April Newsletter: Partnerships

Cohort of Missioners in Nicaragua : Caminantes en la Misión

The last newsletter I wrote introduced you a bit to Nicaragua and the community development program of the Nehemiah Center called ETU. Subsequently, my blog (adriannaoudman.blogspot.com) has introduced you to my fellow Cohort members Mark and Guissell, my Nicaraguan host family, and various other activities. I have completed three months in León, supposedly a quarter of my time here. In a variety of strains of thinking, such as Liberation Theology or Dialogue Education, the cycle of learning involves action, reflection, and then action again. Now is a time for reflection, I think. These past three months have begun to shape the remainder of this year, and it looks a lot like partnership. Collaboration among our members of the Cohort of Missioners within Nicaragua and in Central America; collaboration with other mission organizations; collaboration among Nicaraguan and North American churches; collaboration, collaboration, collaboration. This newsletter, I'd like to introduce you to some of these partnerships.

Brotherment (because there's no good word for a partnership of prayer and friendship among churches) In February a team came from a church in Hamilton, Ontario. This church has a partnership with three churches in León as well as two missionary families in Nicaragua (we're visiting a family in the pool picture to the right). Before the team came, I visited the León churches regularly, and then I accompanied the Canadian group for the week they were here. I helped with translating and logistics a little (I'm translating in the picture above-left), but mostly I was the constant presence for the Nicaraguans and Canadians. By the end of the week, they said I was part of the group. It was a demanding, fantastic week. I love working with churches and pastors. I love interpreting between Spanish and English. I love getting to spend a week with people who are seeking God's direction. Now I get to be involved in the prayerful, experimental adventure of a relationship between churches in Nicaragua and Canada as they write to each other, pray for each other, and try to involve each other in their worlds. The cross-cultural partnership among churches deserves celebration.

Please and Thank You -- Still no sickness, praise the Lord! --Thanks for work that I enjoy in church and community development and the opportunity to collaborate in new partnerships --Thank God for safety in traveling around Nicaragua and Guatemala --Thanks for a new family in León, the Bokmas, whom I really like. They are going to help with the Cohort after they finish language school --Ask God to help our Cohort as Mark begins to transition out, new short-term interns come for the summer, and the Bokmas transition into life in León --Ask for patience and humility as I receive more work. I need to let go of control even as I gain more responsibility as well as learn to delegate and choose carefully what to take on --Ask the Spirit to give me clear direction for the coming months as well as next year --Pray for some restful times in the Lord --We're still in the process of looking for a house. Ask the Father to provide the perfect place or show us that it's not a good idea Guatemala Cohort Visit Mark, Guissell, and I skipped the last two days of IMPACT training to fly to Guatemala for a week. The Cohort of Missioners is a network among El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Currently Nicaragua and Guatemala are the only countries with participants. We went to visit Guatemala City and the program hosted by Center for Transforming Mission that has a similar pre-missionary, internship experience as we have at the Nehemiah Center . From Friday to Monday, we spent time with the Guatemalan Cohort members, visited ministries and churches, learned about history and culture, and interpreted our experiences through the lens of "city as classroom, parish, and playground," which is a major theological emphasis for the Guatemalans(above the Guatemalan coordinator, Joel, tells us Nicaraguan participants about history in the central park). We learned that what we do in Nicaragua is not so different from what they do in Guatemala. We are on the right track. We also learned more about how to understand what they do and how to pray for them. The visit to Guatemala reinforced our commitment to the Central American network. Mark, Guissell, and I also got the chance to spend three days sight-seeing in other parts of Guatemala, and we really enjoyed the trip. IMPACT Clubs On Monday, March 17, 31 participants entered the compound and did not leave until Saturday, March 22. No, we were not in jail. We were in a training session for a program called IMPACT Clubs (or Clubes de IMPACTO in Spanish). Exported from Romania by an organization called New Horizons Foundation, Nicaragua is hosting a pilot program for IMPACT. An IMPACT Club is a group of 10-20 youth who have an age range of approximately 5 years among them. They meet in schools, churches, community centers, or houses to play games, hear stories with a moral lesson, and work on service-learning projects. IMPACT focuses on empowering youth to think and act for themselves. The 2-4 leaders of the group facilitate discussions and debate by asking questions and encouraging the youth to reflect on their experiences and what they have learned. We hope to open an IMPACT Club in each of the communities where ETU is active, and in communities of certain partners of World Renew. The leadership of the IMPACT program in Nicaragua anticipates 13-15 clubs initially. I have been asked to be a local coach along with Roberto and Guissell. We have a lot to learn ourselves about IMPACT as well as how to guide the club leaders, but with God's help, we will do a good job overseeing the program. (In the picture above a group of participants is playing a game that teaches the importance of working together. It was during one of our practice sessions when my group was in charge of the session) Up and Coming --Spiritual Retreat from April 12-16 for the Christian Reformed Church contacts throughout Central America, hosted near Managua on the Pacific Ocean --Mobilizing and checking on IMPACT Clubs as a local coach --Arrival of 2 young men in a discipleship program who will be our shadows for the month of May, and a Dordt intern from May to July --A trip to the States May 6-12 for my brother's graduation ceremony at Dordt College --Linguistic/theological courses with Nicaraguan missionary candidates mobilized by Missionary Ventures International. We have been in conversation about how my gifts and experience can add to their program for preparing Nicaraguans to go overseas. We are also hoping some of the candidates become Cohort participants.

