1. What were your living arrangements like? (Bed/tent/hammock? Bathroom/toilet/showers?)
6 of us lived in a room with bunk beds but due to bug bites I ended up sleeping outside in my hammock all month. We had two showers and two toilets in a separate building outside. Every time we needed the bathroom we did a tarantula check before entering.
2. What was the food like?
The food was great! The Tia’s of CICRIN cooked three meals for us every day; we fell in love with fried plantains and plantain chips. We already miss our rice and beans we had for almost every meal and we were blessed with fresh squeezed juice daily!
3. What is the culture like?
Think dirt roads, cow herders, pigs tied to ropes in the yard, typical farming life with less farm fields.
4. What did you learn about yourself?
I have been a worry-wart my entire life and I have learned that a lot of the time my worry is a need to feel like I am in control. So I have gotten better at worrying less and giving my problems to God more.
What was your most memorable moment from this month?
Our last night at CICRIN the children, teenagers and staff threw us all a party where all the children had dance routines. It was amazing to see our friends in action! I also really enjoyed youth night when we hung out with the teenagers. We played games with them and got to see their bubbly personalities; and from that night forward we were able to joke around with them and spontaneously have game night.
6. What was the hardest thing about your month?
The most annoying thing was definitely the bugs – they were everywhere!
7. What did you see God doing among the people of Nicaragua?/ 8. What did you learn about the community and the people you served?
God is present and working among the people of Nicaragua. The people of CICRIN have admirably strong faith and have given their lives to Jesus to help the children. The staff are the best role models the children could be surrounded with and the children love Jesus more than soccer. They have been through so much in their young lives and still want to pray for other people – including myself. The teenagers at CICRIN are full of so much joy I know they are filled with the holy spirit. CICRIN is changing the community and making sure everyone is taken care of not only on the island but all over the country.
What fun activities did you get to do?
We had the opportunity to visit the cold springs nearby (water from the volcano formed a natural spring to swim in). We also went to San Juan del Sur one weekend to see the Pacific Ocean.
What one thing surprised you the most?
My calm reaction to a tarantula. It was the last week of Nicaragua and I had successfully avoided seeing a live tarantula all month. We were doing our routine tarantula check before entering the bathroom when I looked over at Hannah and said, “hey look at this giant spider.” I’m not sure if God has cured me or if it was because I saw it during the actual tarantula check and just wasn’t surprised but I’ve screamed louder for spiders smaller than a thumb tack.
Explain your “typical day” this month.
A few of us would wake up early to workout at 5:30, then we had quiet time/Jesus time afterwards and team bible study at 7. Breakfast was served at 8:00 and our ministry assignments were from 9-12. Our assignments changed weekly; I started out doing construction (digging a septic tank), then I worked in the school, and ended in the garden. Occasionally we would all do cleaning as our ministry. After lunch we had daily prayer with some of the staff at CICRIN. From 2-4 we had our free time which usually resulted in hammock time. 4 o’clock was our intentional play time with the children (Mon/Fri- Park, Tues- swim in the lake, Wed- 1-on-1s, Thurs- game day). Dinner was served at 5:30; after dinner we did various things: team time, play games with the teenagers, etc.
12.What different mission projects did you work on?
CICRIN is the children’s home we lived and worked at this month. CICRIN is a program that welcomes children from families that cannot afford to feed their children or simply want a better education for them. Most of the kids at the orphanage have parents and other siblings that live back at home with them. The children are allowed to go home on weekends and big breaks from school. It is common in Nicaragua for only the oldest two children or the boys of the family to receive an education in order to save money. The children at CICRIN are taken care of entirely by support donated to the center. If you would like to sponsor any of the children I fell in love with this month please visit www.cicrinus.org.
13.What was it like to live on a volcanic island? Pros and cons?
Super hot and super fertile. We woke up sweating and went to bed sweating every day and I can no longer complain about the humidity in the Midwest. We would work in the garden to remove weeds and by the next week everything would be grown back to full size. It was green everywhere you looked on the island and it was beautiful to be right by the lake; especially for the sunsets.
14.Name one of the main differences of this month compared to last month.
Last month we were with the whole squad and this month we were with only one other team. Another difference is that last month we were in a city where everything was in walking distance and this month we had to do a lot of hitch hiking.
15.Costa Rica is one of the countries you said you were most excited about, are you still excited for it? What are you looking forward to?
(This is kinda cheating because I am writing this in Costa Rica but) Yes! The beach!
