Seasons Greetings!
We hope you had a blessed Christmas season with loved ones, and we pray it is a Happy New Year for you and yours.
I must begin by saying thank you. When I look back on our progress this year, I am amazed by the LORD’s provision. Your generosity and prayers carried us through. When we had to cancel our first construction contract and demolish some of the previously paid for work, I didn’t realize how much it was really going to take to finish. Had I known, I probably would’ve thought there was no way we were going to make it. I’ve realized that I have a bad habit of thinking that way. I sell God short. I look for the bare minimum to get by instead of trusting God to fulfill His Word with unending love and ample generosity. Thank you for the part you played—in prayer, donating, encouraging, or simply caring about us—and how that contribution helped carry us through this blessed and trying year.
While life and time continue to advance, there always seem to be years that seem more significant than others. Some of those years mark the end of a meaningful season, like graduations or retirement. Other years are memorable for an unforgettable new beginning, like a wedding or the birth of a child. Some stand out for an exceptionally exciting event, while others stand out for a traumatic event. I don’t know what 2022 was for you, but it is definitely a year that will be remembered in our family.
It seems to be a common perception that the older you get, the more years you’ve lived, the faster each one seems to pass by. I’d say that was true for me…until this year. 2022 was an outlier. I’ve told several people that this seems like it has been the longest year of my life. August feels like a year ago. It has been a year of significant changes, taxing processes, dreams come true, faithfulness revealed, faithfulness challenged, relationships stretched, relationships broken, fraud, betrayal, abounding generosity, sanity questioned, patience forcibly required, goals achieved, goals unmet, joy in a moment, joy postponed, walls built up, walls knocked down, property flooded, property inhabited, new mercies in the morning, a peaceful breeze in the evening, and so much more.
One prayer for the new year is that the LORD would heal the hurt in our hearts. Neither Jessenia nor I want to live constantly on the defensive, not trusting people due to past experiences like this year. We want peace to govern our prudence. I pray we look back on this year and remember the joy of having our own home. I pray we reflect on all the hardships with gratefulness, knowing how the LORD used it all to conform us to His Image and Likeness. Please pray with us that we let the old be dead and buried, rejoicing in the restoration of all things and the coming of His Eternal Kingdom.
This year was certainly a challenge for the children and their families as well. Being in their homes all year and going through the daily routine of pick up, school, tutoring, and drop off was a new experience and we all took awhile to adjust. By the second half of the year we seemed to hit a better rhythm, and I expect things to continue to improve next year. Communication between the moms, children, school and us will be an area of intentional improvement. Some things were slipping through the cracks in the midst of all that was happening. We’re hopeful that with the construction finished and everyone on the same property, facilitating the ministry will be smoother. My personal hope is to have more time for intentional conversations with each of the children and their families. We’re still believing the LORD to accomplish His work of restoring families. I pray we are less distracted by so much to do, and more attentive to what He’s doing.
Academically, I don’t think it was anyone’s best year, aside from Ezequiel. The progress he made this year was fantastic! Noel certainly received several well deserved pats on the back for passing all his classes after working so hard through the school year. Margine and Jeremy did not do their best, as their attention was often elsewhere, and they will need to do summer school in January before beginning the 10th and 8th grades, respectively. Vanessa’s grades were fine, but she did not excel as she has in years past. I believe better communication with her mom will help her succeed as she’s accustomed. Bianca also did well, but underperformed her normally high standards. She and Noel are entering their last year of high school, and I’ll talk more about that in the next post. Bianca does plan to go to Colombia through the same school program Tatiana did, but we will need financial help to do that. It is much more expensive now, so please pray about whether you would be willing to help sponsor that trip for her. It is $2500 total for her to travel to Colombia and participate in a model OAS (Organization of a American States…like a regional UN) with other high schoolers from Latin America. The experience will be incredibly eye-opening for Bianca, and help her see the world through a broader lens.
We will also welcome a new little member to our family this year! It is quite remarkable that we have the opportunity to sponsor Tatiana’s oldest son, Fredder, to enter 3 year old preschool. It will certainly be different to have her as a mom of one of the children. Having been in our ministry for so many years, we hope her perspective will bring a new element to the meetings we have with moms, and her presence will help keep the other children focused on their goals of college education and professional careers.
For 2023, we are adjusting our ministry budget to account for the changes, new addition of Fredder, and having our own property, among other things. We are short on financial commitments for the coming year, so please pray about how the LORD might want you to support the work He is doing here in Nicaragua. We would be honored for you to join in what He has called us to do.
God bless you and yours in 2023!