Final del Año Update

Here is a summary of what has been going on lately.

I moved again. Now I live in Los Cedros (20 km outside Managua). I'm on a six acre banana farm where my shop and school is. I have a little casita out front that will be the office and showroom eventually too. Right now it is entirely unfinished. I just have a hammock, no electricity, and I have to walk about 100 yards for running water. Most of my expenses will go to making it livable. I love it though! It feels like what I felt led to come here for is finally starting. I am working with a group called Trinity Development. They are pastors and businessmen from both Atlanta and Managua that had the idea that to change a community you needed to place a thriving business in the area and become part of that community (that way you aren't just giving from the outside, but helping change from within), then educate the people of how to work in your business. So it is a school and a cabinet mill. We will be offering classes on marriage, finance, and English in addition to the carpentry classes. We will also do a half day community service project once a week with the students/employees. As of right now we have all the tools in place, and hope to take our first students at the end of January when school starts back here. We have already done entrance exams and orientation, and we plan to do a round 2 of that next week.

The players of Trinity that need prayer are:
Greg Elam (President)
Mike Elmer (Operations Manager)
Roger Keeling (Silent Partner from Atlanta...but lives here, he has developments on the Pacific Coast that are going to be clients)
Armando ? (Personnel Manager (That's the best title I can think of for him...Armando is a God send. He does a little of everything and is good at it.)
Jorge ? (Nica Silent Partner)
Ben (Nica Silent Partner)
They hired an accountant while I was in Costa Rica last week, and I haven't met her yet.
and me (Shop Manager/Teacher)

also we have been working with local pastor (Pastor Manuel) for lots of things. This is our most urgent prayer need, as we have a meeting with him tomorrow about his future role with us. Also we are having the mayor over for lunch and a facility tour tomorrow.

For me the last couple weeks have been mostly filled with arranging tool purchases and material suppliers, shop setup, researching candidates, and translating meetings for Greg.

In other news. I still try to make myself available to do the maintenance at Casa Havilah, and try to visit the girls at least once a week, but that has become more difficult since I moved, and my Land Rover spent a couple weeks in the shop. I have been giving my tithes to help buy the food for the girls there.

And the last thing was I spent my Saturday afternoons volunteering with the scholarship program, they are now finished for the year. A praise from that though, is that Romolo got saved a couple weeks back! He is like a different person, you can see it in his eyes. And he and Miguel have moved in with Pastor Ramon, who is going to lead a Verbo church plant in La Chureca. They are really thriving in such a healthy environment...so big ups to God on that one!

That's kinda the rundown.

Much Love,
Eli