Saturday, March 17, 2012

My Nica Visit

I was hoping to have an updated blog post quickly after returning from Nicaragua but as you know, after coming home from any kind of trip, there’s always a million things to do when you get back. I had two days to get all this done and try to find some rest before having my next treatment...unfortunately, rest did not win out this time. Therefore my treatment wore me out quite a bit this time. Anyway....back to my trip to Nicaragua.
Well, needless to say, I was very excited at being able to go in the first place and was praying fervently that nothing would get in the way of me going, and keep me from staying the whole week.
The very first thing I did when I arrived was jump in the car with Dustin, Alvaro, Yordanka, and baby Joanquin and head over to the hospital to visit with children who have cancer. Now what I pictured and where I went was different. Next to the hospital is a home run by several Catholic nuns who house the families of the patients who have treatment. It is conveniently located next door and is a very nice facility. The grounds are nicely kept and the walls are brightly colored. There is a play room and a newly expanded kitchen so all the kids can eat at the same time. There are two courtyards that have surrounding rooms where the families stay for as long as they need.

As the children and their families slowly gathered in the foyer, any anxieties of not being able to keep it together emotionally quickly faded away. I was left with a sense of joy to be able to be around these beautiful faces that unfortunately had to be going through cancer, and share with them they that are not alone.
It was a quick talk followed by the handing out of mass quantities of sugar! Then the group photo. As soon as I sat down, an adorable little girl came running to my side. She didn’t say a word but just looked at me and smiled then she sat on my lap. There was a connection there that I can’t explain but I think we both understood.
The adult literacy training in Nueva Vida was successful! We had 25 sign up (was told 35 prior to coming but, hey, lost in translation??). We had 19 show up and stay for the week! Due to the schedules of the adults and the students, we spread the training over 3-5 hours a day throughout the five days. There was a lot of verbal and non-verbal feedback from the group and you could tell the ones who were really getting the vision behind the curriculum. It was great to see the two women from Puerto Cabezas (Mary and Sheyla) involved, as well as, Dustin and our translator David (who is currently with Orphanetwork). By the end of the week, their brains and hands were full of the materials they need to succeed in leading a class in their community. I will be in constant contact via David and email to make sure the next steps are taken quickly and that we can launch the classes in about three weeks! 





It was a great trip. During our down time, we got to enjoy the scenery and remember what it was like to live there in our short time. It was almost a tease, you could say.  But, cancer is my reality whether I am in Nicaragua for a week or not. So I’d rather have a week in Nicaragua, enjoying my time there and living out my calling, then staying at home just thinking about it.

3 comments:

  1. You are awesome! I realize this is an uninspired sort of comment, but it is what comes to mind. You inspire me with your faith and courage. I pray for the success of your programs in Nicaragua and for your healing.

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  2. So awesome Lisa! Sounds like it was a great trip.

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