Jim & Sarah Hornsby ?G A.P. 130 Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Phone: 011-505-612-4504 ?G E-mail: vjoven@ibw.com.ni

Web Page: www.vidajoven.org

Fall 2002

DON KING AT

NEW KIDS CAMP

We had two new kids camps in Nicaragua in July 2002 during school vacation. One of our leaders made the observation that Jim and I (Sarah) have known for many years, ?lIt seems like the kids who are the greatest problem make the greatest turn-around and have potential to become the greatest leaders.?L

One such kid is Erwin from La Chispa. He came with the nickname of ?lChoco-banana,?L but at camp the kids started calling him ?lDon King.?L He is a little shorter than average, but likes to stand out using bright colored bandanas on his afro styled bushy hair. Don King definitely had an attitude.

La Chispa is a rough poverty neighborhood perched on a hillside on the outskirts of Matagalpa and is known for its vicious gangs. Don King was very much a part of this scene; in fact all the guys from La Chispa at camp were. That is why they were all afraid to make a commitment to Jesus, even though they believed what they learned at camp about Him was true. They were afraid to go back to those gang pressures, afraid to fall, to fail.

So on the last day of camp during the testimonies, when Don King strutted up to the front, there was much hooting and

NOTICIAS

Jim and Sarah will be traveling in the southeastern U.S.A. September 27-November 6.

In Atlanta: September 27-28

In Tennessee: September 29-October 14

In North Carolina: October 15-25

In Florida: October 26-November 4

E-mail us if you want to be in touch. We will try to have some of our superb coffee and VJ crafts.

Also available: Sarah?Js most recent published book for children: CELEBRATE WITH NICARAGUA, bilingual with five paper dolls and eight pages of folkdance outfits in full color, plus a well-researched 64-page paperback book in a colorful folder. Excellent for:

1. Mission emphasis in the church

2. Home schooling resource

3. Social studies

4. Background for folk dances of Nicaragua

Cost: $15.00 plus shipping and handling; all profit goes to the Vida Joven ministry.

DON KING at Vida Joven Camp

THE NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, WORKGROUP IS A DYNAMITE TEAM The workgroup saw more than 1,000 folks ?I the poorest of the poor! ?I in a MEDICAL CLINIC. They also brought an EYEGLASS team and a DENTAL team, just pulling rotten teeth, not filling. The evidence of need was overwhelming, and some of us, me included, at times could not work because of seeing this need and feeling it so deeply. But with a team of 40 folks, plus our Nicaraguan leaders, there were always others who could take over for the ?lweakest links?L! And they had a PRAYER team, who walked around encouraging us all, even massaging the hands of people patiently waiting to be seen and reading picture books to the children.

They also had a VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL with lots of kids. It is safe to say they have made lasting friendships here in Nicaragua, many who were here last year came back again. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! WHAT A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR THE CHURCH IN ACTION!

COUNSELOR KARLA MENDOZA from Esteli was just one of the counselors who gave 110 percent so their kids could have the best week of their lives

ROSS WOOD TELLS IT AS HE SEES IT AT CAMP:

Ross is Pastor Jim Wood?Js son who came several weeks early to work with us before his church group came. He writes a good

e-mail to his family, and here is an excerpt of his experience:

In the morning (of the last day) all the campers gathered in the auditorium (that little building down by the lake that we painted last year) to pray (keep in mind that these are not all Christian kids) and, if they wanted to, ask Jesus into their hearts. It was AMAZING! All the teens started to wail and pray and cry ?K you could almost taste the Holy Spirit ?K and about 15 of them went with other leaders to learn more about asking Christ into their hearts. WOW! If I see nothing else this trip, I?Jll be satisfied with having seen that. All but one of the 60 campers received Jesus! After a break and some worship, we had lunch.

Then after lunch some of the kids who asked Jesus into their hearts shared their testimonies. Now I?Jm not a Spanish speaker, but even I know that if a film were to be made about camp, the testimonies would make it R-rated. Really rough stuff. One kid peddled crack, another was a prostitute, another had killed other men in gang fights. But somehow these kids found their way to the finca. I can say this, God?Js reach is alive and well here in Nicaragua.

clapping and wondering what he would say. I write down the testimonies at each camp, but actually what Don King said must not have made an impression on me because I have almost nothing jotted down and do not remember what he said. But his story does not end there.

The second camp was an even tougher crowd than the first, or so it seemed to our prayer team. There was much rebellion, hate of father, mother or both, attempted suicides, drug and alcohol addictions, abandoned kids, sexual abuse, murder and more. La Chispa had a few kids at this camp as well, and to my surprise, on the last day of this camp, Don King?Js name was mentioned again ?I by a gangly youth named Tomas, who was openly weeping.

Tomas told the hushed group that his life had been sad. At age 11 he had taken to the life of the streets. His mama managed a bar, and he robbed her purse to buy drugs. The tears flowed freely as he spoke, and his thin shoulders shook with the shame of what he was confessing. (Omar, his counselor, had his arm around him.) Another time he robbed her again and left home to go to Jinotega. He had been so confused by so many different religions that he just didn?Jt believe in anything. Only recently he had come back to La Chispa, and who else but Don King had told him about camp and given him the money to come!

TIMES TO REMEMBER

Hot off the press is a new book about Vida Joven in NICARAGUA: THE KINGDOM OF JOY: THE PARABLES OF JESUS AS LIVED BY VIDA JOVEN NICARAGUA. With more than 50 photos and many real life stories of our leaders, we share what has happened in the 14 years we have had Vida Joven ministry here in Nicaragua. In this book you can personally get to know some of the growth pains that have been experienced here and the victories over seemingly overwhelming odds.

Using as a base 27 parables of Jesus, Sarah writes from her journaling of the stories gathered through these intense years.

Of course, the Nicaraguans are eagerly awaiting the Spanish translation but love to see their photos in the English version. The first folks to see it in print were the work group from First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk, Virginia. They immediately saw its usefulness for their devotions, and Pastor Jim Wood and Tom Bonner have offered to print it in both book form and as a CD-ROM disc to be available for those interested. This book, which can be a daily reflection/study for a month, is an excellent resource for:

1. Personal devotions

2. Use with small groups, mission committees

3. Use with workgroups or mission teams preparing for a trip, or as follow-up to a trip

4. Mission emphasis in the church

Order your copy from Jim Wood, 820 Colonial Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23507 or Sarah Hornsby.

WE COULDN?JT DO IT WITHOUT THEM:

Behind the scenes at farm camp,

Alan Guzman and family

FUN, FUN, FUN! ROSIBEL ORTEGA INVENTS A SONG to celebrate Jim?Js birthday ?I which was also Pentecost Sunday. MANUEL, Rosibel?Js husband, accompanied, but afterward they improvised a dance to the delight of all.

Continued on p.2