back in Granada after a wonderful and restful
week on the island
of Ometepe. It was honestly one of the most beautiful and
serene places I’ve ever been. The
orphanage was right on the lake and the children were so sweet and fun. They ranged in age from 6 months old to
21. And many of the staff were people
who grew up in the orphanage. There were
around 25 or 30 kids and we spent each day doing various jobs with them in the
mornings, such as a feeding program, working in the garden, raking the yard,
volunteering at a medical clinic, and helping in the kitchen. Then in the afternoons we played soccer,
frisbee, swam, hiked, napped, snuggled, ran, and much more with the kids. One day we drove to a nearby beach and had a
blast jumping in and out of the lake. Another day we did an 9 hour hike up a volcano. We got up at 5 am and didn’t get home until
after 7. It was an incredibly hard,
muddy, intense hike (probably one of the hardest I’ve ever done!) but so
rewarding and a fun way to get to know a lot of the older kids better. After the 4+ hour ascent, we ended at a
lagoon in a crater of the volcano and ate lunch, some people swam etc. And then we began the 4+ hour hike back
down. The views of Ometepe were
incredible and we had some good laughs, a few scares, and overall just a great
time with everyone. I am hoping to be
able to return to the orphanage at some point next spring to see some of the
kids again.
Not snow….rain 🙂
inspired by the woman who runs the orphanage, Helen. She has been working there for 18 years and
is such a kind, patient woman and it was obvious how much she loved all the
children. While we were there 3 of the
kids had to go back to their homes (they were social orphans, meaning they still
have families but their families just couldn’t afford them). It was a sad day and Helen’s concern was at a
high level because she wasn’t sure the home situations the kids were returning
to were safe. She said that the
Nicaraguan government often tries to force kids back into families even if she
tells them it’s not a good situation. Her dedication to the kids was amazing, as she spent an entire day in Managua before the
courts, demanding that they respect her judgment of each child’s case. It was very eye opening to the difficulties
of running an orphanage and the complications of the government. Please pray for Helen and the other staff of
this orphanage as they deal continuously with each child’s situation.
As I
prepare to fly home tomorrow, I am in a place of reflection over the last 3
months and am truly amazed with how the Lord has met me in my time here. Last night as I walked around our
neighborhood saying goodbye to people, it made me realize how much I love this
country, these people, and how much I am looking forward to coming back and
continuing life here. There is something
so beautiful in the open-door lifestyle here, and I find so much joy in the
relationships that I have here. I would
love your prayers over this Christmas break for wisdom about what ministries to
pursue next semester. When we come back
we will be focusing in a bit on one or a few ministries in particular and at
this point I am still not exactly sure where God wants me. I am excited to be home for a few weeks, to
be with friends and family and enjoy Christmas traditions. I probably won’t blog until I get back in
January so until then, I hope all of you have a wonderful, joyful Christmas,
full of reminders of why Jesus really came and the gift he gave us on that
day! Thank you SO MUCH for all the
continued prayers, support, and encouragement. I can’t tell you how much it has kept me going. I need y’all! You are such an example to me of the church in action. Thank you for letting the Lord use you in
that way. I hope to see so many of
you.
Feliz Navidad!!!!
