We were told that Nicaragua was going to be hot; like sweat-your-face-off hot. Then our host takes us into the mountains where we saw the sun maybe once a week. Much of Nicaragua was like this. We thought it was going to be one thing and then it became a completely different thing. Our team rolled with the changes like true World Racers in month 10, and because of our flexibility, Nicaragua turned out to be a great month.
Life Without Wifi is Great
To set the scene of where we stayed, picture a house in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. We had no wifi, had to take a bus 15-30 minutes to reach a town where we would get groceries and wifi. We were pretty secluded, especially when a hurricane came through. And it was wonderful!! When you aren’t distracted by outside forces, you focus on what’s right in front of you. Our team spent so much time together and in the Word. Card games, delicious food, random song break outs, peaceful quiet times. It was wonderful.
The Lightning Struck Above Us
There aren’t any pictures or videos, but the memory is so vivid. We were coming back from sledding down a volcano. Three of us were sitting in the back of a truck and the clouds began to roll in as the sun set for the day. Then the lightning and thunder began. Huge, thick lines of lightning were streaking throughout the sky. They were so close and didn’t just hit in the blink of an eye. They lingered, allowing us to watch all of them. The rain pelted down, the thunder shook us, and the lightning struck above us. And in these moments, God’s glorious, creative power was on display. It was beautiful and frightening all at the same time. Nature displayed the Fear of the Lord that night and exactly how powerful God is and what reverence of that truly is.
Mayo Gets Rid of Lice
We got lice. Mine was really bad. And we discovered it while at a conference with 2 squads so it wasn’t just me. I did multiple lice shampoo treatments, picked out my hair multiple times a day, and we were still finding them. So we took the advice of our host and saturated our hair with mayonnaise. We had to coat our hair, wrap a bag tight around our heads (to suffocate the beasts), leave it on for 5ish hours, then rinse it out. And it worked! It smelled awful and most of the team has PTSD, but our heads are buggy free! If you need to do it, I suggest not sleeping with it, because it runs down your neck, suctions your ears, and gets your stuff gross.
Sometimes You Just Need Grandma
Our ministry this month was very interesting. It was called Casa de Gozo. Our host was a wonderful typical Southern Grandmother that created this home for children in the area to come to after school. On Saturdays they were there for much of the day. Where most after school programs have a specific schedule, this one didn’t. It was a safe place where these kids could be kids, where they could play, talk, and be loved. It was grandma’s house in every sense of the meaning. Our host had so much joy when the kids were there, and she left everything she had to be a safe place for these children. And you saw the fruit of it. It was beautiful.
Embrace Your Quirks; They’re Fun
We are made to be unique. God thought of every single part of us, took care to lovingly make us, and has designed us to live this life in a very specific way that no one else can live out. So don’t try to hide those quirks. Don’t hide the things that give you joy. If you love to break out in song, do it! If you pat your belly when you’ve had a good meal, you pat your belly. If you laugh so hard, you pee…well, it’s a great story so don’t be ashamed! These moments where people are unique are the moments that bond friends and community together. You can’t be a community if everyone is fake. Let people in because that laugh you think is obnoxious is going to be loved by those who value you and won’t leave your side.
One country left, one month until the race is officially over, and the process of preparing for that has begun. Nicaragua was a space for our emotions to be felt, and to begin to mourn the ending of a beautiful chapter in our lives. And the memories are great. Where else am I going to stand with a group of 6 women and 1 guy and guess the color of m&ms for 30 minutes?? Adios Nica, hola El Salvador!
