By Jessica Morningstar

One might assume that because I was in rural Nicaragua last week I may have been unaware of all the political chaos going on in Washington, but let me tell you—I got a bigger dose of world politics there than I ever have before. Though I may not have had internet or television for most of the trip, I most certainly got wind of events through word of mouth and local newspapers. It was actually fascinating to see American events from a Nicaraguan perspective and also to learn about Nicaraguan politics simultaneously. You see, despite the huge dissimilarities between the two countries, the Nicaraguans that I talked to can still heavily identify with many elements of American politics. Two major parallels that I picked up on were the following: 1) both countries have presidential elections coming up and 2) both countries have pressing, long term problems. For Nicaragua, it is the extreme poverty and lack of economic growth especially in the autonomous regions, while for the United States our major problem is the massive debt looming over our heads. But both instances, these are long-term problems that call for long-term solutions and leaders that think beyond their next election.

In his book, When Helping Hurts, Brian Fikkert focuses heavily on the importance of long-term over short-term approaches in alleviating enduring problems. He says that there are three forms of aid: Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development (107). Relief is immediate short-term aid that serves to lessen suffering in an urgent situation such as a natural disaster. Rehabilitation serves to “restore people and their communities to the positive elements of their precrisis condition” (108). Finally, Development is the long-term, ongoing change that ultimately transforms individuals and communities for the better.  One of the major problems that Nicaraguans talk about is that oftentimes their political leaders will give them temporary relief or rehabilitation (mostly just to get votes) but what they really need is development. They recognize that their own people become dependent upon these quick fixes and will stop exerting energy to find more enduring solutions. One simply cannot fix long-term problems with short-term solutions. Development is a slow process though and it can take generations to transform a community as impoverished and underdeveloped as Nueva Vida, Nicaragua. The effects of development tactics may not be seen for years to come, which can be discouraging for Nicaraguans and Americans alike. Development work also requires a huge amount of time and sacrifice. It’s often easy to get discouraged when things don’t go according to plan.  Let me tell you, most things do not go according to the plan. Even this literacy program has had a slower start than anticipated due to its developmental nature. There have been a lot of “bumps in the road” so to say, but at the end of the day we know that it is worth it.

Something that I have realized though is that these concepts aren’t solely for the NGO, the Peace Corps member, or the political functionary. The model of Relief, Rehabilitation and Development and the value of long-term endurance can also be applied on an individual, microcosmic level. In fact, I can see a lot of this in my own personal experience as a Christian. When I first accepted Christ, it was like Jesus offered me that initial step: Relief. With His grace and forgiveness He set me free from the “natural disaster” of my life and offered hope. Then, He helped Rehabilitate me through His healing and restoration of my relationship with God. These two moves prepared me for the long term growth—Development—that would mark my journey as a Christian. For me, my faith is not just a short, one time decision but a lifelong journey. It is a process of growth and personal transformation that takes patience, sacrifice, and trust. It isn’t always easy or painless, but its worth it.

Likewise, I think that the citizens of Nicaragua and America currently witnessing all of this political turmoil can agree that though it’s going to be a tough journey from here to turn around both countries, it is worth it in the long-run. Though things may seem dark at times, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  The people of Nicaragua I have met this summer certainly believe this and continue to blow me away with their perseverance, patience and hope.

By Jessica Morningstar

I have a habit of always meeting interesting people in airports. I don’t consider myself a particularly outgoing person, but for some reason I always end up sitting by the most fascinating people and having long, intense conversations with them. I told you about Ena, whom I met in June on my flight to Nicaragua. Well, this week it was Rodrigo and Javier. Rodrigo is Nicaraguan but he has lived in several other Latin American countries and therefore offers a uniquely comparative view of these countries and their political systems and forms of poverty. Javier used to be an ambassador for Nicaragua and has lived in many places including New York City and London, so he too affords a diverse and well-rounded perspective. Both men were very educated and spoke English and Spanish extremely well.  They also weren’t shy to speak about their country and the problems they saw politically, economically and socially. I decided at one point in each conversation to inquire about what they thought their home country, Nicaragua, needed most right now. Without being prompted first or told about the literacy program, both answered that they believed Nicaragua needed education. They mentioned other things like infrastructure, investment, and microfinance—but the core foundation was the same: education. I was shocked that two men in two different conversations came to the same conclusion about their country. I was also extremely pleased; it felt good to know that I was doing something that was both important and essential.

