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Missionary from Halls has a heart for children in need

Cheryl Spence runs the Jesus Centered Ministries children's home in Nicaragua

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — An East Tennessee ministry serves kids in medical crisis. They don't have another option because they live in Nicaragua, a country in crisis itself.

Cheryl Spence truly believes that God always provides. For decades, the woman who grew up in Knox County in Halls has run a children's home in Nicaragua. It's not an orphanage. The kids have parents who cannot care for them. It's called Jesus Centered Ministries. 

The mission is "to share Jesus but basically to help children who have no hope medically," she said. 

Children like Griffin who showed up at the children's home in horrible condition.

"He weighed like 12 and a half pounds. He had no hair on his head. He was yellow. His liver was totally enlarged from malnutrition," Cheryl said. 

Now he smiles and plays and is the same size as other boys his age. 

"A little food and a little love go a long way. Now Griffin is nine years old. I've had him seven years. He speaks three languages," she said.

She will go back to Nicaragua next week along with several children who have been her for medical treatment. She will travel with her husband and missionary LeAnne West and her husband.

Little Tania has been in the United States for about a year for heart surgery and lip and palate surgery. Her smile is contagious. 

Yomari is five years old now and has lived with LeAnne West in East Tennessee most of her life. She has had cleft palate surgery and heart surgery and she is deaf. 

"She goes to Tennessee School of the Deaf. She is one of the top students that they have there. She comes home eagerly wanting to teach me the new signs that she has. She loves going to school, she rides the little school bus, she is a big blessing," LeAnne said. 

LeAnne feels blessed to volunteer with the ministry and to have Yomari in her life. 

"Children with cleft lip and palates are very dear to my heart. And have been. This is what God has told me to focus on," she said. 

Cheryl focuses not only on the daily care of the kids but she also finds doctors and donors who support the ministry.

"We have a list of kids I would love to get help for. It's just finding the right doctor that would step outside the box to help," she said. 

Her heart is in Nicaragua but she's enjoyed her time back in East Tennessee.

"I love coming back. My mom is 91 so I have to come see my mom," Cheryl said.  "She's a retired RN. So I guess she gave me the heart to do the mission work for medical needs children."

Children who can heal with help. 

Right now 11 children live at the Jesus Centered Ministries Children's Home in Nicaragua. 

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