Brother Joel

“Daniel, with the teachers that receive the Biblical Worldview trainings and ask if it is a different kind of doctrine, I would say to them it is the same doctrine, only now applied to all areas of life, not just the spiritual

aspect,” Joel Huyser counseled me back in 2001, when I expressed to him my concern about the doubts the teachers had in regards to Biblical Worldview.

To write about the work of missionary Joel Huyser is to talk about a wide diversity of qualities he shared with us. The recommendation he gave me that I shared above, models how Joel never ordered; instead, he set a hypothetical example of “what he would do” as a way of guiding toward what one should do.

The national tragedy of Hurricane Mitch, which occurred at the end of 1998, marked the beginning of a unity of the purposes and missions of the Christian people and organizations [in Nicaragua]. Amidst, as Rubén Darío said, “so many scattered efforts,” that were existent yet completely isolated at the time, there was Joel’s gift of having the capacity and persistence to unite people and organizations.

His suggestion to begin the “Roundtable” was also a great help to other missionaries as a way to accept Nicaraguan culture, understand Nicaraguan politics and history, and in such a way, be more at peace with collaborating and fulfilling God’s purpose of service.

Joel’s communication skills, his wits, his appropriate contributions, and complete surrender of service to the Kingdom and to others, made it possible that his missionary work bore abundant fruit reconciling and collaborating in different are

as such as: Churches, Education, Business, Community Development, Youth, and Marriage – all centered in his great passion: the Nehemiah Center.

Another quality of his missionary work was that he understands very well the importance

of people in the holistic work of the Kingdom. He knew how to recognize gifts and talents given by God in each person and could make it possible that one reached their maximum potential according to their vocation and calling in their respective area of work. In such a way, he worked as a counselor, guide, pastor, provider, teacher, servant, friend, and boss in a useful and refined manner that invited one to arrive at a conclusion with their own solutions and determinations as if they had come up with it themselves. This caused others to totally commit to fulfilling – and going beyond – the goals and objectives.

But the quality of his missionary work that deserves the most attention is to know Joel as a friend, Reformed believer, servant of God, husband and father, reconciler and pacifier, enthusiast, economist, full of faith and hope, passionate for justice for all. To talk with Joel – human, simple, humble, missionary, trustworthy and committed worker, full of peace and vision was a great spiritual experience. He shared each one of these qualities in such a sincere, simple, small way that it made it a great honor to call him “Brother Joel.”