Ministry Opportunity Filled!!!!

This position for 2015 has been committed to by a couple from Boise, Id. who attend the Vineyard Church. They have been involved in the I-61 program since its inception and will be a great couple to help us out this year. 

Thank you to those who have shown an interest. More opportunities will come in the future. One such opportunity is a long term partner couple or individual who could commit to an annual minimum 6 month role at Nica Impact. Preferrably during the summer months (+/- April - Sept). A perfect opportunity for a retired couple or full time mission couple.

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If you are a person who has wanted to try missions for more than just a week or two, Nica Impact may have a volunteer ministry opportunity available for you. This opportunity is open for a person or couple and is located in Jinotepe, Nicaragua. The purpose is to provide support while the Effingers are visiting family in the US.

The job description is relatively simple. The volunteer would:
1) Assist setting up a weekly Skype call on Monday afternoons.
2) Manage the distribution of petty cash and track funds disbursement.
3) Facilitate some monthly administrative responsibilities.
4) Possibly host a few small day visits from I-61 ministries.
5) Assist in basic maintenance of the ministry greenhouse.
6) Communicate with the Effingers as needed via Skype or Vonage.

The approved candidate would be able to stay at the Effingers home and would not have to pay rent. The opportunity would provide plenty of time to travel around Nicaragua, either via the Effingers vehicle, a local private taxi, or the local transportation system.

Preferred candidates are people who have been to Nica Impact or know the Effingers from a previous trip to Nicaragua, people who have been through the I-61 program or stayed at the Isaiah House in Managua, or people who have visited Arms of Love Childrens home during the years the Effingers volunteered there. If you are not sure you would qualify, please do not hesitate to ask.

Spanish language skills are not a requirement, yet a basic level of Spanish would be helpful for getting around and such.

The range of time needed is from +/- September 26th until November 21st. A longer stay is acceptable.

If you are interested in investigating this opportunity, please contact Doug Effinger at dugeffinger@yahoo.com

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Nica Impact featured on i 61 newsletter

Heres a link to i-61s newsletter featuring Nica Impact.

http://i-61.org/building-bridges/

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Welcome to FeelGood Aquaponics! Intro Post

Welcome to FeelGood Aquaponics

     My name is Felix Vogele. I am 23 years old and living in Helsingør, Denmark. I have long been interested in sustainability and alternative ways of thinking. The last few years I have been wanting to work more and more with plants, farming, and nature as a whole. The last few months I have been introduced to aquaponics.

     Aquaponics is a blend of two better known farming methods, aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soil-less growing). The way aquaponics works is simple. The fish are raised in fish tanks, the fish poop, and then the waste is pumped to the grow area where it is used to fertilize crops and plants, the plants and grow medium filter the bacteria and then the then filter water returns back to the aquarium. Here is a picture to help explain 

     I very much wanted to try aquaponics for myself! I am starting in August at Roskilde Teknisk Skole here in Denmark as a Greenhouse Gardener. I am very much looking forward to it and am planning on using my education towards aquaponics. 

    I decided to build my own system. This is easier said than done. I live in a 70.5 m2 apartment. I already had a 250 liter aquarium and had to keep the place looking nice. 

     The design is simple but turned out to be kinda complicated with a few things. I used my existing 250 liter aquarium as my fish tank / sump tank. I built a low stand for my tank so I could build a "table" over it to hold the grow beds. I made it low enough so it can fit under the window and receive natural light pretty much all day.

     I choose two different styles of grow beds to try them out. The first is a flood and drain system with expanded clay as the grow substrate. I made a bell siphon as the draining mechanism. In this grow bed I have an heirloom tomato donated by my girlfriendss mother, rosemary, dill, and jut a bit of parley too. I have also thrown a few head lettuce and spring onion seeds in there just to see what will happen. 

     The second grow bed is a Deep Water Culture (DWC) grow bed. This means that the plants are floating on top on the water in little net pots. The water is filtered so no solids get intertwined with the roots. It drains through a standing drain pipe back into the aquarium. I am currently growing rucola in it but plan on growing many leafy greens when I get more net pots.

Finished!

First set of plants. 

 

Mixed African Cichlids

Another view of the cichlids.

  

     I should also add that these are my African Cichlids and I do not plan on eating them! They are my pets. :) I do plan on getting some Tilapia and somehow add another tank, but that is another post and project all together! I hope you enjoy the pictures. I will continue to update you on my aquaponic adventures!

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Manuel Pavon

Manuel is 20 years old and is studying Electro-mechanical Engineering. His courses are on the weekends in Managua, an hour away, so he spends his weekday mornings volunteering at a local mechanics shop, then in the afternoon he has study time, and in the evening he is learning English at a local school. He will complete the English course at the end of the year. He still has over three years left with his university degree.

Manuel is very motivated to learn anything he can. He is a hard worker and has a plan for his future.

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