Friends of Chinandega founding team in Nicaragua, February 2011, left to right, Harley Janssen, Larry Groenenboom, Marlo Van Klompenburg, Carol Van Klompenburg, Kathy Groenenboom, Gary Hanson, Sandy Shalin Rhoades, Claude Zylstra, Palmer Rhoades, Ed Spoelstra.
In February 2011, a Pella Service and Learning team sat in a Chinandega hotel room and dreamed dreams: What might a relationship between Pella and Chinandega Christians look like? Out of that dream has emerged Friends of Chinandega, currently a ministry of Faith Christian Reformed Church of Pella.
One year later, as Marlo and Carol Van Klompenburg return from a month in Nicaragua, that vision is materializing. Five Chinandega churches would like to work with a North American team of about 10 people in sponsoring events for neighborhood children during Nicaragua’s school vacation July 13-20. Sign-up sheets are on the Faith church office counter.
Friends of Chinandega is currently recruiting volunteers for an11-day trip to Nicaragua July 13-22.
Tentative plans for the trip include orientation at the Nehemiah Center in Managua, pairs of North Americnas assisting each of the five Chinadega churches with their neighborhood outreach, and a final combined celebration.
Current plan is that one North American in each pair speaks rudimentary Spanish, or that a translator accompanies each pair.
Marlo Van Klompenburg says that the goal of the planned trip—and for Friends of Chinandega in general—is two-way learning and transformation.
“Christians around the world can learn from each other,” he said.
Friends of Chinandega 