News

Dee Dee Jones and Julie Blake participated in a PartnerTrip with Federated Church of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in November of 2017. We asked them to talk about their experience as first-timers to JustHope!

Tell us a little about yourselves and how you learned about JustHope.

We have been interested in joining a trip with Leslie [Penrose, JustHope's founder] for many years. DeeDee has known Leslie and Steve for about 30 years and attended churches where Leslie was pastoring.

We both have always wanted to travel, but as educators, trips like this never fit into both of our schedules at the right time. We both retired from education, and the timing was perfect. We were both nervous, but really excited. Knowing of Leslie’s sustained work in Nicaragua, assured us we would be in good hands with JustHope.

What did you first think when you landed in Nicaragua?

We were excited and nervous to arrive in Managua, but the sight of

Kara Luebbering, JustHope's Director of International Programs, looks back at a year of firsts for the Model Farm and shares some ups and downs that so often define the agricultural experience in Nicaragua. Yet with each challenge, we are becoming more knowledgeable about the program and the farming community we serve. Also, in this newsletter:

• Nicaraguan School Year Starts Feb 5th
• Upcoming JustHope Trips
• The Future of Development - A World Bank Report
• From Our Social Media Feed

Ups and Downs of the Model Farm's First Year

By Kara Luebbering, Director of International Programs

To get a harvest, you first have to plant the seeds, and 2017 can be defined by the seeds that we planted, both in a metaphorical and actual sense. JustHope’s Model Farm weathered the ups and downs that so often define the agricultural experience in Nicaragua. When planting, you generally put two or more seeds in each hole knowing that some will sprout and some will not. On the Model Farm, we applied the same logic to our endeavors; some ideas flourished, some did not, and some were half-way on the right track. Yet with each harvest, yielding crops or not, knowledge and lessons learned were bountiful.

This year marked a Decade of Hope -- JustHope's 10th birthday! We are so grateful to you for helping us make this dream a reality. In 2018 and the next ten years, we aim to sustain hope, continuing the life-changing work we have begun in Chacraseca and La Flor, Nicaragua. Follow the link for a short reflection from Director of International Programs, Kara Luebbering.