CEPAD Partners Create A Great Cloud Of Witnesses

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This month, welcomed 56 partners from Nicaragua, the U.S. and Canada to Managua for the International Encounter. This event, which we host every two to three years, is a chance for those partnerships with longterm commitments between individual international churches/organizations and individual Nicaraguan communities/associations to reconnect, share with other partners and learn more about CEPAD. Together, we created a declaration of our experience, and you can read it in English and Spanish below! Thank you to these awesome partners, whose longterm commitment to CEPAD and Nicaragua teaches us so much about sustainable development and accompaniment.

A Cloud Of Witnesses: Reflections From The 2015 CEPAD International Encounter

To address poverty, we have to talk about it. The stakes are so high for the millions of Nicaraguan people who cannot meet their basic needs. And we remember the ways that we experience poverty of spirit and in relationships. For a few days in Managua, 75 partners from rural Nicaraguan communities, the U.S./ England, and CEPAD’s staff talked honestly about poverty, its consequences, and the role of personal relationships in development work. We represented 14 international relationships, some as young as three-years-old and others with more than 20 years of experience.

We met at the table as equals, each person with a unique perspective on how poverty affected their life, their community and the world. Together, we reflected on Hebrews 12:1-2a: Surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we run the race with perseverence with our eyes fixed on Jesus. We talked about that cloud of witnesses – the leaders who have come before us, those of us who are committed today, and those who will come after us to continue the work. We must work hard today and prepare to pass the baton to someone else. This is a marathon, not a sprint. With patience and perseverance, we will achieve much.

Our partnerships face challenges including different languages, long distances and distinct cultures. With CEPAD’s help, we are committed to focus on the things that unite us: deep and growing friendships, a love of Jesus Christ, and a commitment to alleviating the causes and affects of poverty in our communities and throughout the world. One of our speakers said that a country’s greatest resource is its people. In the same way, our partnerships’ greatest resources are their members.

Together, we established clear goals to drive us forward:

  • Maintain and improve communication about our work and by being in prayer with one another.
  • Tell the story of our partnerships and of CEPAD’s work in our churches, communities and beyond.
  • Leverage CEPAD’s 43-years of succesful experience in community development in our work
  • Value our knowledge, relationships and time as much as our economic resources.
  • Focus on Christ as we nourish these relationships.
  • Plan for the long term by involving young people in our efforts.

We are blessed to be part of a growing cloud of witnesses who have experienced the power of partnership to alleviate economic and spiritual suffering. We thank CEPAD, who accompanies us in the race even when we stumble. With great joy, we persevere in this journey together, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.