Wow so I am finally here in Ometepe, Nicaragua and what a journey it has been. It has been about a week since I left home for training camp in Georgia. The 3 days of training camp were filled with a combination of exhaustion, anxiety, but also excitement and a renewed relationship with God.
Meeting my team and stepping into community has been beautiful but extremely hard at the same time. As an introvert being around people all the time is very draining. Also being vulnerable and becoming close with people fast is hard for me. At training camp, although I was being filled spiritually I was still feeling anxious about what was to come.
Today is day 4 of living at the orphanage. We are literally living on an island and have a view of the water and volcano. It is absolutely beautiful and I cannot believe I get to call this place home for a month.
So far ministry has been a lot of manual labor and for me that has consisted of mostly painting. We are helping them prepare for the school to open on Monday, and once that happens we will spend more time with the kids teaching English class.
I am still trying to adjust to everything and have learned so much already. My favorite moments so far have been when I have gotten to interact with the kids and workers at the orphanage. I have gotten to help the lady’s in the kitchen and have hand washed dishes with some of the kids. We all laugh as I try to communicate in the little Spanish I know and they try to learn English.
As I reflect on my first week here, one word that has repeatedly come to my head is simplicity. There is such beauty in the people here and the life they are living. Taking moments to slow down, whether it is spending an hour to wash dishes or just relaxing in a hammock by the lake, I am learning to embrace these moments and seek God through them.
