For the past 10 years, I’ve know about Project El Crucero and been wanting to visit Nicaragua to experience all the amazing things that this organization has to offer. After years of saving, I was finally able to make the trip. This past week I’ve had the opportunity of a lifetime, traveling to El Crucero, Nicaragua and being able to see God’s power and grace through the love from the people in this town. Throughout the duration of the trip Project El Crucero was able to help at the Susie Syke Clinic by building cubbies for the feeding program, fixing minor construction projects in the clinic, and assisting the local church with the feeding program through the clinic. Although I had the opportunity to help the people of El Crucero, and that may seem like the goal of the trip, the people of El Crucero helped me far more than I could have imagined. It was so heartwarming to arrive at the clinic the morning of a feeding program and to already see kids were awaiting us, their smiles beaming across their faces while they waved vigorously at us through our van windows. They couldn’t wait until we got out, and when we did, they showered us with hugs and pleads for us to give them piggyback rides. My favorite part of seeing the kids every morning was that whenever you asked them how they were, they always replied with “Bien”. Regardless of if they were wearing the same clothes as the day before, or if it was raining, they always responded without hesitation. It was powerful to see God work in this way to show me that happiness doesn’t come from anything materialistic or from having more than what we need. Instead happiness comes from how you perceive your life, these kids have far less than what they need however, they are never angry or sad because they are content with everything they have and they trust in God to know that He will take care of them and watch over them. The feeding program through the clinic is a display of God’s love for this children because He touches each of them through the bible lessons, and you can see it through the kids that will dance and sing the songs regardless of how many other kids are participating. He showed us his love for those children by helping us feed 150 kids, when we had only planned for 80. He showed His love through the compassion that the kids have for one another and their friends as I watched some of them eat only half of their meals, and put the rest in tupperware to take home to the rest of their family. These kids come to the feeding program because they don’t have enough to eat, however the continuously think of others and work together to help each other. Project El Crucero is a truly powerful organization because it brings the people of El Crucero hope and encourages a relationship with God that can be hard to find. This trip showed me first hand the poverty that parts of our world face, however above all of that it showed me happiness comes from being grateful for all that you are given and not wanting more, and trusting in God always. I am forever grateful to Project El Crucero for giving me this amazing experience and allowing me to build relationships with the people of this amazing town. A piece of my heart will forever remain in El Crucero and with those amazing kids. I am amazed by the power of God that I was able to witness in the short time that I was there, and I pray and eagerly await the day that I can return to this amazing place. 

Tuesday, June 27th – Sean Tonner from our Leadership team has quit his job and is now an ambulance driver! New wheels for the clinic are headed to Colorado from New Jersey with Sean at the wheel. Once in Colorado the ambulance will be retrofitted to be used as a mobile clinic to serve rural areas of Nicaragua. Nice work Sean!

Update! Wednesday, June 28th – El Crucero’s soon to be mobile-clinic arrived in Colorado.

The trip to Nicaragua begins September 1st – stay tuned!

With the help of YPO Colorado members and Aspen Academy, a new community center is coming! Monday we received a generous donation from Kristina Scala, President at Aspen Academy. Over 8 classrooms of desks, chairs, tables and blackboards were donated that will fill a community center coming this Fall in the remote village of El Crucero. These items will have an immediate impact on providing after school tutoring and vocational training. The morning started at 8am with Sean Tonner picking up a 26 foot U-Haul truck and meeting 20 volunteers at Aspen Academy. Volunteers were made up of PEC and YPO members, their families, high schoolers and kids who helped breakdown hundreds of pieces of furniture. They spent the day moving it to a shipping container that will make its way to Nicaragua later this summer. Project El Crucero would like to thank Kristina Scala and everyone who came out and helped. Your support means so much and we greatly appreciate it.

This was the second year our team had the privilege to serve in El Crucero with the local team at Project El Crucero’s Clinica Susie Syke. Our 14 member team consisting of 2 doctors, 2 nurse practitioners, 2 nurses, 1 EMT ,1 surgical tech, 1 dental hygienist, 1 dental student as well as 4 very essential non-medical team members, completed 400 medical evaluations/treatments, 100 dental evaluations/cleanings and 125 fluoride treatments. We served at the Clinica Susie Syke as well as 3 outlying villages – Temua, Des Andrerro and Nueva York. It was wonderful to return to the same villages we visited last year and see familiar faces, give each other big hugs, and be amazed at how all the kids had grown!

Relationship building was a big focus this year and our team made sure we identified the leader in each community we visited and spoke with him/her personally, and learned more about the village and their lives. We gave every one a name tag, and made extra effort to call each person by name and make sure they knew they were loved. Our team also provided 375 family portraits for people who came to our clinics. For some people, including a 75 year old gentleman, it was their first opportunity to see themselves in a picture! It was amazing to see their faces light up as they looked at their pictures together as a family. It was one of many joyful and humbling experiences for the team.

