Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
As we near the end of 2022, there is a theme that keeps resurfacing in my heart. God’s plans are better than ours, in every way. At Amigos for Christ, and in the world to be honest – we’ve really been thrown for a loop these last couple of years. We plan and predict for one thing, God laughs, and then things turn out way better than anything we ever could have imagined or planned.
It happened in La Danta Aserradores, a community in need of water. After several failed attempts at hitting clean water with the well rig due to their closeness to the ocean, God presented the opportunity to bring together 2 communities and drill the well in the neighboring community El Manzanillo. We thought we would impact around 30 families; God showed us we could more than double that by working juntos.
Creating these “regional” water systems will now be a part of our model moving forward. God’s plans are better than ours.
Then it happened with William from the community of El Pedregal. After years of financially struggling to provide for his family working seasonal jobs and planting traditional crops, he was ready to throw in the towel on economic development in Nicaragua. He was ready to join many of his family members and travel to Costa Rica to find a higher-paying job and then send money back to his wife and daughter.
Then, the 1 Manzana Project with Amigos came knocking on his door. Now, William is not only our newest producer but also one of the most successful partnering farmers we have had the joy to work with. His family not only gets to stay together through this opportunity, but he is on track to be debt-free and earning more income annually through his organic 1 Manzana farm. God’s plans are better than ours.
Then again, with our scholarship program. For years, our Leaders in Action Scholarship Program has provided students with academic scholarships to the best high schools and universities in the area. This year, we prayerfully took one step further. By providing the opportunity to sponsor Amigos Academy primary school students, our scholarship program has more than DOUBLED in size!
Currently, generous sponsors are helping over 300 students overcome the obstacles of tuition, transportation, and supplies costs to gain access to education. As we serve more students than ever before, we are so thankful for God’s faithfulness. God’s plans are better than ours.
Looking Forward
As we get ready to prepare for 2023 and make all our plans and projections –this time around I will think a little differently. I will hold our plans and projections with open palms, trusting that God is at work in them in ways that are so much greater than we could ever imagine.
