Pure Joy Nicaragua

Dreams still come true.  Really, they do.

Even for common, ordinary people like me… and you.

Hello!  My name is Sandy Jacobson and I want to tell you about Pure Joy.  It started with a God-given dream.  A dream to see women come together, let down our guard and embrace each other; to engage in our communities and make an IMPACT.  As our slogan says, we’re Real Women, with Real Issues, Serving the Real God.

Pure Joy encourages women to enjoy a life of FREEDOM in Christ!  By offering an unforgettable and empowering experience in worship, testimonies and laughter, we hope that women will be encouraged to go out into the world, believing in the dreams and callings the Lord has for them personally.  Oh yeah… and we laugh a lot too!  We believe laughter is good medicine. (Proverbs 17:22)

Pure Joy is unique in that, it is so community driven.  Whether in Springfield, Branson… even Nicaragua!... We go into the community, cast the vision, and the Lord brings together a team of women to participate and even lead the event.  So your Wal-Mart cashier or your son’s 5^th grade teacher… these are the women you see on stage bringing it all to life!

We could tell you story after story of amazing things God has done to orchestrate all of this… miracles, really.  The most recent miracle was our trip to Nicaragua.  The Lord put it in us to go and what at first seemed like a crazy prospect soon came to fruition.  A team quickly formed of 16 women and 4 men, ages 15 – 60.  It is truly incredible to watch these teams work.  Each member has a God-given talent and job to do.  It’s amazing to see what God’s people can accomplish when each person uses his/her gifts.

This trip was two-fold.  Half of the team went and worked at a government run orphanage in Managua.  In just 2 days, we reclaimed a building that had been vacated due to children dying from Malaria.  We cleaned, rescreened doors and windows, painted every room, even hung clothes lines.  We also had a Christmas party for the children.  It’s amazing how a simple gift means so much to one of these orphans… The kids were thrilled over balloons, new shoes, and an apple!

As half of the team worked in the orphanage, the other half spoke to the women of Nicaragua as we hosted a Pure Joy Conference, telling them that they have value and worth in God’s eyes.  We prayed individually for each woman… nearly 230 in attendance from surrounding villages and towns! 

We encouraged these women to find their passions and not to give up on their dreams.  One woman asked us to pray for her big dream.  I told her God CAN fulfill these dreams and to BELIVE BIG!  What was her big dream??  To see Pure Joy come to her island and share the Love with her Fraternity of Churches.  So… looks like we’ll be heading back in June.

When we go back, in addition to hosting another Pure Joy Conference, we will be tackling the job of cleaning up another government run orphanage for special needs kids.  We took a quick look at it while we were there in December.  It broke our hearts.  We literally cried tears over the living conditions for the children there. 

One of the girls there with severe deformities just lay there in her bed.  Team member, Susan Burlison, began talking to her.  The girl smiled.  As Susan rubbed her arm, she began laughing.  Several of the team began to do the same.  The room once void of any hope, suddenly was a room full of laughter.  Started by one voice and a few words.  I wake in the night thinking of these children.  We cannot stand by and do nothing.    

Pure Joy Nicaragua not only changed the lives of the women and orphans in Nicaragua, it also made a lasting impact on us.  Team member and photographer, Dawn Shields, was so moved by the experience she has started paperwork to adopt from the orphanage in Nicaragua.  Little William, who prays every night for a Mama y Papa and who point blank asked Dawn if she’d be his Mommy, will have no bigger hero than Dawn… the woman who came back for him.

Talk about dreaming big… Believing Big, Receiving Big.  This is Pure Joy.