Now, nearly all of the direct ministry is under Nicaraguan leadership — staff and volunteer leaders. Vida Joven unfolds in two main urban centers: the capital of Managua and the mountain town of Matagalpa. Volunteer leaders, much like those in America, spend time hanging out with kids, getting to know them, going with them to club and Campaigners and bringing them to camp, where they clearly hear the message of the Gospel.

Chloe Waldroupe, First Presbyterian Youth Elder writes: “My trip to Nicaragua has changed my life. I am more grateful for what I have but also grateful for the relationships that have been created. None of that would have been possible if the church had not supported the group who went to Nicaragua. This trip was God’s plan for me; I was told three weeks before the trip that I would be able to go, and it involved a lot of prayer from me and my family. God knew I needed to get away from all the distractions here and take me somewhere I could realize what is really important. Someone told me the night before I left, ‘You are about to have a life changing experience that you’ll never forget and you are about to find your second happy place.’ I cherish those of you who care for people like me to go and experience and then come back home to share and implement.”