Bethany Beachum

Should we call the workshop Asset Based Community Development or should we call it Desarrollo Basado en Recursos Comunitario?  ABCD or DBRC?  Should it be named in English or Spanish?  

Thus the first half hour of this workshop in Nicaragua, led by Roland Vandenburg of Calgary, was spent discussing the name of the workshop, all before Roland even presented what the workshop was actually about.  By the time the name Desarrollo Basado en Recursos Comunitario (, or DBRC), was adopted,  every person attending felt they had some personal ownership in the workshop.    What a great beginning to a two-day training session designed to change a fundamental mindset.  First, the mindset of the workshop participant needed to be changed, then they would be ready to go out into their communities and work on changing mindsets there!

 In the model of DBRC, or Asset Based Community Development, the community developer goes into a community looking for strengths.  Working with the community members, together they identify the strengths.  Relationships are established as they look closely at the community through the eyes of the people who live within it.  The community developer and the community members all come to recognize the strengths of the individuals in the community and the strengths of the collective community.  And everyone understands that the community members will be intimately involved in whatever  plan of action is developed for the place where they live.

This model is in direct opposition to the traditional model that starts by naming all the problems in a place.  Communities are identified and may even work with the community developer, but the perspective is one of looking for problems that can be addressed.  This can set up a negative mindset which can lead to the community feeling overwhelmed by their problems and unable to see solutions without dependence on outside help.  The Asset Based Community Development model has a different point of view, a different approach, and it produces a very different attitude in all involved.

This workshop, held at the Nehemiah Center in Managua, Nicaragua, was preparing 24 Nicaraguans, all community leaders, to work in their own communities using the techniques presented by Roland.  During the workshop the participants designed a survey to use in discovering the strengths of individuals in the community and of the community as a whole.  In the afternoon session they divided into small working groups to hammer out 8 questions using clear and appropriate language.  The wording had to be understandable and still clearly explain the asset approach.  It was very encouraging that everyone at the workshop also was concerned about preserving the dignity of every survey participant.  No question was to be complicated or demeaning.  Once the survey questions were agreed upon, the group considered the initial request to ask community members to participate in the survey. They agreed a friendly, non-threatening approach was critical.

The following day all was put to the test.  The entire group went to Leon, approximately 90 km away, and visited one of the neighborhood communities where about 60 families live along the main street.  The newly-trained community developers paired up to conduct the surveys.  Approximately 40 homes were contacted and no one turned the surveyors away, indicating a great success for the friendly approach!

At the end of the day the group discussed the results of the surveys.  Many of the people surveyed were initially perplexed by the question, “What do you have of value in your house?”  Many people first replied that they had very little of value.  But when pressed to consider what resources they had--water, furniture, dishes, guard dogs--they realized they had quite a list.  With patience and encouragement they began to change their mindset into one of seeing their assets, and eventually they came up with long lists of resources in both their homes and their communities.  

Many of the people surveyed were grateful for the opportunity to participate.  One woman told the community developer that she now realized she really did have a lot to be grateful for.  What an example of a changed mindset!   At the conclusion of some of the surveys, prayers were shared for the homes, families and the community.

This survey technique of DBRC--Asset Based Community Development--will be duplicated in the local communities of the participants of the workshop.  The community developers will develop relationships with the families in their communities, and together they will work to identify the strengths of individuals and the community as they plan for a better future.  In the words of one of the participants, “We can help our community see that they are important in the eyes of God and they have great resources provided by God.”  

Popular Proverbs & Sayings of Faith

Hultner Estrada & Bethany Beachum.

In Nicaragua, we have a saying for everything.  Some are funny, others are harsh, and still others are a little hard to interpret, such as the one that says, “The lone ox licks itself well.”

The ox is a very common beast of burden in Central America and is also a symbol of hard work, nobility and strength.  But another particularity of this animal is that it waits until it is alone to clean itself.  Only when it is calm and solitary, in the afternoon or evening, does the ox turn to its tongue to knead its skin and lick any wounds it may have suffered while carrying out its work.

That is why the saying, “The lone ox licks itself well” means that it is preferable to be alone and, on one’s own, try to overcome shame or sorrow, to then be able to complete one’s work.

“But these types of proverbs can keep us tethered,” explained Carlos Mejía, during the graduation ceremony of Youth Agents of Transformation that took place on October 5^th.  “I grew up hearing these proverbs and I became accustomed to doing things alone, but also to letting others resolve their problems on their own,” shared Carlos, a construction worker from the city of León and a member of the Filadelfia church. 