To partner with me: Go to www.crwm.org/donate OR make out a  check to Christian Reformed World Missions, put WMLA 803904 in the memo line, and mail it to  CRWM USA 1700 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49508 unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences To contact me: Adrianna Oudman c/o Nehemiah Center Apartado Postal 1076 Managua, Nicaragua Email: adrianna.oudman@gmail.com Blog: adriannaoudman@blogspot.com

January Newsletter: ETU

The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. ~1 Thess. 5:24

Sometimes the most difficult part of new beginnings is knowing where to start. Such is the case with a newsletter, and such is the case with me in Nicaragua. When I arrived at the Nehemiah Center on January 6 for my first day of work, my supervisor, Steve Holtrop, explained the overall idea of the Cohort program and what is expected of me. The details will be worked out over time, he said. For the first time in my life, I am in charge of my activities! However, I am not alone. In this Cohort of Missioners endeavor, I walk alongside a team of people. Mark from Michigan has been in Nicaragua since June. Guissel (GEE-cell) came from Costa Rica in August. Gordon and Peggy, a retiree couple who act as our supervisors and mentors, have been in Nicaragua for over a year. I am not alone in a nebulous cloud of responsibilities; rather, I am joining a group of people who have been in discussion for months about what God wants for this program in Nicaragua. Mostly, we are seeking to live in community with the people around us. Right now, this means I am living with a Nicaraguan host family, working with programs established through the Nehemiah Center, and visiting various churches. The Nehemiah Center programs in which I work focus on community development and partnerships between North American and Nicaraguan churches. Step by step, I am learning how to walk alongside churches and communities in their journey of transformation. Nicaraguans and North Americans walk alongside each other as we follow Christ.

Please and Thank You --Thank the Lord for a safe trip to Nicaragua, and a wonderfully comfortable home with a good family! --Thanks for work that I enjoy in church and community development --Thanks that I have not gotten ill from the food or water --Thanks that Mark, Guissel, and I (the members of the Cohort) are getting along very well --Ask God to help our Cohort to bond well as friends and a team --Ask for patience and humility as I continue to adjust to Nicaraguan culture and climate --Ask Jesus to fill me with his love and courage as I interact with those around me --Ask God to give us wisdom as we try to plan for future participants in the program, including budget considerations and living situations My first few days in Nicaragua were spent with my uncle and aunt on a ministry farm south of Managua. We put my carpentry skills to use making a bean dryer that uses solar energy to dry beans after they have been harvested. The Nehemiah Center has no office in León, where I live and work. However, Gordon and Peggy have opened their home to us for meetings and fun activities whenever we need. Sitting at a table, two of my guides in Nicaragua, Roberto (left) and Mark (right), plan upcoming visits to local communities where we are helping with development work. The Strategy for Urban Transformation (ETU for its acronym in Spanish) seeks to empower people living in poor neighborhoods to consider their strengths and assets and decide what they want to change without depending on outsiders, aka Asset-Based Community Development. A committee from local churches decides which neighborhood to approach, and a team of local leaders from that barrio works with the church committee to plan activities to improve the area. There are three barrios in León and two in Chinandega (the department to the north) where my fellow Cohorts and our boss from the Nehemiah Center, Roberto, have been working. In this coming year, we hope to work with churches to begin two more projects in León. I will spend the majority of my time in these seven communities, visiting them and helping where I can. As the ETU branch of the Nehemiah Center, we walk alongside the teams in the barrios, giving encouragement, suggestions, and providing opportunities for further training so that pastors and leaders can implement change in themselves, their families, churches, and communities.

To partner with me: Go to www.crwm.org/donate OR make out a  check to Christian Reformed World Missions, put WMLA 803904 in the memo line, and mail it to  CRWM USA 1700 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49508 unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences To contact me: Adrianna Oudman c/o Nehemiah Center Apartado Postal 1076 Managua, Nicaragua Email: adrianna.oudman@gmail.com Blog: adriannaoudman@blogspot.com

Why Me, Here?

