La Chureca, El Campo, and Masaya Volcano

Los Quinchos Day!

Hey Everyone! Megan and Paul speaking:

Throughout the course of preparation for this project, we have learned a lot of information. However, the most prominent part of our learning, the part that stuck out the most, was a project called "Los Qunichos," which is an independent organization without government funds. We learned that this is a project who's goal is rehabilitating and counseling children of the street. This basic description of Los Qunichos revealed an excitement within all of us to be a part of these children's lives. We woke up yesterday morning, ready to go!

Upon our arrival at Los Qunichos in San Marcos, we were able to be guests at an Italian restaurant that is a part of the project. Carlos, the director of the project, greeted us with open arms and enthusiasm. He was eager to share his story, as well as the history of Los Quinchos so that we could better understand the children's issues and histories. We were informed that, not only is this a project to help children of the streets, but it is much more. These children have a plethora of tragedies that they have been forced to endure at such young ages. These children have been victims of domestic assault, sexual assault, child sex trafficking and drug abuse. Some of these children are being effected by these things at ages as young as four years old. The three stages of the program are as follows: Filter House- the detoxification center for children of all ages, La Finca (Farm)- a place where children up to the age of thirteen are housed, educated, active, and counseled professionally, and Granada- where teens over the age of thirteen learn life skills and plan their re-entrance into society. The process of recruiting these children is grueling and dangerous. They go into dangerous areas, looking for boys who are huffing glue. This is glue that is used to make shoes, similar to the rubber cement we see in the states. This might seem strange to some people, but they rely on the effects of this drug. "La Pega," as they call it, curbs hunger and reduces hunger pains, as well as giving a high that can cause hallucinations. To these kids, this is their savior, but they have to know that the glue is hurting them in the long run. It effects their brains, their respiratory systems and they digestive system. By gaining their trust and by them agreeing to be a part of the project, the process can begin. The female cases are a bit different. Carlos made it clear that the staff at Los Quinchos have risked their lives a number of times in order to save these girls from back alleys and brothels where they were being taken advantage of. Not only are they saving victims of prostitution, but they also rescue victims of abuse from their families due to lack of income and assistance in the household. Through learning the truths about these children, we did not know how to react. These are unbelievable concepts for us to grasp and we instantly had a responsibility to help these children and make them happy.

We had the pleasure of visiting La Finca, the second stage of Los Quinchos. Before we even reached the building we were going to, kids were jumping on the back of the bus, waving, laughing, and cheering for us. All of the history washed away. We saw children who needed us, who just wanted to be kids and play. And we did just that! After learning the names and ages of all of the children, we started a tour of the farm and living quarters. The fun began when we were attacked by water balloons! It continued with us climbing trees and picking/eating fruit from the trees that these children help grow. After the eventful tour, we went on to swim, play soccer, play "Gallo Gallo Pinto" (Duck Duck Goose) and really get to know the kids. It was an incredible experience. These children just wanted love, just wanted to be held and laugh. They effected us personally in a way that we can never fully explain. It reminded us why we are here and why we want to become educators; so that we can make an impact. So that we can help children in need. So that we can help any child succeed in life.

Although this may seem a bit selfish upon hearing all of these stories, these children made us truly grateful for the love we have received from our parents throughout our lives. We were all blessed to live lives in which we were always loved and treated well, no matter how much we needed to be reprimanded! These kids deserve that chance. No one should have to live through the experiences that these children have already had, in their young, innocent lives. 

As we started to say our goodbyes to the children, we realized how hard goodbye would be. Jhon looked at his watch and realized that no one was moving any time soon. Our goodbye process took about an hour and a half in which we laughed and were silly, the way all children should be. We finally got on the bus, followed by tears and silence. We learned the personal stories of some of these children. To share these stories now is too difficult, but we will eventually try to explain the hurt that we felt for these children. We hope to, one day, have the opportunity to come back and work as a volunteer for this amazing project.

