This transformation story is about Nereyda, the Impact Club coordinator at the Nehemiah Center, and about her journey with the Cohort of Missioners program.
The Cohort of Missioners is a 1 year program that is run in partnership with Resonate, one of the Nehemiah Center’s international collaborators, and immerses ‘Missioners’ into a new culture. Missioners come from different countries to partner with organizations in Central America and other Missioners, serving, worshiping, loving, and living out the change they want to see in the world.
Nereyda joined this program about a year ago here in Nicaragua because she wanted to serve God in the most vulnerable places and to help those that need it the most. To Nereyda, being a part of the Cohort of Missioners allows her to bring God’s Word of hope to these communities and people and to walk alongside them in their life projects. Nereyda also wanted the opportunity to get to know other cultures in the process.
There are many positive things about being a part of the Cohort of Missioners. The most positive part for Nereyda is being able to learn. She is learning how to be more humble, how to have more empathy and feel suffering on behalf of others, how to be brave and not be fearful of anyone because God is taking care of us, and above all how to be positive and have strength when the challenges of this life come.
Being a part of a program that stretches someone also has challenges. The most challenging part of being a Missioner for Nereyda is the language barrier between her and her fellow Missioners who do not speak Spanish. Despite this, Nereyda is still able to be positive in getting to know the Missioners from other countries and their cultures and experiences.
Sharing experiences and life with other Missioners is a big part of the program. For Nereyda, sharing life with other people is a beautiful way to serve God. She recently had the opportunity to share with Missioners from other Central American countries the transformation happening in communities through her work with IMPACT Clubs. Through the IMPACT Clubs, she has served in communities in the departments of León and Chinandega and she has seen and helped the lives of young people at risk change. She has also been able to show them values and skills that can help them to become responsible in their lives and become agents of change in their communities.
Nereyda said, “Completing a year as a Missioner is the best thing that has happened to me.” She has a passion for serving, helping, advising and teaching others and she has been able to do that through the Cohort of Missioners and also through the IMPACT Clubs at the Nehemiah Center.
Her experience with the Cohort of Missioners has changed every part of her life, even her marriage. Nereyda has seen how both her and her husband have grown spiritually and have begun to have compassion and empathy for others. Nereyda is so grateful that her husband has helped her so much and has allowed her to be a part of this program. She believes that because of her and her husband’s obedience, God is blessing them.
Nereyda said, “The Cohort of Missioners is an excellent program that allows a person who is willing to serve and grow integrally in all areas of life, strengthening [their] intimacy with God through spiritual following and increasing [their] personal skills.” Her experience as a Missioner has allowed her to work and learn from people from other cultures and hear their service stories and testimonies of success.
Nereyda is continuing to serve God in Nicaragua with the Nehemiah Center.