Lastman and Maria Jose

    

      In October of 2011, when we spent three weeks in Nicaragua laying the foundation for Students International, we met Lastman and Maria Jose.  Lastman and Maria Jose are active members of the church here in Masaya and were interested in working in missions.  We recognized in them the qualities we look for in staff and gave them applications to fill out and submit. 

      An interesting fact about Lastman and Maria Jose is that in 2010 they spent seven months working for the t.v. show “Survivor” when it was being filmed in Nicaragua.  They worked as translators and headed up the housekeeping and maintenance crews.  Because of their faith and their refusal to become involved in the filming crew’s partying and immorality, they were often publicly ridiculed.  But in spite of this, they remained strong in their faith and courageously witnessed to those who made fun of them.

      Lastman and Maria Jose have been key in helping us get started here.  They have helped us secure housing, find a trustworthy cook and grounds keeper for the S.I. missions base, and have given us many insights into how things are done in Nicaragua.  We thank God for Lastman and Maria Jose and the valuable asset they are to our team.

 

Recent Joys

•    Attending our Nicaraguan church’s Prayer Summit - Nate

• Drinking hot tea made from fresh ginger root - Nate

• Learning from Maria Jose how to cook rice Nicaraguan style - Maggie

• Being able to rent a house and begin to once again create a “home” for the Slabach family    - Maggie 
  
  
  
  
  Prayer Requests
   
  1. Grace to accurately evaluate needs and  opportunities as we begin to open ministries in the community
  2. Humility and the attitude of a learner as we adjust to a new culture
  3. That God would help me become a man of prayer - Nate
  4.  That I would be able to find a good language school, so I can improve my Spanish 
                                                                  - Maggie
  
  

 

Twenty-one Days in Nicaragua

Students International Base

Located on the highway outside of Masaya, the base will be our center of operations and will house outreaches of up to thirty people.

Twenty-one days ago, American Airlines Flight 985 touched down at the Managua airport.  After five months of transition, we had finally arrived.  Somehow it seems like we’ve been in Nicaragua for much longer than three weeks - not in a bad way, but because of everything God has allowed us to experience and accomplish.

      Our primary focus in these weeks has been two-fold—to personally get settled in and to get the Students International ministry base up and running.  Appliances, bunk beds, kitchen supplies, and office equipment needed to be located and purchased for the base. Curtains needed to be sewed. Wiring and plumbing had to be adapted to the ministry’s needs.  The grounds had been neglected and needed attention.  

      God has also been gracious to us personally.  We have purchased a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero which will serve us well in ministry.  We have also located and signed a rental contract on a house.  We’re excited because it has extra bedrooms which give us the ability to host visitors and a large living room which will be used for staff bible studies and other staff events.  Nate thinks he would like to buy a bicycle.  Many Nicaraguan families can’t afford a car or a motorcycle, so bicycles become a much used form of transportation.  Using a bicycle to run to the store, visit our ministries as they become established,  and run other small errands will be a way for us to identify with the culture.

      We have begun to connect with the local church here in Masaya.  We have been attending Sunday morning services and have been part of a prayer summit and a evangelistic event.  We are blessed by the church’s vision for outreach to the community, their emphasis on discipleship,  and their dynamic church gatherings.  Pastor Luna is a man of faith, prayer, and humility, and his example inspires us.

      In these three weeks, we have been experiencing  the grace and power of God.  Philippians 2:13 says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”  As we complete this first phase and move on into developing ministries in the community, we are confident that God will continue to grace us with discernment, key connections, and the empowering of his Spirit that we so desperately need.

Our First Team

      Ten days after arriving to Nicaragua, we hosted Students International Costa Rica director, Jeff Dixon, Cailah Pritchard and eight semester students from Fresno Pacific University.  S.I. Costa Rica ministers to many Nicaraguan immigrants.  Bringing the semester students to Nicaragua provided the opportunity for them to learn about the history and culture of Nicaragua.  They visited historical and political sites, the local market, and scenic areas.  They also dedicated two days to working at our base.  They worked in the lawn, washed windows and screens, and helped with other maintenance projects. 

