Central America was never on my heart. Harsh, I know. But it just wasn’t. For me, it was all about Africa. I thought that was where God was calling me after the race. I thought for sure that was where I would spend the rest of my life. When our time in Africa was finished, I was worried about the rest of my race. I wondered if I would even like the other countries. I was naïve.
I have loved Asia and Central America. Africa will always have a special place in my heart, but I’ve learned to let Asia and Central America in, especially Nicaragua. We are wrapping up our time here in Nicaragua and gearing up for our last travel day to a new country. I’ve been reflecting a lot on my time on the race, my time in Nicaragua, and trying (a little unsuccessfully) to prepare for home.
It’s funny to me that the place I was least excited for captured my heart the most. I was bummed out when I saw my birthday was going to be in Nicaragua. I wanted it to be in a country I was super excited for. I think God laughs at me a lot. He knew how much I was going to love it here. He knew the plans he was going to reveal to me here.
I have spent my month in Nicaragua in a cute little town called Palacaguina. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and that’s really saying something since I’ve gotten to see some amazing things this year. Banana trees, huge grassy fields, and mountains surround us. Even better than the scenery, is the people. Everyone here is so nice.
I’ve loved my ministry. I was blessed to work with another squad mate in the preschool two room. We had about twenty adorable little terrors that we got to work with each day. That classroom stole my heart from day one. Our first day on site, we were told to “put the strong people in the second classroom. They are handful.” Our teams nominated Christa and I, which was fine because as soon as they told us about that classroom we started walking towards it.
Kids literally climbed the walls. They threw tables and chairs. They colored the walls and ripped posters off. They punched, hit, and kicked. They needed love. There are at least three students in that classroom that need their own individual lesson plans and teacher. But it is hard to do that here. So, that’s where Christa and I came in. We put most of our focus on these three students that really needed extra attention.
I can’t speak Spanish. That made communicating with the kids really hard. But our first few weeks here, I didn’t really need to communicate. I needed to watch the ones that like to run out of the classroom and to the playground. I needed to grab the ones scaling the walls. I needed to grab crayons out of their hands before they colored the walls that we literally had just painted the day before. I needed to hug them. I needed to tickle them until they couldn’t stop laughing. I needed to make a huge deal about the things they were doing right. They sat in their chairs?? ROUND OF APPLAUSE. I AM SO PROUD. MUY BIEN!!!!
And it worked. Because you know what? Yesterday was our last day of class and not a single child was climbing the walls. No chairs were thrown. Nobody was punched. And one little boy, who is beat everyday at home, who lashes out at others, who beat Christa almost everyday, hugged her and said he would always love her. There was a huge change in the classroom. Not just from the students. Not just from the teachers. But from Christa and I as well. I think everyone is ending this month stronger. And it is all because of God. God was in that classroom. God was telling the students they could trust us, and God was telling us how to love on those kids and what they needed.
I’m leaving Nicaragua with a lot of coffee, a “love Palacaguina” shirt, a Nicaraguan soccer jersey of some dude I’ve never heard of, and an invitation and huge desire to come back. Remember how at the beginning of this blog I said I wasn’t even excited to go here? Funny how God works, isn’t it? Now Nicaragua is like home to me.
