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"Nicaragua has many problems—some of its own making,
and many imposed by other nations," Steve observes, "but
it also has stunning landscapes, beautiful weather, and people
who embody dignity, hope, and joy."
Of the city where he now lives, Steve says, "Managua is
much like other big cities in Latin America. It’s very hot,
except when it rains. A few very rich people live behind high
walls topped with broken glass to protect them from the majority,
who are poor, often desperately so." That description holds
true for the whole country, Steve says. "Nicaragua is the
poorest nation in the Western hemisphere except Haiti. Every man,
woman, and child owes foreign creditors five years of Nicaragua’s
average salary, so there is never enough money for health, infrastructure,
or education. Still, Nicaraguans are resilient and even cheerful
through it all. They lean on each other for support, both moral
and material."
Steve first served in Nicaragua with the PC(USA) as a long-term
international volunteer in 1997 and 1998, when he taught English
in Nueva Guinea, a small town on the agricultural frontier of
central Nicaragua. After returning from Nicaragua in 1998, he
earned a master’s of science degree in information from the
University of Michigan. He was research assistant and created
and maintained websites for classes, ongoing projects, and organizations
at the University of Michigan. He was webmaster for Lansing Community
College, and also worked there as a substitute teacher from February
1998 to August 1999.
Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish, with a minor
in bilingual education and political science, from Alma College
in Alma, Michigan. He is also certified in secondary education.
He is ordained as a deacon and is an inactive member of the First
Presbyterian Church of Mason, Michigan. He attends the First Church
of Lansing, Michigan.
Birthday: July 8
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