Learn about our mission, our team, and our commitment to serving Nicaragua's most vulnerable children and families.
One Child. One Family. One Community at a time.
El Ayudante exists to demonstrate God's love by serving vulnerable children and families in León, Nicaragua — partnering with the Nicaraguan people to transform the nation: One Child, One Family, One Community at a time.
One Child. One Family. One Community at a time.
We envision communities in Nicaragua where every child has the opportunity to reach their God-given potential—spiritually, physically, educationally, and emotionally.
El Ayudante—Spanish for 'The Helper'—began in 2001 with a clear calling: protect and care for the most vulnerable children of León, Nicaragua. Over more than two decades, our ministry has adapted, grown, and deepened its roots in the community — always guided by the same mission of partnering with the Nicaraguan people to transform the nation, one child, one family, one community at a time.
El Ayudante opened its doors in León as a residential child protection center. For nearly seven years, the ministry provided a safe haven for 31 children referred by Nicaragua's Ministry of Family — the equivalent of the U.S. Department of Human Services. Children who had nowhere else to turn found food, education, medical care, discipleship, and love on our campus.
The Nicaraguan Government launched Programa Amor (Project Love), closing nearly all residential child protection centers to reunite children with their families. While well-intentioned, the program lacked adequate funding. El Ayudante responded by transitioning to a family enrichment model — keeping children in the safest situations possible. Some returned home with financial support; others went to caring relatives; a few without safe options continued to call our campus home. Through every change, children still received food, education, medical care, discipleship, and love — they simply went home to their families at day's end.
Our Hogar Cristiano Nicaragüense (HCN) now serves 34 children, teenagers, and young adults. The HCN runs a rotating schedule so each age group receives focused attention: high school students are on campus in the morning and attend school in the afternoon, while elementary students have the reverse. Every child receives two meals and a snack, tutoring, Bible studies, individual and family counseling, and medical care — all on one campus, rooted in the same love that started it all.
One Child. One Family. One Community at a time.
Stay connected with the latest news and developments from our ministry on the ground.
We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new community center in León Centro. This facility will provide a safe space for after-school programs, tutoring sessions, and community gatherings. The center includes three classrooms, a library, and a multipurpose room for worship and activities. Thanks to generous donors and mission teams who helped make this dream a reality.
El Ayudante is expanding our scholarship program to support 20 additional students pursuing higher education. These scholarships cover tuition, books, and supplies for students from our child sponsorship program who are now attending university or vocational training. We are so proud of these young leaders who are breaking cycles of poverty and pursuing their God-given dreams.
This year we celebrated building our 75th home for families in need! Each house represents a family with a safe, stable foundation to build their future. Our housing ministry has provided shelter for over 300 individuals, including many children in our sponsorship program. We are grateful for every mission team and donor who has made this possible.
El Ayudante has partnered with local medical professionals to provide regular health clinics for children and families in our communities. These monthly clinics offer free medical consultations, medications, and preventive care. We've already served over 200 families through this new initiative, addressing urgent health needs and promoting wellness in our communities.
El Ayudante is led by a committed team of leaders passionate about partnering with the Nicaraguan people to transform lives.
Executive Director
Vanessa oversees all local operations, including Hogar Cristiana Nicaragüense (HCN), the hosting of teams, annual interns, and community outreach efforts. She has been a vital part of El Ayudante for many years, and under her leadership, El Ayudante has grown in its impact on the communities we serve.
Chair
Born and raised in Kansas, John graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and recently retired from global engineering roles at Procter & Gamble and Kellogg's. He now consults internationally. John and his wife Heather took their first trip to El Ayudante in 2004 and fell in love with the people of Nicaragua. They are active members of Northside Church.
Doug grew up in Wisconsin and earned a business degree from the University of Montana before a distinguished career as a Navy Officer flying S-3s and leading Navy and DoD Information Technology. After retiring, he worked for Hewlett Packard and now consults independently for DoD businesses. He holds an MBA and an M.S. in IT Management. Doug and his wife Melissa have been traveling to EA with their family and church teams since 2008.
Born and raised in Tennessee, Devin played tennis at the University of Tennessee while earning a B.S. in Marketing and Finance. Based in Franklin, TN, he leads companies in innovation and growth. Devin has led mission trips to El Ayudante since 2009, having served on trips across Europe, India, Sri Lanka, and the Bahamas.
Anna grew up in Atlanta and recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences. She took her first trip to El Ayudante in high school and has served the ministry passionately ever since. Outside of EA she serves as Chief Operating Officer at a fashion boutique.
Kim is a native Texan who practiced general, pediatric and special needs adult dental hygiene before moving to Nashville, Tennessee. She now serves as the office manager for a local construction company. She led her first mission team to El Ayudante in 2011. She and her husband Dan are active members of Christ Community Church.
Dr. Michelle Taylor Skipper is the Lay Minister at St. Matthew United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, NC. She holds a BA from St. Andrews Presbyterian College, a BSN from UNC Chapel Hill, a MSN from Duke University, and a doctorate from Gardner-Webb University School of Nursing. She led her first team to El Ayudante in 2003.
In all things, our desire at El Ayudante is that we 'partner with' rather than 'do for' local communities for their overall enrichment. Because of this commitment, we affirm and promote the following principles of partnership.
We keep God at the center in everything we do in order to bring glory to Him.
Our efforts seek to empower local communities in their own development and not create dependency.
Our overarching goal is to form and nurture healthy, interdependent, and ongoing relationships with local communities.
We seek to identify and mobilize the capabilities, skills, and resources from within local communities.
We recognize that God is here working, so we seek to partner with the Nicaraguan church toward the advancement of God's kingdom on earth as in heaven.
Short-term mission teams are an extension of El Ayudante's engagement and collaboration with local communities to have a sustainable impact.
In view of God's mission to make all things new in Christ, our efforts are aimed to impact all facets of life: the spiritual as well as the physical.
Join our mission to transform lives in Nicaragua. There are many ways to get involved.
