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Allen Womack left Wed., 11/09 for Central America to make preliminary plans for the upcoming 2012 campaigns.

      East Ridge has been involved in mission work in Central America for 15 years. Allen Womack, elder for this mission area,
has worked extensively in organizing medical, VBS, evangelistic and building campaigns taking from 80 to 90 volunteers each year.
      Through his PowerPoint presentation of this comprehensive work, brother Womack said doing mission work is a command. He
cited examples in the Bible of Andrew, Phillip, Paul, Barnabas, and Mark who unselfishly shared Jesus with others.
      Two East Ridge Sunday morning Bible classes support one preacher in Central America. Nicaragua is the largest work with
29 congregations in a poor but beautiful country. (Nicaragua has 28 volcanoes, 10 of which are active.)
    Panama has 10 congregations. So far, four buildings have been constructed. Three medical and two construction campaigns
have been held there.
      Our work in Nicaragua started in 1990, shortly after it became a free country. We worked with the Forrest Park congregation in
Valdosta, GA. A preacher training program was established, the first medical campaign took place in 1994, and the first building
campaign was held in 1995. In 1996, East Ridge began a separate Central America missions program.
      Funds for this work include 65% coverage from other congregations, and 35% from East Ridge. Medical supplies are all donated.
      Twenty church buildings have been built in Nicaragua. A school has been built and is supported by the Campbell Street church
of Christ in Jackson, TN. Scholarships are available for anyone wanting to help sponsor a child to attend.
      This year 795 children attended VBS in Nicaragua, 2,200 patients were treated in the Medical clinic, and 40 people were baptized.
      Brother Womack said, “Taking the Good News that Jesus loves us and died for us to these hard working and grateful people is a
life-changing experience. "Once you go you will want to go again!”

View the CENTRAL AMERICA PREACHERS' PROFILE BOOK with almost 50 pages of information about
the Central America mission work and individual profiles of each preacher and the congregations.