A week, a life, in review

It is now five days since getting back from Nicaragua and once again tears of remembrance are streaming down my face. I miss the people on my team, I miss the missionaries/friends we worked alongside, I miss the church we worked with, I miss the people we met, and I miss beautiful Managua, Nicaragua. It will always be amazing to me how the second poorest country in the western hemisphere has the most giving, serving people I have ever met.

Here is how the week progressed…

The night after we arrived to Nicaragua, we did one day of clinic at the Christian Academy of Los Torres. That was our first taste of the love the Nicaraguan children so desperately needed and were so willing to give. The next day was one of group bonding and setting up clinic for the next week. Monday rolled around quickly as we nervously and excitedly boarded a bus for a week of the unknown at Iglesia de Nuevo Jerusalem. The next 5 days were ones in which we were served where we came to serve, loved before we even had a chance to give love and were welcomed as part of the Nicaraguan family but more importantly, the church family. 17 Gringos and a countless number of Nicas laughed, cried, loved, served and grew together in a week that was nothing less than unbelievable.

People keep asking me what the highlight of my trip was. As I silently sit there desperately seeking the answer that they are looking for, at least 50 memories come rushing at me. As I try to think of one “highlight” that could possibly be taken out and put above the rest, I come to only one conclusion: it’s not at all possible. The whole week is one that will forever be highlighted in my memory.

The biggest blessing I received while in Nicaragua was the ability to work with the kids. I felt an unfathomable bond to them and I am already struggling just to hold on the feeling of them in my arms as we said goodbye. I have always loved kids but have never felt the way about them that I did about these precious Nicaraguan children. With nothing, they came to us, except for a smile that reaches their eyes, arms ready for a long embrace and boundless love to give. Our team learned the valuable lesson that the language barrier can’t keep us from expressing what’s really important. Like my teammate Britt said, “I soon started to realize that actions really do speak louder than words, and although I do not know much about their likes and dislikes, I can feel their heart and I hope they can feel mine beating through our sweaty, clutched hands.”

One more thing I want to share before I let you go. Pastor Uriel prayed a prayer on the first day of clinic in which he said that our God is not an unfair God and that He sends those who can help, to His people who cannot help themselves. It finally hit me when rereading what he had said; we have people who have and people who don’t have… but if the people who have would obey God and take care of those who don’t, NO ONE would be in need! And people try to ask us how we serve such an unfair God… man, if we only REALLY got it. (Thanks, Britt, for blogging about that!)

My heart and my body in two different places

People always say that your first mission trip is life-changing and you always compare every trip after that to your first experience. I have been blessed enough to go on an amazing trip to Costa Rica for my first trip and then to Nicaragua for my second.

I started off my Nicaraguan trip telling Lindsay that I didn’t feel like God had given me a heart for spanish-speaking countries and how I would like to go to Vietnam or Africa next year. Two days into the trip, God had completely changed my heart. He gave me a love for these people like I never could have imagined. Just thinking about the Nicaraguan people as a whole, puts a smile on my face. They make everything about the city of Managua seem beautiful. I have a desire for nothing more than to serve them with everything that I have in me.

The beautiful children come to you with a smile that reaches their eyes and arms ready for a long embrace. They are so desperate for love and so eager to return it 10-fold. Karla and Gabriel especially touched my heart. They have the biggest smiles and hearts that I have ever seen. Their need for love was so clear in their every action. Both of them came to say goodbye on our last day of clinic and my heart could have exploded with the love and sadness I felt as I embraced each child as they clung to me. It makes me sad but determined when I think about what they have to go back to.

I pray that in times when they feel they have no hope they can remember the week we spent together and know that there is. I pray they could know the difference they have made in our lives and how I wish I could take all of their burdens as my own. Mostly I pray that one day they are able to realize that they have a heavenly father who can and is willing to do just that.

 

Saying goodbye to Gabriel and Karla

Hasta Luego!

So tomorrow begins the ending of a great week…

Monday I got to go see an Amos Lee concert that was one of the best experiences I’ve had in a long time!

Tuesday was my ever amazing small group. Only God could have put together something like it! All of the girls are so open, so encouraging and challenge each other! We are all going the same direction in our walk with God and I am SO honored that God would use me as an administrator of sorts for the group. These girls never cease to amaze me and I am sad that we won’t be having group next week!

Wednesday was first Wednesday and there is nothing like it! It wasn’t praise and worship the whole time but a pastor taught us how to praise God mentally, emotionally and physically. Very cool! Plus I got to sit with some people from my mission trip!

Tonight is dinner with my baby and my parents! Should be a good time! Also finishing packing! I will have all of the right stuff this time instead of mostly the wrong stuff!

Then tomorrow I leave for my mission trip to Managua, Nicaragua! I am beyond stoked! I can’t wait but I still don’t feel like it is tomorrow! And not only do we get to see Nathan and Amber again but I am going with two of the most wonderful people I know, Bill and Rheagan! So on that note, adios! Pasa bien, fin de semana! (My spanish isn’t great, I apologize!)

I wanna shout out!

I am not a huge concert/show fan but last night due to Matt’s misfortune, I had the WONDERFUL opportunity of going to an Amos Lee concert with my good friend, Rheagan. I have to say that although I was excited about it, I never could have imagined how amazing the concert would be (It had to have been good if it inspired me to write an actual blog!)

We were probably about 5 feet away from Amos and got to savor every head bob and eye contact made while enjoying the harmonious melody of his soothing-to-the-soul music. He was on stage for 2 hours and I would have skipped my whole night’s sleep if given the opportunity to listen to and watch him perform all night! (A big statement for someone who LOVES their sleep!)

Favorite things about the night:

• Getting to hang out with Rheagan! That’s always a great time!
• One song that had lyrics stand out to me more than usual was Shout Out Loud. Because I’m big on people watching, I think the same thoughts that he writes about in this song. It’s always a cool feeling to connect with one of your favorite artists on that level!
• This was literally the first concert I’ve ever been to that I didn’t want it to end sooner than it did!
• Amos’ humbleness exuded from him in everything he did and said!
• Every one of his songs is amazing and sounded even better in person than on CD (I didn’t think that was possible!)
• My Malibu and Pineapple was very good
• EVERYTHING! The whole night was just amazing! I will definitely be going to see him again.

Least favorite part about the night:

• The opening band, TBD didn’t show up I bet they were going to be good… oh well! Still a very memorable night!           
  

  Amos Lee at the Music Farm

If this is true…

… petakillsanimals.com

I want to punch a few people.