Satisfied Wages for Nicaragua

"Thankswhat?" On my way to Matagalpa, Thanksgiving Day of 2016, I saw a few Turkeys hanging out in front of houses along dirt roads. These turkeys were strutting and gobbling in front of everyone without a care in the world. It's good to be a turkey in Nicaragua. Here they don't need to run from the ax, at least not on the third Thursday of November! Thanksgiving Day is not celebrated in Nicaragua. So on my first Thanksgiving here I was left with a lot of baked turkey dreams. All those turkeys looked so delicious! At the end of our trip, we settled for fried chicken, on Thanksgiving day?! In April the whole country of Nicaragua changed. Protests against social security reforms have turn into a political crisis. Hundreds of people have lost their lives, thousand have been injured or disappeared. Thousands have lost their jobs too. All of our past posts this summer have had something to do with the situation of the country. It has been a life changing event for ...

Pastor Edgar walking to greet more people coming into church Pastor Edgar is married and lives with five of his children and a grandson. He is fifty-nine years old and takes advantage of every opportunity to learn more about his Christian faith, to bless his congregation with new wisdom. He pastors a small church in northern Managua, Nicaragua. This fifty-three member church is located in a neighborhood close to Lake Managua. For years welding was a side job where he earned around $250 a week. He has taken a break from his welding job and is focusing more on pastoring his congregation. For a year he has been solely dependent on God’s provision. During this time he has witnessed God’s blessings through donations to his church from individuals in Mexico, Panama, Canada, and the U.S.A. through faithful Christians God has touch their hearts to give to his church. Worship Time! Kid on the drums can bang out beats! He has been preaching for thirty-two years and has rejected...

There is always something to read in the news about the political situation in Nicaragua. Protests and counter protests. Kidnapping by police and disappearances. Another National Stike takes place to put a stop to all commercial activity,  in standing for the release of political prisoners. For all of the bad news there is very little good and uplifting news. Well its time to read some good news! On September 5th we celebrated the graduation of 12 dedicated individuals from the Finanzas para el Reino program at the Nehemiah Center! Over the past year we have had a few classes. Of course the political situation did lower our attendance but there were still individuals eager to learn what God has to say about money! Two pastors have completed our course in March and have begun to implement financial stewardship into their churches and preaching! We will be visiting these pastors in their churches very soon, and sharing more about their churches! 12 New Grads with support fr...

There has been a lot of tension in Nicaragua. The air is filled with fear and anxiety. The month of July was packed with this anxiety to a point of stress in the lives of everyone living in the country. Many people were killed and disappeared in June. As July started the uncertainty of violence made life as tense as the weeks before. There were political celebrations for the government, which meant more violence, more injuries and deaths. There was another national strike . All the businesses in the country were closed once again. Through all this tension in the country Jari and I celebrated our wedding anniversary and birthdays! July was always a celebration month for us, and with the Nehemiah Center starting vacations we decided to find refuge outside of the capital city. We heard the roads were free from problems and roadblocks in certain areas going to the Pacific Ocean and we decided to take a trip. Some friends joined us and we had a great time relaxing and resting. Enjoying ...

It has been a long time since Jari and I have had a chance to meet up with some of the entrepreneurs in Chinandega. I have tried to call a few of them but phone connections and times were not very good. Since the start of this political crisis in Nicaragua it is very dangerous to go on long trips away from home. The trip to Chinandega can take up to 2 hours. You also have to pass through the city of Leon on your way there. Leon has been a hot spot of violence, roadblocks and protests. So when a fellow missionary said she was going to go to Chinandega to meet with some of the pastors she works with I decided we should all go together. We decided, "Vamos a Chinandega, con cuidado." Let's go to Chinandega, but carefully. Like any trip in Nicaragua it is an adventure. You don't know what you'll encounter on the way there. However, in these days it can be more dangerous. Our trip was going well, we arrived safely to Leon, but this highway bypass showed the scars of p...

Shut down Oriental Market Thirty-seven days have passed since we arrived in a completely changed Nicaragua. A national economic strike is going on today, on day fifty-eight of the Nicaraguan political conflict.This has been the quietest morning I have ever awoken to while living here. We live a few blocks from a main highway and you can always hear cars, buses and trucks blowing horns and engine braking in the morning rush hour. Today is peaceful, with only the songs of birds. This national economic strike was called for by the major labor, business boards and associations of Nicaragua in response to stalled national dialog with the president and government. Another reason for the strike is the demand for an end to the violent oppression of protesters. To date an estimated 150 people have died, many missing and thousands injured. To put the number of dead into population perspective, it would be 6,900 deaths in the United States. Mercado Israel Lewites - close to our home ...

We had a good visit back to Michigan. We were able to visit family and friends and of course share our message of the Christian's role in business and financial stewardship. While fundraising is a difficult task and a necessary one for our ministry, it is a good thing. We are able to share the good work God is doing in Nicaragua and boast in our Lord Jesus and His faithfulness to our work. During an evening time of prayer Jari and I were encouraged by a great Bible passage to inspire us during our time in Michigan and Illinois. 1 Corinthian 3: 5-9. What I love most about this passage is verse 9, we are God's fellow workers, God's field, God's building! God works with us and so Jari and I spent time sharing and promoting what God is doing in Nicaragua. We were doing our part, doing our job in His kingdom. Jesse's on the mic! We spent a Saturday in Chicagoland with our friends at Good Sense. They were having their Vision Night, Jari and I shared with over...