Mucho Mucho Cambio (Much, Much Change…)

I had always heard that travel days on the World Race were “intense”, to say the least. Well after traveling through four countries in three days with fourteen people and 60 pounds of luggage a piece, I began realizing that all I’ve heard prior to World Race travel days is more than accurate. We began the journey in a van that picked up our team in Panajachel and drove for three hours to Guatemala City where we met up with the other team we’d be doing ministry with for the month, team Pneuma. We rendezvoused at the TICA bus station in Guatemala City and found out that the bus we were all hoping to get on was full. Instead of taking the TICA bus the whole way to Nicaragua now we were going to have to take a different charter bus to San Salvador and then switch back to the TICA from San Salvador through Honduras and into Nicaragua. When all this was going down at the bus station we ran into another team from the S Squad, and it was so great to see their beautiful faces again.

After deciding to take an alternative bus to San Salvador, we realized we still had to get to that bus station, which was across town. The fourteen of us jumped into just a couple taxis (which was interesting because all of our gigantic backpacks took up more space than I think the taxi drivers anticipated) and raced across to the King bus station to get on the 2 pm bus to San Salvador. We were on that bus for 5 hours and reached El Salvador in time for dinner at the infamous American restaurant chain: Wendy’s and a night stay at the Hotel Maria. Our team did worship for a good hour or so that night which was the first team Lovebound/Pneuma bonding activity of the month. After a few hours of sleep, it was time to wake up at 4AM and get on the TICA for 12 hours. It takes a long time to drive to the capital of Nicaragua and after 12 hours on a bus, with only stops for border patrol and a three dollar sit-down meal at a road side chicken restaurant, we made it to the capital. We still were far away from our final destination of the CICRIN orphanage, however.

We got to the capital and jumped in more taxis to take us to a town an hour away to jump on a ferry boat that would take us across Lake Nicaragua to the island of Ometepe where we’d be staying for the month. After the taxi drivers started driving for a while, they pulled into a gas station and informed us that the town we told them to take us to doesn’t have a ferry boat that takes people to Ometepe and if we wanted them to take us to a city that does have a ferry, it’d be a town three hours away. Well, since so many of us were crammed into these taxis with our countless numbers of bags and handbags, we sighed heavy and agreed that the sooner we get to the island, the better. I had a nice long conversation with Bri and Josh, a married couple from team Pneuma, and it was good to get to know both of them better during the three hour drive. Bri knows Spanish fluently so she was able to talk to our driver about the Lord which was very cool to listen to.

When we got out of the taxis we all realized that the last ferry boat to Ometepe island had already left for the day…three hours prior to our arrival at the ferry dock. We wouldn’t be able to get on another ferry until 7AM the next morning. This is when it got interesting. We were out of travel money and we couldn’t afford to all stay the night in a hotel on our very limited budget, so Josh suggested that we try and offer the ferry dock workers money in exchange for letting us stay in the ferry port overnight. Bri told them in Spanish that we were missionaries and that we didn’t have enough money for a hotel but what we did have to spare we could give them if they let us come into the dock for the night. The guards agreed and told her that we could all sleep with them on the ferry boat (where they sleep every night). This is the same ferry we’d be traveling on the next morning to Ometepe island, which I thought was hilarious. We all made it to the ferry, and on the cold, hard steel floor of the main level of the ferry under the stars, we set up our bug huts and tents for the night. We were all so grateful to God for His provision and His grace. I had so much fun laying under the stars on this Nicaraguan ferry boat for the night in my bug hut with my fellow racers. Yes, it smelled like fish as all ferry boats do, but the experience was priceless and one that I am very happy to have had.

I know much sketchier things will happen to us on the Race than sleeping on ferry boats in Central America with a crew of Nicaraguan workers. But I also know that whatever situation we find ourselves in, travel days or days of ministry, God will always be there in each and every situation, leading the way for us, His kids. So, the next time your plans don’t work out the way you want them to, remember that God has a better plan that includes something far more exciting (and  not to mention hilarious).