Satisfied Wages for Nicaragua

There have been a few struggles recruiting for the Kingdom Finance Program on site at the Nehemiah Center. So we decided to take the training on the road and partnered with a local ministry called Villa Esperanza. The director Wilbur's sister Shirley is one of our stand out graduates and he has saw the change in her lifestyle as a testimony to the the programs impact within his own family. When we met with Wilbur to pitch the program to him, I started telling him about Shirley, but I didn't know she was his sister! "Jesse, I believe you what you say about Shirley." He said with a big smile on his face, "did you know she was my sister and lives right next to me?" My eyes got wide, "No, I had no idea!" "I saw the beginning of changes in her lifestyle and I hear the way her and her husband Rodney speak about their finances now. I would like our pastors to take this course and I will take it with them!" "Ok, Wilbur let's get it on ...

A hobby of mine has always been the grill. Taking time to smoke some ribs, or roast a leg of lamb has been a joy for me to share this craft with family an friends for any reason. So when we moved to Nicaragua I couldn't take my grill with me, and I had to live a BBQ free life the first year or so. Imagine that, no BBQ? Not that Nicaraguans don't grill meat, they love to grill meat. There are people grilling meat and selling it all over, these paces are called asados. And it is very good, but there's nothing like the flavors you grew up with to make you feel comfortable and at home. So we needed a grill! When I grilled some ribs open pit style at the Nehemiah Center they were delicious and everyone gathered around and ate well. A time to get together again, and forget about the political crisis affecting our lives for a short moment. It was after this day I decided to design a barrel grill, USA style! December of 2018 I walked across the Nehemiah Center's parkin...

There was a lot of tension last year in Nicaragua. The political crisis forced many people to stay home and stay safe. It was a very tense and uncertain time. As the violence started to calm down the Nehemiah Center staff was able to come together again and get back to some good ministry work and planning for next year. North Americans volunteers started to make their way back to the country again. Some friends and I started talking about grilling some ribs before the crisis broke out, but those plans were put on hold. Now with ministry work back in action at the Nehemiah Center we decided to have some good times and reunite in the Nehemiah Center Ranchon for some good eats! Many of you know I am a grill master! So we decided to get 4 slabs of pork ribs and grill them up for everyone at the Nehemiah Center! I love the ribs here in Nicaragua, they leave so much meat on them and they are super tender and flavorful. Really, the United States needs to step up its pork farming because t...

Creating Relationships It has been a little over a year since Finanzas para el Reino began at the Nehemiah Center. God has blessed us with twenty-eight graduates since the program started. We have witnessed the transformation of the lives of these participants and the renewing of their minds with the Word of God. They now understand God’s plan for their lives and finances. Program participant Pastor Juan shares the impact these teachings had on his life, “As church leaders we did not have this knowledge about finances, these teachings are a treasure! Topics such as Christ’s return is frequently interpreted that we go on consuming and become more indebted! However, the solution to our finances, getting out of debt, and staying out of debt is found in the Bible.” The Good Sense course has helped his family start an emergency savings, budget, prioritize, and to get out of debt. They have stopped taking out more loans. He shares his testimony with his congregation. He encourages them ...

"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...