All is well with us here in Nicaragua and thriving - more clubs are being started by our eager leaders. We have to try to hold them back somewhat so they won't get burned out after that first burst of enthusiasm. It is difficult to contain the excitement. TWO-DAY BEACH TRIP WITH VIDA JOVEN COORDINATORS: 26 leaders from 4 cities having fun and fellowship helped encourage unity in the team.

After a three-day Latin America Staff Conference in Miami, Jim and Sarah visited a week with EMERSON and MARTINA WILSON, JUAN CARLOS and VIRNA in Merida, Yucatan. Emerson and Martina have been in the Mexican Presbyterian San Pablo Seminary since August; Juan Carlos has studied there for two years. It is fascinating to learn the Mayan and Colonial history, as well as see what God is doing in the Church and in Young Life there in Merida, Progreso, and Cancun (check your map = )

We met DAVID and LORRAINE HOFFMAN, Young Life Staff in Merida, and their three children at the Miami Staff Conference and later in Merida.

Our 4 day December New Kids Camp was packed: 168 people in our camp designed for 100!!! Some kids had to share bunks and some were on the floor; even sleeping in the chapel and old dining room. The cooks set up half barrels on bricks outside for cooking. We killed a calf (for the prodigals = ) ) and had soup from the bones as well as delicious beef.

COUNSELING TEAM:

The counselors take their work very seriously. Though she had done it once before, Milvia was apprehensive about her worthiness to be a counselor because there was so much anger in her family. As she was praying about this she saw Jesus with the disciples at the Last Supper. He came to her with love in his eyes, rebuking her gently, 'Didn't I forgive my apostles?'

HONDURAS TEAM:

16 came from Honduras to New Kids Camp, and were very enthusiastic. MANUEL and ROSA visited them on an exploratory trip to Tegucigalpa, the capital city. GABRIELLA CABRERA, who has been on Young Life staff in California, initiated the contact. Seven of their leaders returned for our Training Institute.

The testimonies on the last day of camp made everyone feel it was worth all the effort. Jim in his talk just before the testimonies told the kids that there is always a challenge to go back home after camp, because the parents will not believe in the reality of what has happened to them unless they see some concrete change. So Jim advised the kids to go back and hug their family, tell them they love them, and then wash dishes, sweep the floor, and make up their beds. 'Your parents will be glad, if it doesn't give them a heart attack! ' = )

There were many many tears - even from hardened gang kids.

The first up front was a gang guy from Managua with his dark glasses on; he snapped his fingers for the others of his group to step up on the platform with him. As he spoke he kept wiping his eyes underneath the shades that made him look so tough. 'We were nobodies,' he said. 'I hurt my mother so much. I only had trash in my heart.' Then he spoke of his counselors who had helped him.

Over and over the kids said, 'I didn't want to come to camp, but my counselor kept inviting me, so finally I accepted.' The counselors were very gratified to see how God used their efforts at making healthy relationships with these kids.

A guy from Esteli: 'God loves me in spite of all I have done!'

Marvin from Reparto Sandino said 'My family is all divided. I am twenty years old and am an alcoholic. I would come home at 3 a.m. making a scandal, my mother waiting up for me worried. I have not spoken to my brother for years, and I am going home to ask his forgiveness.'

Danilo from Progreso Club: 'I believed in Christ, but now I feel him; I never cried before, but in the prayer time I felt him. Christ is the most beautiful and can understand me as I am.'

Jaime from Jinotega, a young kid who looks like Leo De Caprio, said, wiping his eyes: 'I didn't know anyone here. At home I was 'mal criado' (a Nicaraguan term that is translated 'badly created', but means that the child is undisciplined), I smoked, drank 'guado' (white lightning). I just came to have a good time, but now I am going to go home and ask forgiveness of my parents. I am always going to help in Vida Joven Club.'

JAIME (Center in light shirt) HAVING A GOOD TIME WITHOUT BOOZE.

Wilmer Zeledon said he never felt in church what he experienced in camp. He had never been able to control his imagination, which was 'barbaro!' (barbaric) 'I never tried to read the bible; I lost my father when I was eight years old and my mother raised me. I never could accept Jesus, but I came to camp with the intention to do it, and now I know!'

Sergio Cruz, Progreso Club, 15 years old, said 'Only God saved me from my life. I have a brother in the Progreso Club. I was under so much stress that I was in danger of having a stroke (derrame cerebral). I was the last one on the list. During the drama of the Broken Heart I realized the evil I had done to my family and to my heavenly father. I accepted Christ. Here it is like a paradise. …I am sure that I am going to change; I don't have an iron will but a 'spiritual' will.'

