Focus

Mike and Patti serve alongside Rigoberto Reyes in Nicaragua, supporting the development of community outreach initiatives centered around Bethlehem Farm. Located in a remote region of the country, Bethlehem Farm provides vocational training that equips individuals with practical skills while fostering sustainable community development rooted in biblical principles.

A central component of their ministry is the children’s outreach program, Door of Love, which seeks to strengthen families and communities through the proclamation of the Gospel. Recognizing that many children in rural Nicaragua have limited access to education and proper nutrition, the ministry regularly visits families in their homes to assess their needs and provide practical and spiritual support. These relationships often create opportunities for church planting and long-term discipleship within the surrounding communities.

The ministry also invests in university students who are pursuing higher education in hopes of securing better employment opportunities. By assisting with transportation challenges, computer access, and other educational needs, the team helps students overcome barriers that might otherwise prevent them from completing their studies.

Another significant initiative is the greenhouse project, which promotes sustainable food production while teaching agricultural skills from seed to harvest. This program provides women living in the communities surrounding Bethlehem Farm with practical training that can lead to meaningful employment and increased economic stability.

Additionally, every three years the ministry partners with students from Nicaragua’s agricultural university to organize short-term mission teams at Bethlehem Farm. These teams contribute to agricultural development projects while gaining hands-on experience in community service, sustainable farming, and Christian ministry.

Journey

Patricia came to know the Lord Jesus Christ in 2004 during a time of illness and healing, both physical and spiritual. Mike spent 40 years in the wilderness before coming to the Lord in 2004. Since then he has been actively involved in music ministry in various churches and loves to use his voice and musical talents to give glory to the Lord.

While attending their local church in 2007, Mike and Patricia met Paul Hutton, then Director of Ministry for Missions Door in Central America. He shared many of the needs of the people there with their church, and it got people excited about the possibility of being used by God to support that ministry to the poor. In 2008 Patricia and Mike met Rigoberto Reyes and shared with him their desire to teach people how to grow food. Farming has always been one of their greatest pleasures, and they felt that the Lord was calling them into ministry as advocates to raise awareness of poverty in Nicaragua and as servants to the poor. In 2011, Mike and Patricia went to Nicaragua and were able to see how God was going to use them to help His people. It was at that time they started working under Rigoberto Reyes and assisting with the development of the Bethlehem Farm. Mike has worked as a systems engineer for the last 14 years. Patricia has studied and worked with horticulture for 15 years. Their inspiration for this mission comes from Matthew 25:37-40.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. The King will reply, I tell you the truth, Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

In 2010 Mike and Patti started traveling to Nicaragua with short-term teams to The Bethlehem Farm with Rigoberto and Juan Carlos Reyes.  After many years of seeing children in terrible conditions, I felt led to help them with food and education.

In 2016 Patti and Rigoberto Reyes launched the children’s ministry, Door of Love.  The ministry started with 30 children and then climbed to over 100 children in the program over the span of 10 years.  Today we are seeing the fruit of young children entering the university as young adults.  The fruit we are seeing is wonderful!