Today, the farm that Mars Hill purchased is functioning wonderfully as both an addiction rehabilitation center and separately as a cafe. Soon, the next group of guys will start their journey to freedom from addiction at the farm. While there, they will not only be treated for addiction but will be taught trades to help them find stable jobs again once they graduate from the program. Doctors are now on-site at the farm to be able to attend to the students in a much more immediate way.

A group of five of us, from both Mars Hill campuses, recently traveled to Masatepe, Nicaragua, to work on some projects with a ministry that Mars Hill supports. One Collective is a community transformation ministry working to provide better resources for a stable community, while also seeking to live and proclaim the gospel of Christ among the local people.

As you may already know, Nicaragua is experiencing civil unrest. Political uncertainty has thrown the economy into a downward spiral, which will inevitably hit the small business development and the "empowerment model" of our mission the hardest. As a result, our Nicaraguan friends and the One Collective (Iteams) crew have shifted their focus, at least for the time being, from development to relief.

Because of your support we have seen stories of pain turn to joy, stories of death turn to life, and stories of despair turn to hope. God has shown us his goodness and we are grateful to work alongside you as we take part in building the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

As a thank you for being a Story Teller, we want to share four of those moments with you from 2017.