On a personal note:

Meg- Hey everyone! This past week has been incredibly difficult. I am emotionally exhausted, and should be because of all the things I have seen. I cannot wait to share everything with all of you at home! I miss everyone and although I am loving my time here, I am excited to come home. I am sooooo looking forward to seeing you all! Madre, Daddy, Nikki, Tay, John, and everyone else following... I love you and can't wait to see you in a couple days! See you soon!

Paul- Well this is my first blog for this trip. I'm not much of a writer, but this trip has made me learn so much about my self. And after being with the kids I just had to tell you all about it. I realized how much my family means to me. Everything I see, I imagine them by my side. I am a new person. Playing soccer with the kids reminded me of the times I played with my brother growing up. Joking with the kids, rough housing, not caring about anything made me realize how great of a childhood I had. And Mikey it wouldn't have been the same without you in my life. I love you Broseph. Elf your always on my mind !! lol Mom every powerful woman i have met here i compare to you. You and DAD have done a great job according to most of the speakers I talked to :) . I love you soon and see you this weekend. I love you all see you all soon.

ps. LOVE YOU DANA 

Serving lunch to the kids of La Chureca

otro video de La Chureca

fotos y video de La Chureca

La Chureca

By Danae Ioannidis

Today an incredible man named Carlos Vidal took us to La Churreca to see where many of the children from Los Quinchos live. La Churreca is the largest dump in Central America. Nearly 200 families live inside La Curreca, and another estimated 1,200 families live on the outskirts of the dump. All of these people survive on the garbage that others throw away. Never will I be able to erase from memory the sights, sounds and smells of this place. Hundreds of men, women, and children were sifting through mounds of trash to find a bit of plastic to sell or food to eat.
Carlos shared with us a tragedy that happened in La Churreca not too long ago. A group of three boys found a box of chocolates. Unsure exactly what it was but only knowing the box contained a sweet treat they many never taste again the boys hungrily devoured the chocolate. Within 30 minutes the boys began foaming at the mouth. What they had actually digested was chocolate rat poison that someone had casually tossed into the garbage without a passing thought. Whoever threw that poison away probably has no idea of the death of those three boys who believed in the good fortune of finding chocolate within the heaps of waste at La Churreca. Unfortunately, these are the realities that the people who live in and around La Churreca face daily. Malaria, dengue, parasites, respiratory and skin infections are only some of the diseases prevalent among the community. Violence, sexual abuse, and incest are some of the physical dangers of this nightmarish place…

Walking through La Churreca was the most difficult experience of my life. Seeing small children pick through waste not only like vultures, but literally along side vultures, was more than my senses could bear. The smoke, dust, and soot permeated the air so much that it was suffocating. After walking through the dump for an hour our skin and clothes were covered in a brown film. Imagine this being your life – spending every hour of every day in this nightmare. It's too much. It is a place I never thought I would see, and am still grappling with. It is a place no one should have to live, especially children. Yet, even with all these horrors the children we met today that Carlos tries to recruit for Los Quinchos were still smiling. As children all over the world do, these kids still found ways to laugh and play and regardless of their struggles, still find ways to be children.

I have not wanted to blog much since we have been here. In fact, I have done my best to avoid it. It is difficult for me to find words to accurately describe the things I have seen, the knowledge I have gained, and the emotions I have felt throughout this experience. There are so many more things I would like to share about today, but instead I will end this post with the smile of a child who, like all the others we have met over the past week, find ways to keep smiling.

update

Hola from Nica,

We are all doing very well. We are having difficulty with internet service but are working to solve that problem. If we can not solve this issue, we will be loading all of daily blog reports and pictures upon on return.

In solidarity,
Jhon Velasco

"A Passing"

You may wonder, what does it feel like, to take a stroll through the small towns and cities we've been visiting here in Nicaragua. In an attempt to describe the feeling and the experience, I wrote this poem a few nights ago. Welcome to our peaceful and beautiful world. Enjoy.


