November Newsletter

The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. ~1 Thess. 5:24 Rhythms of Life: Finding my place again and again. Since August, I have been in transition. The Nehemiah Center offered me a full-time position as an "intercultural facilitator" on the Ezra Team as a partner missionary. I have been concentrating on finishing my time as a Caminante in the Cohort of Missioners well. This means writing policies for the Cohort in Nicaragua, fulfilling my duties with the community development program, and continuing to be a bridge for communication with the partnerships that churches in North America and Nicaragua have. In September, I went to North America for a month to visit churches, family, and friends in order to raise support as well as spend time with loved ones. Since my return to Nicaragua in October, I have been transitioning into more responsibilities related to my new position. This includes finding service opportunities for teams that come to Nicaragua, more contact in church partnerships, and coordination of the IMPACT clubs in Nicaragua. Because I will be here longer, the Nehemiah Center has also included me in its evaluation process, so I have been involved in meetings regarding the broader vision for Nicaragua in the next five years. By December 19, there will be no more meetings or commitments for the Nehemiah Center until January 5. I can hardly believe my time in the Cohort is almost done because I feel like I am just starting to figure out what I do! However, I am also beginning to learn that life is a constant process of exploring my place in God's kingdom and what he expects from me where I am. This picture marks a milestone! When this document is finished, Guissell and I will have completed writing policies for future Caminantes in Nicaragua. The Rhythms of Life document is a recommendation for healthy habits for future participants in the Cohort of Missioners regarding work, worship, rest, play, and living situations. We have completed a participant profile for in Spanish to be used for recruiting Nicaraguans or other Central Americans, and we only need to do the final proof-reading to complete all our policy-writing. We both feel relieved and glad to complete our assigned tasks even though it was a long process! My housemates and other friends are excited for Thanksgiving dinner! Please and Thank You I have been so grateful for the support (emotionally, financially, spiritually) that I receive from so many people! Please pray that God will continue to protect me, give me health, and provide for my financial needs as a partner missionary My brother Dirk has been in Nicaragua since the beginning of November for an informal agriculture internship (staying with my uncle at La Semilla ministries). I am so glad to have him nearby, and I am especially thankful he will be here for Christmas! However, my parents will not be, so pray for me to enjoy the experience of Christmas in Nicaragua rather than miss them terribly on our first Christmas apart Mosquitoes are out in droves, and they bring nasty diseases like chikungunya, dengue, and malaria. Others around me have gotten sick, and I'm thankful that I have not yet We had a great Thanksgiving dinner with many from the missionary community in León, and I am grateful for the fellowship and delicious food! Please pray for my transition to the new position because things are quite ambiguous and blurry, and I have a hard time saying "no"  I'm thankful for God speaking to me and teaching me new things through these experiences - both the good and the bad Pictured above is my IMPACT club from Nuevo Horizonte. Well, sort of. This was the group for my "goodbye" party before I went to North America for the month of September, and nearly everyone came to my house for supper. While I was gone, another leader met with a few for Bible studies, but very few came consistently. In the two months since my return, we have continued to struggle with attendance. Though we were poised to actually start working on the community service project the guys came up with, the majority suddenly dropped out. We can only guess why because no one has expressed direct discontent with the program. Another leader, Trinidad (seated in a pink shirt above), and I have been meeting with the 2-4 youth who continue to come each week, and we have visited the others to invite them to meetings and offer their suggestions for change. Due to this set-back with our club, I have been emailing with folks in Romania and other Central American countries to find out how to motivate the youth to be involved again, and I have been encouraged by their experiences and advice. We continue to invite the neighborhood and look for new strategies to engage this group of young people. Hopefully we can find a good balance between exciting and sustainable soon so we can be a positive influence for these youth. Housemates Kelsey, Guissell, Kelly, and me in Central Park, Leon In addition to writing policies, helping with trainings and follow-up for ETU, and communicating among churches, I got to participate in an intensive learning trip as part of the Cohort of Missioners in mid-November. All the active Central American countries sent their participants to El Salvador to learn about the history and ministry context of the cohort there. It was a great chance to meet other participants in the Cohort and discuss our challenges and joys while serving in Central America. As a group we lamented the injustice and oppression that has occurred in El Salvador and the violence that continues to plague this small country. We took time to sit with our sadness and express it to God. Now we have all returned to our own countries with more desire to serve and participate in the mission of God as the Kingdom advances, bringing justice and joy with it - and we have more friends with whom to share the journey! Up and Coming December 4-7, 11: A three-part evaluation including a day of de-briefing with our leadership team, a celebratory/reflective trip for Guissell and me to Corn Island, and a final goodbye party to celebrate our time together December 12: Deadlines for plans and reports because Nehemiah Center closes (and Kelsey and Guissell leave) January 5: Nehemiah Center re-opens and I'm officially a partner missionary January 6-14: two teams from Pella, IA related to partnership will be in Chinandega, which means A LOT of work between now and then, but in a good way Many of my prayers and thoughts are directed toward my support-raising efforts. When I went to North America in September, I was able to share about my ministry at the Nehemiah Center in partnerships and IMPACT clubs - among other things - with many individuals and churches. I am very thankful for the support that has come in already. My sending church, First CRC DeMotte, has been very supportive and generous, but I do not have commitments from any other churches at this point. Many generous individuals are partnering with me, and I am glad to be a part of a great team for prayer and finances. As you can see from the graph above, I still have a ways to go before January when I become a partner missionary. Christian Reformed World Missions bases their budget goals on a fiscal year from July to June, so I only need half in order to begin in January. However, each year I need just under $33,000 to cover living expenses in Nicaragua, taxes, health insurance, travel expenses, retirement, etc. I also need people to commit to praying for me and to caring for me through cards, notes, and visits. Many of you who receive these newsletters already support me, and I want to say THANK YOU. I could not be here without you, and I believe God is using all of us to promote justice, love others, and demonstrate a changed way of life. Donate Now New to my mailing list? Welcome to the team! You can catch up on newsletters and thoughts about life in Nicaragua on my blog:adriannaoudman.blogspot.com 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