Yet there is more to it. As I have mentioned before from my readings, education is not solely learning to read and write but an act of empowerment, a shift in worldviews. Rodrigo, Javier, and later a woman named Mary, all echoed these sentiments in my conversations with them. They thought that Nicaragua needed education not only for external reasons (such as for people to acquire better jobs and develop the economy) but for internal reasons too! They recognized that the people of Nicaragua needed a shift in their worldview. A mentality of dependence and helplessness needed to be replaced with a mentality of ingenuity and ambition, infused with values of hard work, love and responsibility. I got so excited! What I had been reading and doing aligned with the perspectives of many Nicaraguans themselves.

A lot of aid work seeks to change the system or the environment, but neglects the individual. Mary, a teacher in Puerto Cabezas, has taught all throughout Nicaragua and Guatemala. She has witnessed firsthand the change that education has brought about in people, both in those whom she has taught and in herself. It is her strong belief that education is most effective at producing lasting transformation when it is paired with the gospel and the values that it teaches. In her experience, simply including secular discussions in the curriculum about “moral” or “right” actions did not usually change a person in the long run, it was generally short lived. Mary recounts that she herself became a different person after a friend shared the gospel with her, noticing that she starting thinking in a less selfish, more trans-generational manner. In light of these encounters, Mary fully believes that it is only when someone starts a relationship with Jesus Christ that the change becomes a fully penetrating, enduring phenomenon. My own conviction is that this is true because of this simple biblical fact: God is the ultimate transformer. His Word is convicting and His grace compelling. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord…” The phrase “are being” implies that this change is also an ongoing process, it is not a one time deal. Just as the developmental aid work that I am doing in Nicaragua is a slow progression that takes time and effort, personal growth requires patience, sacrifice, and trust in God. But like Javier and Rodrigo pointed out, if we want to see our world environment change, we must first start with ourselves as individuals.

By Jessica Morningstar

I don’t exactly know why, but throughout this internship I keep coming back to the idea of evangelism. Though I have not been involved in any explicitly evangelical events nor read any books centered upon that idea this summer, the topic continues to resurface nonetheless. It manifests itself randomly in conversations, when browsing the web and in my daily internship experience. As I continue to subtly encounter it, I find my own paradigms and assumptions changing as I observe a novel phenomenon: silent evangelism.

Up until this summer, I had a very limited view of evangelism. If you had asked me what evangelism looked like I probably would have stood there racking my brain for minute and then rattled off something about handing out tracts, inviting people to Church, preaching the gospel to strangers on the street and telling stories of missionaries who converted whole tribes in Africa. Essentially, evangelism implied verbally telling another person a scripted version of the gospel (and ultimately converting them to Christianity).

If you asked me now what I think evangelism looks like I would paint a very different picture for you. Frankly, it would be a much quieter one. It involves mostly actions, you see. It looks like the students in Nueva Vida, Nicaragua who are striving to educate their community. It looks like CFC holding a pool party for children of local prison inmates. It looks like church members packing 500 backpacks full of school supplies for kids of soldiers and disadvantaged schools. It looks like LLC volunteers befriending immigrants and refugees in times of need. It looks like families packing 290,520 meals for Stop Hunger Now on a single Sunday morning in June.

I am not claiming that my initial perceptions were flawed or that street evangelism is wrong. I am just observing that evangelism can still take place without uttering a single word or handing out a gospel tract. It is like the quote by Saint Francis of Assisi that says “preach the gospel at all times, when necessary use words.” Usually the word “preach” indicates verbal communication, but in this quote Saint Francis clearly implies that words are not always needed. If anything, they should follow actions not precede them. Most everyone has heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, I am going to revise that to say, “an action is worth a thousand words.” This is especially applicable when it comes to international aid and cross-cultural interaction. Two people may not share the same language, but they can still communicate nonverbally through actions.