"A Passing"

As a wandering soul I pass your home.
You're there, watching with calm curiosity,
my expressions, my movements, my essence.

I see you, acknowledgment pursed on my lips.
"Buenas."
Smooth with a silent, whispering s.
"Buenas," you reply, your syllables smiling.

I continue on my way.
In each doorway, a new blessing is waiting.
My eyes take you into my heart.
My voice carries to you my spirit's greetings.

"Adios."
Smooth with a silent, whispering s.
"Adios," you reply, your syllables smiling.

In this moment, time stands still.
A stroll through your colorful, welcoming land is simply sweet.
An offering of compassion is what we share.
An acknowledgment.
A passing.

(1.8.10)


Much love family! So nice talking to you Tee!

-Bryan

Indescribable

By Mark Van Buren

It's Tuesday morning and I am trying to think of words to describe this project. From the people we have met, the things we have seen, and the love we have shared, words do not seem to describe what the past week has been like. My life is changed, my eyes are no longer shut, and my heart is opened. Every day has been tough, yet rewarding. Pain and wisdom are not different from one another. Wisdom does not come from education, but from true life experiences. The people we met at our home stays were just as beautiful as the surroundings that they occupied and had so much wisdom to share. They took us in and treated us as if we were there own flesh and blood. Can you imagine doing that? Taking in a stranger and giving them everything. So touching, yet again words can not come even close to describing. I am looking forward to the rest of this week, especially working with the children of Los Quinchos, an orphanage/rehabilitation project for the street children. This project is not funded by the Nicaraguan Government. It was established by an Italian woman and is currently funded by Italian communities. "Love is the perfect kind of friend." Miss everyone at home! Much love to my family and all other readers!

Words won't Capture

 I have been graced with experience of living in conditions below what I used to. With in the community of El Roblar some members of Team Nica lived together in one of the homes. I am going to be blunt. This was the craziest thing I have ever done in my life, and it was insanely amazing. I think you get the idea. I was with three other people in the house with one of the moms running the show. We ate beans, rice and other assorted goodies most of the time. Oh and coffee. Which is some of the best coffee I have ever had. I have never laughed so hard in all my life, and didn't think that was going to happen upon arriving. We got to know the family and most of the tree. There would be up to 20 people in the house at some points, which was pretty intense. I really felt connected when I was there. One of the kids reminded me of my little brother Danny, his name was Daniel too, which was neat. They had some similar facial features. That brought me closer and made me more emotional as it made me think of home and love. Two concepts that tend to be intertwined.

It turns out that before this experience I was a person with overwhelming passion for which there is no outlet, and I still am. For the time I was in and around this lady's house there was an outlet. I was completely astonished with the notion and actuality of being where I was for the past two days. Everything did it. Being in the middle of  Nicaraguan Jungle did it. The kids, the beds, the mosquito nets, the chickens, horses and the machetes. I forgot the stars. They were ridiculous as well.  It was completely and utterly inspirational and insane at the same exact time. I couldn't believe it and still cant. This is where the outlet takes place, seeing and feeling all of these things and loving all of it whilst out of my comfort zone.

One last thing. If I even tried to explain the sunset we ad seen on top of the mountain, it'd be blasphemy.

- Mike Hrubos

Hello world, I have the honor of posting our first blog after our wonderful home stays.  We all had an amazing (and safe) experience.  As soon as we entered our communities we were met with open arms.  Each of us enjoyed our times with our families and couldn't have asked for anything more.

We spent 48 hours in a community called El Roblar, the members of this community were some of the most beautiful people I have ever met.  In my particular home we spent a majority of the time laughing with our family, we had so much fun.  I have really been taken back by this whole experience and its hard to put into words. My home stay experience was no different.  On top of the beautiful hills, trees, mountains, plants and flowers we were surrounded by beautiful people.  Each and everyone of us felt extremely welcome during our time there and none of us really wanted to leave.

