'Are you going for missions?'

Only 8 days left here in the US! Today we're packing up couches, chairs, bed, dresser, dining room table, and chairs. Our apartment will feel rather empty this evening, I expect.

As we tell people we are moving to Nicaragua, Lauren and I have encountered many who have asked if we are 'going for missions.' The answer is 'Yes,' but we believe there is so much more to missions than people moving overseas. Sometimes we respond to that question with 'yes,' sometimes we try to share our perspective, and we spend considerable time discussing it with each other and family and friends. Some of that discussing led to us sharing our thoughts at church on a Sunday morning. If you're interested in an in-depth description of our perspective, you can listen to our sermon at the following link. [Note: Mitch is the speaker, but his message contains both of our thoughts. Also, the recording from Sunday morning did not work. This is a re-recording of the same message, so it sounds a little bit different than it did that morning.]

http://www.eastsideharrisonburg.org/sermons/missional-living-from-mitch-yoder/

Make it a great day,

Mitch and Lauren

Needs for Support

As we are leaving, many people have asked about how to support us. We told you that we would put the details on this page, so here they are! Below we've posted an info card. It includes a very brief overview of what we will be doing, along with our needed support. Everyone can pray for us, and our specific prayer needs are on the card at the bottom of this post.

Financially, we need about $10,000 for the first three months. [An explanation of that number is at the bottom of the info card.] We have been extraordinarily blessed by very generous people, and we are getting closer to what we will need. The easiest way for you to support us financially is to mail a check to Fortress of Hope. Here are the details:

Write out a check to 'Fortress of Hope,' and put 'Mitch and Lauren' on the memo line. Then, send the check to the following address:

Fortress of Hope

PO Box 200

Hartville, OH 44632

Yes, we need money, but we are not worried about our finances, and we're not going to say 'We need that amount or we can't go!' We don't want to tell you to give so you can check 'tithe' off your to-do list. We want you to learn about what we are doing and come alongside us as we all respond to God's call. He is calling us to Managua, and He will provide for us through people who believe in what we are doing. In that vein, if you have any questions about what we will be doing, why we think it is important, or how we will use our money, please ask! We want to make sure you understand what we are doing.

One final note, we will soon have prayer cards that you can keep as you remember us in prayer. They are being made through VMM, and you are welcome to request those cards by sending us an email, contacting VMM, or Eastisde Church. Thank you to everyone who keeps updated on what we are doing. It means the world to know that there are people around us who care. Make it a great day,

Mitch and Lauren

The basics

We're moving to Managua, Nicaragua.

Why? We're going because we feel strongly that God is calling us to do His work there.

What is He calling us to do? We are trying to follow His calling as best we can, but we realize that we can never know God's plan in full. He has placed good work in front of us, and we will do it faithfully, knowing that He could change things.

The main reason we are going to Managua is to work with Fortress of Hope, a children's home for orphans and children who can no longer work at home. The organization has some needs that we feel need to be filled, and we feel God has called us to fill those needs. We're working with the board to figure out our roles. When we get to Managua, we will be spending time with the kids and staff and building relationships. God's going to be working in our lives and showing us how we can best serve Him. He has so much to teach us through the people we will be working with, and we pray that we can be willing and eager workers.

Fortress of Hope was started by a group of churches in the Midwest, and the board of directors is comprised of members of those churches here in the US. There is also a full staff of Nicaraguans working in Managua at Fortress of Hope, known in Managua as CINAFE. Part of the board's vision is to have us act as a kind of liaison between the English-speaking board members and the Spanish-speaking staff. That means we need to learn the language and learn it well!

After we arrive in October, we will spend the first three months [October, November, December] taking intensive language courses at VIVA Spanish School. Those classes will consist of 4 hours each morning, Monday through Friday, working one-on-one with an instructor. Twenty hours of language instruction each week is quite a bit, so we pray we will have the stamina and dedication to learn the language as well as possible.

In January, our schedule will change quite significantly. Since we will not be working full-time at CINAFE [there's not enough liaison-type work to do full-time], we decided it would be a good idea to seek out other employment. We were lucky enough to visit NCA: Nejapa [Nicaraguan Christian Academy: Nejapa Campus] on our first visit, and as this move became a reality we stayed in contact with the director. Long story short: we will both be employed full-time at NCA Nejapa!

NCA Nejapa is a private Christian school, located just outside Managua. It is a sister school of NCA - a private international school started by missionaries for their children. NCA follows the U.S. school calendar, is accredited in the U.S., and conducts classes in English. Our school, NCA Nejapa, shares a board of directors, but it follows the Nicaraguan school calendar and is entirely in Spanish. NCA Nejapa serves about 440 students, from kindergarten to high school.

Lauren will be working as an assistant in a kindergarten classroom. She'll be helping the teacher carry out lessons and working with the students in Spanish. Mitch will be teaching English to middle school and high school. He will spend half of his time teaching, and the other half supervising and assisting the other English teachers. Both of us are excited to share some of our knowledge and experience with the staff, as well as learn different ways of teaching and working with children. NCA Nejapa is looking to implement new teaching strategies, some of which we are familiar with, and we hope our input can be valuable and effective.

We have been lucky enough to find a house in the San Patricio barrio [near the Kilocho bus stop on the map], which is where CINAFE is located. We are in walking distance of CINAFE and about a 15 minute drive from NCA Nejapa. Also, you should know that we have a couple extra bedrooms and there is a guesthouse on the same block that can hold up to 60 people. So if you want to come visit, you have no excuse for not making the trip :)

Finally, although it looks like we're going on our own, in reality we have many people supporting us, and two great organizations. Our home church, Eastside Church, has commissioned us and is providing ongoing prayer and feedback. Over the last four years, Eastside has helped shape us, and we are extremely grateful for our church's role in this endeavor. Additionally, we will be working under Virginia Mennonite Missions' 'Partners in Mission' program. VMM will provide us with coaching, training, and other resources to make our time in Nicaragua a success.

Those are the basics. We're putting ourselves in positions to do God's work, and we pray that we are humble enough to listen for His direction as we begin life in a new city and new culture. Here's to whatever comes next...

Make it a great day,

Lauren and Mitch