Day 9 - We're home!

Today was the grand exit of Managua, Nicaragua.

After waking at 4:30 am, we loaded the bus at 5:20am in order to leave promptly at 5:30.

World's Best Bus Driver - Eddie

At the Managua airport, it was a chance to have a last look at souvenir shops and drink some coffee. We boarded the airplane around 8am and left at 8:30 am. From there, it was a smooth, four hour flight into the United States, where we were all happy to finally be able to drink tap water.

Upon arriving in Atlanta, Georgia, we were required to go through all of customs where we mostly waited in lines and looked at our passport pictures. We went through the last TSA checkout and then we started talking about where we wanted to eat during our 3 hour layover. Many of the kids picked a variety of restaurants, and ate quickly. Then some decided to venture throughout the massive airport and some decided to play cards.

After the wait, we boarded the huge airplane right on time. When our flight left, we had at first experienced some minor turbulence but it then was soon smooth sailing. We arrived in Salt Lake City safe and sound for the final two hour lay-over.

We ate a little more food, made sure we got more pictures, and had Mrs. Smith give us all backrubs. As we boarded the last plane, some were excited and some complained and seemed to want to turn right back around.

However, all were soon seated and on their way to fly the final stretch back home.

Naomi Robertson

Some of us hated the idea of leaving Nicaragua—the culture, weather, and people are easy to enjoy and hard to let go. We are reminded, however, that we can take home something very important, and that is what God has taught us. As we head home, we pray that we will not forget our experience in Nicaragua, we pray that we will not forget to listen to God daily, and we pray that we will continue to treat others with the servant’s heart, as we have throughout the trip.

Each team member can agree that this short-term mission trip is truly inspiring. It was special for each individual, as we were all challenged in different ways. While we can describe the sights, smells, and sounds, the soul of the trip can truly not be justified with words. I would therefore encourage everyone to experience the trip in person when the opportunity comes. The trip was an incredible adventure. All thanks be to God for this chance. We thank Him for all the protection, planning, and people we met along the way. May God be the one glorified as we return home to our usual lives and share of this experience.

Beryl Wytcherley

BIOS

1) What one thing has impacted you so far on the trip?

2) What do you hope/pray to see God work/change in you?

Beryl Wytcherley

16 yrs, junior

1) While working on the house yesterday, seeing how everyone was so willing and ready to work, and how the Nica workers were able to communicate to us through the language barrier.

2) I noticed yesterday that I was more focused on “doing” and doing it perfectly. I’m hoping God will work in me an attitude more of letting Him work through me, rather than me doing it myself.

Day 8 - Rest & Renew Day

Today was the team’s tourist day of Nicaragua. We started by going and seeing one of Nicaragua’s active volcanoes. We could only spend five minutes at the volcano because the sulfur was too strong and made it hard to breath. When you looked into the abyss of the volcano you could see the red hot lava. Then Konnor and Tim decided to see who was stronger and…. Konnor threw Timothy into the aforementioned abyss.  

We also went to a museum that showed the living history of the volcano. One interesting fact is the natives would sacrifice their kids to the volcano god by crucifying them at the mouth. One of the exhibits had real live bats flying around the museum. The funny thing was that they were not in cages they just freely roamed the museum.

                Next, we went to the market. The market was full of Nicaraguan souvenirs. Some people tried to barter with the vendors but failed with style. There were also people selling very off brand Oakley and ray ban sunglasses for three dollars. They had some really neat stuff like machetes, clay and wooden animals, key chains, hackisacks, tops, clothes, bird whistles, hammocks, dish utensils, and minion stuffed sacks. There were so many different vendors in a compacted space it was hard to tell the separate shops apart.

              Last, we had the best part of our tourist day. We went to the Lagoon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This, by far brought the most joy to the day. The lunch was also very fulfilling. We had the option to buy beef, fish, or chicken, all of which was cooked to perfection.

