Life is crazy on the World Race.
We left Vision Nicaragua on December 31st, stayed at the Surfing Turtle Lodge on the beach for 4 days without internet, and left on January 4th for a few days of travel:
5 airports [Managua-Atlanta-Los Angeles-Seoul-Bangkok]
4 countries
3 continents wrapped in 3 days.
[Within a span of 24 hours we went from being on the beach, waiting for a boat to pick us up, along with our baggage and take us across the water – to being in a hotel in Atlanta with Chick-Fil-A.]
Somewhere along the way a proper farewell blog to Nicaragua got lost. I'd hate to leave any loose ends between transitions, because I'm pretty sure once I start on a new country, it's hard to backtrack to the previous month.
So… here goes…
Earlier in the month we helped host, ref, and coach 4 soccer teams in tournament.
The kids also came to the Vision Nicaragua compound and heard talks about having clean bodies and the importance of good hygiene. We had split up prior to the tournament into the communites of the teams and helped pick up trash; they heard about the importance of keeping their communites and environment clean. The kids also heard a talk about having a clean heart and how it is only possible through the forgiveness that Christ died for.
The kids also had a few swings at a pinata or two
and watched Kung Fu Panda on the projector.
We didn't finish the roof that we were working on. However, a lot of progress was made with our help. The walls were raised and the new metal beams were put together for the new roof. Though we didn't see it to completion, there are still people who will finished off what we helped start.
The house didn't get finished either, but we did get 3 of 4 walls put up, and the fourth one was over half way up when we left. There is a team of missionaries who came a week after we left, who will probably finish off the house. Estella has had a place to sleep on the Vision Nicaragua property while we were constructing her house, don't worry, she's not homeless.
I'll miss my construction buddies: Eleazar, Kevin, Josue, and Eddie.
On New Year's Eve, our last day with Vision Nicaragua, we stopped into Bethel for the last time to say our goodbyes. We have had a ton of fun getting to know families and play with the kids.
This is my buddy Loren. I enjoyed spending time with him in Bethel. I was able to work on my Spanish with him and make a friend in the process. Loren is 19 and going to school for veterinary studies. He was like a younger brother to me during our stay in Nicaragua.
The kids all ran after the truck as we left Bethel.
I'll miss Connie, one of the first people I ever met in Bethel.
She has a big heart filled with love and always had encouraging words for me every time we met.
Dan & Kathleen, I enjoyed doing ministry together with you guys!
Enjoy your time in Nicaragua, keep doing what you're doing.
Dan and Kathleen drove down from the US to Nicaragua with a bunch of tools in their 4-Runner. Dan is teaching all sorts of mechanical stuff to Nicaraguans to help equip them for better work, outside of the sugar cane fields.
While in Nicaragua, we learned that many men work in the sugar cane fields and in some cases, in as little as 6 months to a few years, men suffer from chronic kidney failure. From what I have heard, there is a certain pesticide that is manufactured in the United States, banned from use in the United States, but exported to countries like Nicaragua. There are no laws against the use of the pesticide in Nicaragua, and more than likely is the cause of the kidney failure. Many Nicaraguan men have had little choice but to work in the sugar cane fields in order to provide for their families, and as a result, end up getting the kidney disease. We met a man named Ernesto in Bethel who has the kidney disease and his little daughter. We prayed for Ernesto during our visits and have heard that he has been able to eat for the first time in months and feeling better. But before we left, I heard he was in the hospital again. We pray that Ernesto is out and experiences continued healing.
Here's where we spent our last days in Nicaragua before leaving; in our tents on the beach. We spent time together as a squad an also in our teams. Before heading off to Thailand and making the continent switch, we were given news that we would all have new teams. Thomas, Ryan, and Kayla got raised up to squad leaders. Our 8 teams got condensed into 7 teams; two of which are all girl teams. I was on Team Freedom and now am on Team Siloam (blog links to my new team mates are on the side). While we were all sad to part ways with our family for the first three months of the Race, I am excited to grow in different ways from my new family and see what God has in store for all of us in Thailand.
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I never thought I would enjoy Central America as much as I did. A piece of my heart will always be there. I made a lot of new friends and family and God has definitely shaped and refined me in new ways during the past three months.
I look forward to the next leg of the Race: Asia.
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Stay tuned for more adventures.
Peace & Blessings
