After a 53 hour travel day, 5 days in a Nicaraguan school, about 8 two-minute showers, three tarantula sightings and about 200 plantain chips, I’m happy to report that I’ve made it to Nicaragua! (okay, we made it fifteentwelve days ago but let’s pretend I’m posting this blog on time)
Before the month’s over, I thought I’d share a bit about what our ministry this month looks like – so brace yourself for early mornings, lots of mosquitos and adorable children as I transport you to CICRIN in Ometepe, Nicaragua.
CICRIN is a home and school for children of Nicaragua. Housing about 12-15 kids and serving around 100, it provides a residential program, daily program and school for kids to receive both an education and the love of God. After almost two weeks here, the word I think of when I think of CICRIN is “safe haven.” This safe haven not only lies in the hospitality of the staff or the laughter of the children but in the quintessential location:
When you think of an Island tourist destination, Ometepe, Nicaragua is what comes to mind. Surrounded by palm trees, 90 degree days and crystal clear water, my daily routine consists begins in a hammock with my Bible watching the sun rise and ends with plantain chips in hand watching the sunset illuminate the sky. The property sits on the side of the lake surrounded by cows, pigs and pelegues (a goat/sheep hybrid my teammate has dubbed “shoats”). They live all around us and like to peek their heads in the front door for an occasional “hello!” Oh and as I write this blog, I’m staring at one of the two volcanos on the island, one of which we ziplined down last weekend – not a bad life, right?
A daily view of one of our favorite spots: The Rancho
So what exactly are we doing? Our three teams rotate between three different ministries from week to week. So let me take you through a snapshot of my month:
Week One: School
My team and I spent the first week of ministry working in the school down the road from our base. Each day looked a little different depending on the needs of the classroom. Some days we turned some music on and weeded the garden where as others we judged a chess tournament and taught English.
What stayed consistent throughout each day was the ability to play with the kids and just have fun with them. I regrettably taught the kids “alto! Bajo! Medio! Lento!” (otherwise known as: up high, down low, in the middle, too slow!), let them beat me in multiple games of futbol (that’s what I tell myself; but they’re actually just better than me) and gave enough piggy backs to count as a high intensity workout. Takeaway: God places so much of High light in the joy of children.
Week Two: Prayer
We just finished a full week of praying for CICRIN, its students, staff, our own Squad and the country of Nicaragua. I was excited to have a bit of a break this week but I was immediately proven wrong. This week wrecked us and certainly kept us on our toes. Each morning and after, a different team member was in charge of deciding how we would pray. We prayed in more ways than I thought possible: facilitating a prayer tour around the campus, rewriting a Psalm, memorizing scripture and putting on the Armor of God daily (Ephesians 6:13-18).
Takeaway: Prayer is exhausting. It turns into a week of self doubt, self realization and self revelation. It was so hard but SO rewarding.
Week Three: Kitchen/Grounds
We’re going into this week on Monday so no takeaway for this one. But based on what my squad mates have experienced, this week will require us to humble ourselves to be the hands and feet of God. From doing dishes to raking and mopping the Pavilion three times over, we’ll have the chance to see the behind the scenes work that goes into CICRIN’s success. I’ve got my podcasts and hours of Christmas music ready to go.
When we’re not doing ministry, the girls of C Squad can be found doing the following:
• swinging in hammocks
• Jammin’ on the Rancho (my new band; keep eyes peeled for an album drop soon)
• training for a half marathon (that’s right, your girl runs now)
• reading all the books on personal growth
• playing a laundry list of card games (send any additional suggestions my way)
• having intimate conversations to call each other higher.
It’s a sweet sweet life I’m living here in Nicaragua with a sweet sweet Father guiding my every step. If you want to hear more about what God’s doing in my heart, reach out! It’s a journey I’m excited to share as it unfolds in front of my eyes.
