Written by Justin Sundberg and Olivia Iekel

Want to get to know “El Profe” quickly? All you’d have needed to do was join a weekly staff meeting for an hour. In that one hour, you’d learn the following about Profe:

He loved God and had a great sense of humor. Even with the advent of ubiquitous cell phones in Nicaragua, Profe knew that radio was still a great way to reach people with the gospel, especially in rural parts of the country. He and Dámaris hosted an early morning talk show with Radio CEPAD. Finishing the radio show across town would often lead to him arriving late to our weekly CEPAD staff meeting. To tease him, we would sing the, “Turtle, you’re late again” song. He would lower his head, smile, and laugh softly.

He really was, “The Teacher!” He taught at a Baptist high school nearly 50 years ago, but for 98% of his adult life, he taught adults. CEPAD staff, community members, churches, and visitors all learned from Profe’s straightforward teachings and stories. At the end of each staff meeting, he’d give an amazing summary of the world news in 5-10 minutes.

He was prophetic. In those few minutes of news updates, Profe’s worldview, grounded in Christ’s preferential option for the poor and the Christian call to service, always shined through.

He had an idiom or phrase to explain most any life situation. Phrases in Spanish like, “When elephants fight, the grass suffers the most,” and “Weeds never die” would frequently come up in his update. And the challenging reminder to staff from Luke 17:10, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”

He loved people. His first love were his family and fellow countrymen, to whom he gave his whole life to serve. But Profe loved people of diverse walks and backgrounds. He didn’t see us as complicit in U.S. foreign affairs, though as voting citizens, we were. But he didn’t see it that way. He welcomed dozens of U.S. folks who volunteered with CEPAD over the years and greeted 1000’s of visitors from around the world throughout CEPAD’s history.

He loved Nicaragua and its food! A meeting could not unfold without him mentioning (or eating) some Nicaraguan delicacy. Google “nacatamales”, a favorite of his. Or even better, make sure to try one on your next visit!

Profe was like you and me. His presence felt larger than life when he entered a room or opened his mouth to speak. After the staff meeting we would all greet each other, when Profe’s warmth and big smile would meet each of us. He will be dearly missed.