Day 4: A Day at the Ranch, A Night on the Town

Hello to all from Sunny Nicaragua!

It has been great hearing many comments from you. It has truly made us feel your partnership and support in this experience. As for us, we had another great day in a country so far from home.

The day began with a hearty breakfast of pancakes and fresh pineapple. Parents, you may have to step up the breakfast menu at home to convince your students to return. The staff treats us so well here. Jordan noticed yesterday “They made my bed!” (Susan, I am guessing this is not the normal routine.) We then geared up liked the 7 (23) dwarfs and had another day sanding, painting, and getting distracted from work by the kids. We try to run a tight ship but those faces are just so adorable! However, we did make a lot of progress and the living space for these kids, even with just a coat of paint or two, really seems more inviting and friendly. This is one of the goals of the staff; to keep it from feeling like an institution and more like a home.

After a hard morning’s work, we grabbed some lunch and then the team split up for a great afternoon. We decided as a team that we wanted to do something to honor the staff so we took them out to an afternoon movie to see Wall-E at the local mall. You may be wondering, “So what did you do with all the kids???” The other half of the team stayed back and watched over the kids; talk about an exhausting babysitting job. This really helped the team appreciate what it must be like to work here full-time. We found out that if you are on full-time staff, you work 15 days straight and then get 3 days off. But after talking with the staff, they wouldn’t do anything different out of their love for these kids.

After being confused by “Wall-E” in Spanish, the movie crew returned and got ready for a night on the town. Once again, we split up into two groups but this time it was for a “Man-tastic Evening” and “A Night in No-Mans-Land”.  (Guys & Girls Night out ages 13 & up) Our Guys headed where talking isn’t necessary but activity and competition is in full swing; the local arcade. There is a Gamespot nearby (similar to a Dave & Busters) where we treated the guys to “All-You-Can-Play” video games, air hockey, and Whack-a-Mole. (Ok so it wasn’t all you can play or we would still be there.) Nonetheless, we had a great night hanging out where the language didn’t seem to be a factor and fun was had by all. We then grabbed a bite to eat at a place Raul, our translator, referred to as Nicaragua’s Best Kept Secret. Who knew food in a bag could be so good?! Parents of the boys, you would be very proud of your guys as they really made efforts, and succeeded, in engaging in conversation with these older boys.

As for the ladies, an amazing night of connection was had. We paired up one of our girls from the team with one of the older girls from Casa Bernabe and… let the shopping begin! We gave each group $30 to spend on their partner for clothes and other accessories. This continues to be such a great event for the girls and I heard that conversation took its usual teenage course of who was hotter; Zach Effron or Matthew McConaughey. It never ceases to amaze me, even though separated by thousands of miles, a language barrier, and a completely different culture, that teenage girls are able to connect in real community.

Our night concluded with some thoughts from Natalie about how we encounter Christ through the poor & marginalized. For some reason, our faith makes better sense down here. When we look to scripture to help us understand why, we find loving God in Jesus Christ who decided he would bring his story to the world, not by riches and political power, but through those who lived on the fringe of society; the ragamuffins of his day. As the 23 of us grow deeper in community, we are privileged to live as ragamuffins for a week and be shocked when those we come to serve, end up serving us even more.

Thanks for your love and support,

Kevin

P.S. Sorry for the delay… the beach was calling! (find out tomorrow)