Carlos Mejía, along with 20 other teachers and youth leaders in the city of León, participated in the series of workshops entitled “Mission Transformation,” which focuses on equipping the local church to serve youth (and their families) from difficult home situations. “These courses helped the scales to fall from our eyes,” added Carlos, “Because they taught us that we are relational and that we are to practice love and mercy for our neighbor.”

Leader and Bible teacher Abigail Picado shared a new proverb that she has incorporated into her collection of faith proverbs, “I really liked the saying that we learned in Street Psalms course that said: ‘Grace is like water, it flows downhill and pools up in the lowest places.’  Through this saying I have come to understand my community better,” she expressed.  

“I learned that above all, one must have love for others in one’s community.  And that we should relate to them, help them and recognize the value they have with God.”

We extend congratulations to the new generation of Youth Agents of Transformation and their facilitators Trinidad Juárez of the Filadelfia church and Denis Cienfuegos of Belén church.  Both churches have been joining in the dance of the Holy Spirit in their communities and learning how to work hand-in-hand with their neighbors for the good of their own communities.

Impact Clubs in Nicaragua... soon!

Usually we think that in the future, when the young had grown, they will be agents of change. But every day, more and more leaders and pastors are finding that in the present, youth have the ability to run a "redemptive role" in the midst of moral, economic and political crisis in which we live, that we do not need to wait for them to grow to give them confidence, tools and resources so that they, from now, and by themselves, begin to care for their community and ensure the development of their families and their nation.

The previous paragraph summarizes some of the main ideas that were "unpacked" during the Regional Assembly of the Christian Reformed Church held in Valle de Angeles, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

"It was an Assembly that helped us see that it is possible to work with youth to achieve not only the improvement of the young as an individual, but helping the youth to see themselves as agents of change for their community”, summarizes Roberto Armas, coordinator of the Urban Transformation Strategy.

Roberto and a delegation of 5 Nicaraguans who are part of the network of Agents of Transformation, participated in this meeting which had an international exchange format. “The model of youth reaching methodology that was studied at the Assembly was the Impact Clubs strategy.  "The team from Nicaragua was formed by leaders who are doing a very effective work with young people, even so, we learned a lot about Impact Clubs as a strategy to mobilize young people", Roberto states.

In words of Roberto, the Nicaraguan team liked the fact that the Impact Clubs are places where young people of a same community interact, learn skills and reflect about spiritual values ​​with the help of anecdotes and stories that generate teachable moments. “It is something similar to what we're already doing through the youth Christian groups, but in the Impact Clubs they use the dialogue with striking stories for boys to facilitate dialogue, instead of just a short sermon from a biblical text," says Roberto.

The Impact Clubs is a methodology originally developed in Romania, but for a few years has been implemented in several highly violent communities of the Honduran capital, achieving great results. Some of the main objectives pursued by the Impact Clubs are: character development, abilities development and social commitment development of the youth. Through the Impact Clubs, youth have the opportunity to develop small projects in benefit of their neighborhoods.

Besides enjoying the companionship on this trip, the best part was that the Nicaraguan leaders, right there in Honduras, designed an action plan that includes conducting an intensive training on this methodology with other community leaders in order to start with the first five Impact Clubs in Nicaragua before the end of this fiscal year. “The goal with these clubs is that young people become active agents of change for their community”, concluded Roberto Armas.

A Pastor Involved in Politics

For many people, pastoral ministry and political careers are like two substances that shouldn’t be mixed.  After a long history of polarized political parties characterized by personal interest, corruption, and manipulation of the poor, many Nicaraguans consider the political realm to be “a land where God is not.”

Nevertheless, William Estrada, with 22 years in pastoral work, has challenged this premise by accepting a political seat on the Municipal Council of his city.  During a meeting with the Agents of Transformation network in Chinandega, we took the opportunity to interview Pastor William and learn more about this case of a pastor “involved in politics.” Here the interview.

How is it that as a pastor you became involved in a political position?

William: The party that won the elections in my municipality wanted a pastor among their legislators, so then before the elections, they asked the Council of Pastors to elect someone as representative of the evangelical church within the city hall. The council of pastors nominated me, and the community backed it up.

So, the party searched actively for a way to include me in their legislation, without being a politician.  I then understood that the party was interested because I had a lot of contact with the community, the church, and the pastoral network and they wanted to take advantage of that.

Do you like politics?

William Estrada

William: You know, there are people who can sit for hours and hours and talk about politics, but i really don’t care for that.   Politics were meant to be surrendered to the plan of God.