Eucharisteo

It's that time of year again, when everyone is talking about giving thanks because the US holiday of Thanksgiving is upon us. I named my blog in Greek just so that it wouldn't look so cliché. Actually, I've just finished reading Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts, and it was all about giving thanks as a way of finding our way into God's presence, into the joy that he offers. So Thanksgiving's arrival is well-timed in the scheme of my life.

Giving thanks is the life saver that keeps us afloat. When I feel like I'm drowning in the problems of life, in my uncertainties, in all the injustice around me, giving thanks is the only way to pull out of the nose-dive. It's like my mom's favorite song as I was growing up:

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,Count your many blessings, name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord has done...

So I thought I would share some thanks with you.

• I have been feeling discouraged lately, but I think I am on the upswing. I give God thanks for whacking me over the head with the same message in different forms until I came face to face with the decision to trust or not. Thankfully, I'm choosing to trust.
• I'm thankful for conversations with my mother, especially when she can get right to the heart of the matter in things I've been struggling to articulate. She points out things about my life and my heart that nobody else says to me, and she speaks life-giving words of truth to me.
• I'm thankful that my father never treated me like an inferior being because I'm a girl. Instead, he told me to work hard, to carry doors, to nail baseboard, to speak Spanish with the guys on the job. Because of him, I feel a certain pride about who I am and my abilities to take care of myself
• I'm thankful for my brother, who squeezes the breath out of me and practically lifts me off my feet every time I see him after an extended absence. His jokes and annoying presence make me smile silly even on my worst days. His passion and questions inspire me to be someone he can look up to.
• Despite awkward moments and interminable waiting, I'm thankful for invitations to youth events and the opportunity to get to know other young people in Nicaragua. I recently went to a youth conference, and though I didn't make any instant friends, I talked to some new people. And the next time I see them, it will be easier.
• I'm thankful that I am bilingual because my understanding of the world has doubled, grown richer. Being bilingual also carries great responsibility, and I'm thankful to be counted worthy most days.
• I'm thankful for my housemates who take care of me, scold me, support me. They dance with me, laugh with me, swear with me, clean with me, watch Netflix programs with me. Basically, they share life with me, and I'm better because of it.
• I'm thankful for people who want to support me in my ministry in Nicaragua, or whatever else God calls me to do. Lots of people encourage me to follow God's will in my life, and they ask questions, pray, write notes, and send money to show that they have my back.
• I'm thankful for facebook chat and emails so that I can keep in touch with people despite living far away from them, be it new Cohort friends, acquaintances across town, old college friends, or family I haven't seen in months.

