oh i went down to the river to...

...to film-a-video-and-see-some-production-centers... Haven't you heard that version of the song?

After a little over a month back in Nicaragua, I think it's about time for an update. It has been good to slide back into a "normal" routine, which is actually different everyday. I expected to come back to a bit of a mess in terms of the computers here at the Nehemiah Center. Computers here have this nasty sense of humor. They'll give the users problems until I step into the room. Then I sit down, put my hands on the keyboard and somehow--I'm not sure how--they know it's me and it affects them. They suddenly start behaving normally. It's good for me, but it has the tendency to be very frustrating for the user. :) While still in GR, I had been working with the accounting department to resolve some problems with the recently installed and configured servers. I was also notified of a handful of situations with computers that had become unusable. Thankfully these wrinkles were easier to iron out and people were more patient than I expected, and we were able to take care of all concerns within the first few days.

But the IT stuff hasn't been limited to fixing things that have broken. Just this week we rolled out an Information Technology Policy for the Nehemiah Center. A document that has been in formation for a year or more (things move slowly when there is a lot of other things to do), this document lays out the role and responsibilities of the Systems Team (which I've helped formalize), norms and etiquette for computer users on the network, and standards we want to comply with as an organization trying to be faithful to a faithful God. It will hopefully work to unify us by bringing people all to the same page in terms of how we think about the resources we have at our disposal. We have now some 40-50 computer users in the Nehemiah Center who will be reading the policy, and signing an agreement. So far, we haven't gotten a lot of feedback.

In other news, it looks more and more certain that we'll be receiving a sizable shipment of refurbished computers through one of the Nehemiah Center's collaborating partners (Food for the Hungry). The computers are part of a refurbishing program from the Korean government, who have one of the best refurbishing programs in the world. We're going to be trying to pull some heads together to come up with a good plan for distributing them--most likely to Christian schools. Of course this is not as simple as you might think at first. Schools will need to be able to recieve a lab full of computers. Electrical infrastructure is only the beginning. Adequate security, a qualified teacher, and a sustainability plan are also critical components. We'll be considering all of this and more as we try to be good stewards of this opportunity.

There has been some activity in the Media Studio, as well. I've finally been able to sit down with some other people to really develop a clear concept of what we're doing in the studio, of it's purpose and direction. As a young program a lot of things are still coming together. We'll be meeting further in the next couple of weeks in attempt to draw a road map for the future of the studio.

But lest you think life is getting soft, next week I'll be out of the office with a group of guys from Canada and a few people from around here. A CRC group will be heading to Nicaragua's east coast and the Rio Coco to visit several of the production centers mentioned in posts past. I'll be accompanying to film the trip and document the visits to the production centers and the change occurring there. Due to violence on the river, our trip has significantly changed. We were originally going to be driving a full day north of Managua where we would board a boat in the Bosawas Biosphere, heading down the Bocay River until we connected to the Rio Coco and then continuing to Waspam where we catch a flight back to Managua. We were going to be four days on the river, returning by plane from Waspam. Plans change, however, and we're now going to fly to Puerto Cabeza, drive to Waspam by way of two production centers, enter the river there, ride up river one day and back again the next to catch that same plane back to Managua. Slightly disappointed about the change, it is the only responsible thing to do in this case. It will still be an exciting trip, and a fun challenge to produce the film.

Because of the change, we will also have time to visit a community known as Wiwinak. We produced a video about this community a while back. I don't think anyone reading this will have seen it--maybe I'll have to show it sometime at Brookside. In it, community members tell its story of being removed by the government during the revolution and counter revolution of the 80s, and of its return when things had settled down. This community has recently experienced a very strange series of events starting with a plane crash on the property of the production center there. The plane was carrying a lot of cash and drugs, and transformed the community overnight. Mark Vanderwees, CRWRC missionary, wrote an article with some photos on the situation (the picture here is the article...click on it to see it full size). I recommend you read this fascinating story. Initially it would have been too dangerous to enter the community, and Acción Médica Cristiana, the national organization we're working with, pulled out due to security, disputes, and false accusations. Recently things have calmed down and I'm excited be able to go visit the community. Perhaps that could be a separate video.

One more thing...I recently did a short promotional video for a Regional Business Conference that Partners Worldwide and the Nehemiah Center have been involved in planning. Called "CRE 2010" It's only 1 minute long, so feel free to watch it below or catch it on the Nehemiah Center Youtube Channel--you could become a subscriber and recieve notifications every time we post a new video.



Thanks for following! Please pray for me as I strive to live faithfully to God's calling in my life here in Nicaragua!

Prayer items

-Pray that the trip this coming week is fruitful and fun!
-Pray for the plans that are being made for the Media Studio and future, for wisdom and clarity and unity as we move forward. Pray also for the people who have been involved in the classes and those who are potential collaborators that their hearts would be prepared for this project.
-Pray for us as we sift through the possibilities and considerations with distributing the refurbished computers. Pray that God will be at work in the schools that will benefit and those individuals that will be involved. Pray that collaborations will be made to be able to make this work so that the name of God will be glorified in Nicaragua through technology!