They had a dock that sat 15-20 feet in the air. Almost all of the students jumped off of the dock. A few of the kids decided to jump off and do flips in the air; every single one of them landed on their stomachs.

The best part was the fact that we got Kalen to jump in! Everyone was cheering and encouraging him to jump in. He said “I was scared but I am so happy that I built the courage to jump in.”

The day was so much fun and it was very relaxing to just be in the culture. At the end on the way home from the lagoon, we saw the president being escorted somewhere. There were multiple police cars surrounding his car, it was very neat to see.

Trent Smith and Kaiana Sipes

BIOS

1) What one thing has impacted you so far on the trip?

2) What do you hope/pray to see God work/change in you?

Trent Smith

18, senior

1) Seeing the happiness on the pastor’s face after we built his house, and when we gave him the gift bins.

2) Patience and learn to trust God more by being stretched out of my comfort zone.

Day 7 - Church and Serving

Today we finally got to sleep in for an extra hour because of church being at eleven and having no other activities. We drove fifteen minutes to a church service at Iglesia Biblica Petra, which was established by Pastor Cox, and now led by Pastor Hamilton.

The service lasted two-and-half hours and included partaking in communion, the students’ performance of the sin chair, and Jacob Oard playing the piano piece called “Summer”.

The service was quite a bit more energetic mainly through the music. Surprisingly the church seemed more like American churches than the other churches we had the opportunity to minister to.

After we ate some food, we went canvassing in the neighborhood around the compound inviting niños to VBS in the middle of the street.

There was a statue, which was our pinpoint for where we would meet for our “street party” and performed the sin chair once more.

Kalen courageously joined Kristi in performing the signing of Via Dolorosa, followed by Gabe, Jacob, and Alex presenting the “evangecube” – the gospel in a visual form.

When VBS was over we went to a soccer field where the boys tried to play some Nicas in a friendly game of soccer, but the game before us was for money and it was not going to end anytime soon.

To wrap up our final missions day we all gathered around, watched God’s Not Dead, and then headed to bed to prepare for our final day.

         Konnor May:  Through leading the sports I feel like God has taught me to be a better leader and showed me the true family of Christ and how dependent we are on one another. I had the opportunity to meet up with a sweet little girl named Alexa and very slowly got her more and more involved in our activities. She was constantly looking for her mom who sadly was not there so she quietly held my hand and waved the parachute.

Last, but not least, I was able to reconnect with Axel from last year’s mission trip and played some soccer. It took him a little bit to recognize me but slowly he recognized my dad and me.

            Cambrie Shea:  I helped Konnor do the games and we did the parachute today.

I had a couple little girls who kept running up to me, holding onto me, and refused to let me go. I noticed one girl’s teeth were rotting away and she was no older than 9 or 10. I realized how blessed we are in America to have a toothbrush and toothpaste to help keep our teeth from rotting. Throughout the whole trip, I have realized how much we take for granted. The people have little, but in a sense they do better than us because they know how to live with little and we “have” to have more and more.

BIOS

1) What one thing has impacted you so far on the trip?

2) What do you hope/pray to see God work/change in you?

Konnor May

16 yrs, junior

1) The children’s joy in having little things and how open they are to us.

2) I hope to be a better leader and be more open to listen to those who are over me.

Day 6 - House #2 Complete!

(Note: Long day - pictures will be posted Sunday morning and evening.)

Construcción estaba muy difícil.

This was all Jacob wanted to write because philosophy is too hard.

(That was evidently Mr. Goede taking over for me in my temporary absence) But to reaffirm my previous statement (the one is Spanish), construction was very difficult except for Ryan and Mr. May of course. They were certainly in their element. To my embarrassment however, our general inexperience was blaringly displayed with how it took five people to successfully hammer in one nail and how the siding was very decorated from all the times we missed the nail while hammering.

Our Nica construction crew, including Mr. Kukulski.

