Can you believe it has been 5 years since I started the vocational school? The school has come a long way since that time. We have served over a hundred young men and women in the small community of Los Brasiles, Nicaragua and trained up four teachers to maintain the school in the future. We have taught math classes, design classes, mosaic making, jewelry making, blacksmithing, knife making, tool making, welding, carpentry, auto mechanics, Christian living and Bible classes. Some of the young men have gone on to get jobs and some have become teachers alongside us, while we receive more young people each day who come to sign up for classes in the hope for a better future.
The picture to the right shows Pastor Tomas and me in the vocational building just before my first blacksmithing class. I’m happy to say that there isn’t much free space in the building now as it is full of tools and shop furniture that has been provided in one way or another over the years; pictured to the left is the inside of the shop now! This brings me to some wonderful news that I would like to share with you.
It has been on our hearts to bring the vocational school to a more central location in Managua. We desire to replicate the vocational school model and to serve the larger Managua community. The Lord has heard our hearts cry: He has given us the opportunity to build in Managua on the grounds of an existing Christian school! There is enough space for a new vocational school building that would include a full blacksmithing shop and a four bay auto shop for our Missionary Ventures partners, Jason and Amberly McLachlan, who have already started an auto-mechanics apprenticeship program here. The school that we are partnering with is Nicaragua Christian Academy in Nejapa, which serves the emerging middle class in Nicaragua (those making around $300 a month). We are thrilled and excited that we have this wonderful opportunity before us, as we can continue training leaders to teach in future vocational schools and begin basic classes for the high school students at NCA Nejapa. Not only that, but also a group of indigenous and foreign missionaries collaborating together is housed next door at the Nehemiah Center. The Nehemiah Center can provide courses for our students and teachers in Bible, Christian family, and business ethics.
We now need to have faith for the financial end of things. We are hoping to raise funds to construct the vocational building, 
which includes both the blacksmithing and auto-mechanics wings.
Will you please pray with us for the funds to build this new vocational school? We are hoping to have funds to start the project in the first few months of 2010. If you or your church is interested in donating, or if you are interested in learning more about the overall vision for the new school, please click here.
Also, if your church or a group of people on your heart is interested in coming to help us build, we will need construction teams throughout the beginning of 2010. Come join us!
By Mike and Lauren Deibert, Field Coordinators in Nicaragua