Home Away From Home

When we first began to think about and plan for our transition from the Dominican Republic to Nicaragua, we knew it would involve several months in the States.  Since we no longer own a house, one of our challenges was finding a place to stay during those months.  During a ladies bible study, Maggie shared this challenge as a prayer request.  After the meeting, a fellow missionary told Maggie about friends of hers, Jeryl and Pat Hochstedler, who had a cabin located on their property which they use for hosting missionaries and pastors.  Long story short, the Hochstedlers offered their cabin to us as a place to call home during our transition.  The cabin has been a wonderful answer to prayer.                            

The Jeryl and Pat also have seven donkeys, two horses, a dog, several cats and laying hens.  Nate has enjoyed taking care of the animals while the Hochstedlers are away on a missions trip.

Family Events

Wedding bells rang the second time for the Slabach family in 2011.  On December 17, Ethan was married to Kelli Meyer.  Ethan and Kelli both work at Calvary Chapel Bible College and Conference Center in Murrieta, California.  The wedding and reception took place at the beautiful bible college campus.  Congratulations Ethan and Kelli!

Our son, Ryan, has been serving with Calvary Chapel in Costa Rica since December of 2009.  The day after the wedding, the pastors at Calvary Chapel ordained Ryan as a minister of the gospel.  He will continue to lead a small Calvary Chapel extension campus in Costa Rica and help with a church plant.  Being able to be at Ryan's ordination was a special honor for our family.

All of us being at the wedding also gave us the opportunity to spend time with our little Audrianna.  She is three months old now.  Maggie says that all the good things she heard about being a grandmother are definitely  true.

Nicaragua

Youth in one of Masaya's neighborhoods.

     This afternoon I’m flipping through the photos Maggie and I took during our three-week laying-the-foundation trip to Nicaragua in October and November. With each photo comes a memory: rainy season humidity, worshipping with Nicaraguan brothers and sisters, searching for mission base properties, connecting with pastor Luna, learning to drive with different traffic laws, an active volcano, Nicaraguan villages, corn tortillas, very real poverty, and dreaming about ministry possibilities. My heart is moved with a longing to be there. To somehow be part of God’s redemption and healing in a land scarred by oppression, civil war and natural disasters.


The Nicaragua Team of Seven

      We have purchased our airline tickets. We’ll be flying into Managua, capital of Nicaragua, on February 15. Our team of seven: Lowell and Cheryl Troyer, Austin and Jill Hofsommer, Maria Mejia, and Maggie and I will immediately begin to look for housing, prepare a Students International missions base, and initiate S.I. ministries in the communities surrounding Masaya. We are excited and move forward with anticipation.
     We ask for your prayers as we go. Pray that we will be able to hear the voice of God and partner with what He is already doing in Nicaragua. Pray that we will be able to secure the documentation we need to obtain Nicaraguan residency. Pray that God will unite us in purpose and in heart. Pray that God will overflow our hearts with compassion and love for the peoples of Nicaragua.
     After ten years of being in foreign missions, we are needing to raise financial support again. Maggie and I are trusting God to provide six hundred dollars per month which would bring us back up to covering our monthly budget. If you would like to be one of our monthly partners, check out the support address and instructions below.
     Transitioning to Nicaragua means that our “Caribbean Connection” blog title no longer applies. Our blog will now be called “The Slabach Story”.
     This Christmas season, we bless you in the name of the Lord. Thank you for your prayers and support. Together we will bring the redemptive, healing grace of our God to the nations.

Support Address: Students International, P.O. Box 2733, Visalia, CA 93279

Checks need to be made out to Students International with a note attached stating who you want it to benefit.

Ministering to Those Who Minister

Jose and Nora Fares, staff pastor and media ministry site leader in Guatemala.

