We start our walk from our hostel to the Lake and instantly I’m struck by the beauty of the architecture. The colors are vibrant and building styles are beautiful. The streets are noisy. -if there is one thing to say about Nicaraguans it’s that they love noise and celebrations- There are no traffic laws so we cross cautiously and come upon a square with people selling souvenirs and offering tours. We stop to get smoothie’s & then continue our journey to the lake. I say hello to a lady pushing her husband in a wheelchair and we have a conversation as best we can with the language barrier. Life has aged her and she carries beauty beneath all her wrinkles. Her name is Ena. She knows I barely understand Spanish but keeps talking vibrantly anyways. She tells us she is hungry and I give her the smoothie my teammate & I were sharing. She gives me a hug and I laugh as I tell her God bless you in my terribly broken Spanish. I remember thinking as I walked away from her beautiful soul that this month was going to be amazing. The city is gorgeous and the people have an openness to them.
There are so many faces and names that have crossed my path since that day. There’s Stephanie & Fernanda, 2 sassy chicas who constantly make me smile. There’s Joshua, the little bully who longs to be noticed. There’s Juan, who is incredibly sweet and has a contagious laugh. There’s the man who sits in his rocker outside of his house who I say hello to each morning walking to ministry. There’s the lady at the coffee shop who makes one of the best mochas I’ve ever had. There’s the mom who works at the dump where we bring food to hand out on Wednesday’s. There’s the Pastor & His family whose church we are helping to build.
We all have one thing in common. We want to be loved. When I see people through this light my vision changes. People are no longer Nicaraguan and American. They’re no longer nameless faces or new friends whose language I can’t speak but human souls that long to feel love. They are people who deserve to have their story heard & to have their lives invested in. They are people who deserve to hear about Gods love and the hope of the gospel. They are worthy. God thinks so. I’m learning to also. Every time I start to think I’m here to touch lives, my heart is touched right back.
This is another lesson I’m learning doesn’t have to just happen while on a missions trip. I want to take this one home with me.
Love truly has no borders ??
Just a quick update on my fundraising status! I’m just about 85% funded! Whoo hoo! So I did the math to figure out what it would take for me to be fully funded-anyone who knows my math skills knows that was rough for me- lol But basically if I had 100 people donate $25 each I would be fully funded!! Thats crazy! If you feel led to help me along this journey just click on the support me tab! Also a huge thank you to those who have all already supported me 🙂
