Today was quite a full day and it was an amazing last day of ministry. We had some of the best times at the schools, some of the best moments with the children, and some of the best food. You can tell what I think is important. Haha. But unfortunately tonight we’re not spending much time at the house where we eat and where we have wireless and so it’s going to be another brief entry. If you guys really want to see some pictures and more content than let me know and I’ll be sure to provide tomorrow.

Tomorrow is our day off and we’re going zip-lining, shopping in the marketplace in Managua, and then climbing the volcano known here as Cerro Negro.

We ended up having a late night last night and so it was a fun full day. We got a lot done today and everyone’s well. More updates tomorrow!

Of course, everywhere here is new ground for us. Even the two returning members from last year have found themselves on a lot of new turf. We’ve gone to completely new schools and seen new places. There is one school in particular that stands out because it has been a great example of how poor this country really is. Everything about it was different than we’re used to in the states.

We also got the chance to go to a rather nice pre-school where we had an extended time to spend there. So we played around with the little tikes before we did any formal introductions and dramas. It really was a nice experience to play ball, dance, and just try to talk to them.

Tonight we end our first night of ministry and work here in Nicaragua and I’d be lying if I said we weren’t pretty exhausted. But that’s the great thing about doing this. We may find that it’s a little inconvenient to be sweating like crazy as we go from school to school to do these dramas. We may be way out of our usual element. We may be tired and pushed out of our comfort zones. All that considered, we’re still loving it and ready to keep going.

One of the things that shock you at first here is how not poor some parts actually look. Yes, I know, I said not poor. Sure, Nicaragua is the second poorest nation in the western hemisphere but the city (which is where we spend the majority of our time) is somewhat like some of the slums you’d see in America. But we got the chance to go out a little more into the country and see poverty that really shakes your world. It showed us what we’re really blessed to have.

Last night, after our flight was delayed and we were left in Atlanta enjoying the airport for an extra hour and a half, we made our way to Managua, Nicaragua. So when we landed it was 8:45 local time but 10:45 back in our home of Philly and then we made the trek by bus to Leon where we are spending the week. Even though the drive was in the dark everyone was able to get an idea for what the place looked like. And then because of the dark we actually enjoyed one of the most beautiful heat lightning storms we’ve ever seen.

We’re staying at a small hotel that has been very accommodating and has even offered for us to go to a roomier sister hotel for the rest of the time. We have not made that decision for sure, but will probably take him up on the offer.

So far this morning, after having a brief devotional time together, we enjoyed a good breakfast and then made our way to a couple schools to do the dramas we’ve learned and to hand out the Book of Hope. Our basic message to the students is that though people may say mean things about us and although we may feel like we are worthless at times, God has made us very important and loves us very much. Simple. But when don’t we all need to be reminded of that?! And so far we’ve been able to hand out 499 books to children from 3-12 with that message.

Personally speaking, it’s been very fun to reconnect with people we’d met last year on the trip here. You may not know Pastor Pedro, Scarleth, Axner or Melin, but I do and our team is beginning to. The team is doing great. Everyone’s healthy and everyone is very positive. Some students who I thought may have a hard time adjusting are jumping in feet first and loving it!

More updates and pictures to come tonight.