recycling, computers, and videos

I've been pretty busy since I arrived back in Managua. After a very good two and a half weeks of vacation in Michigan, spending quality time with family and friends, I came back to much work and hit the ground running.

Before I write about the work, let me say that I really enjoyed the opportunity I had to come back to Brookside and share about my work there. To my surprise about 40 people showed up to hear me talk about the Nehemiah Cener and my role there, and see a couple videos to validate my stories. :) It was a great opportunity to see many people face to face and personally share my life and ministry. Thank you for coming and encouraging me. If you'd like to know how you can pray for me, stay tuned because I'll share some prayer requests at the end of this message. And if you're interested in supporting me financially, follow the link on the right side of this page (...yes, over that way --> ).

Since arriving back I've definitely been reminded of why working/serving at the Nehemiah Center is so appealing. It is clear that the Lord is working here and the ways that he is using me and guiding me in my work are continually developing. I've been drawn into/forged a few new projects that weren't on my original job description (halfway down this page), and others are growing and the vision is forming.

One new project I'm taking a lead in is recycling at the Nehemiah Center. Recycling is a relatively new concept for most of Nicaragua. It's something that they tried to start at the Nehemiah Center a while back, but the only thing that stuck was using the organic waste to make natural fertilizer. So we've had our first couple of meetings--one internal and one with an organization that collects recyclables--a new organization formed by people who live near Managua's dump as an alternative to the horrible conditions of working in the dump. We'll be trying to sell this idea to the rest of the Nehemiah Center, and forge ahead as a leader in this area.

I'm not sure how much I've written about this before, but since starting, I've been working to form a "Systems Team" that guides the Nehemiah Center as it develops technologically. We've met now probably 4-5 times officially (taking minutes and everything!) discussing things from how to deal with pirated software and viruses to strategies in shifting to free software and training our staff on how to use it. Recently another member of the team caught my vision for turning this Systems Team to face outwards as well--eventually encouraging and training our partners in the benefits of free software. At the Nehemiah Center we work with more than 80 Christian schools, some of which have expressed a desire for training in the area of computers. I would guess that 95 or more percent of Nicaragua uses pirated copies of Microsoft products, which presents virus vulnerabilities and other moral issues. We are in a perfect position to create awareness, affect change in this area, and train leaders how to understand technology as Christians. We would be looking to forge relationships with North Americans interested in supporting appropriate technological advancement in Nicaragua and be a channel for resources and relationships. This is an exciting prospect for me not just because it's a big need, but because I see clearly how I/the Nehemiah Center can play an important role. I've been exchanging emails with a former professor of mine from Redeemer--the computer science prof--who's expressed a desire (through World Missions) to share his expertise and teach others around the world how to understand technology in light of the Scriptures.

I've been working less in the studio recently, focusing more on those things mentioned above, but it looks like we'll have another project here starting as soon as we can. One of the organizations of the Nehemiah Center Partners Worldwide (more specifically, their Lawer-to-Lawyer program) is working with a local organization of lawyers called Christian Center for Human Rights (CCDH). Completely volunteer driven, this organization seeks to promote justice by educating Nicaraguans on their rights as citizens and taking justice cases, as well. They have many "houses of justice" sprinkled across Nicaragua, and are doing great work. Anyway, the project will be to produce a 3-5 minute video about their work for a presentation at a Partners conference on October 2-4. This will require some speedy work, but I think we're going to give it a go.

In other news, the motorcycle is still broken and I'm waiting on a mechanic to come back from a long visit to the US to fix it, soccer season for a small team I'm on starts this Saturday, and ... and ... feel like I need a third point here... and there's a possibility I'll be substituting for a friend of mine at NCA this Thursday/Friday...just one class.

One more thing to mention. I am still looking for enough financial support to cover my budget, and am coming up a bit behind my target. If you'd like to see my budget or have any questions about this, please let me know--I'd be more than happy to share more specific needs with you. A huge thank you to those of you who have given and also to those who give regularly. Your financial support makes it possible for me to be here serving the Lord in these ways and more. Also please consider supporting me through prayer--another thing I need in order to be effective in my work! Thank you very much to those who do remember me in prayer--please let me know if I can also pray for you. Below are some of my requests.

Prayer Items:

-Pray for vision and resources for the "Systems Team" as we try to understand God's plan for us internally and externally.
-Pray for wisdom and focus as I try to tackle a wide array of responsibilities--I'm afraid I could be getting stretched too thin.
-Pray that I/we have enough time for the CCDH video, and that it turns out well.