Since 2016 the Shades have worked on a number of special projects in order to achieve their goal of energizing, encouraging and supporting the local pastors of Nicaragua. Below are just a few of the special projects that the Shades have worked on. Of course, as planning of “Phase 2” begins additional special projects and opportunities will be considered and scheduled.
Pastoral Family Retreat – For 3 years the Shades have hosted a pastoral family retreat January in early January. The pastors are bi-vocational. But, in this culture, that means that they never really get any kind of a break or family vacation. In fact, in many of them never really can take a time together with family to just stop and relax.
The Shades have hosted the pastors, their wives the children of each family (under 18) for several days at a local retreat center. This time is designed to be a time of relaxing and taking a break before jumping full force into for a new year. Please join us in prayer for God to provide the opportunity once again to offer this time for pastors to give their bodies, hearts and minds a rest. Please pray that after such a special time they will return to their work of sharing Christs light, love and salvation with those near them.
Classroom for Sewing and Salon – Working with Missions Door in (another worldwide baptist missions agency), in 2018 the Shades began to help to build a classroom in a remote location to help reach students for both salon services and sewing. When completed, this will allow the teaching of income earning skills to help change lives. By teaching skills to enable people to provide for themselves, lives can be changed for generations – not just for a day or a week or even a month. All of the materials for this project have been purchased. The construction has been forced to pause several times, currently because of the pandemic. But as the materials are available and waiting, the bulding will hopefully be finished as soon as the construction can resume..
Pastor’s Clothes Closet – As the pastors are all bi-vocational, they must provide the income for their families (food, utility costs, transportation costs, etc.) while performing their duties as a pastor. This can often leave the pastors and their families with poor supplies of clothing, household wares (pots/pans, utensils, plates/cups/silverware etc. and other basic needs). To help with this great need, Mark & Diane often collect such used goods in the U.S. and then shipped down to Nciaragua with other short term team supplies. Then, after being sorted and organized, the supplies are given to the pastors.