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I WANT TO SEE THE WORLD
semester abroad next year in Australia... keep your fingers crossed !!
and South Africa a.s.a.p.
... wouldn't you like to be sitting on top of the world with your legs hanging free ...
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| Nicaragua 2006
I just experienced what it is like to be a missionary in a third world country. I can't even describe what took place, and the effect that it has had on me. I am so lucky that i was given the opportunity, for it was such a once in a lifetime experience.
Nicaragua is located near the bottom of central america. It is such a poor country, with people living in mud houses with tin and trash bags as roofs. It is such a different way of life. They dont throw away trash. They burn some of it, but most trash just lays on their yards and streets. You can't flush toilet paper, so instead you put it in a trash can. that was hard getting used to. The country turns off the electricity every night practically, so we usually lost power and water from 7-10. Showers were always cold since they dont have warm water down there. There is so much that we take for granted in the US, and these people live a life even close to ours. It is such a shame.
Day 1 - Mom and I flew down to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua with 13 other missionaries.
Day 2 - We did some sightseeing in Managua. It was crazy driving around because everything was written in Spanish and their roads dont have street names. People were everywhere and selling food and drinks on the street.
In the afternoon, we drove 3 hours north to the city of Matagalpa. It was in the mountains, and the place we stayed at was at the top of one of the mountains in the rain forest. It was actually kinda cold up there. Driving up there, there were kids around the age of 5-7 standing along side the road with shovels. They would wait for people to drive by and they would dig dirt out of the side of the mountain and fill in a pothole so people would throw them a few coins. It was really heartbreakening because people would do anything just for a few cents.
Day 3 - we went to a Renutrition center. They go out into their community and find malnourished babies and bring them back usually for a year until they are heathly again. A lot of the babies were emaciated and so sad. We went and just held them and played with them, because a baby needs love and to be held. They would scream and cry when we put them down. I broke down when i had to leave the girl i was holding. She was so weak and it broke my heart to leave her. One of the babies started calling a guy in our group DaDa. The babies were so helpless, but it felt really good to show them love.
Day 4 - We climbed a mountain to a village called Ocoate.
I had no idea that we would see what existed at the top. It felt like you were back in the 1700's. It was a village of around 100 with one outhouse, mud houses, and a church made out of bamboo. We did a skit in spanish for all of the children.
we watched as all the kids lines up with their bowl and cup for their meal of the day. It made us sick how people including us are so money greedy and take everything for granted, and it humbled us so much to see these little kids so greatful for their meal.
Day 5-7 - We went to an elementary school named Los Brasiles and helped build a playground for the little kids. I had the best time with the kids there. When we got there, i told about three of them my name, and within 10 minutes, it seemed like the whole school knew by name. They would always shout "Nadaleee" and wave. They little girls were so cute. They would come up and kiss my cheeks or hold my hands. They drew me pictures and boys would write lil love notes in spanish. It was hard because I only had three years of spanish so it was practically impossible to talk to them, but my spanglish somehow kinda worked.
all the lil boys played soccer so id always join in their games.. and they would shout Gringo!! Gringo!! when they wanted the ball from me. it was hysterical.
All the kids loved playing with us, so we would do random things like a conga line, jump rope, duck duck goose, a parachute game, and heres mom doing the hookey pookey with the kids.
The kids made you feel so good about yourself. They always wanted to be around us. Mom took this picture of the kids moshpitting me.
We took down 30 suitcases filled with supplies for families of nicaragua. One suitcase was full of toothbrushes and toothpaste. The kids at Los Brasiles would brush their teeth every day outside. it was so cute.
Day 8 - In the morning we went around the neighborhood of Los Brasiles with some local nicaraguans and they prayed for the familes that lived there. The houses made you so sad because they were built with scraps of tin and carboard.
Day 9 - It was our day off so first we went to an active volcano. It was crazy standing at the top of it.
After that we went to a resort on a Lagoon. It was so beautiful and nice to relax.
The lagoon was at a bottom of a rainforest, so mom and i decided we would take a hike through the rainforest. We ended up seeing wild monkeys... it was ridiculous! they were screaming at us and jumping from branch to branch in the canopy. it was such a wild experience.
Day 10 - We went back to Los Brasiles to finish some more of the play ground and say goodbye. They were having a big fiesta for all of the kids. We helped make pinatas and decorate their classrooms.
Here is our whole group with some of the playground behind us. There are also the nicaraguans that were helping us build in the picture.
Day 11 - Left Nicaragua at 4am. Slept in the airport all day long. Finally got home in the states at 1:30 am... 21 and a half hours later.
We went down there with expectations that we were going to give them so much, but it ended up that they gave us back so much more back. i learned a lot about myself and life. The people down there have absolutely nothing, but they are filled with love, and you could feel it through their genuine hugs. It humbled me a lot, and now i see life with a new set of eyes. I will never forget my experience down there or the peoples faces. I would go back in a heartbeat.
// dont let your dreams be dreams. this living isn't as hard as it seems. //
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