This month in Nicaragua has started out rather unusual. I spent four days in the hospital after getting bit in Costa Rica by a spider. But, God is good and I’m healing! I’ll hopefully be off of crutches and my boot by early next week, and then I’ll be able to run around and play with the kids! This has definitely been a period of reliance on God; anyone who knows me knows I’m not one for quiet time and rest, but with not being able to walk I’ve been digging into connecting with God in a different way and serving in other capacities.
My team is at El Ayudante, an organization that works with 29 children and their families to give the children a better opportunity in life. Most of these kids have either been coming here their whole lives, or since the organization started 10 years ago. While my team is here, we’re doing various activities from teaching the staff here English, tutoring the kids after school (they come to El Ayudante from 12-5 every day), teaching parenting classes, helping at VBS (vacation Bible school), bible studies, and building relationships with and loving on the wonderful children. It has been so much fun!
There have definitely been a few highlights over the past week. One has been reoccurring, but all of us love seeing how the kids respond to my injury. Normally, they’re rough, tough, pulling our hair, horsing around, loud, goofy, but as soon as I hobble in, they’re asking how I am, getting me a chair to sit in and another a chair to prop my foot on, grabbing my crutches when I sit down, braiding my hair, loving me even though I can’t play with them. It’s been such a privilege to see this tender side of them, which the teachers say is extremely rare.
Another has been learning each of the 29 different personalities. Even though most every child here has at least one sibling, they are all very different. And that’s so much fun. But they all have one thing in common: they are SO sassy. I fit right in 🙂
This week we also have the opportunity to work with a missions group from Tampa, FL that are here for the week at VBS. We took a half hour bus ride to a small neighborhood which has been deemed Mt. Sinai, because all these 33 families have been relocated since their homes were in mudslide territory. The government relocated them, but then never built them houses to live in. El Ayudante has been responsible for building 10 of the houses that are currently there (mind you, a house is smaller than a one bedroom apartment back in the States). The kids in this neighborhood are so sweet, and doing VBS with them today was special. They are all craving attention, and I always had 2 or 3 kids hanging all over me…I never mind that part 🙂
I can’t wait to see what the rest of the month has in store for us! Also, our third deadline is coming up on December 1st, and I still need to raise $1,000 more to meet it. If you would like to support me on my journey financially, please visit the “support me” tab on the lefthand side of the page. Thank you so much for your consideration!
God bless,
Jenna
