it's sweet--like a banana)
and cheese (crude or fried). Then there are a great variety of juice
drinks that the people make. There are many fruits that I never knew
existed before coming here. They are delicious though! One of my
favorite drinks is muskmelon with orange. It is sooooo good!!!
 How
do you get around in Nicaragua? Do you have to have a car? Are there
buses?
"How do I get around?
Walk, walk, walk. I am in great shape here because we have to walk
quite a bit. When I go to our isolated group in San Juan de Limay, I
go by bus. The problem is that it leaves at 7:00 a.m. and gets there
at 10:00 a.m. Then it turns around and comes back at 1:00 p.m. and
arrives at 4:00 p.m. Thus to accomplish anything I have to stay
overnight (which I do). For that reason I am thinking about purchasing
a motorcycle to be able to do that trip more effectively. As far as
the other travel goes, here in town the taxis are pretty economical
and there is a small bus system. Going to any other point in Nicaragua
is generally not difficult. There is an extensive bus network although
one is at the mercy of the schedules.
 What
do you do for recreation?
"I do enjoy going out to eat and associating
with the brothers. The only thing is that the majority of the local
brothers don't have the luxury of eating out very much. At other times
we share meals in the houses of the brothers or in our house.
"I like going swimming and going to the beach. I also like to dance a
lot. Sometimes we have social gatherings where we associate and dance.
"Once we had an awesome day! The Bethel family invited all of the
construction workers and the foreigners serving here in Nicaragua to a
picnic at the beach. They had a private house and stretch of beach
with baseball, volleyball, body-surfing (even a few boogie-boards),
food, music, and a consideration of the Watchtower. I'm not sure how
many were there, but I will say about 200.
"What joy it was to be
together with many that I hadn't seen in almost a year. Of course
there were many that I had never met. There were brothers from
Denmark, Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden, England, Canada, U.S.
(California, Nebraska, Chicago, New York), Mexico, Guatemala, Costa
Rica and of course Nicaragua.
Can you give me some
information about the Branch there in Nicaragua?
"Yes. Among the personnel at the branch, there
are many that speak English. The branch coordinator is from Ireland.
The head of the Service Department is from Germany and his wife is
from Panama. They both speak English. Here is the telephone and fax
number of the
Branch in Nicaragua:
Telephone No. (505)
279-9214
Fax No. (505) 279-9601
I would be very happy
to hear from other brothers interested in possibly serving where the
need is great here! Anyone can feel free to contact me concerning any
questions they may have:
Aaron Perkinson
Needgreaters@gmail.com
More interesting
articles from the Society's publications:
A wonderful experience of a needgreater family:
"Sustained by Jehovah All My Days," 2001 Watchtower, Mar. 1,
Pages 23-27
"Jewels From the
Seashore," Awake! 1993, Jan. 22, Pages 24-25
For
Current News Releases: Americas
Visit the authorized site of the Office of Public
Information of Jehovah's Witnesses
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