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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.
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| 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! |
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| My housemates and other friends are excited for Thanksgiving dinner! |
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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
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| 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. |
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| Housemates Kelsey, Guissell, Kelly, and me in Central Park, Leon |
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| 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! |
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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
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| 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. |
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| 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 |
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