I don’t consider myself a politician.  I have a political position, but my priority is the people.  I didn’t participate in any of the propaganda or campaigns.  I don’t talk like a politician; I talk like a pastor, like a Christian not dressed in political colors.

So then why did you say “yes” to the invitation?

William: I saw that this was an opportunity that came about not because of my capacity but something that came from God.  I said yes because I was seeing much injustice happening in my community.  I said yes because I knew that there were many needs that could be resolved but were just thrown aside and forgotten.  I said yes because Jesus said, “I was naked and you clothed me,” and I feel a passion for serving the community.  I believe that we were created to serve and not to be served.

Another aspect that motivated me to accept the position was the verse in Proverbs 11:11 that says, “When the righteous govern, the city flourishes.”  I believe that those that should be seated there (governing) are the righteous.  The other pastors encouraged me to take on the position because they told me, “With you there, things are going to be more just.”

Many believe that politics is risky ground for a pastor.  They say that it is an arena where Christian values have to be negotiated at times.  What do you think?

William: Oh sure, you see that happen often.  For example, sometimes proposals are formed and in a very diplomatic way, they tell us when to vote by saying, “At such and such time, raise your hand to give your vote.”  But I haven’t remained silent to question and to make others think about the impact of those decisions I believe that  weren’t made appropriately.

It doesn’t scare you that you might be dismissed?

William: I have said to them, “If I were to abstain from voting and because of that was forced to choose between my political position and my work as a pastor, which do you think I will choose?”  They are clear that if the time came to decide, I would choose to remain a pastor although I had lost my position on the council.

My testimony has cost me too much to just toss it away.  I owe everything to the Lord, my church, and the community that has seen my work, and with that in mind, I prefer to renounce my political position before doing anything that isn’t of benefit to the community.

How have the people flourished with your work at the city hall?

William: My work as a Councilman gives the community the peace that someone with an interest for them is there.  They have the peace that someone is there in the political arena, watching that things are done well.

The mayor and vice-mayor tend to say, “The pastor now knows all of the internal workings of the city hall and the economic issues in all areas, so then, we cannot lie to the people.”

The pastors and people of my community also now go to the city hall when they have needs.  They know that, through me, the answer to their request can arrive more quickly.

God put me there to testify for Jesus Christ as well and to tell my political colleagues, “Your political career is important, but it’s not going to carry you all on its own to where God wants you to be.”  Several of them have begun to walk in the Gospel.

Pastor William Estrada, along with his wife Karla Vanessa and their three children, continue to minister to the Mount of Olives Church in the community “Alemania Federal” in the municipality of El Realejo.

We pray for the Lord’s wisdom and grace so that William may continue in his work as an Agent of Transformation in the department of Chinandega, and that his work serves as an inspiration to others.

…which is translated…

Hultner Estrada

The word “incarnation” provoked a restlessness among the participants.  In fact, some even left the workshop because they thought the Nehemiah Center was promoting beliefs in “reincarnation.”

This story happened a few years ago here in Nicaragua.  A course on Street Psalms Series was being shared and the facilitator spoke about the price Jesus paid to get close to humanity and… “now we are called to incarnate Christ in our communities,” repeated the teacher.  But the participants didn’t seem to understand.                                                    

Image:  "In the begining"

Sculptor: Mike Chapman

The truth is, I myself, with more than 10 years of pastoral youth ministry didn’t understand either.  It wasn’t until the facilitator directed us to the passage in John 1:14 that I began to discover the meaning: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth,” recites the text.  When we talk about the incarnation of the Son of God, we are talking about the mysterious process through which the eternal and infinite Creator of the universe took on a body of flesh.

As the theologian Juan Stam explains, the term “flesh” implies not just our biological nature, but also our vulnerability and even our inclination toward sin.  And that is the human nature that the eternal Word wanted to take on to be born among us.  He was not born with some privileged human nature, immune to the temptation and anxieties of our human lives like some species of “Superman” or a divine angel that only appeared to be human.  He was truly human.

But what does it mean to “incarnate Christ” in our community?  “The Word not only became flesh, but He also lived among us,” explained the facilitator to me.

Jesus didn’t come for a short time or just for an event, but he came to stay among us for more than three decades.  He came to walk in our streets, to put up with the dust, the mosquitos, the scarcity, the heat, the thirst, and the hunger.  He came to live among us, to listen to our conversations, to participate in the synagogues, to visit us in our illness, to get involved in the lives of the people day and night.  “And for that decision to live among us, we were able to discover his glory, his grace, and his truth,” the facilitator told me.