I have few words when describing our 1st week here in Nicaragua, which may be hard to believe for those who know me, but I have encountered some of the most prideful, happy, and beautiful people ever in the past 7 days and I can't wait to see what the next week has in store for us.

To my family and friends I love you all and I miss you all, I wish i could experience this with you all because I have been left virtually speechless by this beautiful country and its beautiful people.

-Jeff

file:///Users/velascoj/Pictures/Photo%20Booth/Photo%20127.jpg

"The Quiet Weekend"

This weekend will be quiet, only in regard to our capability to contact the outside world. Our experiences will be loud, bright, colorful, I'm sure, because this morning the Team is driving to Matagalpa, in the hills of Nicaragua. We are jumping on the bus very soon and will drive for 3 hours, and will arrive in the city of our home-stays; Matagalpa. We will be living with selected families of  this community, visiting the coffee plantation etc.. CEPAD has been acting as our temporary home; therefore we are all unsure what the new region will bring. Monday is when we will return to CEPAD and I'm sure the blogs will be flourishing, with stories of our stays.

The experience thus far has been amazing eye opening, and I am so grateful to be here and meet such wonderful people. It's great to feel inspired and the next part is to try to use these feelings for action back home. To all of our family and friends, we love you and will talk Monday.

Love, 

Heather

Hola From Team Nica 2010

Adorable little girl we stumbled upon during a visit to Esperanza en Accion.

“When the Levee Broke”

Today, I was completely filled and completely emptied. In a culmination and concrete correlation between our factual learnings and the reality of the people, the levees of my heart broke and emotion poured out. Tears, responsibility, sorrow, shame, flowed like a torrent.

For the past year we’ve been learning about Nicaragua. For the past few months, our team meetings and understanding of Nicaragua's social issues has intensified. For the past few days, we’ve been transformed. We’ve been forever changed.

Our day began with a very eye opening lesson of a U.S. policy most American’s know very little about. What we often do know, is very, very distorted. This policy is the U.S.’s approach to “free trade.” Sounds good, doesn’t it? Free trade. As opposed to “oppressed trade”? (Free trade removes taxes and tariffs and supposedly government involvement).

Free trade is great. Watch. Check out how over a 10 year period, NAFTA (The North American Free Trade Agreement) has dramatically helped the three countries involved. Everybody is benefiting… this is policy that works!


Look at that! Increased trade. New jobs. Steady economic growth… for MEXICO! Free Trade Rocks!

Well, that’s what they like to tell us. They need our silence because recently, free trade policies have been harder to pass in Congress. This is why:

The other side of the coin, what do we see? Job loss. Increased displacement and migration. A decline in small farms. More U.S. ownership (even of BANKS) which results in less loans to Mexicans. Now that U.S. subsides have enabled U.S. corn companies to have a monopoly over corn production and sale in Mexico, increased corn prices. Why? Cause there’s no longer any competition.

This is now the reality in Nicaragua and other countries in Central America through CAFTA (The Central America Free Trade Agreement).

After this enlightening lecture, we set off to learn in action. After a very powerful lecture on migration, we first visited a fair trade store called “Esperanza in Acion,” where we gained a greater understanding of how local artisans and workers are often exploited by outside influences. Through fair trade (not free trade), an artisan or worker can receive fair pay for the time they’ve put in to make their good (as opposed to a individual who earns 800x less then what a company like “The Gap” sells it for). *NOTE: To all you family and friends out there, we’re stocked full of BEAUTIFUL fair trade products to bring back, to grace your homes and ours!

