Hello all! Sorry it has taken me so long to blog. After packing up and leaving Jeffrey’s Bay I feel like my feet have not stopped moving. With many travel days, I am officially in Nicaragua! I am living on an island called Ometepe. It is named after a volcano that is on the island. Yes, it is active. We have had one full week of ministry here and I am slowly, but surely getting into the swing of things. Each day we do something different. We have prayer walks, work in two different schools (as teachers or lunch ladies), or stay back at camp to do chores around the place. There are also many dogs on campus, such a plus.
The week before taking the ferry out to the island we had our parent vision trip. Mom came down and joined me in Nicaragua for a whole week! It was the first time I had seen her in 6 months. I don’t think I will ever be able to fully describe that moment of seeing her for the first time when she stepped off the bus with the other parents. I think I held onto her for a solid 5 minutes before letting her go to take her bags inside.
PVT was so much more than I could have imagined. It was a week of hugs, back scratches, laughs, tears, conversation, and MANY memories. I couldn’t be more thankful for mom and the time we got to spend together.
Being that mom liked my 60 things blog, she wanted to write one of her own about her experiences she had while being in Nicaragua. Here they are.
60 Things I Learned on the World Race (PVT) (mom edition)
1). Hugging your daughter after six months is the best.
2). Dogs roam everywhere. You ignore them, they pretty much ignore you.
3). Don’t drink the water.
4). Toilet paper goes in the trashcan.
5). Honking your horn is a polite thing.
6). Plantains, rice, refried beans and fruit is a good meal and keeps you regular.
7). You say “no gracias” about 10 times a day.
8). David Reeves is an amazing speaker.
9). Scott and Jen are the best hosts (and have BIG dreams!)
10). Jesus loves me, this I know.
11). Holding hands and worshipping with your daughter is the best.
12). Sweating is a 7 day/24-hour thing.
13). PVT parents are awesome!
14). Cock fights in Pantanal are a thing.
15). Cock fights are to the death, though champions still might need stitching up.
16). Fresh eggs don’t need refrigeration.
17). The price quoted is not always the price accepted.
18). Three people riding on a bike is a thing.
19). Zip lining is scary, even when you’re not really that high up.
20). Jumping into Laguna de Apoyo holding hands with your daughter is the best.
21). Ministry is not just in Nicaragua. It’s on the plane ride coming and going home.
22). The best news in the Miami airport – the Tarheels won the ACC Championship.
23). North Carolina is the best state; Oregon might be second best.
24). Horses may be grazing loose, but they know where home is.
25). Bikes are ridden by necessity, not pleasure.
26). You can have no stoplights and still have order.
27). A shower that trickles still gets the job done.
28). Benadryl and ear plugs make sleeping easier.
29. PVT parents with guitars – 70’s jam session.
30). Reciprocal feet washing ought to be a regular thing.
31). Going deep is better than surface.
32). Goats, horses, rabbits and iguanas are among the farm pests at Campo Grania.
33). Love is the universal language.
34). Knowing some Spanish makes the PVT that much better.
35). Don’t think you’re fluent. Cause you’re not.
36). Street sweepers get up before anyone else.
37). Littering doesn’t appear to be against the law.
38). The fact above means street sweepers have jobs.
39). Whistles blown in the middle of the night means your security guard is still awake and on alert.
40). Best smoothies are at the The Garden Café (try the passion fruit, banana and pineapple one)
41). Six months – the timing was right.
42). PVT shirts rock.
43). When you get home from the PVT, the silence is deafening and you miss Spanish. You might turn on “Despierta America.”
44). Swinging a machete is a workout.
45). You can’t beat warrior prayer in the barrios.
46). Cows being herded across the highway is a thing.
47). You can survive without your cell phone and computer for a week.
48). Less is better.
49). Multi-task. Wash your sports bra and socks while showering.
50). Hannah Hastings has the best water bottle.
51). School children are precious no matter what country you are in.
52). Vendors don’t wait for customers. They hustle.
52). Cut tree branches make good fences.
53). Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti is the first.
54). Easter is a religious holiday. It’s not about chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs.
55). Climate wise, every day in the dry season is the same. Mission wise, every day is different.
56). PVT – the feeling stays with you.
57). Count all heads before leaving for home.
58). Translators for Jesus – God love ‘em!
59). REAP Granada – Restore. Educate. Activate. Perpetuate.
60). Saving goodbye in March is no easier than it was in September.
It will be a week I will cherish forever. Love you mom, see you real soon!
