When Joe Albright came to Nicaragua on a mission trip, he thought he was coming to build houses. But when he participated in a ten-day delegation mission trip to a small community in Nicaragua, he not only helped to construct houses. He constructed relationships with Nicaraguans and learned to see them as brothers and sisters in Christ. By working side-by-side with Nicaraguans in this housing project, Joe realized that fellowship shared with them was the most significant part of his delegation experience.

• The Focus of the Nehemiah Program
• The Nehemiah Program's Mission
• FAQs
• Delegations
• Covenant Relationships
• Current Partnerships
• Partnership News
  

The Focus of the Nehemiah program is cultivating understanding between people from the north and Nicaraguans. Its staff strives to create group programs that encourage life-changing experiences like Joe's through creating a greater understanding of how Christians from the global north and the global South experience the problem of poverty. A visiting short-term delegation will have an eye-opening experience through encounters with individuals and groups, exchanging knowledge and building relationships.

The Nehemiah Program's Mission is to act as a prophetic voice by contributing to the reconciliation and transformation of relationships between communities in Nicaragua and those in other countries. We do this by serving as a channel for educational experiences that create bonds of love, unity and peace. This program is an integral part of CEPAD'S ministry. Inspired by the Gospel, we work to form more just relationships at a global level through cultivating relationships and socio-cultural awareness at a grass roots level.

FAQs

Who can come on a delegation trip?
Everyone! Groups of any description with a desire to learn and experience life in Nicaragua are welcome. Delegation visits usually last from eight to fifteen days with groups of seven to fifteen participants. Our delegations program emphasizes learning about the current Nicaraguan context and being with Nicaraguans.

Where would we stay?
For part of your trip you would stay at the Nehemiah center, which provides comfortable lodgings and is located in the capital, Managua. Most delegations also include a period of home stay where you will actually live in a community where CEPAD works, with a local family. Actually living in the home of a host from the community in which you are working, sharing meals and exchanging viewpoints can be a very eye-opening experience.

What would we do?
We tailor delegation programs to group objectives within the CEPAD Nehemiah mission. Part of this mission is to provide the opportunity for transformational personal experiences that inspire all of us to work towards a more just world. Through meetings about different issues, informal encounters with Nicaraguans, reflection and brief homestays, we hope that group members will arrive at a broader understanding of themselves and their relationship to the global problem of poverty. Some groups ask that in addition to educational experiences a service project be built into their program. The kinds of service or work projects which CEPAD communities will be offering in 2005 and 2006 are enterprises helpful at a base level, such as reforestation or soil conservation, agricultural work, and repairing or strengthening roads.

How much would it cost?
The cost of a delegation visit is calculated on the following scale:

PLEASE NOTE - For groups smaller than 7 people, we will have to figure a cost based on what the group wants to do and where they want to go.  For groups going to the Rio San Juan or the Atlantic Coast the cost will be higher also.

Medical and Dental groups -- There will be an additional charge of $100 to cover our costs associated with getting approval from the Ministry of Health and Customs office for such groups to bring their materials and practice here.

What the Per Diem Covers
The amount covers all program planning, advance trips to the communities, food, lodging, ground transportation, translation, etc.   Your only other costs (besides airfare) will be:  $5 for a Nicaraguan Entrance Visa and your own snacks and souvenirs.

About Our Work
We consider our work as delegation coordinators to be something much greater than simply arranging for logistics and aiding in translation. Our work is a ministry of education, transformation, and accompaniment. We accompany your group as facilitators, your group accompanies brothers and sisters in Nicaragua, and Nicaraguans accompany you as you learn and engage in new experiences during your journey in Nicaragua. The delegation fee you pay helps to sustain our delegation program and - more importantly -ultimately supports CEPAD's ministry of accompaniment, education, leadership training, and development work in more than thirty impoverished communities throughout the country.

Interested? Contact our staff at partners@cepad.org.ni

Delegations

For information on special delegations coming in 2007 and 2008, please click here.

2007 Delegations that have visited Nicaragua through the Cepad Nehemiah Program:
click on churches/universities with links to pages about their trips in Nicaragua

• St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
• Southern California Disciples of Christ/United Church of Christ
• Presbyterian Church of Canada
• Delmar Reformed Church, New York
• Grove Presbyterian Church, Danville, Pennsylvania
• Lake Michigan Presbytery
• Davidson College, North Carolina
• Davidson College Presbyterian Church, North Carolina
• University of Northern Iowa
• Grand Valley State University, Michigan
• Yale University School of Nursing
• Swarthmore Presbyterian Church, Pennsylvania
• First Presbyterian Church, Sarasota, Florida
• Lake Michigan Presbytery Youth
• Cedar Lake Church of the Brethern, Auburn, Indiana
• Country Club Christian Church, Kansas City, Missouri
• Lake Michigan Presbytery (Youth delegation)
• Cedar Lake Church of the Brethren, Aurora, Indiana
• First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Huntsville, Texas
• First Congregational Church (UCC), Indianapolis, Indiana
• First Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Virginia
• Okemos Community Church, Okemos, Michigan
• Davidson College Presbyterian Church, Davidson, North Carolina
• Forest Hills Community Church (PCUSA), Cleveland, Ohio
• Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery, St. Louis, Missouri
• Edgewood United Church (UCC), East Lansing, Michigan
  

Covenant Relationships

After a transforming experience through our delegations program, groups often feel moved to find ways to deepen their commitment and understanding of the Nicaraguan people. One way to do that is by establishing a covenant relationship - a long term friendship between North and South - by sharing our faith, struggles, dreams, and ways of life.

Want to learn more about how our partnership program works and what partnerships are doing to keep their relationships vital? Click here to read our partnership newsletter, "Bonds Without Borders."

Current Partnerships

Partnership News
Please click here to read partnership news.