What’s In a Name

The day after we got to Nicaragua, we had a half day of clinic at the Christian Academy of Las Torres. There were too many people in pharmacy so I spent most of the day playing with the kids, especially one little 10 year-old girl. Her and her mom had come and found me after seeing my name tag. In our broken communication we were able to discover that we shared the name of Tiffany. This gave us an instant bond that I still feel even back in the states. She loved taking pictures and was very good at it. She would then come to show me and wait for my one spanish phrase of encouragement, “Muy bueno!” I meant it every time.

Many pictures, games and shared giggles later, the time to say adios had come. As Tiffany from Nicaragua and Tiffany from America stood there side by side, there was an unspoken decision made to wait until the last minute to say goodbye. Before that time came, I looked down at her standing with my arm draped around her shoulder, and simply said in my minimal spanish vocabulary, “Tu eres muy bonita.” She looked at me shyly and just as simply whispered “Tu tambien.” It was one of the first things we understand all day and I’m fairly sure it was the most important. I left that day feeling like I had found a decade younger, Nicaraguan version of myself. A version that left me feeling a little more complete in my journey to self-acceptance in Christ.

**Now I have the pleasure of sponsoring Tiffany and I am so excited to have that relationship with her that can continue grow. One day, hopefully sooner than later, I will be back to see her.

 

Looking at pictures with Tiffany and Ashley

 

One of us missed the memo, haha