I have recently begun reading Henri Nouwen's A Spirituality of Fundraising as part of my support-raising process, and it is helping me come back around to my money-raising ideals. Nouwen says that fundraising is in itself a ministry as we "proclaim what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission" (Nouwen 2010, 16).

Many people asked me in September what I will be doing, and why I specifically need to do it. Couldn't a Nicaraguan do what I do? Well, I don't know. Could someone else do what the pastor does? Could someone else build houses like my mother? Probably. But God has asked each of us to do our part, and living in Nicaragua is what he is asking from me now.

That said, there are reasons that I am uniquely fitted to this job of "intercultural facilitator." Let me share the vision with you.

1) Strong capability in both English and Spanish.
As an intercultural facilitator, I help bridge gaps between people who speak Spanish and those who speak English. Beyond translation and interpretation, I provide cultural insights. My fluency in both languages allows me to visit with people who speak Spanish or English, and I can move between the worlds with ease. If someone weren't as fluent in either Spanish or English, this job would be much harder to accomplish.

2) I have theological training which allows me to interact on the same level as the pastors with whom I work.
Working with pastors (though not being one) has been one of my desires since high school, but I never saw a way to do that without becoming a pastor myself. Because the Nehemiah Center focuses on the church as an agent of change in its community, I interact with pastors on a regular basis. A lifetime of Christian education plus 6 years of post-secondary concentration on theology allow me to understand what the pastors are discussing and engage with them on the same level. The other day I had a very interesting discussion with one Nicaraguan pastor about children at the Lord's Supper. Through working with Nicaraguan pastors, I have found that we have many common passions and interests because of our educational backgrounds.

3) I love the people with whom I work.
For me, this is not just a dream job because of the task description. I genuinely love the Nicaraguan pastors and leaders with whom I interact. I enjoy going to the Nehemiah Center and seeing both Nicaraguans and North Americans working together. Nicaraguan culture fits me well, from eating beans & rice to waving down a bus to dropping in for unexpected visits to arriving late. One of my friends called it an "affinity" for the people and way of life here. People have told me that they can sense the Nicaraguans like me, and they know I like them. To me, this is not just a job. It's about people for whom I care, and I am committed to them.

4) I want to see all nations and tongues gathered together praising the Lord already here on earth, learning from each other as Christians.
I really believe the Bible when it says that all nations, tribes, tongues, and languages will praise God in heaven (Rev. 7:9). I also believe that I am an ambassador for Christ who is called to participate in demonstrating God's Kingdom here and now. Of course, the way things work with God aren't going to be the way the whole world works yet, but I can point to it through my words and actions. Part of facilitating intercultural relationships is that we can all learn from each other. Perceptions that Nicaraguans have of Americans or Canadians can be altered through relationships. North Americans can learn from Nicaraguans as well. My role is to help them find points of learning and appreciate their diversity, all the while celebrating our unity in Christ that crosses barriers of language, borders, culture, and logic.

These are some of the main reasons I see myself here in Nicaragua. Maybe someone else could do what I'm doing, but God didn't ask someone else to do my job right now. He asked me. I am convinced that part of my job is to multiply my work and bring others into it as I go(scary for an independent learner/worker like me), but this is my role for now. I am here because God has shaped my path with a series of experiences, opportunities, talents, and personality traits that suit this position at the Nehemiah Center well. Will you join me in learning, bridging, praying, and celebrating with Nicaraguans and North Americans?

P.S. in case you're wondering exactly what this new job is, see my newsletter from August, under the heading "You're Doing What Now?"

Reflection: Armor of God

This morning as I desperately try to center myself on God's Word instead of spiraling out of control with all I feel is necessary to do today, I came to Ephesians 6. Interesting. A couple of months ago, a wise couple encouraged me to pray on the armor of God as I face challenges in Nicaragua. They prayed for my special protection in Nicaragua. This morning, talking to God about earthquakes, boys, and to-do lists, I come to this passage again:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand, therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:10-20 ESV

Well, God knows I need strength for chores, meetings, emails, church visits, etc. And the power of the evil one is strong, upsetting the peace, breaking relationships, spiraling us downward into negativity and doubt, choking out the peace and joy of Christ with saturated schedules. So how do I pray on the armor of God? Today I was thinking about what these pieces of "armor" may mean to me. It's not exegetical, but rather personal reflection...

having fastened on the belt of truth
Belts keep my pants up. They provide handy cell phone holders for some people. When I use truth as a belt, it keeps everything together. Integrity allows me to go out in public without worrying about shame (will my pants fall down in front of everyone?). Here in Nicaragua, many fathers discipline their children with a belt. Truth corrects, too. It may be very painful (not condoning familial violence, but it's a reality here) but truth is discipline. When I put on the belt of truth, it holds me in check (no loosening the belt to overeat at Thanksgiving).

