Tuesday, January 8, 2013

CALLING POTENTIAL NEED GREATERS


Can you imagine this being your need-great territory?  San Juan del Sur calling....


Some of the sights you'll see if you choose to serve in Bluefields

Circumstances are always changing, and it may be that you readers are looking for opportunities to serve where the need is greater without a really long commitment.  Right now, Nicaragua has multiple exciting opportunities available during Memorial season.  Here, just like in the U.S., we always do a campaign three weeks before the Memorial.  However, there are some congregations that are just too tiny to reach all their territory but still end up with HUGE turnouts each Memorial.  Think about what the attendance could be with just a few more helping hands!  So if you're weighing your options and have only maybe 1-3 weeks that you can spend away from home, please consider us *me on bended knee begging*.  Every place I mention I have contacts in I can connect you with for questions on lodging and prices.  Here's some places to think about:

SAN JUAN DEL SUR ENGLISH
I know not all my readers are Spanish-speakers or are possibly bilingual.  If that's your case, you've got a great opportunity.  In a prior post (here) I told you there's a new English group in San Juan del Sur.  This year, they'll be doing their first Memorial.  Wouldn't it be exciting to be a part of history?  There's a TON of foreigners who live in San Juan del Sur and oh, did I mention you'd be right on the beach?!  One of the prettiest beaches in Nicaragua.  Look on the map below and you'll see it's location on the southwest coast of Nicaragua.  Currently, there's a ton of Australians in SJDS serving in English so you'd get to see our international brotherhood firsthand as well as make a big impact on a brand new congregation.  

MASAYA SIGN LANGUAGE
Nicaragua uses their own sign language but if you already know ASL it's supposedly veeerrry easy to pick up NSL as they only have about half the signs.  There's quite a few in the congregation who know ASL also so you'd have support to help you if you got stuck.  There's three foreigners serving there already so you wouldn't be alone.  Although their congregation is in Masaya (see map below and look between the 2 lakes) their main need is in my city of Granada.  That's part of their territory, but they only have one publisher (my roommate) living here right now.  That means all 100 deaf in the community are her responsibility to invite.  Nicaraguans can't always afford the bus transport between the two cities to be of regular help.  The two cities are about 20-30 minutes away from each other by bus.

BLUEFIELDS SIGN LANGUAGE
This is also a new group that's sprung up recently.  Bluefields is on the eastern coast of Nicaragua (see map below) and supposedly is gorgeous; I personally haven't seen it yet.  It's a really unique place because the residents are black and speak Creole English.  So if you only know ASL and English; it'd be a perfect match for you.  It's a very different feel there--more Caribbean, less Latinoamerica.  You'd be getting to see a very special place in Nicaragua while serving a new group that needs a lot of help and frolicking on the beach at the end of a long day in service.  Doesn't sound too bad, huh?

LA SAVANA SPANISH
La Savana is a small town located about 20 km outside of Somoto (see the northwest part of map below).  There's a couple in my congregation who just went there to serve in December for a month and said they had GREAT response; so great they themselves are going back during Memorial season.  The congregation is only about 12 publishers with 6 students who regularly meet with them, but they have a HUGE territory.  You would have an opportunity to speak to people who quite possibly haven't heard the Kingdom message in years.  Another benefit is back, being up north, you'd be in a cooler area of Nicaragua.  Something to think about as March/April starts our hottest time of the year.

EL ALMENDRO SPANISH
You can read about the special pioneer couple already serving there in this former post of mine.  But just to refresh your memory, El Almendro has only about 6 publishers and a very large territory with great response.  My friend Yahoska has dozens of studies; so many she only studies with them about 15 minutes at a time or does group studies to get them all done.  And her husband Jairo is the ONLY brother there.  If you're a brother reading this, just imagine....EVERY public talk, EVERY part on the service meeting, EVERY WT study...it's just you!  Can you imagine the pressure?  Wouldn't you love to help him?  :)

17 comments:

  1. Hey Shawn - I thought I wrote down my email address for you at the circuit assembly. Maybe I just gave you my number. Anyway it's poet@indybrits.com - email me so I can send you the picture of us.

