Satisfied Wages for Nicaragua

During our catch up class  in February the Nehemiah Center was blessed by a few generous individuals and churches! The Nehemiah Center director Luz let Freddy and I know there were sufficient funds donated in the beginning of this year to be able to hold another Finanzas para el Reino class! Freddy's back in action! I asked Freddy if he was up to the task of leading another course. He has been participating in some pastoral care for his depression and it has helped him very much. He also bought some reading glasses. These glasses helped him get back into reading his Bible and feeding his soul! As always Freddy was ready for another round of facilitating the Good Sense course! He says it keeps him busy and blesses him with some income now that he no longer works for the Nehemiah Center. He is on a contract bases until his health is back to normal, and funding permits. Please continue to keep Freddy in your prayers, they are working! Jari's going to share the visio...

After arriving back to Nicaragua in December of 2017, I remembered the remnants of the class in September. There were three individuals who turned in all their prerequisites for the course and paid their deposits, but could not finish. We kept saying we needed to bring them in and finish the Good Sense course with them; but the Nehemiah Center is not in a good financial position to hold another class. Added to this problem of financial resources we were missing our friend and facilitator Freddy Mendez. Since November of last year, Freddy fell into depression, but was slowly starting to heal from this illness and feeling better. In late January of 2018 we received an e-mail from Franklin G. and Robert O. from La Semilla. Franklin was in our first cohort of Good Sense back in September of 2017. He wanted to know when we were going to have another class because he was referring his coworker, Ariel, to take the course. Now any good business knows referrals are your best compliment, and...

There has been great progress in the Finanzas para el Reino (Finances for the Kingdom) program at the Nehemiah Center. As like any new product launch in business, we are facing a demand, but limited capital to meet our needs, however we remain faithful in our work. Despite limited funding for the program, God is sending people to us who desire to be a part of Finazas para el Reino! There is a demand here in Managua, and first cohort from September 2017 are referring their friends to the Nehemiah Center! In September of 2017 we launched our first class of Finanzas para el Reino. Our Vision Conference was a great success and we had enough interest to begin with our first group of 25 participants. Our class consisted of what was exactly target in our Survey Results from earlier in the year, young professional adults under the age of 33 years old. A few were single but many of them married for less than three years and beginning to start families. Included in this group were two pastor...

It is tourist season in Nicaragua. Many good people from North America come to enjoy the sun, others come to see different ministries and lend a helping hand. I often hear the same questions mixed in with a commentary about Nicaragua, "Why don't they just.... (fill in the blank)?" It is easy to think you have solutions during a two week visit. I am guilty of the same mentality, born and raised in the United States, I can share the same 'Why don't they just...?" attitude. However, I knew my stay in Nicaragua would be much longer than two weeks and so it was time to not ask questions, but listen. When I was in my early twenties an old Tool & Die journeyman, Mr. Terpstra, once asked me in the same commentary styled question, "Jesse, you can't listen with your mouth open can you?" I never asked many questions of Mr. Terpstra again, I just listened, watched and learned! AECNIC's Business Mind! I was recently able to facilitate a bus...

Less than three weeks after our arrival to Nicaragua I was hit with Dengue fever. A small mosquito I never saw delivered a fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 long days. In addition to this problem I caught bronchitis for the first time in my life also! This was the result of fumigation of an apartment below us, for mosquitos! In December there is a lot of trash and leaf burning, which agitated my lungs more. I battled these illnesses and Jari took great care of me, but she too had worries. I was upset, sick and doubtful of our move here. Why did I come to Nicaragua?  Was I here to get sick?  You made a mistake! Your not doing anything here! I began to realize these thoughts were not all my own, but something else. After breathing through my nebulizer treatments, and taking my last fever pill I sat up on my bed. I knew I had to tell our partner churches and friends to pray for us. The Holy Spirit said to send out a message, so Jari sent an email requesting prayer,...

Jari and I have been back in Grand Rapids, Michigan from October to the end of November. We have been sharing the work and  the message of Kingdom Business! We are so excited and inspired to hear the good feedback and response from our friends and churches! Sharing at Unison Church, Grand Rapids MI Many people have commented on how unique our work is. There are not many ministries that focus on the economic side of the Kingdom of God. These business people have a huge impact on their communities and the Nicaraguan economy. They provide jobs in a country where many have to leave their homes to find work. Best of all, they provide a different attitude in the market place, a confidence and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!  During our mentoring with the entrepreneurs of AECNIC we have found a need for good financial stewardship values. Since all of them go to a church we decided to help the Nehemiah Center start a finance program called Kingdom Finance . This program ...

Association of Christian Entrepreneurs of Nicaragua board During the summer of 2016 when I was telling a good friend Paul Pierson I was leaving for Nicaragua and so I needed to close my company Satisfied Wages, Paul said, " Jesse, your not closing. Your going international!" With that new perspective I was able to stay encouraged and make the move to Nicaragua a little bit smoother for Jari and I. Soon I saw the plan God had for my business was the same it always has been. Coach and mentor people in their personal and business finances. I was doing what I have been doing for years, just in a different place! We have had a great first year in Nicaragua. Jari and I have been able to stay encouraged and feed off the energy of entrepreneurs. We've taken day trips and stayed over night in hot hotels in the cities of Leon and Chinandega for business mentoring with the board member of Association of Christian Businesses of Nicaragua (AECNIC). There have been very fe...