I could go on and on naming things. I'm thankful for the way light slants off our tree in the morning, or the clouds puff with glory just before a rain. I'm thankful for showers and flushing toilets and planes that make travel much easier. I'm thankful for health, for work, for fun. Mostly, I'm thankful for the way God reminds me of his love for me. I bless the Lord for his friendship to me. He has saved me, and he has given me a full life. In all the ups and downs, the Spirit is my constant companion. I'm thankful that I can be honest with God, and that he speaks to me where I am, with what I need to remember. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Yes, the Lord has done great things, and I remain surprised by all the goodness I forget to see.

Budget Bites

There's only a little over a month to go until I become a partner missionary with the Nehemiah Center in Nicaragua! It's hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since I came to Nicaragua as part of the Cohort of Missioners. It has been a challenging year, and I think the coming one will be too as we grow through different changes at the Nehemiah Center as an organization. However, I also think it will be a good year, just as the past one has been. The Cohort of Missioners from all of the Central American countries recently had an "intensive" trip to El Salvador where we learned about the history and context of El Salvador as well as got to know each other as a group. It was good to reflect on what I have learned this past year and what I expect to do in the future. Though I returned from El Salvador wondering about my place in Nicaragua and what I am doing to further justice in the world, many wise people have been reminding me that these things take time. People in Central America don't trust someone right away, and I need to be patient as I seek to find ways to bring change - to my own heart and to others.

There is progress. People at my church know my name and greet me enthusiastically. My homemade chocolate-chip cookies were a big hit at the last street festival we hosted as a fundraiser. This weekend I've been invited to participate in a youth retreat by the woman who leads IMPACT club with me in the community of Nuevo Horizonte. The youth in the IMPACT club often ask me questions, and though I bumble my way through my perspective on an answer, at least they trust me enough to ask... My supervisors at the Nehemiah Center tell me that I have the closest relationship with several pastors who have been part of the network for years, but with whom I have been visiting regularly in the past few months. As we evaluate the Nehemiah Center and seek to gather around a city vision and God's kingdom, my presence will be important as a relational anchor among the people present. These small indicators remind me that my work is important, and God wants me to be here now.

How can you help? As many of you know, I went to North America for the month of September to talk with churches and individuals about what the Nehemiah Center does in Nicaragua, and how they want me to participate in their work. Though the Nehemiah Center pays me a small monthly stipend, I need to raise a majority of my funds. With taxes, healthcare, retirement, savings, and cost of living, I have calculated a yearly budget of approximately $33,000. Thus far, there is $9,000 in the account for my ministry. I am especially hoping for monthly donations since I will be paid on a monthly basis, but anything is welcome.

However, these abstract numbers don't tell you much about life here. Let me break some things down for you:
$2/month = garbage pickup fees
$4/month = guard who bikes around our neighborhood
$5/month = transportation costs to monthly Ezra Team meetings in Managua
$6/month = water bill at my house
$10/month = bicycle maintenance costs
$20/month = office supplies for work in the communities
$25/month = annual Christian Reformed Church of North America spiritual retreat
$42/month = internet bill at my house
$50/month = training, conferences, and visits to other ministry sites
$75/month = all public transportation costs
$100/month = medical expenses with insurance and doctor visits
$150/month = food for me and guests (like community leaders and pastors who come over for lunch or spending the night)
$350/month = rent for the house

As you can see, it's not too expensive to live in Nicaragua. The expensive parts are traveling to and from North America, paying taxes, responsibly saving for the future. Let's face it. I think I'm in this for the long haul, and I want my choices to reflect that commitment. I hope that you will join me prayerfully and financially in this endeavor. I was reminded in El Salvador that the most important thing is to gather around the Kingdom of God, not some ideal or model of development or the next best thing. If we each focus on being obedient to Christ and what He asks of us to further the work of God in the world, we will each fulfill our purpose.

It Burns

I just spent a week in El Salvador as part of a Cohort of Missioners intensive trip. We had participants from Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and El Salvador with special guests from InnerCHANGE in Guatemala. It was my first time in El Salvador, and it was wonderful and terrible, all at once.

The ceiling of the cathedral in San Salvador, which captured me and inspired worship

We learned about the history and context of El Salvador, mostly. Semillas de la Nueva Creación is the hosting organization for the Cohort in El Salvador, and we interacted a bit with their staff. However, most of the trip was spent learning and consequently lamenting.

