We’re about two weeks into our stay here in Nicaragua and I feel like we’ve already experienced so much: home visits, adventure days, delicious Nicaraguan meals, chats with homeless men, soccer games. The list seems to be never ending, so I’ll share three of my favorites so far.
- Cerro Negro
Adventures in Missions has a policy where hosts are required to give teams two days off each week: one rest day and one adventure day. This past week on our adventure day, we hiked a volcano! Friday morning we headed to Cerro Negro in hopes to summit. (Cerro Negro is the youngest and one of the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua.) The volcanic ash was a mix between sand and rock which made it difficult to keep your footing. After about 35-40 minutes we reached the top and the view was absolutely breath taking! Time seemed to stand still as we all stood at the mouth of the volcano taking in God’s grand creation.
Not only did we get to climb Cerro Negro, we also go to sled down it once we made it to the top. That part I didn’t like as much, trying to balance myself on a piece of wood without barrel-rolling through volcanic ash was nearly impossible; my elbows are evidence.
At the top of Cerro Negro! The picture on the right is me with the “sled” we used to get down the volcano.
- Valentine’s Day
This has never been a day I’ve looked forward to, even when I did have a Valentine. For starters, I don’t even like chocolate but I’ve also never understood the day. I’m the kind of girl who would much rather get ‘just because’ flowers than obligatory roses on a day when everyone else is getting them too.
But this year, Valentine’s Day was redefined for me. This year, the men on my squad brought me to tears with the acts of love they poured out.
I can’t put into words the feeling in the atmosphere as they walked in with four pans of water, wash rags and soap. You could’ve pierced the silence with a dart. Luke, Ben, Brandon and Kevin went around one by one washing our feet as a sign of love, honor and respect. After washing our feet they passed out personalized, hand written notes for each of us; speaking life into our character and telling us of their appreciation for us as women. To top it off, they bought us two cakes – chocolate AND vanilla.
One of my favorite moments thus far on the race. The men of C-Squad washing out feet.
This may not sound like a “cute” or “romantic” Valentine’s Day to many, but I will forever remember this day. The day I had men of honor, men of respect and true men of the Lord show me what it looks like to be loved and romanced by my Father in heaven.
- Heartache.
This past week has been incredibly hard for me. When I left the states, I knew I would miss out on a lot of things: weddings, birthdays, holidays, vacations, and etc. but funerals were not something I accounted for.
#GroeneStrong
This past week, I had to learn what it was like to grieve the death of a loved one away from home – away from people who understood me in my moments of heartache.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried over Ryan Groene’s death this week. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve prayed to be back home during this time. But I can tell you this, grieving away from home is hard. When I feel like my heart is in a thousand pieces, the last place I want to be is a million miles away from the comfort of my community.
But the Lord does what he does best and He met me exactly where I am:
Do you know how many people met ME because of him? Do you know the number of people who saw MY LOVE because of him? Who saw MY face because of him? He gave life to others through his actions and his words – he carried my spirit and because of this he gave life.
My heart broke this week at the death of Ryan. My heart broke for his kids, his wife, the students he influenced, the school where I worked for two years – my heart broke for a lot of reasons and I wish I could tell you I’ve processed all the pain and emotion that has come with this heartache, but I haven’t. I’m working on it and I’m talking through things, but it’s tough stuff.
Overall, Nicaragua is awesome – scorching hot, but awesome. (It’s currently 95 degrees with a high of 102 today.) We’ve had some good laughs as a squad this month, like the time we had a lip sync battle followed by an impromptu dance party.
Childhood dreams come to life when you get to dress-up as the Spice Girls and perform your favorite song! Our team was awarded best costumes of the night.
Thanks for listening. Until next time.
-Victoria
Prayer Request:
My squad is currently battling a lot of health problems. Please pray for the health and safety of my squad. Thanks in advance.
