Changes for Ed & Linda Baker!!!

Agua de Vida Ministry is Moving to Nicaragua

Fasten your seatbelts – Agua de Vida is about to take off!   We’re praying you’ll join us on this new adventure in the lives of Ed & Linda Baker.  Here are the details – the why, the where, the when, and how you can be a part of the story.

 The Why – We entered the mission field January, 2001; our first year was spent in Costa Rica at language school.  Then by the end of 2008, we will have completed 7 years of a 4 year commitment in Paraguay (we overstayed a bit).  We dearly love the people of Paraguay and have been able to touch many lives with the work that all of you have supported us in doing.  However, we feel that we have concluded the work that the Lord sent us here to do. We have completed 26 water projects and installed 25 wells.  We still have a few more wells to drill prior to our departure. The majority of these projects have been at Methodist Churches – all of the Methodist Churches that needed wells now have one.  The Susannah Wesley School is up and running and is a blessing to many families in the area.  Angelica & Christian Dickson, fellow missionaries, are in charge of the school as Director and Construction Manager.

 All of this coincides with the birth of our grandson (our first) in March, who we would like to get to know as proud Grandparents.  We also feel a need to spend more time with all our family members, including Ed’s father who is 81 years old.  As many of you know, travel between the US and Paraguay is arduous and expensive.  Nicaragua is much closer and airfare cost is less than half that to Paraguay.  This will allow us more frequent visits to our family.

 Is there more work to be done here in Paraguay?  Yes, definitely, but we feel that we have completed the work that the Lord lead us here to do, and we are confident that the current team of missionaries serving in Paraguay will continue to “carry the torch”.  We have trained a team of Paraguayan church members in well maintenance and equipped them with the necessary tools and parts.  They have already proven to be quite capable to make the needed repairs in our absence.  We are also having many discussions on “self sustainability” of the water well systems. 

 The Where – We foresaw this coming and have been praying about it for a year.  God is faithful and opened a door for us to serve in Nicaragua.  Last year at a missionary conference in Brazil, we met Angi Hopkins, a fellow Mission Society missionary.  She and her husband Ronnie (www.msum.org/people/hopkins) are working with MEFEL, a congregation of about 70 Nicaraguan churches.  They told us that many of the MEFEL pastors have spoken of their need for clean water wells.  We visited with the Hopkins in Nicaragua in November of last year, and saw a great need there – and many opportunities.  They also introduced us to Amigos for Christ (www.amigosforchrist.org), another group working in Nicaragua who has since asked us to assist them with their water well drilling program.  We hope to work with both groups, bringing the MEFEL pastor’s evangelism skills into the water development program.

 At this point, we are considering locating to Chinandega, Nicaragua.  This is in the Northwest corner of the country, in the area where many of the MEFEL churches are located, as well as the Nicaraguan office for Amigos for Christ. 

 The When –We are currently planning to leave Paraguay late October or early November of this year.  There are LOTS of details to work out in the meantime – what to take, what to sell, what to give away, and what to discard.  But we are confident the Lord is leading us in this new direction – so we will leave it in His hands and take it one day at a time.

 Your Part of the Story – What can you do to help?  PRAY for us during this time of transition.  It’s not easy to leave so many friends here in Paraguay.  PRAY for the physical move.  Moving is never an easy process, and moving internationally –  just say that we’ve already encountered all kinds of challenges!

 For those that are unable to continue supporting our ministry, we thank you for all you have done for us over the past several years.  For those that are able to continue, support can still be directed to The Mission Society – nothing will change in that regard.  Funds for wells that we have not yet drilled – beware!  Our goal has increased to 12-24 wells per year in Nicaragua.  Your funds are still needed for well projects and will be used!  Donations for well projects can still be sent to The Mission Society,  Account #0743 - but the name of the account is now the Nicaragua Well Fund rather than the Paraguay Well Fund.

 Our web site address will remain the same:  www.aguadevida.org.  We will continue to update the web site by the 15th of each month.  A “New Look” is in the works and should be on-line by January 15, 2009.   

We thank each of you for all you have done for us over the past 8 years.  We hope you will continue being a part of our ministry and a part of our journey for Christ.

 May God bless you all;

 In His Service,

Ed & Linda Baker

 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."  Proverbs 3:5

The Mission Society

P. O. Box 922637

Norcross, GA 30010

Support donations to - Baker Support - Account #0264

Water well donations to - Nicaragua Well Fund - Account #0743