Community of Hope UCC in Tulsa, Oklahoma Reaches Out in Mission

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

Community of Hope UCC in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Chacraseca, Nicaragua

Though Community of Hope, UCC is well-known in the Tulsa area for its social justice efforts, we desire to reach beyond our walls. From the beginning of our life together in 1993, we have had a relationship with Central America. It is from our companeros there that we have learned about base communities and liberation theology. Since 1999 we have been building and nurturing a relationship with the people of Chacraseca, Nicaragua. Our mission with Chacraseca includes sending one or more teams each year to spend time working and playing with our companeros there. In addition to sending a team, we work closely with the Pastoral Committee of that base community to assist them with projects that they have identified as priorities. Some of the successful projects on which we have partnered in the past are a community garden that provides daily school lunches for the children and the development of a micro-lending program for the farmers. The projects we currently support include:

Construction of one or two modest homes per year with Chacraseca families;
The salary of a physician and support of a pharmacy for the local health clinic;
A new program that will provide vitamins and nutritional supplements to infants and toddlers;
A two-year commitment to raise funds to replace a communal vehicle;
School supplies, art supplies, and musical instruments for the community.

Part of our partnership includes learning more about fair trade and to teach others about its importance. To this end, we operate a fair trade market before and after worship each week that sells such products as coffee, chocolate bars, and pieces of artwork from Nicaragua. The fair trade market also sells alternative gift cards that enable one to honor a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion by purchasing a share of equity in the housing, education, or farming needs of Chacraseca.

We usually travel to Nicaragua in July each year. All are welcome to join the team.

David Hoot
Mission Team Co-coordinator
Community of Hope, UCC
Tulsa, OK