Team Pursuit is currently in paradise. We are working at an orphanage called CICRIN (Centro Infantil Cristiano Nicaraguense) on Ometepe Island which is in the middle of Lake Nicaragua.
The view from the beach on the mainland…before we boarded the ferry to our new home! We were beyond excited at this point.
There are 28 kids who live at the orphanage who were either orphaned, abandoned or taken out of abusive homes. CICRIN provides them with a loving Christian home, three meals a day, clothing, medical and dental care, and an education. There is a primary school on the CICRIN property that all of the children attend, along with children from the community.
The driveway to the orphanage…Volcan Concepcion in the background!
That's my bedroom window at the top left!
Check out their website for more information and to meet all of the kids!…we have been using it as a sort of cheat-sheet because all the kids love to make up new names! cicrinus.org
Everyday at CICRIN looks a bit different…but this is usually how it goes down…
5:30am WAKE UP!
I have never been much of a morning person, but when you are living in such a close community with six other people you find yourself jumping at every opportunity to get a moment to be by yourself.
The kitchen and the dining room at 5:30am.
The mornings here are usually very peaceful.
The kids are usually already awake and running around getting ready for school. They have already eaten and are usually brushing their teeth before we even get to sit down for breakfast.
6:00am QUIET TIME
Every morning I grab my Bible and my journal and keep my fingers crossed that there will be an empty hammock in the Rancho…Which is basically a huge covered porch overlooking the lake.
I have a newfound love of swinging in hammocks…and spending my mornings with God.
In the words of Phil Wickham: “I see your face in every sunrise, the colours of the morning are inside your eyes. I look up to the sky and say, ‘You’re beautiful’.”
The few mornings that I have slept through my alarm, I really missed having that time.
7:00am BREAKFAST
I have stopped associating beans with a dinner food. We usually eat them for all 3 meals of the day. Along with hammocks, I also have a newfound love of plantains. They usually end up beside the beans.
French toast and beans on the same plate…interesting!
8:00 TIME TO WORK
Every morning as we are finishing up with breakfast Robert comes along with his list of jobs.
Most of them involve getting remarkably sweaty and maybe even earning a blister or two.
We dig holes…fill in holes…
…move rocks…wash rocks…
…sweep floors…sweep walls…
…mop…sweep some more…
…machete the grass…machete the bushes…maybe sweep just a little more…
pick some oranges…
To summarize, we do what we are told and ask questions later!
One of my jobs this week was to scrub off the mildew from one of the buildings. It was exhausting work, but so satisfying to see the smiles on people’s faces when we had finished.
It seems that everyone’s favourite job is working in Robert’s garden.
The Garden Crew! Johnny, Nathan, Josh, Brittany and Amanda.
Robert is a pretty incredible guy. He came to CICRIN three years ago with a dream to grow fruits and vegetables to feed orphans. In three years he has turned an open field into a fully functioning farm. He has a fruit tree orchard with oranges, limes, mangos, passionfruit and papaya.
Amanda watering the pepper plants in Robert's greenhouse.
He has huge vegetable patches with squash, cucumbers, zucchini, yukka, tomatoes and peppers…even a few watermelon and cantaloupe. It’s always a blessing to be able to work with someone who is passionate about what they do.
Robert watering the garden.
It’s so amazing that we can water and weed the squash plants, and then in a few short days we can pick them, deliver them to the kitchen and it eat them for dinner!
12:00 LUNCH
Usually beans and rice with plantains and vegetables from the garden. Always in huge portions!
They make the BEST fresh juices here…usually some variation of lemonade. Yesterday we even caught the kitchen staff adding red and green peppers into the blender to sneak an extra serving of vegetables into the kids. I love it!
2:00
On our first day here we asked Robert what he does in the afternoons and his first response was “nap”. We usually have the afternoons off to hang out with the kids. They have to do their chores after lunch and we usually end up distracting them. It doesn’t take much to lure the older boys into a soccer game.
Noel (in the red!)
No one is picking favourites, but Noel is the one that we are going to have a fight over at the end of the month to see who gets to try and fit him into their pack. He has this low raspy adorable voice and loves to say `Hello, how are you` in English. He makes a game out of remembering all of our names. He loves to dance and always has a big smile on his face. If he catches you writing in your journal he will demand the pen and a blank page to scribble on.
Noel leaving his mark in my journal!
Sometimes we get to take the bus into town to find some free wifi, do our laundry, catch up on some reading, visit the nearby church, take a swim in the lake (even though it may or may not be infested with freshwater bull sharks…its just too nice! I have to swim!)
…no matter what we end up doing I have always managed to find an empty hammock to take Robert’s advice.
Last week we threw a surprise birthday party for one of the little girls. We decorated the Rancho with balloons and played musical chairs…and it wouldn’t be a party without a piñata.
We even had homemade carrot cake for dessert (not as good as my Grandma’s, but still delicious)
Cumpleanos Feliz!
4:00
At the beginning of the month we decided that we would make a team walk one of our “norms” for the month. It’s a great time to spend time together and the light is just perfect. We usually walk down the road that goes along the lake. We pass horses, cows and occasionally a pig will try and follow us home.
5:00
As Amanda will tell you, “We have the best seats in the house for the greatest show on Earth”
Can't even put it into words!
I feel the presence of God when I am surrounded by his creation. When I can sit and just marvel at the SPECTACULAR sunsets here, it almost feels like I am reading a love letter from Jesus…and its brand new every night!
I have to stop myself from taking too many pictures.
5:30 DINNER TIME!
Usually more rice and beans…the kids will usually come and try to sneak a sip of our juice.
7:00 TEAM TIME
We try and get together as a team every night. It’s a time to discuss the day, offer encouragement to one other, vent our frustrations, and pray together.
Some nights are lighthearted, some are a little more tense…we are learning every day that we are a family, and although families don’t always agree on everything, they love each other – no matter what!
9:30-10 BEDTIME
We have been BLESSED BEYOND BELIEF this month for REAL BEDS with PILLOWS!
I promise to never take my bed at home for granted again…
By about 8:30 we are exhausted. As much as we will try to stay up later to talk or to catch up on some reading…there is usually snoring heard at 9:30.
As our last week here quickly approaches we are already preparing ourselves to say goodbye to this wonderful place and say goodbye to this CONTINENT! This is our last month in Central America…On December 1st we are leaving for the Philippines!
