Nicaragua 20s #5

Hello friends and family, thanks for checking in on the Nicaragua Missions Team Blog! Today was amazing for a multitude of reasons, here are a couple highlights I witnessed: the impact of our home-visits and the relationships created with the kids. Before I dive into the home-visits, I want to set the scene a little. The living conditions in this area are drastically different than the US: none of the houses seemed to have electricity, and some didn’t even have a front door. Trash is not taken anywhere, other than piles to be burned in the street. Most residents are lucky to have running water. And yet, despite these conditions, the people living here show incredible compassion and love for one another. 

During one of the home visits, we were met by a mother who was struggling to provide food for her two sons. We were given the amazing blessing of donating her food to last through the next couple weeks. Another visit brought us to two elderly women who were just happy to get to know our team. Both of these visits were great encouragement for our team and the work we’re doing here. 

We spent the rest of our time in Posoltega hanging out with the local children. Fútbol games were played, songs were sung, and crafts were made. It was touching to see how many kids remembered our names. A little before our team was scheduled to leave, it began to rain, and so did chaos. I’m not sure how, but an intense water fight started between the kids and our team, using empty cups and water bottles as weapons. Even though we got whooped, it was such a fun time, making it hard to say goodbye. 

Overall, today was full of hardy laughter and massive smiles. The biggest takeaway was how God can make an impact through these joyful moments. It does not always feel like we are making a difference in the moment, but the bond that’s formed between our team and everyone here perfectly represents the importance of community. It only takes a moment to show love to those around you, and the strongest communities are built on a basis of love. 

- Jackson for the team