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  2. Shawn-love reading your blog. i definitely need to do it more often. I can hear your voice as i read it (love that). It's just like you are here and narrating a story. Sounds like things are going good!

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    1. We always did have fun narrating stories, right? We've had some doozies!!

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  3. We just asked to go to Leon, Managua or Granada. all English speaking. By Mexico Branch

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    1. I can't tell you much about Leon or Managua but I've visited Granada English a few times. If you want more details about their need to see if it's the same need you wish to fill, contact me with your details and I'll pass it along to the coordinator there. If you want...

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  4. Hi, I'm doing some research on the Spanish congregations their. My sister and I will be traveling their at the end of the month. She hopes to serve in San Juan del Sur for a year, could you help us with more information about the area? We would really appreciate it! If you can, please email me at elcoffeesnob@gmail.com

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  5. Hello! I came across your blog and it seems amazing in Nicaragua! I am a sister serving in the Dominican Republic in ASL. My residency visa is coming up for renewal and I was debating whether to renew or start a new adventure! Do you have any info on visas and legal ingo? Any help would be appreciate! Keep up the good work!

    Esalena Rubianes
    www.traveladdictsonadime.wordpress.com

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    1. I have no idea how I'm just now seeing this comment. Esalena, I have a little info on visas. By legal ingo do you mean legal work? Most of us need greaters are on a tourist visa here. It lasts 3 months and can be extended once in the capital for about $20/month up to 3 more months. Or you can spend $20 for transportation and everything and pop down to Costa Rica for the day. Unfortunately, corruption is rampant in government here like many places so while the directions on how to get a residency visa SEEM simple, they can often be complicated by an official looking to grease his own pockets (is that even the correct phrase?). If you'd like more info, let me know your email address or communicate privately to me. Thanks!

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  6. Hello!

    My name is Tricia and my family and I are coming for a visit in March. We will be there for 2 weeks and want to spend a lot of time in the ministry. We are looking at staying in Granada, but do you know which English congregation(s) in Nicaragua would need some assistance the most? We haven't booked accommodations yet, so we can go anywhere.

    Thanks!

    Tricia
    triciarzky@gmail.com

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    1. Tricia, how exciting! First time in Nicaragua? I'll respond to your personal email about the congregation details.

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  7. Thank you so much for your blog. My husband and I are thinking about moving down to serve for about 6 months starting next January. We are currently in operation save in order to do this. I'm a native Spanish speaker, but my hubby is not. We are not sure yet where in Nicaragua we would be best used, but you really made the country sound very appealing. We have a couple of questions and would love to pick your brain a bit about where you think there is need. My email is gbmunoz@gmail.com.

    -Grace

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  8. Hello! I, too, have enjoyed your blog. And really appreciate you taking the time to answer questions privately. I've put in my letter to serve in Ecuador to the branch office and am waiting for a reply. I'm a regular pioneer looking to expand my ministry and to have a great adventure. I've been wanting to live in a Spanish country for some time now. I do have some questions I'd like to ask privately. I'd appreciate your take on some areas of interest. ~Eves. eviem5@msn.com.

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    1. Ok, Grace and Evie, check your emails and let me know your concerns.

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  9. Passports check. Letter from bethel check (Costa Rica ). Housing not so good

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    1. Erica, my recommendation is to express your needs to the congregation you're wanting to serve in and let them search for you. Tell them what you're looking for and they'll search. And bc they're local they'll get a much better deal than you.

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  10. Hello to all. I was wanting to ask you some questions about serving in Nicaragua!!! We are going somewhere this year for two months, June and July, but the question is where. Please email me at: rhumphries@lex2.org. Thankss!

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  11. Hello i just stumbled acroos you blog we "my family and I 3 of us" was contemplating coming to Nicaragua for the next memorial campaign. Was wondering if you could give us a little more info here is my email. Looking forward to talking with you. tlbranson@yahoo.com

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