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