Perhaps each of us in the back of our mind wondered whether or not the Nicas could build faster without us or not. Regardless of such thoughts or inabilities, I know that the pastor and his family will be tremendously blessed. When we prayed over the finished house, gratitude was unequivocally expressed in their faces—a communication in no need of a common language.

After failing miserably in pounding in a nail, translator Michael approached me and presented his usual question, “What’s up?” This is a really hard question to answer anyway (I mean, does it mean “how are you doing” or “what are you doing” or both? Idk), so I told him exactly what I said in opening this blog: “Construction is very difficult.” Even though he would have no reason to disagree with my review of how I was doing or what I was doing, my comment might have been inconsiderate. Michael reminded me that in Nicaragua, the men learn how to do construction well because they don’t have a choice; survival for the family is priority one. He told me to appreciate the privilege of choice which I receive back in the U.S. Sadly, there are many things of the U.S. for which I continue to be ungrateful, and so I accurately responded by saying, “This helps me appreciate it.” 

At VBS in the latter half of the day, we allowed the three foot tall children to become seven feet tall for the afternoon, and with the children on our shoulders, we ran and ran and ran. With muscles giving, bodies sweating, and dust collecting, I think it is fair to say that we had never been so filthy, smelly, and tired at once before.

But it was worth it I think, the children enjoyed themselves, and they heard the gospel in their own language without any dreadful mistakes this time. Last time, I accidently said that Adam and Eve became God in Spanish instead of Adam and Eve became separated from God; I did correct myself.

There is no regret inside me for coming to Nicaragua. New perspectives are gained, old friendships are deepened, and a focus of God and His work is propounded.

Enjoy life back in the Bozo, and Happy birthday Ian Gillis!

~Jacob Oard

Hola! Here in Nicaragua, we accompany that word with smiles, and as a result, we get bombarded by niños. Today was voted the most tiring day, full of building, praying with locals, VBS, and a church service. We were in a poorer area than past days, and thus the niños seemed to be even more excited to see us. For me personally, this was my favorite day, and I didn’t want to leave.

I wasn’t on the building team, so my day started with evangelism in the neighborhood. I enjoy praying and practicing my español. I talked to a translator today and I think it would be really fun to come here for 3-6 months. I need to study a lot at home in order to do that, which also excites me. The translators are a great blessing, and a lot of fun to be around.

After walking around and praying, we returned to the church where we would be doing the VBS.

With the niños, we made crosses,  play with bubbles, painted nails, did hair, and played outside a lot. Almost everybody got sunburnt. Niños enjoyed riding on the gringos’ shoulders and their joy was relentless despite our constant remarks of: “Yo estoy muy consado/a” and “Abajo, abajo.” (“I am very tired” and “down, down”). We raced, played futbol (soccer), and danced to English and Spanish music. I was so elated to be 

surrounded by their adorable laughter and wit.

Following the VBS was a church service where we presented the chains play.

I did “Via Dolorosa” in sign language, and Mr. Goede preached about Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. I have been teaching Kalen how to do “Via Dolorosa” and he might join me the next time I do it. When the service ended, we continued to run around and play with the niños. It took a long time for us to actually say our goodbyes, for none of us wanted to leave the niños we loved so much.

We then went to the house that we had finished today and blessed it with prayer. The pastor and his familia seemed so full of joy and I remember seeing tears in their eyes as we gave them parting gifts and hugs.

Last time we dedicated a house, I had been the one crying. It is a beautiful reminder of how the work we are doing is so important. It really does have an impact, and God is being glorified.

Finally, we went to a chicken restaurant here in Nicaragua called Tip Top.

 Washroom Line at Tip Top

"This is what love looks like."

I am currently on the bus ride back to the compound. Project Hope has been an amazing partner/host during our trip, and I have been so grateful for all they do for us. The joy that radiates from the team is undeniable, and it has been amazing to see God’s hand in all we do; He has blessed us with many gifts that complement each other so well. He is good. I am in love with this team and the Nicas. We are excited to see what God still has in store for us.

Adios y gracias! Stay tuned.

~Kristi Kollar