About the founder

Esther, founder of Cielo y Tierra, is originally from the Netherlands, but her journey of faith led her to the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua. Guided by a deep trust in God, she followed His direction step by step, much like the Israelites who were led by the cloud by day and fire by night.

What began with connecting to a local church and building relationships within the community slowly grew into a calling to serve the people of Ometepe more directly. Through time spent with families and those in need, Esther felt God placing a strong mission on her heart: to bring practical help, hope, and the love of Christ to the community.

Today, that calling continues to grow. Through Cielo y Tierra, she is reaching beyond the island to invite others to join the mission; helping expand the work and bring support to even more people in need.

Esther was blessed with a beautiful piece of land on Ometepe, where she began building Cielo y Tierra more than 1,5 year ago. From the beginning she felt clearly led to give the project this name, meaning "Heaven and Earth". Later she discovered that the surrounding community is often called El Infiernillo, translated as “Little Hell.” For Esther, this became a powerful confirmation of the mission God had placed on her heart: to bring His light, hope, and presence into the community and across the island.

What started as the development of a small glamping space soon became something much greater. As Esther was building a roof over one of the tents, she strongly felt God calling the space to become His house instead. Today, that building serves as a small house church; a place of worship, prayer, and fellowship for both the local community and visitors.

The vision for Cielo y Tierra continues to grow with a clear purpose: to create a place where faith and mission come together. The property offers accommodations for missionaries and volunteers who feel called to serve in Ometepe. Shared spaces are used to gather in worship and prayer before going out into the community to support families, children, and people in need.

In the future, the ministry aims to expand its outreach through community dinners, support for those struggling with addiction or homelessness, children’s activities, Bible studies, and educational programs. Each step forward is guided by prayer and a desire to follow where God leads, building a place where His love can be experienced in practical and lasting ways.

Testimony

I grew up in a Christian family, but the believe never really felt real to me. It seemed like a lot of stories and rules that I didn't fully understand. As soon as I turned 18, I left home and stopped going to church. I got caught up in a student lifestyle of partying, drinking, and drugs, while struggling with periods of deep depression. I was constantly looking for something to fill the emptiness I felt inside.

Eventually, I started searching spiritually and found the New Age believe, and for many years I explored all kinds of ceremonies, retreats, therapies, and spiritual practices. I had experiences that felt very real, and I thought I was moving closer to truth and light.

Things began to change when I started working on my land on Ometepe. Some Christian workers invited me to church. At first I went mainly because I wanted to understand the local culture, but something stood out to me: the way people genuinely cared for one another. I had always felt a desire to help others, and I realized that the New Age spirituallity is focused mainly on self.

Even though I still held on to many of my old beliefs, I kept going to church for a few months. Slowly I started reading the Bible and sometimes praying instead of meditating. Then one night, everything changed. God opened my eyes and showed me the truth of who He is and the deception I had been living in. What I thought was a connection to God (called the universe) was something very different. That night, Jesus completely changed my life. The next day I got rid of all my New Age items and chose to follow Him wholeheartedly. Since then, He has transformed me in ways I never thought possible and has faithfully led me into the work He is doing here on Ometepe.

Esther Akkerman

The beautiful people of Ometepe will be so happy with your financial contribution to give them more hope and a future. Your personal presence here as volunteer or part of a mission trip will be even more of a blessing to them.