Youth Development Update

Hop on the bus to the great news

We are exited to share with you all the amazing things that are happening in the Amigos for Christ Youth Development Program. Here is an overview of everything new and inspiring in our kids’ lives!

Amigos Academy Update

New classrooms

We are thrilled to announce that we broke ground on our new classrooms a few months ago!

These classrooms will allow us to invest more in our English program and the fine arts.

This is the first of three phases to create a comprehensive and transformational educational experience for all our students. We are excited to show off our progress and hope you can come and help us construct a brighter future for all of Chinandega! Many more details to come in this remarkable new chapter at the Amigos Academy.

Leaders in Action Update

Growing our Impact

Our students in the Leaders in Actions program (our high school and college scholarship program) are in full swing as they near the mid-point of their school year. In addition to studying, our students are expected to complete 100 community service hours to pay it forward.

This year we made the program even better by creating a youth room at the Amigos Complex and expanding our team. Our goal has always been to provide a quality educational experience to the youth of Chinandega who would not have had access otherwise.

This year, we are rounding out our program to include an emphasis on a student’s emotional, spiritual, and social life.

Our Leaders in Action Team

Ana comes to Leaders in Action from the Amigos Academy where she was the English teacher. She is passionate about education and self-improvement. She will be working with over 100 high school students to create safe and fun spaces to play, pray, and become the people God made them to be.

Claudia is a licensed psychologist with more than 5 years of clinical experience working with students. Her passion is working with students to overcome obstacles that keep them from succeeding. In her short time with us, she has made an enormous impact and is known to be a kind and calming presence among the students.

Gema has been working with Leaders in Action for almost 9 years. She oversees the administrative and academic side of our program and has a passion for learning. She is especially excited this year because her oldest son, Nathan, is participating in the program.

Herendyra is a model of perseverance for the students. Ten years ago, she took a job with the Amigos kitchen team. She began to study and earned a college degree in social work. With her degree in hand, she began to work with our Plan 7 communities, helping them to reach their goals, just like she reached her own. This year she has transferred to our amazing team and works with university students to help with job placement and skill training.

Baseball Academy Update

Play Ball!!!

We are excited to share with you that our first-ever Amigos for Christ baseball invitational trip happened in June and it was an incredible success!

15 high school players from South Carolina traveled to Chinandega to serve with and play alongside (and against) our U18 baseball team. It was a memorable experience and we are grateful that our friends from LifePoint came to play ball!

If you or anyone you know would be interested in setting up a baseball-centered service experience, let us know!

Student Spotlight

Elias is a math wiz!!!

We want to introduce you to Elias, a Leaders in Action scholarship student who is studying accounting at a local private school. Elias has been selected to represent his school in a city-wide math tournament because of his excellent grades, attendance, and strong work ethic.

Each day he is taking time to prepare for the competition, and we couldn’t be prouder of him and all our scholarship students who represent Amigos for Christ!

Thank you for coming along for the ride!

The post appeared first on Amigos for Christ I Mission Trips to Nicaragua.

Hey Kristin, why do YOU love Amigos?

Leydin is a light of transformation.

Why do you believe in the work that we do?
I believe a lot in what Amigos does because we are a bridge of blessing for families living in rural Nicaragua, and also a blessing for each person who works for our organization. In the Amigos Family, we know that we are a light of transformation. That’s why I believe in the work that we do.

Hey Leydin, why do you believe in our mission to make Christ more visible?
I believe in the mission of Amigos because I feel that I am a creation of God and I am here to serve and help other people with the love and service from God, both in the communities and within one’s own family, to be able to transform and change the life of each person.

Why do you keep working at Amigos?
I continue working at Amigos because I love my job. I know that it is a blessing for my life, for my family. In addition to that, I like to help people and be part of the Amigos Family, sharing and enjoying in moments together. Work is a blessing that God gives to each of us here in this world.

Patty is in for the long haul!

Todd Wright
-Suwanee, GA

Hey Todd, why are you involved with Amigos?

I really love being involved with Amigos for Christ and interacting with kids who take great joy in playing with a balloon or a ball of any kind and who just like hanging out with the old guy who doesn’t speak their language and can’t roll his rr’s. I continue to come back to Nicaragua and to lead groups so that they can see what I see in Amigos for Christ – an amazing organization doing God’s work and making Christ visible. I hope that what they do rubs off on me each year and I can make it 51 more weeks trying to live life the way they do. Thank you for all you do Amigos I do appreciate you!

Families from rural Nicaraguan communities.

Laura has a servant's heart.

Why do you keep working here?

I continue working here at Amigos because I truly believe in the mission we have and also because I love being part of something that is truly bigger than me.

Hey Laura, why do you believe in what we do?
I believe in the mission of Amigos, to serve so that Christ is more visible, because in all the years that I have worked and served here in the organization, I have seen a lot of change and a lot of transformation. Through that mission in action, I’ve seen transformation in the communities, in the people who work here, with me, my colleagues, and also in the people who come to visit.

Dr. Scott True from Cincinnati

Dr. Scott True from Cincinnati worked alongside doctors in the local hospital to do some of the first knee and hip replacements in Chinandega. That was over a decade ago! Listen to his words on why he keeps coming back.

Luis lives out Amigos' mission.

Hey Luis, why do you believe in Amigos’ mission?
I believe in our mission of making Christ more visible because we make Him more visible through our actions. Actions of service are what allow us to show the face of Jesus and continue in his steps.

Why do you stay with Amigos?
I have stayed with Amigos all these years because I live what our mission is. I identify with everything we do here. I really like how we are trying to support so many people to change their lives.

Jake Armentrout from Cincinnati

Patricia loves what she does.

Hey Patricia, why do you believe in the mission of Amigos?
Because serving the people who visit us, the people of the communities, that’s how we make Christ more visible, with our acts of service.
Why do you continue working for Amigos?
Because I like it, I am in love with my work and I like what I do and, above all, I do it with a lot of love. I faithfully believe in what Amigos does, because I have seen it, because I have lived it, the way they serve people and build connections with people, with families, with visiting volunteers and in communities.