Typically, the first five days are spent at Arms of Love. The team sings and plays games with the children, brings them gifts from their sponsors, takes them on exciting excursions, and simply showers them with love.

The trip concludes with two days in Leon. Together with staff from Compassion International, the team visits individual homes of sponsored children. Sponsors are able to meet the children and their families, bring them gifts, and spend quality time bonding with each one.

Street evangelism in Leon involves puppet shows and object lessons for the children. The team also hands out balloons, tracts, Bibles, and coloring books (or other small gifts). The organizational skills required for the intensity of this outreach leave the team exhausted; however, the beaming smiles on the children’s faces make it well worth the effort.

The team this past year included Glendon and Ashley Yoder, Kendra Bontrager, Juanita Hershberger, Jannelle Hershberger, Emily Brown, Mike Boswell, Steve Wiebe, Anita Troyer, Galen Yoder, Mary Yoder, Kymberly Yoder.
   • Galen served efficiently as team leader, ensuring each part of the trip progressed well.
   • Mary enjoyed bonding with the children and loved each one with a mother’s love.
   • Kymberly helped to purchase gifts and Bibles; she was blessed to witness the children’s radiant faces because of her efforts.
   • Janelle’s third  trip to Nicaragua renewed her compassion for the oppressed of that country.
   • Mike instantly became a helpful addition to the team.
   • Steve’s object lessons successfully held the children’s attention; his previous knowledge of street evangelism was vital to this year’s outreach.

Straight from the Heart Ministries seeks to facilitate people with a passion for neglected children in foreign countries. The objective of these annual trips is to remind the children that they are precious and unconditionally loved. The impact of these encounters plants seeds of lifelong relationships between sponsors and children.