However, I also do not mean to discount the power of words. As I talked about in prior posts, stories and literature can be potent agents of transformation. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell explains how an idea, trend or social behavior can “spread like a virus” and cause a widespread “epidemic” simply through word of mouth. Words can be strong, no doubt. However, when it comes to evangelism, sometimes the most effective and influential method by which to spread “epidemics” of love and compassion is through our actions. In all of the examples I listed above people were loving and being loved, regardless of any subsequent conversion experience or immediate verbal acceptance of the gospel.

This week, in an attempt to further define evangelism, I turned to Internet dictionary resources. However, my efforts proved to be futile. No two definitions looked alike. Wikipedia even had an official dispute occurring over its page titled “evangelism.” A small notification in the heading advised me to visit the “talk page” where people of different backgrounds debated about the meaning of evangelism. Clearly, people had very different experiences and opinions on the matter. Individual denominations within the Christian faith even disagree about evangelism. It is my personal belief however, that despite all of these theological and ideological differences, the underlying motivation should remain the same. Evangelism, however it is done, should be done in the name of love. For the gospel is a message of love, and it is because of love that we even have this good news to share (John 3:16). In the end, love is a message that can be sent through both words and deeds.

Stories: the tales of our lives. How powerful they can be. How amazing is their ability to animate a historical event and paint a vivid, dream-like picture. Their recollection of the past possesses the ability to inspire, to celebrate, and even to mourn. They enable us to see friends and enemies in a new light. Stories promote understanding and compassion, revealing our human interconnectedness in their raw emotion. This week, they have made me cry, laugh and ponder in silence. Even amidst the monotony of daily work here at the office, I have had the privilege of hearing, reading, and experiencing powerful stories of triumph, sorrow and adventure.

This week I have been working on a comparative study of the Loudoun Literacy Council (LLC) adult literacy program and our own Nuestras Esperanzas in Nicaragua. I have been studying the LLC curriculum, observing classes, and interviewing teachers and administrators in order to find commonalities and learn from LLC’s successes. While academically I have picked up a lot of valuable information about how to implement a literacy program, what has been the most impactful for me has been hearing the stories of students and teachers.

This past Tuesday, I walked into a classroom to observe a beginner adult literacy session and I beheld a beautiful thing. A small group of people from a variety of countries, ages and socioeconomic positions were learning to speak, read and write English together. Though their skin color and native languages were different, they acted as a small family unit, helping each other to learn. Beth, a board member of Loudoun Literacy Council described the environment as being “like a mini U.N.” She explains, “we all learn from each other’s experiences and cultures and it creates a sense of empathy and camaraderie.” Beth has taught many literacy classes such as the one I observed and she often asks her students to come up in front of the class and talk about their own story and the country they grew up in. Presenting gives them practice, confidence and helps the students to learn from each other. Once or twice she has had refugees or immigrants in her class who come from countries in conflict with one another. By the end of the class season, their political tension is replaced with a new understanding of their peers. Beth says she has been blessed to hear some of their stories and to become a close friend. A refugee named Selamawi Asgedom and his family hold a special place in her heart. Selamawi or “Mawi” has an incredible story that he recounts in his book Of Beetles and Angels: A Boys Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard. As the title alludes to, Mawi came to America as an Ethiopian refugee and through his hard work and angelic disposition, he is now a Harvard alum, a world famous speaker, and has even appeared on Oprah. His story is one of triumph, loss, faith and legacy. Beth had the privilege of being a part of this amazing journey as she taught members of his family to speak English through her ESL program many years back.

Another beautiful thing to behold is people of all faiths working alongside of each other to make dreams such as Mawi’s come true. Both Christians, such as Beth, and non-Christians volunteer for this program. Though Beth wholeheartedly points to her faith in God as her number one motivation for serving in this area, she sees many others serving out a pure love for humankind and a passion for the international community. I believe that regardless of religion, we are all designed in such a way that when we help others we find ourselves with that delightful, “warm and fuzzy feeling” in the pit of our stomachs.

