Big News…. Yesterday I traveled on a microbus from the terrifying bus terminal in Managua to another city BY MYSELF! I was having severe anxiety the 12 hours before I got on the bus, and at one point even on the bus because, even though I clearly saw it marked on the bus, I was freaking out that I jumped in the wrong bus that was going to take me clear the opposite direction. Normal, right? Despite the anxiety, I was fine and I did it and I am so proud. To top it off, iPhone now has this cool (but kindaaa creepy) thing when someone sends you a message that says ‘Congratulations’ confetti covers the screen. Needless to say, when Carlos sent me ‘Congratulations’ I was basically crying when I saw the confetti.
This is one of the many things that my new volunteer position has helped me with. I have been translating things left and right and my Spanish vocabulary is increasing and I feel more confident that I can really speak the language (here is one of the transformation stories that I translated from Spanish to English). As I was thinking about this, I found myself wanting to share with you guys why my position at the Nehemiah Center really matters, not only to me but to others. Honestly for as long as I can remember I always thought of ministry as the hands on stuff – the playing with the kids in the remote villages, leading people in worship, teaching, etc. I never thought of it as the behind the scenes kind of work. Of course when I took this new position I was thinking that it was ministry, but when I took a step back I realized that I hadn’t always thought that way. I realized that maybe some of you may not know what kind of impact my position has here in Nicaragua.
So here is my version of why what I do matters. Why ‘communications’ at an organization matters to the lives of the people in the country and to the lives of the people outside of the country.
The Nehemiah Center has been under a financial crisis the past couple of years (you can read this information on their website here). With the help of the communications department, the Nehemiah Center was able to spread the word about their fundraising campaign, so that they can continue to do the work that they are doing here. Without the financial support from donors, their initiatives to promote healthy churches in Nicaragua, community development, and collaborate with international partners, would be nonexistent, leaving Nicaragua without that investment. As I have been helping out by translating the website into a Spanish version, I have been holding onto this… That I’m helping connect the Nehemiah Center with more support for the future.
Promoting awareness about financial support is just one of the important reasons why what I do matters. The communications department also promotes awareness about the iniciatives being taken and the work being done in Nicaragua through the Nehemiah Center. It promotes potential partners to feed ideas and come alongside, and it also shares with the world the need in Nicaragua for more good, more people, and more God. It is easy to have a misconception about other countries until you come and experience it for yourself. The communications department at the Nehemiah Center is opening the door for people to take a peek inside what is going on in Nicaragua. To me, this matters.
What I find the most important about what I do is sharing the impact stories from local Nicaraguans in the community. So far I have translated 2 transformation stories from Spanish into English so that foreigners are able to read how the Nehemiah Center and their international collaborators have positively impacted the Nicaraguan communities. Yesterday, I interviewed a husband and wife who have been impacted spiritually and physically from the programs out of the Nehemiah Center. Because of this impact, they are now able to lead others in their communities to promote change. I am helping these people tell their stories and the Nehemiah Center is giving them a channel to share their stories with the world. This, sharing people’s stories, has been a passion of mine for a long time and I am able to do that in this position. Every person matters and every person has a story, but a lot of times nobody listens. The communications department helps give these people a voice.
I am only 3 weeks in, but I am learning a lot already. I pray that you can come alongside of me in prayer and if possible, financially, so that I can continue this work here in Nicaragua. If you would like to help, you can click on the ‘Join Me’ tab above.
My Nica Life 