It was on that occasion that I realized that if we want people to see the glory, grace, and truth of God through us, than it is more valuable if we spend time with them, if we walk together, if we share life together, and that we don’t make ourselves superior and distance ourselves from the reality that they are living in.  Essentially, we want to go to the places where they are, just as the Son of God did since the first nativity when he became flesh as Immanuel… “which is translated: God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

A Friendly Church

Hultner Estrada
Bethany Beachum

When Maria Pilar talks about her community, she does it with joy.  Her neighborhood, “David Andino,” is a very typical community in Chinandega, the city of second most economic importance in Nicaragua.

This neighborhood also has many of the symptoms of insecurity, violence, dysfunctional families and community division, but Maria Pilar sees beyond these.  “We have many victories to celebrate”, she expresses joyfully.

For the last two years, Maria Pilar and five of her neighbors, have been involved with the Strategy for Urban Transformation (ETU), a training program that is using the local church to contribute to community transformation by means of a combination of evangelism, discipleship, and development based in the use of local resources and building cooperation among neighbors.

Maria Pilar sums it up this way, “Through ETU, God has taught us how we can help our community, both physically and spiritually.  We have been able to establish friendships with various people in the community that we never knew before.”

“Friendship” is a word that Maria uses often, but it is the term that best describes her work in the neighborhood.  From her home, she has begun teaching handicrafts to young women.  “We have a beautiful group of people who have learned to make handicrafts and sell their own products themselves, generating income for their households,” she shares.

Photo: María del Pilar (center) and her handicrafts class

For Maria and the ETU team, however, the most valuable part has been the camaraderie that has developed among the neighbors as a result of the arts and craft classes.  The community now has a stronger affinity with the church.  “This last semester we have met on several occasions with the leadership of the neighborhood to share the topics of Leadership, Community Service, Domestic Violence, Marriage Problems, and HIV-AIDS.  Also, we are developing roundtable discussions to promote healthy relationship within the family,” adds Maria.

What is happening in the neighborhood of David Andino is a small example of what can happen when the church reaches out to the community, taking small steps to help people flourish.  Beyond just growing new relationships among neighbors, the church allows God to add people that he wants to belong to its reach.  As Maria explains, “We celebrate the fact that two people have accepted our Lord Jesus as Savior and that others are visiting our church and small groups.”

Maria finishes her testimony asking for prayer for the members of the ETU team in the neighborhood of David Andino in Chinandega, “That the Holy Spirit would accompany us, illuminate us, give us patience, give us time, and above all, the disposition to work as a team, that God would touch the hearts and minds of those in our barrio and allow us to advance in the transformation of individuals.”

We must do the same

Hultner Estrada

There are times when we have no strength to pray for ourselves. Perhaps for this reason St. Paul advises christians saying, "Carry each other's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).

Last week we received a team of missionaries coming exclusively to pray for us and for church leaders connected with different programs of the Nehemiah Center.

This team made a pilgrimage to five cities, traveling near 300 miles, visiting twenty churches and ministries in different communities of the pacific and northern area of Nicaragua. Their tour had a significant impact on many hearts. Here we share some testimonies:

"When they said they came to pray, I felt a little strange, this is the first time we got a group coming especially to pray. Their visit has impacted us greatly." (Porfirio Maldonado, Pastor in Chinandega City).

"All the families at El Manantial community have been through times of great concern because this year the rain was not very good and we lost many crops. These brothers came to give us spiritual strength, they prayed for our plots and our children. We are very grateful”. (Gilberto Lopez, community promoter in Carazo City)

 

"The visit of these friends was very comforting for us as a 

pastoral family. Their visit taught us that we must do the same for other families." (Obed Anton, Pastor in Leon City)

"They came just when I most needed because lately I have had to deal with the loss of an aunt and a girl who was like a daughter to me. I testified to my congregation how good it feels others to pray for one and how important it is to visit other families to give an encouraging word”. (Agustina Gutierrez, Pastor in Estelí).

"Several fellow ministers know that I and my family have been struggling with health, but they have not had the time to come to our house to pray for us, but these brothers came from afar to intercede for our family. In addition, they have a model prayer that we liked and we want to implement in our congregation”. (Maria Elena Garmendia, Pastor in Estelí)

Nehemiah Center thanks John Algera, Stafford Miller, Henry Swinkels, Henrietta Swinkels and Alma Hernandez. Their time and willingness to help us bear our burdens is a reminder of those words of Jesus Christ: "Go and do likewise." (Luke 10:37)