Mark & Diane Shade are missionaries living in Managua, Nicaragua.
Arriving in Nicaragua in May of 2016, the Shades have served in ministry continually since then. During the first 4 years, they served with a medical and dental mission, loving, supporting and encouraging local pastors and churches through a variety of programs.
In August of 2020 the Shades celebrated the success that God had given them in the ministry with those pastors – because the pastors were ready to take on all of the ministry work themselves and serve each other. This is a bit like watching a child grow up – one day they dress themselves, one day they cook their own food, and then they go out to start on their own path.
Since then the Shades have begun to build a new ministry, affectionately called “Phase 2”. More info on “Phase 2” will be shared very shortly, but in short, it will be in 2 parts. The first part, will be to start over with a new group of pastors and churches and will have the same goal. The second part will be something special. Stay tuned for more details soon!
Mark and Diane felt that God had called them to give up nearly everything in their lives (then in the U.S.) and start a new life from scratch in Nicaragua. Mark closed a successful concessions/food truck business and Diane left a great career job at an international oil company.
The ministry of the Shades can best be summed up as “being like Barnabas to local pastors – encouraging them, assisting them, lifting the up to help them reach the people of Nicaragua even better”. They work with about 60 local Nicaraguan churches throughout the country. The Shades have a variety of ways that they do that and you can read about them here.