Here’s a picture from “Esperanza in Acion” where Yamileth talks about the wonderful artisans who they teach how to improve their products and lives.
After buying as much as we could afford, we left Esperanza in Acion and headed to our final meeting of the day. For me, at 3pm, on Thursday, January 7, 2010, years of learning boiled down to pure emotion. During our meeting with the Nicaraguan banana farmers who were poisoned by a pesticide used 17 years ago by the Dole Food Country. This pesticide (which the U.S. banned and acknowledged that it was extremely hazardous and poisonous yet continued to sell to developing countries) has caused deaths, sterility, birth defects and cancer on thousands of these workers. Listening to their presentation, asking questions, trying to understand their cause, everything was in check. Just as we were about to end our meeting, I noticed a silence. All had been asked. All had been said. All that was left was raw emotion. That’s when the levee broke. My heart suddenly felt the most tremendous responsibility, shame, sadness and sympathy I have ever felt. Because the earth is one, mankind is one, their suffering and abuse was so openly wrong. It was so horrifying and upsetting. This entire situation is clearly, without a doubt, the direct result of U.S. companies. This was the direct result of the U.S. economy, of the U.S. trade agreements, of the United States of America. Which I am part of. Which I represent.

My heart was emptied and all that remained was love, prayers and a promise to work for change. As we walked through the camp, our group hugged the families and exchanged smiles, hugs, and the passing phrases of “Buenas” and “Adios.”

Galen (our host from Witness for Peace, the Treasurer and Vice President of the afflicted workers)

We returned back to our hostel, our spirits ready (and perhaps needing) to dance, to sing, to celebrate. Why? How is this possible, after seeing what we’ve seen?

Three words: Nicaragua is beautiful! Its people are radiant, selfless and welcoming. Even in its challenges, there is stirrings of change. Even in its poverty, there is joy, there is vibrant life. And finally, in its music, there is FUN! There is harmony, passion, hope!

Guitarra de Madera Azul (Latin American Revolutionary Trova Music)

Buenas noches.

Love you Tee. Love you Mom, Dad, Jeff, Matt, Pattio, family and friends.

-Bryan

A protesting community fighting for justice and compensation for effects of the illegal use of the chemical Nemagon on banana plantations in the 1970's and '80's.

Blessed

Just a few moments ago I was blessed with the experience of going into a community where the people were filled with joy and hope. Our time there was gain awareness of what as happening to the people and what they are trying to get done for the betterment and quality of their life.
In the community there are 600 men women and children living together in harmony. They are the people affiliated with the banana plantations of northern Nicaragua. They have been there for three years under circumstances that people like me are completely unfamiliar with. I want to take the time to give thanks to their community and their people for allowing us in to witness their lifestyle.
It seems through their underprivileged nature they would be less happy then most would think. This is totally untrue. I have seen the warmest people in my life here in these living quarters. That is the most important thing to me and the rest of the delegation here. Appreciation for what they have.
The leader of the community is Guillermo. He is there to try and get the people what the need to survive. These people have the hardship of illness from working with a pesticide from the banana plantation. He and the rest of the community are working to get help from the major companies from the United States through meeting and awareness. Even though they are unaware of the outcome this will lead them to they can still be hopeful that it will bring them better conditions.
Finally I would like to add that our delegation was emotionally devastated by what we had witnessed. This was one of the most difficult things to see so far. I my self plan to take what I have seen and let others know the passion these individuals possess. It is my humble responsibility to see the love that these people have and push it forward to create something better, for me and for the world.

-Mike Hrubos

Team Nica photos

La Chureca

La Chureca
By: Jesenia Ortiz & Mark Van Buren



In the United States we hear the term "dumpster diving" but here in Nicaragua it has a completely different meaning. In "el bario" (neighborhood) of Acahualinca is the city dump "La Chureca." One thousand two hundred families live in this bario, while 200 of them make their home and living inside the actual dump. Families roam the dump for raw materials to be sold in the city of Managua, clothing, and most importantly food, that has been rotting for days.

