In the early 2000s, the Christ for the City International Costa Rica base received a young and vibrant group from Grace Church in South Carolina. Neither organization realized the week-long trip would blossom into a profound partnership, a genuine friendship, and, ultimately, a family-like bond.
As the leaders of CFCI in Costa Rica made the bold decision to relocate and establish a base in Nicaragua, Grace Church followed. In March 2003, Grace Church embarked on its first trip to Nicaragua, and together with CFCI worked with a local church in Chinandega. Twenty-years later, Grace Church and CFCI Nicaragua continue to co-labor for the gospel as they, together, ask God what to do in the country.
“We have the same heart, same goal, same purpose,” Fabricio Mendoza, CFCI Nicaragua Director said. “To equip and empower the saints.”
But this family-like connection didn’t take place overnight. It took commitment, intentionality, and trust from both CFCI Nicaragua and Grace Church.
“Being friends, being close, with built trust, has allowed us to not get our feelings hurt when someone says, ‘I think we should do something different’,” Wes Cavin, Grace Church’s missions volunteer said.
In March 2005, Wes went to Nicaragua for the first time with Grace Church and met Fabricio and Claudia. Between 2003-2009, what started as a series of outreach trips gradually evolved into a profound connection between the base and church. But by 2010, when Wes took over as Grace Church’s Nicaragua leader, and Fabricio took over as CFCI Nicaragua Director both realized they needed a strategy and outcome.
“There was really no strategy except we’ve got some resources, let’s send some people down and do some work,” Wes remembered.
Together Fabricio, Wes, CFCI Nicaragua, and Grace Church came together and created a game plan for the country of Nicaragua that matched both CFCI and Grace Church’s vision.
From that point on, the partnership established a three year focus on a particular area in Nicaragua. Grace Church sends four teams a year to teach two seminary type classes to a group of 50-70 local pastors each time. Grace Church also sends two community outreach teams a year that includes a medical team, children’s ministry, and construction projects.
“It’s very important when you find someone who has the same DNA as you,” Fabricio said. “Who is very focused on training the pastor and equipping the church because we believe the church is the light, the salt, and the witness from the Lord to each community.”
Over the years Wes has stayed for extended amounts of time in Fabricio’s home and Fabricio has stayed for extended amounts of time in Wes’s home.
“We’re friends and we consider each other family,” Wes said. “I actually believe that has benefited the ministry way more than partnership.”
From 2010-2013 they focused their attention on Rivas, 2013-2015 in Matagalpa, and from 2016-2019 in La Dalia. In 2018, when Nicaragua began to experience violent protests across the country, Grace Church was on their knees in prayer for the CFCI missionaries.
“For me, that means a lot,” Fabricio said. “People who are with you every day.”
Despite the violent protests, and challenging times, Grace Church continued to send teams down.
“If something happens here,” Fabricio joked. “I often will hear it through Wes first.”
In 2019, things were coming full circle as Grace Church and CFCI were headed back to their very first location from March 2003, Chinandega. They got two trips in before the world shut down in March 2020, and although they had to stop teams for a year, Grace Church did not forget about their Nicaraguan family.
When CFCI’s Nicaraguan missionaries got covid, four almost died. Public hospitals were awful, and they didn’t have the resources to pay for their medicine. But a pastor from Grace Church started to raise money so they could buy their medicine.
“This is something deep and special,” Fabricio said. “I didn’t call them; it was the Lord.”
CFCI and Grace Church celebrated 20 years of partnership and family in July 2023 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Managua with roughly 90 people, including 30 individuals from Grace Church
“I’d like to keep this relationship until Jesus comes,” Fabricio said with a smile.
