By Ada Rivera

Our garden is very special to us and to people who come to visit us. There, we feel the presence of God; we go there to talk to Him, to pray. Most trees bear fruit all year round and their leaves keep green all the time, meaning that God is blessing them. We love nature; it connects us with God, for we get the fruits we eat from the seeds we plant. All Glory be to GOD.

The Bible Study in the Rehab Center

The incredible thing about this ministry is that all the men we work with come thinking that they will learn the twelve steps for healing addictions. But to their surprise, they encounter the Lord Jesus through messages from scripture. Some are already Christians but have never discovered the power of discipleship, so they don’t know what it means to walk with Jesus. They all think they have a sickness, which is what the World Health Organization declares. We put ourselves at risk of being expelled from the Center when, instead, we tell them that addiction is a sin.

We rely on God for his support, which works well because they recognize their sinful habits, repent, and come back to Christ’s path. James 5:19-20 tells us, “My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, let that person know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”

When our friends learn the truth, they leave the Center before having to complete their time there. One man had already left the Rehab Center. His father abandoned the family, and his mother emigrated to the States when he was only eight. At age 12, he started using drugs, and since then, he has been in and out of the Center four times.

One day, he was challenged to believe that God exists, so he cried in desperation, “Dear God, please heal the pain in my stomach.” This was followed by, “Dear Lord! You healed my stomach, but now I need your touch because I had a stroke!” He is being healed little by little and is part of our Monday discipleship group, staying overnight before he returns to another city. He still suffers from damage to his brain and has difficulty speaking. His mother didn’t want him baptized as an adult; he had been baptized as a baby, but he joyfully testified to his salvation as Oscar, my husband.

Two former addicts were baptized before the last year ended, this man and one other who had recovered at the Center. This second man completed the rehab course but returned to tell us that he had become a Christian and wanted to listen to God’s word, reconcile with Christ, and repent of his lifestyle. Shortly afterward, he told us he wanted to demonstrate his faith through baptism.

During the baptism, I had to help Oscar, my husband, because of the pain in his hip, and it took extra effort to lift the man out of the baptism tank. We used an inflatable swimming pool for the baptism. The first man had trouble getting up and then onto his feet because of complications caused by his stroke.

We were stunned that he made this public step; he comes from a dysfunctional family, needling love and affection. He doesn’t get those from his sister, who is an alcoholic. But we were amazed at how the Holy Spirit moved in his life. Now, he is testifying of his faith, telling others about the Lord, and inviting them to take the same step he took.

Jesus Christ came into the world to show God’s love, for the Bible says, “Love is patient and kind.” As disciples of the Lord Jesus, we must show kindness and patience with people like the ones God brings to us. Please pray for our ministry among recovering alcoholics in Nicaragua.

Ada and Oscar Rivera work in Nicaragua. They love sharing the power of the Gospel message with men burdened by addictions, many types of losses, shame, and guilt. Seeing fruit blossom in these lives is one of the most incredible things they have witnessed.