     Nate has been asked to give pastoral oversight to the Students InternationaI ministries in Latin America: Guatemala, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and the service center in California.
     In July, we traveled to Guatemala and spent a week with the Students International staff there. We were able to meet with each staff member personally, hear their hearts, and pray with them.

     We spent time with Jose and Nora Fares. Jose leads a S.I. media ministry in the mountain community of Magdalena in which young people are given the opportunity to learn the basics of photography and graphic design. Jose is also serving as staff pastor in Guatemala. We dreamed about the future and exchanged ideas for effective staff care.

     We would really appreciate your prayers as we assume the responsibilities of this new role. Pray that God would grant us wisdom, discernment, and a special grace as we serve those who serve, and minister to those who minister.

Ten Years

 

Our family of seven just days before leaving Indiana to begin our work with Students International

    We’ve now been working with Students International for ten years. In August of 2001, we moved out of our house, packed our personal belongings into a small U-Haul trailer, and with our children ages 10-18 tucked safely in our Astro minivan, headed west toward California. It was a step of faith and obedience to the call of God—a terrifying excitement like you feel when you’re about ready to plunge down a screamer of a roller coaster.

    During the next ten months, Nate worked at the S.I. service center and took classes at a seminary in Fresno. For four of those months, we rented a second story apartment in a low income area, with all of our neighbors being Latino or African American. This proved to be a valuable cross-cultural experience for our family.

    In June of 2002, we boarded a plane with our final destination being the Dominican Republic. We must have been quite a spectacle as our crew of seven lugged fourteen pieces of checked luggage and seven carry-on pieces through the airports. Lowell Troyer was there to meet us when we arrived in Santo Domingo.

    God has allowed us to be part of what he is doing in the Dominican Republic. We have witnessed his transforming power at work in lives, families, and communities. We have experienced his grace at work in us, empowering us to do things that we are unable to do in our own strength and ability. Now as we transition from the D.R. to help pioneer a Students International ministry in Nicaragua, we place our trust in the One who has proven himself so faithful during the past ten years.

She's Here!

She's here!!  Our first grandchild, Audrianna, was born on October 1, weighing 9 lbs and 4 oz., and Maggie and I are now grandparents.  You can imagine how excited Maggie was when, due to our transition from the D.R. to Nicaragua, she was able to travel to Virginia a week before Lindsi's due date. 

Maggie got to be with Lindsi during the 36 hour labor and delivery.

Being grandparents is so fun!  Maggie helps change diapers, bottle feed, and care for Audrianna.  She loves to sing children's scripture songs over her as she holds her.  I enjoy watching Audrianna's expressions when I talk to her.  She wrinkles up her face when I kiss her and my beard touches her skin.  



The new Papa and Nana with little Audrianna

Stephen and Lindsi are being such good parents.  We are blessed to know that the love of God and biblical truth will be passed from Stephen and Lindsi to Audrianna - from one generation to the next.

Leave a Legacy

Several years after arriving to the Dominican Republic, I was invited to join a newly formed men's accountability group comprised of men from various Christian organizations working in our area.  We began to meet one morning per week at 6:00 am for breakfast, personal sharing, and prayer.  In addition to giving and receiving encouragement, counsel, and support, I also valued the opportunity to connect with and collaborate with leaders of other ministries.  For the next seven years, this time was an important part of my weekly schedule.  

Our men's accountability group as it was in 2010. 

Several months before I left the D.R., several other men expressed interest in joining our group.  We discussed this at the next men's meeting and decided that our group was large enough.  We felt that increasing the group's size would limit each man's sharing time and decrease it's effectiveness.  At the same time we believed God was giving us an opportunity to leave a legacy by initiating the formation of a second group.  We began to spread the word, and men began to respond to our invitation.  In fact, the response was big enough that we were able to not only form a second group but also a third group. 

Breakfast with our group and the men who will form two new groups.

I thank God for the seven years that I was able to share with the men of our men's group.  I will miss them. I also thank God that he allowed me to be part of reproducing our group and leave a legacy.