having put on the breastplate of righteousness
In Spanish, righteousness and justice are translated as the same word. If I keep the values of equity and goodness close to my heart, justice will protect me. It's not my own good works, but the goodness of Jesus that protects vital organs and keeps me from harm. I don't have to believe the devil's accusations because Christ has covered me with his blood, with his justice. When I seek the good of others, I am protecting myself with the breastplate of justice.

as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace
Last night we had an earthquake in Nicaragua. We have to be ready to get up and take action at a moment's notice. People wear certain things to bed because of the reality that they may need to get up in the middle of the night due to an emergency situation. We keep our shoes close by so we can be ready for any situation. Readiness. And how does the gospel of peace affect my readiness? I suppose that for me today it means that I have peace about life and where I'm going because I believe the gospel that Jesus dies for me and wants me to have an abundant life; therefore, I'm ready for whatever comes. I can face life and death because of the life the Spirit of God has given me. Peace about eternity, peace about purpose. I can be ready to serve, ready to work, ready to run the race because of God's Good News.

In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one
Sometimes I think I'm strong enough on my own, that I don't need to be on the defensive because I can go an attack. I see this most when I rely on myself instead of depending on God. That's really what faith is, after all. A hope in what I don't see, assurance that God is working even when I can't see it. This dependence on His work protects me from attacks by the evil one. I don't need to be perturbed by the negative comments of coworkers, discouraged by questions from people back home, overwhelmed by the need around me. Firmly believing that God will show me one step at a time, provide for my needs, and make all things well in the end for His creation, I am protected from fatal wounds. When I lower my shield and act on my own, I am much more vulnerable.

take the helmet of salvation
A law recently passed that all motorcycle passengers need to wear helmets. Before only the drivers needed one, but now everyone does. Helmets could save one's life in an accident, protecting the skull from getting smashed against the pavement when there's a fall. Because Jesus has called me his own and I have chosen to live obediently, I am protected when I fall.

the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
If you look at how Jesus acts in Luke 4, it's pretty obvious that the Bible is the way to fight the devil, the world, and my own weak self. When I commit verses to memory or read the Bible in a way that it penetrates me, soaks into my being and changes who I am, I am arming myself. With a sword, I can defend and attack. Oh, may my attacks only be against evil and not against innocent civilians...

Prayer at all time for all the saints, and for myself to have the words I need, are always appreciated. I'll keep praying, and I hope you do, too. May we go out, protected, held up, and defended by what Jesus has done.

Re-entry into Nicaragua

After a whirlwind tour in North America during the month of September, I was ready for my normal life again. Don't get me wrong - it was a great trip. However, I drove roughly 2,000 miles, flew a distance of 1,735 within North America, and didn't stay longer than 4 consecutive days in one town. I presented in three churches, spoke with leadership of six others, and introduced myself in a few college classes. Visits with family and friends filled the rest of my time though I did squeeze in a few days of housecleaning and carpentry. At the end of the month put my logistics skills to use as a bridesmaid for one of my best friends from my time at grad school. By the end of the month, I felt like a chicken with my head cut off, and I was ready to return.

Nicaragua greeted me with muggy heat. The nights have cooled off since I left, and it gets dark earlier. The skies are often overcast with the seasonal rains (thank the Lord!) and the smell of water evaporating off the pavement mixed with fresh manure dropped from oxen going to market fills my nose. Occasionally the scent of jasmine or some other flowers wafts through the air, or food cooking on a barbecue. Buses honk as if to market their presence to passengers while the cars give a friendly beep to alert others of their presence. Motorcycle engines rev loud as they speed past and semi-truck transmissions growl through their gears. Vendors (mostly women) call out their wares in words difficult to distinguish: tortillas, atol, papaya, mousetraps... I'm eating rice and beans again, fresh fruit juices and iced coffee. Hanging clothes on the line and washing the small stuff by hand. Riding my bike or public transportation everywhere I need to go. Paying with cash instead of a card. Rocking in a rocking chair, typing away on a computer, watching the hummingbird visit our bush that's more like a tree. It's good to be back.

The sensory experiences welcome me, but so do the people. My first week back in Nicaragua I was tied up in an organizational evaluation of the Nehemiah Center so I was in Managua a majority of the days. It was great to be back with the Ezra Team and other colleagues of the Nehemiah Center, but I didn't feel like I was really back. I stayed near Managua for a week so that I wouldn't have to travel so much. Finally on Wednesday I returned to León and started catching up with life here. I've been meeting with my bosses, talking to fellow Cohort members, and visiting pastors and communities. Last night I went to IMPACT Club for the first time, and several youth showed up that I didn't expect to come. It's been good to return to Nicaragua. I'm encouraged by people's welcoming smiles, comfortable with my life, and expectant for the future.