Today was our day off.  Sounds odd having a day off when you are on a mission trip eh?
The reasoning is not only to give the staff here at Villa Esperanza a day off, but the work we do is very taxing emotionally and physically with the heat and humidity.  It also gives us a change to get into the culture of Nicaragua and spend time together as a team.

We spent most of our day in Granada, which is the oldest city in Central America.

Granada is a one-hour drive from the Villa and it has 365 little islands, which wealthy people buy and put houses on.  Some of them are incredible structures and then they have shacks on the backside of the island for the help.

We toured around the islands heading for Monkey Island where one monkey named Lola jumps on your boat hoping to search through our backpacks.  Today she got on to the call of the boat driver and was given a banana, which she ate leisurely while we all took pictures of her.  Then she decided she liked Lynsey the most and sat on the back of her seat putting her arms around her and even hugged her at one point, it was priceless!

Tour of Granada Islands

The chosen one, Lynsey

Our brave (young) jumpers

My college Kappa Sisters and I (in blue)

Our awesome on site director Susie with a smoothie!

After our boat ride we ate lunch in a park on the beach and then went to a local market where we shopped for trinkets to bring home. 

We are resting right now before dinner and another night hanging out with the chicas!

Tomorrow we will be returning to yesterday’s school to continue painting, playing and sharing testimonies with the children.  Adios!  Tracy