Prayer Letters
Here are our prayer letters that we write every three months. If you are not on our email list and would like to receive these letters, please sign up today. Enjoy reading!
December 8, 2003
Dear Friends and Family,
On a table in my apartment I have a scrapbook that has the following quote pasted into it: “Love is something different; it disregards the rules. You say I’m a dreamer; sometimes dreams come true.”
I’m not sure where I ever found that quote so I cannot give credit to the writer or artist, but it is one of my favorites. There is something different about LOVE, and there is something different about serving a God who is all about LOVE.
Many of you may have heard of the dream I have had within the last year to begin a Christian Sports Center here in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua and to use the facilities to start a ministry that helps local youth groups and churches to reach out to youth. Well, that dream has become much more of a reality over the past three months.
When I moved into my apartment in July of 2002, little did I know that my neighbors, Halle and Kathy August, who are independent missionaries, would over time become like family to me. And little did I know that they would be the ones to come alongside me in the dream to develop a sports complex for youth in Managua. Back in August of this year we had discovered a piece of property that had a run-down baseball stadium on it along with enough land to put in a soccer field, a basketball court, a sand volleyball court, a covered meeting area and much more. We began to ask the price of the land and found out that the owner was selling it for around $210,000 – way too much! However, as we began to show interest, he said he was willing to negotiate. We began to get excited about the prospect and even more so when one day our lawyer announced that he had come down to around $93,000. We couldn’t believe it and were ready to settle the deal; however, within a couple of days we discovered there had been a misunderstanding between the owner and the lawyer. We were set, though, on $93,000 and decided to make an offer at that price and just wait to see what God had in store.
While my parents were here in October, we received a call one afternoon that the owner had decided to accept the offer!!! It was definitely an exciting and crazy couple of days as we made the final negotiations, but soon the land was ours. And so now we begin the process of raising funds to help pay back the loan from buying the land as well as starting to develop the ministry. It is exciting to be a part of a dream coming true – to watch how God has opened doors along the way and impacted lives in the process. I am excited to see how He uses this sports complex to change lives of youth here in Nicaragua and to continue making dreams come true in this nation!
So
this Christmas season, my question to you is what dream
has God put on your heart? Are we living our lives based on a LOVE that is
different, a LOVE that dreams big? Are you interested in becoming involved
with this dream of mine? If so, please visit my website for more information – www.salero.org
Thank
you so much for your prayers and support – they are very appreciated!
May you have a wonderful Christmas season filled with love, joy, family and
friends and may God bless you abundantly in all that you are doing!
Seeking Him for life,
Amanda Van Deman
"dale una luz a los que aman tanto vivir en Nicaragua."
~ Guardabarranco (Nicaraguan duo)