I was warned but I really didn’t expect to see it. I was caught somewhere between revulsion, sadness, and sympathy. The sad, anguished eyes looked back at me, both of us helpless to prevent what was to come. No, I’m not referring to a child living in poverty in Nicaragua. In front of me was [...]

Photography is a topic near and dear to my heart. I taught myself photography 2 years ago and discovered a real passion for it. So when I combined that passion with my other passion - helping Nicaragua - it felt so natural.
So when I heard about Kathy Adams and her work with Empowerment International (or [...]

Every morning I would wake up early and have my coffee while standing on the front porch of our house. At 6:15am in the morning, the temperature is comfortable and the streets are quiet. I would stand there breathing in the fragrant air, and listening to the unseen birds and the distant car driving by.
But [...]

It’s been a while since I talked about the child sponsorship initiative that is mentioned in our Long Term Plan.
During the past mission trip, I learned of an organization doing sponsorships within Bluefields. This organization sponsors students from primary grades up to the university level. I am hopeful that we will be able to start [...]

My friend Mahr on Flickr sent me this link to an excellent photo essay of life in La Chureca - the massive garbage dump and shanty town in Managua.
The photos are sad, haunting, and strikingly familiar. Scenes like this can be found in La Esperanza in Bluefields where families scavenge for a living amoung the [...]

On the day we landed in Bluefields, we grabbed a quick breakfast of scrabbled eggs prepared by our cook and were whisked away on a boat to Tasbapauni. The boat ride was 2 hours long and it was a miracle no one got sick… instead many people fell asleep as the boat bounced across the [...]

Events in this story took place on March 15, 2007 in Bluefields.
The story starts a week before in downtown Bluefields where Harold was being interviewed by a camera crew, likely because he was the only white guy in downtown Bluefields at the time. Harold shared on Nicaraguan TV that our group was in town [...]

I created this video back in August in a fit of inspiration. The movie compiles some of the major activities we did while in Bluefields this past March, but it barely scratches the surface of what really happened down there. Some events were left out such as Marvin’s plantation, and the jail eye glasses clinic.

Why [...]

I had the privilege to serve with Vern in Bluefields this past March, and this past Sunday he shared with the congregation the reasons why people don’t go on missions … and why those excuses aren’t enough.
Though Vern has a friendly and humorous presentation, the underlying message is serious.
If you’ve thought about missions but talked [...]