Day Two - Most awesome day ever!

Today exceeded every expectation I could possibly dare to imagine!  On a missions trip, it is the kind of day you think might materialize around........ Thursday.  Today is Monday.  I am blown away!

Don't ever think, "I am just a woman, what can I accomplish?"  My team is 10 women.... 10 women strong!  No we are not building or repairing anything, but we get the privilege to serve by loving and pampering women and we are getting pretty darn good at it!  

We started our day off by serving 10 woman that are related in some capacity to the Villa.
Terry's mom, Vergene brought her legendary chocolate chip cookies and taught the ladies how to make them, and then of course how to eat them!

Then we did what we are getting really good at, Mani's and Pedi's! 

We though that was it for the day, but as Maria said, Jesus multiplied for us.  One of the local ladies went home, told her neighbors and brought back 13 others after lunch!  These women were in awe and we were in awe that they would come and let us serve them!

After the 2nd round of ladies left we were asked to visit a couple "shut ins", take them a large bag of food and pray for them.  Sounds simple, but in hearing their stories we ALWAYS learn more and get way more from them than we give.  The first lady was 73, in a wheelchair with diabetes.  She was surrounded by a supportive family, but she was in pain and would like to walk again.  We were honored to gather around her a pray. 

The next lady is someone we will NEVER forget.  We don't have many pics because it was such an intimate time that it didn't feel right taking pictures, but I want to tell you about her so you can pray for her.  Her husband has been employed by the Villa for only 2 months.  She has been battling cancer for a few years and just 2 weeks ago had her left leg amputated above her knee.  Just getting to that point has been a HUGE struggle for her, but now she has the struggle of figuring out her new life in less than mediocre conditions and very little money to pay for medical visits and care.  Please be praying for Haley's recovery and that her, her husband and two children would be covered financially.

After an hour of hearing her story we were able to gather around her and some of us hopped up on her bed with her and prayed with her.  She is now part of our ladies team and we love her already. Today we went from a team of 10 to 11!

Day one..... done!

Buenas noches amigos!

Gotta make this snappy because everyone went to bed and it's still so muggy I need to jump back in the shower!

Today we went to Iglesia Roca Eterna, a small church in a little community about 10 minutes from the Villa. Their worship is all clapping, no music and so joyful and enthusiastic it's contagious! After the sermon the children sang for us:

After the service was over the 2nd team took the children to see a movie and our team was able to stay and pamper the women with a mani/pedi day! 

We hung out with the ladies for a few hours, cleaning, massaging and painting their fingers and toes!  We also brought along dresses and shoes which they were thrilled to look though and pick one out for themselves. So fun to watch!

Tonight the Chicas at the Villa returned after spending the weekend back home with their families. For many of the teams it was try first time meeting all the girls and we each got to introduce ourselves.... Us in Spanish, they in English. 

We had dinner together and dancing!

Bedtime calls!

Thanks for your prayers and support!

I'm coming for ya!

Five more days til I get to see this gem!

Buenos Dias! 

Our day went so late last night that I didn't have time to post before backing and falling to bed! The last day is always so hard here having to say goodbye to all the chicas and staff that we've all grown so close to. 

We spent our last day at the Villa cleaning.  We sanded playground equipment and spray painted the slide, cross bars and teeter-totter, dug a ditch for a conduit, and watched Nick and Abee hack down a tree with a machete!    

Nick and Abee

Seong

Laura

It was a good thing we stayed at the Villa we are all exhausted from a week of work, heat, humidity and emotions.  In the evening we had our last dinner with the chicas, staff and another team from Washington.  Following that was a dance party and goodbyes.  The touching part of the night which had us all in tears was the chicas gathered around our team and prayed over us.... still brings me to tears!

Thalia, on-site Susie and Tracy (me)

Team Salzwedel, the Chicas and Staff

Breakfast is in 15 minutes, then off to the airport at 9:30.  This is be a long day of travel back home with much time hanging around the Managua and Houston airports for flights.  If you have a family member of this team, give them extra grace this weekend.  We are all still processing our week and are leaving people we have become close to here and on our team.

Won't you consider coming along next time?  Or, now that you know the story, would you consider sponsoring a girl or house mom here at the Villa?  Go to http://www.forwardedge.org/childsponsorship/villaesperanza.shtml   Adios!

Day Six

Our week is winding down.  Today was a beautiful but very difficult day.
We left the Villa at 8am to drive 1.25 hours to serve a community who lives in the landfill in Tipitapa, Nicaragua.

The church we visited on Sunday, El Faro has started another location at Tipitapa.  The pastor of the church, who also lived in the La Chureca landfill serves this community and has an incredible story which he shared with us.

 

As he shared a boy went around our circle twice hugging each of us, he was so glad we were there.

A few of us played with the kids and the rest started painting 2 rooms at the church which they use for a daycare for the families of Tipitapa.  

 

Next we got to do something that none of us will soon forget.  In organized chaos we serve 300 meals to children and a few moms that brought their kids.  The children sit and wait for what will probably be their one meal of the day, a bowl of rice, vegies and plantain pieces and a cup of juice.  If they came with their younger siblings they make sure they have food first and help feed them.  We are talking about 5 year olds bringing their younger siblings and assisting them.  It's beautiful.

After the feeding center we finished up painting the two rooms and then the pastor walked us through a neighborhood to show us the land that has been gifted to the community.  They have hopes of having a pig farm and community garden among other dreams.  We stopped by one home to pray for an elderly woman with an infected foot.  She is not healthy, but she cares for her downs syndrome daughter in a little hot shack.  It was a pretty shocking sight.  One that has caused each of us to step back, pause, breath, and give thanks.  It promoted change in each of us.  Most of us are still processing the day.

Then we packed up and started down the road back home.....

Day 5

What a long a wonderful day, leaving the Villa at 9am and getting home at 6pm.
We started with touring the Granada Islands, which are 365 islands that were formed over 10,000
years ago when Volcano Mobamcho exploded.

 

One of the monkeys on Monkey Island

After a sack lunch at a park we walked through Granada, one of the oldest cities in Central America.
It has an array of bright colored buildings many of which have inside court yards.

Granada Cathedral

Next we tried out our Spanish with the vendors in a local market.   

The last stop was one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time.  We went to view the active volcano, Maysaya.  It was huge!

Yes, that is smoke from the volcano!

Holly and Laura

Then dinner, playtime with the girls from 7-8:30, a game of fishbowl, showers and off to bed!
Full day! We are back to work tomorrow to serve more people of Nicaragua!

Day Four

Today was a long, humid and super successful day in the field.  We returned to the same school as yesterday and were greeted with smiles and cheers.  It is so easy to fall in love with these sweet kids.
After playing for an hour or so we got to work.

While half of us painted, half of the team went room to room and acted out a bible story.

Holly, Jenna, Seong and Hannah

 We had lunch with the teachers and assistant principal of the school.  Working on the school we knew it looked much better, but until the lunch with the staff we didn't realize that painting the school changes the attitude for the children and makes them more eager to learn. 

Nick, Brogan, Jenna, Laura, Hannah, Thalia, Holly, Tracy , Seong

After dinner tonight one of our team members, Thalia taught an art lesson to the girls.  They were really engaged and enjoyed being able to learn about an artist and paint like them.

As I'm sitting here blogging, once again I can hear the frogs, birds and "screaming" bugs.
Everyone is getting ready for bed, we are all pooped!   Tomorrow we will go to the Granada Islands for some local history and a cultural experience.... while giving the staff a partial day off!

Hasta Luego