Day 5… & 6: Where Has the Time Gone?

We have a phrase in Nicaragua, which states “Nicaragua always wins.” This is a phrase we use to explain the funny smells, the changes in schedule, and simply the unknown. We also use it to explain why there was no blog yesterday but let me assure you, your students have been busy.  I know I left you with a teaser of the beach, and man did I leave you hanging… so here it goes.

We woke up Day 5 to “surprise” the team by gearing up for a beach trip with all of the children from Casa Bernabe. Being a beach lover, this is one of my favorite experiences we do here; despite the 2 hour bus ride. I not only love this trip because we get to see a beautiful beach on the west coast of the country (Oceana Pacifico Baby),  but it is really one of those trips where we connect so well with these kids. Due to that 2 hour long bus ride, we have a lot of time to attempt communication through broken English/Spanish, silly games, and singing and dancing to Nicaraguan Radio.

We arrived at a beautiful beach (and great waves… but no surfboards L) and unloaded into a small hotel right on the beach where we could keep our bags and would later eat a tasty hotdog lunch. Before you knew it, kids and your students hit the beach and the rest fell into place. A sand soccer game got off the ground in no time. Sandcastles were made, exotic looking crabs were chased, seashells were collected, and waves were body surfed. I could go on for days but it just wouldn’t do it justice. I have included a picture to help.

After taking shelter in the hotel during a brief thunderstorm, which was incredibly beautiful to watch, we packed up our belongings and headed back to the ranch for dinner and a Saturday night program (youth group-esque) for the kids 13 and up. We played some mixer type games, sang some songs, and even attempted a little bilingual “Light & Fluffy” (or Ligero y Esponjoso), an old skit of messy proportions. If you are unfamiliar with this skit, it is basically two people singing and dancing with a lot of whipped cream flying around. Natalie then continued a speaking series with the group on growing in faith by sharing about how we can keep our faith from growing stagnant. You would all be very proud of your students for pitching in and making this a fun night for all and supporting Katie Thoma and Kristen Huenerberg as they shared a little bit about how they have grown in their faith recently. It truly was a great way to end the day!

We continued moving this morning by loading back into the busses and heading into Managua with all the children for church. Many of you may remember when Spring Branch brought in the band from Nicaragua to play for our Sunday morning services and a worship event. Some of those musicians were from this church in Managua and really treated us to a great time of worship and study. This church and organization which runs orphanages and schools around the country, like Casa Bernabe, is known as Verbo Ministries and is a partner of ORPHANetwork. This was also a great experience for all of us to see how others worship the same God a little differently around the globe, but with the same message.

This afternoon we had a fair amount of free time where some stayed on the orphanage grounds to play with the kids while others took another visit into Vera Cruz to catch up with some new found friends. It truly was a relaxing afternoon and a beautiful picture of what community can look like if we take a moment to slow down and intentionally listen to other’s stories.

We finished off Day 6 with a great time discussing the days events as a team and taking communion together. This was definitely an exciting time for the group as it seemed like a celebration of our experiences her in community and faith. As I sit here listening to the quietness that surrounds us, I can’t believe we are almost heading home. I am not sure if time will permit another blog due to the day at the Market and then the farewell celebration tomorrow night but we hope to at least relay your comments back to the group.

Thank you sincerely for your love and support over this past week. You truly are a vital part of the process for all of us and I hope you all get to make it down here with us one day. You’re hearts will be changed forever!

See you soon!

Kevin

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)

Day 3: Cinnamon Rolls, Painting, and a trip to La Churreca

Hello family and friends! Its Natalie here, I have been given the privilege of sharing today’s events with you all, and lets just say it was a memorable day.

For myself and five other girls, our day started earlier than the rest because we walked to the bakery at 7am to help bake cinnamon rolls for the rest of the group. We also got to help the guys make other pastries that they would sell for profit for the orphanage. The best moment of the morning was when the guys asked Sami and I if we were tired, apparently we were not kneading the dough hard enough for them. I had so much fun I’m waking up early again tomorrow with a new group to go bake some more!

After filling our stomaches with fresh cinnamon rolls (they were so good, I ate 5) we made our way over to the orphanage to start our work project for the week. We have been given the opportunity to finish painting some trim, paint the gates, and sand some picnic tables so they can be re sealed. As a leader, it was so fun watching the students really dig in and work hard all morning, especially watching them use their heads to solve problems. One specific problem was the lack of ladders, but that didn’t stop them. They just decided to jump up and down over and over again to paint as high as they could without a ladder—this was funny to watch—or they just pulled up the closest picnic table and stood on it, they are just so smart. Be proud. After the hard mornings work, we came back and had cheeseburgers for lunch. So good.

In the afternoon we took a trip to “La Churreca” or “the Dump”. For those of you who don’t know, there is a community of around 800 people who have made their home in the Managua Dump. They live there and make their earnings by digging through the trash to find recycleables. This was, as you can imagine, a very emotionally challenging experience for most of the students including myself. Seeing this extreme poverty and way of life is not comfortable. However, the students really stepped it up. We took about 20 of the students from the school in La Churreca to a baseball and soccer field outside in a community near by. Seeing the students really loving kids they had just met by playing soccer, baseball, and Frisbee was very humbling—and to top it off it was raining most of the time but that didn’t stop anyone. I often found myself sitting back and watching all the laughter and piggy back rides that were going on and thought about how for just these two hours we were given the chance to bring smiles and laughter to kids who may not have many reasons to laugh otherwise. I think this afternoon will be one that not many of us will forget.