In the U.S. for some people dumpster diving is a lifestyle whereas in "La Chureca" it is a reality and way of life. Just driving past the outskirts of La Chureca, you are exposed to men, women, and children searching for life supplies which for us are usually bought at a store. The first thing that we saw approaching the outside of the La Chureca were three children jumping into a heap of garbage contained by a truck. The people in La Chureca are so desperate for supplies and food that they cannot even wait for the garbage to be dumped. This was a very difficult sight for all of us, and we weren't even allowed to enter the actual dump. Small flames of burning trash lay scattered outside the walls of the actual dump while smoke polluted the community's air, slowly infecting the lungs and respiratory system of inhabitants. Sadly the ones affected the most by the pollution are children, and keeping in mind that medical assistance in this area is extremely limited.

It should be noted here that these are REAL HUMAN BEINGS living in this community. We tend to dehumanize these people because it is too painful to come to the reality that they are no different than us. By creating them in to an "other" we avoid action and our responsibility to create change. Reading or hearing about it is one thing, but actually witnessing and connecting to these people as ourselves is something completely different. Team Nica 2010 is prepared to educate people back home in the states in order to create on-going systematic change and development.

Day 1, Morning Day 2

Day 1, Morning Day 2
by: Keaghan Anen

So yesterday (What I am calling Day 1, travel day was Day 0 for me) we had four main activities. First, we were taken to a small market in Managua. We were broken up into groups of four, given 40 Cordobas (about $2 U.S. and the average income per family per day) and told to buy food for a family of six for the whole day. My group bought 2 lbs of rice, 1 lb of beans, 1 lb of potatoes, and a few tomatoes (which was cooked for lunch today and I am currently eating). We realized that this was defintely not enough to feed a family by U.S. standards, but some of us thought that with enough time we may have been able to haggle and shop for better prices and make it work. This is when one of the international team members, Galen, suggested that, having spent all of our income on food, we no longer had money for things like toilet paper, utilities bills, emergencies, transportation, or medical care. This was a shocking realization to us all, and was followed by another very interesting experience.

After our trip to the market, we went to the mall here in Managua. What I never expected, a real modern style mall, was exactly what we found. There was a Burger King, Sbarro, movie theater, and even a Mercedes being raffled off at the entrance (which another of our international team members, Geno, was hoping to win.) Mark and I were especially shocked at this, and to be honest, at the time we were a bit let down. We had expected to be thrown right into the middle of all the issues and see it all right away, my imagined Managua was nothing like it really is (Though parts of it turned out worse).

After lunch we then had a little history lesson about Nicaragua and then we had a guest speaker discuss the cultural issues that were affecting those on the east coast of Nicaragua, such as race and government representation inequality. While interesting, I felt bad that a bad nights sleep (and early morning yoga) had left me drowsy and almost falling asleep.

This morning (after another yoga session with Jhon), we had a discussion of the economic history and problems of Nicaragua, then we took a trip out to visit a woman named Maria Ivania, who runs a health and education clinic out of her home. This was our first real experience with the lifestyle of most Nicaraguans. There was no running water, the homes were sort of slapped together and created and maintained as the people could afford them, which did not afford them many luxuries. I won't get into the specifics too much because I'm sure others will be discussing it later, but her story fascinated and inspires all of us, especially when she shared her own experiences as a young mother.

This morning was very difficult for all of us, but one thing I am trying to do is to not let it depress me, but instead I am trying to be constantly inspired and motivated to create change. One thing I cannot seem to shake though is a feeling of guilt. Call it luck, fate, God's will or whatever that I was born in a place that I could have the things I have, but I cannot help feel bad that 30 minutes ago we were confronted by a man ashamed to ask us for money to buy food for his family (who had not eaten yet today. I feel especially guilty because of this, because in-between sentences I have been eating from a full plate of food, one of three that I will have today. It is just hard to get past the fact that I eat in one meal what an entire family might eat in a day (or even two).