The city of San Salvador at dusk from La Puerta del Diablo near the Planes de Rendero

Lamenting because the history of this tiny country is filled with injustice and oppression. Lamenting because the US contributed through funding and training to much of the armed conflict and massacres that occurred over a period of 50 years from the 1930s to the 1980s, but mostly concentrated in a civil war during the 1980s. Lamenting because in 1980 Archbishop Oscar Romero was martyred for speaking out on behalf of the poor and exhorting the soldiers to stop killing civilians. Lamenting because in 1981, one thousand civilians - children, women, men - who were in the guerrilla zone were massacred in a town called El Mozote. Lamenting because in 1989 five Jesuit priests and two women were killed for teaching principles of liberation theology and freedom for the oppressed. Lamenting because many of the atrocities of these times have gone unpunished, unspoken, and unacknowledged. Lamenting because the voices of the poor and downtrodden continue to be drowned out by modern consumerism, by big politics, by hunger for power.

The tomb of Oscar Romero beneath the cathedral in San Salvador

Lamenting because I feel like I am doing little to alleviate the pain of the world and participate in the Kingdom of God. It burns within me, this desire to do something to put things right. It's beyond awareness. Now that I know of places where massacres occurred, where soldiers were trained by my country and subsequently went out to kill the innocent, where gangs and government continue to oppress and terrorize the people, I feel a responsibility to do something. Yet I don't know what that is. So I feel agitated, searching for something to do to put things right.

I participated in my first procession as part of the vigil for the Jesuit martyrs at the UCA university

Maybe that's right where I need to be. Maybe it's like what Jesus felt for most of his time here on earth. Maybe it's this sort of zeal that led him to chase the money changers out of the temple. Maybe if I listen carefully, I will hear the call of the Spirit. Maybe it's this burning within me that pushes me forward to act.

Gathered around the art that expresses pain in a Christian base community 

It has pushed others onward, this Spirit of fire and justice. Christian base communities teach values and love to communities as everyone from young to old gets involved in the lives of their neighbors. Families of the massacred have moved back to El Mozote and have erected a monument, committed to telling their story and also to forgiving their enemies. Churches are opening their minds and doors to the marginalized and outcast, seeking to gather around the Kingdom of God.

The church ELIM, which has been changing significantly in the past few years to share the Gospel in an integral way

There are glimmers of hope in this sad story. They are teaching me not to despair. They are teaching me how to gather with others around the Kingdom of God and His movements. To live with open hands. To live always doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. What better way to learn humility than to feel helpless? What better way to do justice than to feel it burning within me and not find rest? May the Kingdom of God come among us.

The memorial and tombs for those massacred at El Mozote

Walls

I was all set to write a blog tonight about being busy but not productive (my life this past week) or even the hazards of living in a tropical climate where mosquitoes are rampant in the morning (here's a sneak peek: I love the smell of poison in the morning... Usually on a Sunday morning you hear the low hum of a motor mowing the grass, not a motor blowing gas. Instead of cutting lawns, León is in full mosquito elimination mode. With cases of malaria, dengue, and chikungunya in the western zone of Nicaragua, they fumigated in our house yesterday, and they drove through the streets spewing poisoned smoke from the back of a truck. Yup, I'm wearing mosquito repellent, but recently I've considered the need for a gas mask, too.) But then I saw Google's celebratory icon for the day. Today is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

I was in Berlin a year and a half ago, and I saw that wall. It was incredible. We saw where people were contained within a city, the supposed symbols of power that looked like desperate attempts to keep control, the artful expressions of protest.

 The radio tower in Berlin that the Eastern block raised in an attempt to compete with the west.

 I'm standing at Checkpoint Charlie, one of the openings in the wall where people could pass through for official business

The line of the Berlin wall, and my feet on either side of it!

 Pieces of the wall with dictator's faces painted on it.

 My Dutch brother and I in front of the wall that remains standing.

 A sniper tower that was used to shoot people who attempted to cross the wall.

 The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

 We went to an exhibit that showed other walls around the world that have been built to keep one side separated from the other. It was a powerful reminder of the injustices that continue in this world.

 I took pictures of some of my favorite parts of the artwork on the remnants of the wall.

 Another favorite

Seeing the wall, and the beauty of it coming down, was something that inspired me. May the walls of language and culture, ethnicity and economy, religion and politics, continue to come down. Christ, through his death and resurrection, is breaking down the walls. I want to be part of it. Let's dance together to be free.