However, sometimes we only help people or are compassionate towards them after we have heard their story. I have noticed that I am more likely to take action or feel pity for someone when I am aware of their personal journey. Stories can be powerful for sure, but I don’t believe they should be necessary in order to motivate us to help. In his book Mawi writes,

“… our father told us about strangers. We should always treat them kindly, he said, because they could have been sent by God. He told us stories of how back home in Adi, God’s angels would descend out of mountains and mingle among people. People always mistreated the angels, my father said, because the angels never looked like angels. They were always disguised as the lowliest of beetles: beggars, vagrants and misfits” (29).

Regardless of their pasts, Mawi and his family always cared for these strangers. They acted in the spirit of Matthew 25, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in… ” Jesus essentially says to treat everyone as if they were Him in disguise. As cliché as this may sound, the world would be a much better place if we simply envisioned the strangers around us as Jesus himself or an undercover angel. In turn, we would see our own stories evolve and the pages become filled with new friends and powerful memories.

By Jessica Morningstar

I realized today that I have been talking extensively about this literacy program we are introducing in Nicaragua without fully defining literacy and explaining what this particular curriculum entails. A literacy program generally refers to an educational course designed to teach students how to read and write. Simple enough. But what makes this program so unique is that it goes beyond mere literacy. Woven throughout the curriculum are discussion periods, life skills development, health and hygiene talks, basic mathematics lessons and an introduction to Christianity. So while the adult students are learning to read, they are also learning how to take care of their family health needs, manage finances and even learn business skills. A crucial aspect of the program is the allotted discussion period where the students engage in weekly conversations about specific topics and learn to think critically about the world around them. This literacy program is truly a holistic approach to personal transformation through education.

This all encompassing, multi-dimensional curriculum aligns with many global poverty reduction models. The UN Millennium Development Goals specifically come to mind: universal education, the end of poverty and hunger, gender equality, child health, maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability and global partnership. This literacy program specifically addresses almost every one of these aforementioned objectives. The reading and writing portions coincide with the goal of universal education, the health and hygiene sections seek to prevent diseases and infections, and finally the discussion periods tackle cultural issues such as gender roles, community cohesion and even religion. I am getting excited just writing about this program! I genuinely believe that it possesses incredible potential to change lives and communities. The people that I have talked to in Nicaragua recognize this too and seem just as, if not more enthusiastic than I.

Funny enough, I learned today that this program was originally developed with the teachings of Paolo Freire in mind. He wrote the book that I am currently reading, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, as well as Education for Critical Consciousness. One of his most revolutionary and keynote ideas pertaining to education in his books is that education should be about dialogue. He says “‘problem-posing’ education, responding to the essence of consciousness—intentionality—rejects communiqués and embodies communication… Liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transferrals of information” (Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 79). In his view, education should not mean simply memorizing facts and listening to teachers. The learning environment should embody conversation and exploration. He believes that only through this form of education can students be challenged to respond to problems and change their society for the better. That is exactly what this literacy program is seeking to do through its distinct curriculum… encourage dialogue for empowerment.

One thing that Freire does not address, however, is the faith aspect of change. We can probably all agree that education is crucial to the transformation of lives and communities. I wonder though, what role faith plays in this educational arena. As I briefly alluded to in the beginning, also incorporated into this literacy program’s curriculum is an introduction to basic Christian theology. You may find yourself asking what the rational is behind this inclusion of religion into a literacy program. My answer is that Christians with whom I have interacted thus far strongly believe in the importance of faith alongside of education. I would like to quote from a teacher in Puerto Cabezas named Javier who put it simply, saying, “knowledge plus God equals transformed lives. You need both.” Like Javier, my personal inclination based on experience is to think that the inclusion of a spiritual element adds more depth and strength to any transformation because it penetrates to the core: the heart. Over the remaining course of this internship though, I intend to further explore this question. Perhaps my observations of the differences between a secular literacy program taught in Loudoun County, Virginia and the spiritually infused literacy program in Nicaragua will shed some light on the matter. While only time will reveal the true quality of transformation, I hope to be lucky enough to get a glimpse of it during the next few weeks.