Dear Family and Friends,

  As many of you know right after I graduated I moved to Beaverton, Oregon. I soon began to attend an amazing church called Westside A Jesus Church. I wanted to get involved so apart from Sunday's I started going on Tuesdays as well for The Bridge, a 18-26 year old bible study. One Tuesday two girls from Villa Esperanza came down to share their stories and tell us more about where they live and how Villa Esperanza changed their lives. I knew immediately that I wanted to be apart of what was going on in Nicaragua. I have been given the opportunity to do just that and be apart of something so great July 9th-16th. As God begins to prepare my heart, I come asking for both Prayer and financial support.
  Up until a few years ago there used to be a 100-acre landfill that was home to 1,500 people and new trash everyday. That landfill was called La Chureca (Spanish for "The Dump"). Parents and children would scavenge the heaps of garbage to collect what they could sell, and in return live off what most in America would consider pocket change. Their homes were made of garbage scraps often leaving holes which made them vulnerable during the winter. Young boys are robbed from their childhood to work and young girls are encouraged to prostitute themselves to garbage truck drivers for money or a better garbage selection. It is poverty and injustice beyond anything that can be communicated by word or picture.
  Nine years ago, Forward Edge International (a non-profit in Vancouver, Washington) decided to do something about the injustice. They bought a 2-acre plot of land about 10 minutes outside of La Chureca and began building homes for the young, at risk girls within the dump. This July marks eight years since the 16 original girls arrived at Villa Esperanza (Spanish for "Village of Hope". Currently there are about 30 girls living at the Villa. Villa Esperanza provides these girls with the basic essentials every child deserves. They provide each and every one of these girls with hope-- hope to break the generational poverty that seems inescapable in La Chureca.
  Eight years ago a team like ours arrived at Villa Esperanza only two weeks after the original 16 girls had been removed from the dump. The girls were shy, timid, physically weak, sick, and extremely weary around outsiders. Over the last eight years, FEI teams have witnessed transformation in these young girls beyond what we could have imagined. They are all now healthy,confident, and happy. Beyond that though they are all learning new relaities. These girls are learning that not all men are dangerous, it is not okay for husbands to beat their wives, and there are means to survival beyond stealing and sexual exploitation.
  Below is a link for a video captured in 2011 sharing a little more about Villa Esperanza and how it started. Some of the statistics may vary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVKGFH38I7A
  I am beyond excited for the relationships I will deepen and build in Nicaragua with God, my team, and the girls from the Villa. God has really given me a heart to help and of compassion. I hope and pray that you share the excitement and compassion that I do. There are a few ways that you can share that with me. The first and extremely important way to help is through prayer. Please pray that God prepares the heart of my team and myself included. We also pray for safe travels, good health, and that the small difference that we try to make continues to grow long after we leave. Please also pray that the financial needs to this trip be met.
  The second way to help is by doing just that and helping me financially. I am beyond greatful for any and all contributions made towards helping me reach my goal. All my funds will need to be met by the end of June with one deadline on May 9th of $1000. Whether you feel led to help financially or through prayer I immensely appreciate both!
  Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this and for helping me become the woman I am today. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me in Managua, Nicaragua!
                    In His Grace,
                                Jennifer Diaz Mercado