Hanging Out

As part of my pre-field preparations, I have been reading several books, including When Helping Hurts: How to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor and yourself  by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. The book talks extensively about the need to focus on relationship and process when doing developmental relief work rather than simply giving out money or starting programs to generate a certain product or fix. I agree with the importance of working with local people in order to help them improve their situation, especially in the ways they see fit. Who wants an outsider coming and telling us how to fix everything that's wrong with us?

In When Helping Hurts, the authors recount the story of New Song, a ministry founded by Mark Gornik and Allen and Susan Tibbels. When New Song began, they were located in an inner-city neighborhood, but they had no plans to save or change the area; they simply wanted to learn the agenda of the community and live on their terms. Gornik wrote:

We held tightly to a commitment of God's shalom for Sandtown, but we had no plans or programs. Instead of imposing our own agendas, we sought to place our lives in service to the community... Community came through having fun together, sharing our lives, and learning to be followers of Christ together.

The authors of When Helping Hurts commented, "Imagine going to a donor and asking for funds to transform a city through 'hanging out'!" (Corbett and Fikkert, When Helping Hurts, 2009: 82-83).

That is precisely what I plan to do in Nicaragua. Go and hang out. Do life with people from another country, with different experiences from me, with different expectations of life. I'm not going to fix things or report on how many lives I have changed. I can't do any of that anyways - only God's Spirit can bring true change to individuals and systems. However, I can go with an attitude of humility, learning from Nicaraguans and sharing with them. I can focus on process and relationships rather than products and results. I can try to live as an ambassador for Jesus, just by "hanging out." Seems like a pretty great way to help with community development to me.

Going to Nicaragua

I mentioned in my last post that I'll be going to Nicaragua with Christian Reformed World Missions. Since that time, I've been busy writing and sending out an introductory newsletter. Funds have started to come in, and I've been reading books on poverty, cross-cultural awareness, and community development.

I believe that every Christian is a missionary in his or her daily work regardless of the job,
but over the past few years I have felt a call to a cross-cultural ministry. I spent four years at
Dordt College majoring in Spanish and theology, including a semester in Nicaragua. I went
to Trinity Western University for a master’s degree in a Bible translation program. One step
at a time, God has been refining His call for me. When I completed my degree in April, I
still had no idea what lay ahead of me. While meditating on Genesis 2, I felt God telling me
to do what was placed before me. Around that time, a contact in Nicaragua and I started
emailing, and he encouraged me to consider their project in León. Everything fell into place,
and I am convinced that God has placed this opportunity before me.

Lord willing, in January 2014, I will join a new program that the Nehemiah Center is
developing in León, Nicaragua. With other Nicaraguans and North Americans, I will seek
to foster a community of spiritual study, prayer, work, and play to support the community
of Christians in the city as they work to better engage their neighbors. My job will
include bridging gaps, lending support to local organizations, and working to strengthen
relationships between local pastors and the people of León. I cannot do anything on my own,
but I believe that God, who has called me, will faithfully carry out His work in my life, the
lives of people in Nicaragua, and your lives as we participate in God’s Kingdom.

On the bottom of my first newsletter the verse from 2 Thessalonians 5:24 says, "The One who calls you is faithful , and He will do it." This verse reminds me of the struggle the past year has been for me, but God has been faithful. Even when I feel woefully inadequate, lost, and fearful, He will do whatever needs to be done. I'm not trusting in me to change the world, or even people in Nicaragua. I'm counting on God.