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!
Dec. 1, 2004
Dear Friends and Family,
I never thought two years ago as I hosted my first short-term team in Nicaragua at a small church in the neighborhood of Loma Linda that today, two years later, I would be planning my own wedding in that small church. It is amazing at times to stop and look back at what has happened in the last year or two – to see where God has taken you from, where He has you now and then to think where He might take you in the future. In planning for our wedding, I’ve done a lot of thinking back and looking forward.
It is awesome to see how God brought Thomas and me together, from such different situations and is now forming a new future for us together. It is also incredible to look back on the start of Christ for the City Intl. in Nicaragua two and a half years ago and to now see a small, but well-established and solid mission base that has a huge future ahead of it. There is also the scholarship program that began this past year and provided over 150 kids with scholarships for their education which promises to grow this next year. And then just to think that a year ago the El Salero sports center took shape with the purchasing of 6 acres of land, and now we have a fence around the property and the main part of the soccer field ready to play on and many youth from the community as well as some local youth groups using the baseball field on a regular basis. It is definitely worth it at times to stop and think back to what all has happened in the last year or two.
But we can’t stop there because the next step is to look forward and continue dreaming about what could happen in the next year or two. For Thomas and me personally, we would love to be able to buy some land close to the sports center and build a home. He hopes to continue his job as the computer technician at the Nicaragua Christian Academy. I look forward to continuing my work with El Salero sports center, the scholarship program and teaching English classes at a small local school. With the sports center my goals are to be able to raise somewhere between $15,000 – 20,000 to help pay back the purchase of the land as well as raise funds to build a literacy and tutoring center. I am also looking forward to hosting 3-4 short-term teams that are planning to come to support the ministry. Another goal of mine is to continue getting to know the youth that live close by the sports center on a deeper level. With the scholarship program, I am praying that it will develop into something that can provide many children with help in their schooling over a long period of time. And finally with my English classes at Los Filos School, I look forward to getting to know these kids more and working with them as they become excited about beginning to learn a new language.
Finally as I look ahead to just the next month, I am very excited about getting married and becoming Thomas’ wife as well as having my family here to celebrate our wedding and Christmas together. Here’s wishing to each one of you a wonderful Christmas season full of joy and new dreams to start out the New Year!
Seeking Him for life,
Amanda Van Deman
"dale una luz a los que aman tanto vivir en Nicaragua."
~ Guardabarranco (Nicaraguan duo)