Pico Duarte

The Dominican Republic is home to the highest mountain  in the Caribbean, Pico Duarte (10,164 ft).  Pico Duarte is also higher than any of the Appalachian peaks.  I have hiked this peak in the past, but as we began making plans to leave the D.R. and move to Nicaragua, I thought it would be great to hike it one more time. I shared my idea with the Students International staff, and five other guys decided to go with me: Lowell Troyer, Ryan Holloway, Leo Escalante, Raul Canela, and Hans Miller. The distance from the entrance of the National Park to the summit is 14.4 miles with an elevation change of 6425 ft.  We chose to make it a three-day hike.

The first day was the most intense as we climbed six thousand feet and covered approximately twelve miles.  Five hours into our hike, rain clouds moved in, and we hiked the next four hours in rain.  That evening, we arrived at a camp three miles from the peak.  We were cold, wet, hungry and tired.  A campfire, a rice and chicken dinner, and dry clothes felt so good.  The following day we hiked to the top and back down to camp.  On day three, we hiked on out.

Onward and Upward!!



At the very top of Pico Duarte!  We did it!





The mountain range extends for miles though the western Dominican Republic and on into Haiti.

The the magestic views of the mountains and valleys were incredible and drew my attention to the One who created it all.  Like the Scriptures state, " For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth". 

Upon our return, Raul approached me and said, "Nate, thanks for allowing me to go along on the hike.  When men experience challenging adventures together, they connect on a deeper level".

Mrs. Tyler Shirley

On July 2, our daughter, Andrea, became Mrs. Tyler Shirley!!  Andrea first met Tyler when he came to the Dominican Republic to participate in a two week outreach.  Later he served with us as a summer intern helping host short-term outreaches and assisting at one of our rural preschools. Andrea then chose to study graphic design at Indiana Wesleyan University where Tyler was completing his studies in community development.
Andrea and Tyler are currently living in Marion, Indiana.  Andrea is completeing her last year of college, and Tyler manages rental properties.  They also serve as worship pastors at their church. 



It was an honor to walk Andrea down the aisle and then lead her and Tyler in their vows of covenant.

 

Our little blond, blue-eyed girl - now a beautiful bride.





Tyler and Andrea, we bless you in the name of the Lord!  May He empower you, guard you, and reveal himself to you as you pursue his eternal purposes for your life.

Update Series

It's been nearly two months since we have posted.  In that time so much has happened - a pastoral trip to Guatemala, installation of new directors, our daughter Andrea's wedding, and continued transition.  During the next several days, we will be posting a series of updates.

Amazing!

New Students International staff members, Hans and Jami Miller, and their two boys arrived to the Dominican Republic on June 14.  Hans will be working with our construction ministry and Jami who has a master’s in education, will be serving as a mentor/trainer for the twelve teachers who teach at our preschools and special education school.  They will be a great asset to our team.  Now, here’s the amazing part.  In fourth and fifth grade, Hans attended a small Christian school in Indiana, and Nate was his teacher.  Twenty years later, God began stirring in Hans a desire to serve in missions and directed him to contact Nate about cross cultural ministry opportunities with Students International.  God who knows the end from the beginning, works out all things according to his purpose.

Staff Retreat - Costa Rica

In May, we had the privilege of sharing at the Students International staff retreat in Costa Rica. The theme of the retreat was “Avoiding Burnout and Maintaining Spiritual Health in Ministry”.  Nate spoke about the Vine and the Branches (John 15) and the importance of spending time in the presence of God.  Fruitful ministry is a direct result of spending time in God’s presence.  He also used Joshua as an example of longevity in ministry.  Joshua died at the age of 110 after completing seventy years of ministry. During those seventy years, Joshua remained faithful and the people of Israel followed the Lord.  Only twice do we read that he made a mistake in leadership.  What was his secret? Early in his life, he learned the value of spending time in the presence of the Lord and hearing his voice.  We really enjoyed being with the S.I. Costa Rica staff.