DayZero part 2

Day Zero

Hello world! This is Amina and first off, I just want to say to all my friends and family that I couldn’t reach out to, that WE MADE IT!!! We got in around 8:30 Nicaragua time. When we first arrived, I was very shocked to notice that the airport didn’t look to far off from ours. I guess I was expecting the plane to land in a field and we walk off the plane into a van. It also relieved a lot of anxiety to finally arrive in Nicaragua.

When we got into the van, the first thing we saw was a bat, which scared me. We also put all of our luggage on top of the van, which was a little not America. Traveling to CEPAD (the place that we are staying) was interesting. What we saw was so similar to what we were used to. There was Shell gas stations and On the Run convenience stores and even good old McDonalds. There was also a lot of people just out on the streets hanging out. What really struck me while we were driving was that when we were stopped at a light, a little boy about 7 years old came knocking on the window and just waved at us. It was weird that he was just alone on the street.

My first impression of CEPAD was that it was much better that I expected. The beds are kind of flat and you cant put toilet paper in the toilet, but generally, I feel comfortable here. I feel content and am just going to take this experience one day at a time. It helped me personally a lot that as a group, we connected before we came here. I feel so much more comfortable knowing that we are all experiencing this for the first time together and we can all relate to each other.

Lastly, to my parents, I love you guys and thank you for supporting me and allowing me to go. And to Booby, I love you so so so so much and miss you and my kitties. I hope your holding the house down(and the laundry ).

Goodnight World.

"Day Zero" Part 1

Yesterday, "Day Zero," as we've been calling it, was an interesting day. The events of the day were pretty self explanitiory. We traveled from Newark to Miami, eating some Cuban food on our lay over (something I couldn't have been happier about- the taste of home!). Finally, we were on the flight to Managua. We were all in a weird state, confused about how we were feeling in the moment; strange, anxious, nervous, excited, scared- just a few of the words I heard being muttered around. I was feeling all of these things. I don't think any of us knew what to expect upon our arrival to Nicaragua.

I thought that my presence in this foreign place would hit me as soon as I set foot off the plane, but somehow it did not. The smell was strange immediately. Not a bad smell, just different than what we are used to...the smell of Nica.
We have all been learning about the disadvantages that this great country is forced to endure daily. I still don't think we know just how we are going to face these issues, how we are going to react to them. I am afraid to see the pain that these innocent people go through every day. However, I long to learn from them. I already have.

Although our exit from the airport was hectic, it was warm and welcoming. The Whitness for Peace delegates greeted us with excitement. We loaded all of our luggage ON TOP of the bus and were on our way to CEPAD, the place we will be staying while we are in Managua. It was difficult to see the city at night, but the impression was lasting. We were all shocked to see such a plethora of American companies such as Texaco, On The Run, McDonalds, etc. along the road. Maybe Nica isn't so different? The reality was quickly presented. Groups of young boys, children, gathered in abandoned building. They stared at our bus as we passed by, but they were not looking for trouble. I'm sure they were just curious. The most emotional experience for me on our first night was when we were on the bus, stopped at a red light. A boy, not older than nine years old, was tapping on the window of the bus, begging for money. Another waved as we drove away. I looked away, not in a negative way, but as a shield. I was trying to distance myself from feeling that pain, but I do not want to do that anymore.

I want to understand these children, these people. As a group, we talked about opening our hearts to the people of Nicaragua in order to understand them fully and deeply. We are all extremely excited to continue this project. Although we still don't know what to expect, we will soon confront the experience of a lifetime!

We are all safe and enjoying each other's company, no worries about that! Madre, Daddy, Nikki, Tay, John and anyone who is following this blog in support, I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH! I can't wait to share this experience with you!

Arrival in Nicaragua

The team has arrived safely in Nicaragua. We are having a wondeful orientation to the project. We are unfortunately having some internet connectivity troubles. We will post our daily blog reports once we resolve those issues. Stay tuned!!!