We are staying this month at Cicrin Children’s Home on Ometepe Island in Nicaragua. For a history of the place and pictures of the children, check out www.cicrinus.org. The story as I understand it is that many of the children living here are not in fact orphans. Many have relatives who are too poor to choose to feed them and many have situations of some type of abuse/neglect that they have been pulled out of to live here. There are several pairs of biological siblings here, but the whole group of 18 act like one big happy family complete with a BUNCH of tias (aunts) & helpers & Helen, the director of the home. Helen has legally adopted a couple of the younger children just recently to permanently offer them a life of love and provision.
Our days start off with morning breakfast at 7:30. Typically each and every single meal is rice & beans (yes, I do mean breakfast, lunch AND dinner). Sometimes there are other sides with that. Occasionally there is a smidge of meat on the side. There is always fresca made from fruit, ice, water, sugar. We help with breakfast clean up, have a morning devotional time and get to work. Most days the women from our two teams help out in the garden planting, picking weeds, preparing soil, etc. The men are collecting rocks to help prevent further erosion of the property into Lake Nicaragua. They are also helping to build a home so more children can come and live at Cicrin.
(GA buddies)
(GA buddies)We help prepare lunch and clean up afterwards. The afternoons are ours to enjoy. There is a beautiful hammock filled area that is a hot spot to hang out with any of the kids after school or to have alone time. We also go swimming in the lake or take the row boat out from time to time. Of course, there are also plenty of days that we need to do laundry (quite the time consuming affair) or go to town to get online to post blogs.
In the evening after helping prepare and clean up dinner, we spend time with the kids either in a worship service, playing games, improving our Spanish skills while they improve their English skills, etc. Last night we had a full out fiesta for Robert, an American who has lived here for the last year pouring into the lives of the kids and staff. He has taught us a tremendous amount about gardening and he had such a love filled going away party last night. The kids prepared skits, dancing (with and without flags), songs, pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, the cha-cha slide, and of course, a pinata. Delightful! We all laughed and celebrated and had ice cream with a wafer like cake treat. We also had a chance for everyone to stand up one by one to thank Robert for what he has meant. So many children love him like a father or an uncle.
He has come back repeatedly through the years and has seen many of the children grow up. It is SO touching to see teens moved to tears or who sacrifice to buy a going away gift. It really speaks to how important love is and how much it does. I know that I was moved just to see the effects of such a great love. And it encourages me on my journey that I don’t have to build anything or be a great speaker. What I need to do best in life is to love. Now THAT’S a lifetime challenge.
He has come back repeatedly through the years and has seen many of the children grow up. It is SO touching to see teens moved to tears or who sacrifice to buy a going away gift. It really speaks to how important love is and how much it does. I know that I was moved just to see the effects of such a great love. And it encourages me on my journey that I don’t have to build anything or be a great speaker. What I need to do best in life is to love. Now THAT’S a lifetime challenge.
Who says musical chairs is dangerous?!? 🙂