We also attended Bethel Church in El Crucero for their Sunday evening service. What an amazing blessing to be able to worship God with them in both Spanish and English!
Our hope for the future is to expand to 2 medical/dental trips per year, begin basic health education classes, and continue to build relationships at the clinic, in the villages and with the church. We want to impact an entire generation with preventative oral hygiene, health care, education, and spiritual growth!

God is alive in beautiful Nicaragua, come serve with us in 2017!

You and a guest are invited to attend. Enjoy a night out with the Project El Crucero Team!
Taste a variety of wines from OneHope; all paired with chocolates!
Light hors d’oeuvres and soft drinks will also be served.

WHEN:
Saturday, February 4th, 2017
7:00pm to 9:00pm

WHERE:
The Knolls Clubhouse
3400 E. Geddes Avenue Centennial CO 80122

For more info. or to RSVP please contact Hanne at hanne13@comcast.net
*Wine will be available for purchase and 15% of all proceeds will go back to Project El Crucero.

CHCC gears up for 2016 Trips to El Crucero

February 25, 2016

A group of mission leaders from Cherry Hills Community Church participated in the International Missions Fair on Sunday February 22nd to recruit volunteers for two 2016 mission trips that the church will host to support the ministry of Project El Crucero.  The group shared information about the Family Mission Trip that will take place June 3-12 and the Medical/Dental Mission Trip that will take place Sept. 17-24.  Each Mission Team will consist of 15-18 volunteers and will focus on support the PEC ministry efforts to provide healthcare, feeding programs and bible studies.  CHCC has been sending mission teams to El Crucero and the Susie Syke Clinic for the past 9 years.

Cherry Hills Community Church Trips

November 2, 2015

Cherry Hills Community Church (CHCC) has been supporting the people of El Crucero through mission work since 2007—two years before the official founding of Project El Crucero. CHCC ministry teams have made frequent visits to the area where they often spend their time visiting local orphanages, conducting bible camps, passing out food baskets, and assisting with the overall upkeep of the Susie Skye Clinic. CHCC works with other local churches and ministries to spread evangelicalism.

In 2015, CHCC proudly hosted a trip with Travelocity. During this trip, a 12-person team from CHCC and Travelocity conducted mobile medical clinics throughout the surrounding area of El Crucero, providing medical treatment to 600 patients. Travelocity even featured us (Project El Crucero) in a TV ad that aired nationally during a 2015 Amazing Race episode. Thanks Travelocity for believing that volunteerism makes us and our world a better place!

EO visits El Crucero

October 26, 2015

A group of Denver’s top business leaders recently visited El Crucero to assist with much needed building improvements. These business leaders are affiliated with the Denver chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), the world’s most influential community of entrepreneurs, supporting today’s business owners in all aspects of their entrepreneurial journey.

R&R employee and PEC missionary Monica McCafferty shares her experience

October 20, 2015

While life-saving medical and dental care is the foundation for Project El Crucero’s work, the time I spent in Nicaragua as part of Project El Crucero was also spent on projects intended to bring joy to the village children. I felt lucky to visit Nicaragua with a few colleagues, as a few of us signed up to experience Project El Crucero on behalf of our company, R&R Partners. R&R Partners is a full-service, independent, international agency dedicated to helping clients thrive in complex, fast-moving business climates. Eight of my colleagues, all stemming from all parts of the United States, joined me on this mission trip.

Throughout out weeklong stay, there was always some part of the day set aside to spend time with village youth. We conducted arts and crafts, played soccer and swung kids on the swing set we built while giving away sandals, shoes, sunglasses, toothbrushes, and soccer equipment. Each morning, the village children were quick to spot our arrival when our vans with U.S. bumper stickers pulled up to the Susie Syke Clinic. From the smiles on the children’s faces when they run to greet us, it was hard for me to remember that daily struggles for these youth include fighting hunger, malnutrition and poverty. Looking beyond their sun-and dust-kissed faces, I saw kids decked out in American hand-me-downs and children wearing shoes twice their size based on scarcity. Seven-year-olds walk around with their younger siblings on their hips as if they were adults, showcasing the grown-up responsibilities many village youth take on before becoming adolescents.

Project El Crucero truly proved to be a life-changing experience for me. Upon returning back to Denver, I experienced a reverse sort of culture shock, so to speak. I felt guilty about taking a long shower with warm water, purchasing packaged food from Whole Foods, and the realization that not once did I ever have to fight for the right and privilege to finish high school let alone college. The perspective that I gained on life due to my time volunteering for Project El Crucero is priceless.

PROJECT C.U.R.E. Trips

October 19, 2015

Project C.U.R.E. is the largest provider of donated medical supplies and equipment to developing countries around the world. From 2008 to 2011, medical teams from Project C.U.R.E. (doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, etc.) and Project El Crucero completed almost 900 medical treatments during each trip through the Susie Syke Clinic and the mobile medical clinics.