One of the [many] things we are passionate about is relationships.  Relationships with each other, relationships with Christ, relationships in the church, relationships outside of the church, relationship with self, and with possessions…all are important.  Through the book When Helping Hurts we have come to believe that the foundational cause of poverty is relational, so the solution must be relational as well.

Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation. … Material poverty alleviation is working to reconcile the four foundational relationships so that people can fulfill their callings of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of that work. pg. 78

In Nicaragua, we aren’t going to offer anything other than ourselves.  We want to encourage and foster healthy relationships and the first step to doing that is showing the  kids that they worthy of love, that they are beloved.  This is no small task.  Life is messy.  People are messy and relationships are terribly messy.

And, I think, terribly beautiful.

Don’t you?

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The above picture was taken in August, 2010 in Nicaragua.  Tate attended a soccer camp with the kids in the orphanage and although he was nervous to go, the little boys took great care of him.