Touchdown in Nicaragua
Former ASU football player becomes missionary
Former ASU football player becomes missionary
By Melanie Davis
A Watauga County native and former Appalachian State University football player will be following his heart on Valentine’s Day – all the way to Nicaragua in Central America for an indefinite stay.
Jim Bob Norman, 23, visited the rural, poverty-stricken villages of Candelaria, La Isla, Santa Matilda, Chichigalba near the west coast of Nicaragua in mid-January with his parents and grandfather on a mission trip coordinated through New Song Mission Nicaragua.
The trip was planned by Norman’s parents for January due to Norman’s December graduation from ASU.
Photo by Mark Mitchell
”Tommy and Linda Gable, founders of the Appalachian Christian School in Boone and now permanent residents of Nicaragua, addressed the congregation of First Baptist Church in the fall of 2007. Norman’s parents, Dan and Teresa Norman, heard the lecture and immediately decided to make a trip.
“I was excitied about going there but considered it just a week long graduation present, slash mission trip in warm weather away from January in Boone,” Norman said of the first trip. “I did not realize that seven days would change my life so dramatically.”
The group spent the time educating pastors in the villages about making sound financial decisions, for both themselves and their church. The villages are very poor and rely on sugar cane crops. Money management skills and educational opportunities are not common. The mission participants educate pastors and arm them with the tools to share that knowledge within their village.
Norman spent his time working with the children of the villages, particularly the boys age 14-20. His goal with each young man was to encourage them to attend both school and church.
“There are severe gender roles in the villages. Church is only for women and children. Most boys leave school at age 13 to work in the sugar cane fields. They don’t have the means to pursue an education. They accept the fields as their way to earn a living,” Norman said.
Norman reached out to the boys by organizing sports teams and conversations encouraging them to attend a school. Another barrier for education is that each child is required to have a uniform to attend school. New Song collects money and donates fabric to each village. The churches have sewing rooms, where the uniforms can be made.
The return trip to Boone was a difficult one for Norman. The family was already planning to return in January of 2009.
“We said our goodbyes in a Wednesday night evening service. We flew out the next morning, and I could still feel the tug. During the night flight from Miami to Raleigh, I just looked out the window and did all I could to hold back the tears. I began brainstorming how I could possibly make it back earlier than a year,” he said.
Now, less than one month after his return, Norman is preparing to relocate to the area. Through New Song and the Gables, he has been able to arrange living quarters. Dr. Wayne Brown, pastor, and the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Boone, have been instrumental is coordinating Norman’s return trip.
Residency is difficult to obtain, so Norman will be returning to the U.S. every three months. “This will give me a chance to see my family and friends, as well as, gather supplies and donations for the villages,” he said.
Shipping items is very difficult. “Upon arrival in Nicaragua, the packages may be delayed for months in airport security, or never received at all,” he explained. When Norman packs up to leave the States, he will taking two suitcases – one filled with his own belongings to live there, and another filled with donated clothing, educational materials and sports equipment.
Norman credited, not only the January trip, but also several people in his decision to live the life of a missionary. Two family members have taken this path before him. Dr. Andy Norman, his uncle, served approximately 15 years in Nigeria, Africa. A cousin is currently living in Thailand as a missionary.
A friend and former ASU teammate has also been an inspiration. Billy Riddle Jr. left ASU in 2007 just prior to the start of his senior year to become a missionary in Africa. “I remember thinking ‘how can he do this to the team and leave his senior year?’ Now, I understand the calling he felt,” Norman said. He and Riddle communicate more often now via blog: billyriddlejr.blogspot.com.
Norman said playing ASU football influenced him greatly. “Coach Jerry Moore gave guidance and helped build character as a part of coaching football,” he said.
One event in particular during last years stay in Chattanooga sticks out in Norman’s mind. Moore wanted to ensure Norman was with the team by Thursday morning. Norman had to stay in Boone for exams and drove to Chattanooga separately.
”The team attended a breakfast hosted by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes that morning. The keynote speaker, Bill Curry, former NFL player, spoke to the team about “Magnanimitas,” a Latin word meaning greatness of spirit.
“I often think of that word as a inspiration in what I am planning for my future and what I hope to share with the villagers in Nicaragua,” Norman said.
Norman states his mission on his Web site, makemsmile.blogspot.com, as:
Teach love by showing love and bring smiles to all the children and parents faces by raising funds for health, homes, clothing, churches, school uniforms & school supplies, books & computers for education and leisure, bikes, and sports teams & equipment for people in the villages of Candelaria, La Isla, Santa Matilda, Chichigalba, and other poverty-stricken areas of Nicaragua. Getting children and young adults an education so that they can hopefully attend college and/or find jobs and support their families. Bring people to the Lord by showing his love and sharing His word. Bring YOU to the Nicaraguan villages and see if it changes your life.
Upon his arrival, Norman will begin work immediately on more specific goals to become fluent in Spanish, get every child a bicycle, get every child/young adult in school, help send eligible students to college, organize sports for kids, youth, & adults, build homes for widows, build churches for congregations. Long-term plans include a computer lab, though Norman admits this is a large order that will take years to complete.
Norman will be maintaining the Web site for New Song and designing promotional items for the organization as well. “I can do what I feel called to do, and use my education as well,” Norman said, speaking his degree in industrial electronics and computer technology, with a minor is computer information systems.
To contribute funds to Norman’s mission, mail to:
Jim Bob Norman
New Song Mission Nicaragua
c/o Atlanta City Church
3355 Old Jonesboro Road
Fairburn GA, 30213
All donations addressed in this manner will be sent directly and in full to Norman in Nicaragua. The funds can be earmarked specifically for educational purposes, food, clothing, whatever need the benefactor wishes to support. Norman’s activity and all details will be documented at the his Make ‘em Smile Web site listed above.
Donations are tax deductible, as New Song is a non-profit organization. For more information, contact Bud Martin or Dan Norman locally at Martin Real Estate by calling (828) 264-3444.
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