Darlin' from Jinotega said she did not want to come, and then did so without permission of her family. She had been very rebellious, was filled with hate, but has overcome this with Christ in her heart.

Urania Picado from Jinotega, a beautiful dark eyed, dark haired girl said: I am thankful for those who wanted me to come. I sinned, it is difficult to confess. I talked with my counselor; I was so far from God. I was dead for three days, in a coma because I had taken poison for rats. God saved me; only my aunt was with me and my mama didn't even know about it. I didn't want to come to camp, but now I can praise God.

A guy from Esteli said: 'The word of God is hot! (maybe he meant it warms you!) I felt alone. I knew God, but was with bad friends. We are youth; we have to learn to live!'

A guy from La Chispa said, 'My friends didn't want to come, but yesterday I felt God and cried two times - I had never done that before. My dad abandoned me when I was little. I am not going to waste this opportunity; I am going to help Vida Joven. I want to help - I am not going to say anything, but my changes are going to convince them that something very real happened to me.'

Another guy from La Chispa said, I have been really bad. with friends who were not true friends. My goal is to lift up Vida Joven in La Chispa.'

Auroline from La Chispa (one of the toughest neighborhoods in Matagalpa. For girls it is very difficult to avoid the gang moll type of life there.) She said she had lived the painful story of the Broken Heart drama in her own life. She had accepted Christ a year and a half ago, but had fallen away, left the church and grown distant from Christ. She came to camp to get away from family problems. She had never had a happy Christmas - always crying. But now she was reaffirming her acceptance of Christ. 'I am going to work in club,' she said, and then asked her counselor to forgive her.

Don't you know that OMAR, their coordinator who has struggled for 10 years with this outreach, was beaming from ear to ear on hearing these kids' decisions!

OMAR (in center, 4_th from Right) AND BEACH BUDDIES, OTHER COORDINATORS.

We see so many of the problems of the counselors and all our leadership team, that it is easy to get bogged down in the day to day struggle for survival. Then God uses those very people in their weaknesses, as well as the marvelous gifts that they have, in order to extend his family and his Kingdom, stretching out beyond the boundaries of what we can imagine and think.

SEVENTH IN-COUNTRY TRAINING INSTITUTE January 18-26: 150 persons participated! -Another overload for the camp. The Honduras leadership participated as well, and David Hoffman, who heads Young Life in Merida, Yucatan, was a specially invited teacher. Many had dreadful coughs and colds, but God was great in the midst. It was the coldest we have ever been at the farm with a huge wind blowing most of the time. It only warmed up as we were leaving on Saturday!!! The testimonies of the participants were great, though!

MARTA VALLE, (2_nd from Left) IS DESIGNING SOFTWARE TO ORGANIZE VIDA JOVEN NICARAGUA'S DATA! THANK YOU, MARTA!

PADRE FRANCISCO, BISHOP BRENES, SARAH AND JIM AT SPECIAL GATHERING OF THE PRIESTS OF THE MATAGALPA DIOSES IN SAN RAMON.

May GOD BLESS YOU and INSPIRE YOU in this NEW YEAR to be FILLED WITH JOY and to do those GOOD WORKS THAT JESUS HAS PLANNED FOR YOU FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME. It is not too hard because HE HAS PROMISED TO COMPLETE IN YOU WHAT HE HAS BEGUN! JOY!!!!

In the midst of all this new birth, there have been some very painful griefs of deaths of two newborn babies here in Nicaragua, and of the beloved wife, ELAINE, of MARVIN ASFAHL, director of Latin American ministries for Young Life. And so it always is, the bitter along with the sweet. May God give comfort to each one in their difficult circumstances and in the tests of life that we all must pass through.

WORK GROUPS 2001

March 13-15 Jubilee Partners - with CEPAD, Bob Buesher/Walter Wink group -

March 23-31 Bill Hoff , Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville, FL

March 24-April 1 Dr. John Pearson, First Presbyterian Church, Murfreesboro, TN

June Toby Rogers, Knoxville, TN coming with bus (load him up!)

June 4 - 14 Calvin Gittner, Pineda Presbyterian Church, Melbourne, FL 14 persons

June 20 - 28 Jesus & Lilian Lopez San Antonio TX Young Life group.

June 30- July 8 Sandy Arner, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Johnson City, TN

5 people

July 20- 29 Son Servants, Chattanooga, TN with Danny Dotson on Return Trip

After Christmas 2001 Cullowhee Presbyterian Church, Cullowhee, NC Sam Hale

January 2002 Brad Long with PRRMI (Presbyterian Reformed Renewal Ministries International)