We ended this day with a porch time lead by Leslie. She shared about how now that we are here, experiencing Nicaragua and seeing the extreme poverty we are called by God to respond to what we have seen and not forget about the people in Nicaragua. We looked at Luke 12:48 where Jesus says, “ From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” We talked about this verse in reference to our experience here. Because we are here and have seen the poor, we are expected to not forget them and even act in a way that will serve them.

As I write you, I am sitting on the porch listening to the sounds and smelling the smells of Nicaragua (or maybe that’s me cause I haven’t showered yet), but needless to say I am so thankful to be here experiencing this trip with these students. So thank you for all of your support for them and for myself, I feel so blessed to be here.

God Bless,

 Natalie

 P.S. Katie Hagan says she loves you (mom) and have a safe trip! 

Day 2: A Tour, An Ice cream, & a Swim

What more do you need to make a day complete? Some may say more, but not this group of 23.  I am sure we would all like to be watching the new episode of Project Runway that came on tonight. (I only know that because my wife is an avid fan…no seriously…I promise) However, this team has embraced life in Nicaragua with cold showers, dirty feet, and the gnats that seem to be nature’s way of annoying us.

Today truly was a great day to mark our first full day in the country. We started off with a delicious meal of eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit. (Ok so it’s not that primitive) We then got together for our tour of the orphanage complex and the local school. After disrupting classes by touring the school, (I am sure the kids didn’t mind) we headed out into the local village of Vera Cruz where the orphanage is located. This is always such an amazing experience for the group because it gives us a chance to see what it might have been like for Jesus and his crowd to walk into a town. Along with our peach colored skin, and our blonde hair, our clothes and cameras help us to stick out like sore thumbs. This displacement from our normalcy invites kids and families from the dust covered streets to come out, greet us, and join us for a leisurely stroll through town. We had the chance to meet and love on many strangers today who may have tagged along for the ice cream we bought them or candy that we passed out but I think many may have done the same 2000 years ago. All in all, we grew as a team and people in a small town of Nicaragua knew they were cared for and not forgotten by the world around them.

After a great experience in town, we headed to the local pool with all of the kids from the orphanage. This trip provided us the time to play with and get to know the kids that Spring Branch has committed to serving through their support of ORPHANetwork. We have such a great opportunity as a church to work with the same group of kids, at the same orphanage, in the same country year after year. This type of relationship truly cultivates community and the ability for relationships to grow through barriers such as distance and language.I often see this trip as a family reunion. I make this analogy because I often only see some of my family once a year, if that, and I know what kind of great relationships I am able to have with them. If that is possible, these relationships not only stand a chance, they are real and active. You would be very proud of your students as they jumped right in to making real connections with the kids here at Casa Bernabe.

We finished off the afternoon with a quick stop for ice cream and enjoyed it at a park nearby. It was fun watching Dare and Jordan try to figure out the see-saw as the kids were significantly lighter than them and to see our students holding hands to get on the bus despite the sticky, ice-cream covered fingers.

 

Tonight during our porch-time, a time we take each night to process the days events, we discussed James 2:14-17 and how the God of this universe calls us all to live out our faith in Him on a daily basis through the way we “…as Christians, are to take responsibility for the irresponsibility of others.” (Peppermint-Filled Piñatas ~ Eric Michael Bryant) It was exciting to hear many of your students, when asked “Where do you see people taking responsibility for the irresponsibility of others?” answering with the names of their parents; you! I want to end this day’s blog by thanking you, parents, for having the courage and trust in myself and our leadership team to send your children, your precious children, to a foreign country to experience God in such a life changing way. It is obvious the influence you have on your children’s lives and I promise you, they miss you. Keep the comments coming as they are greeted with excitement and laughter.

Much Love from Nicaragua,

Kevin

Day One

Dearest Friends and Family,

   Well, we made it! Our plane landed in Managua around 1:45 (3:45 EST), and we made our way through customs and onto a brightly painted bus that brought us to Casa Bernabe in Vera Cruz around 3:00pm. We unpacked a few things and were able to meet a few of the younger kids at Casa before we had dinner (Nicaraguan Chili, Chips, & Salad). Shortly after dinner we got the chance to cheer on the "Manchester Bernabe" soccer team as they defeated a much older (and larger) team. What a great representation of family, as this seemed like we could have been cheering on one of our local high school soccer teams. We had a blast getting to know the kids who came to support their team with us, and then took some time to get closer as a team ourselves. 

   Our first porch time centered around the story from Mark 14:1-9 about the woman who came to Jesus as he was eating at Simon the leper's home and poured out an alabaster jar full of expensive perfume. Kevin challenged each of us to take note and follow the woman's example. She put aside the ordinary and proper things, doing the unexpected. She gave up the control of pouring the perfume by breaking the entire jar, and ultimately she did this with little or no words. It is encouraging to know that it's possible to show so much love without saying a word. As language can easily become a barrier, we are reminded to pour out our hearts to these kids, and ultimately to Christ who poured it all out for us.

   Tomorrow the plan is to tour the grounds at Casa Bernabe and the surrounding village, Vera Cruz. Check back soon for more pictures as the cameras attempt to capture our excitement. Thanks again for all your comments and prayers. We are already experiencing so much here, and cannot wait to return and share what God is doing in Nicaragua. Love and Blessings,

   ~Leslie Magee

T'was The Night Before Nicaragua

Dear Friends, Family, & Supporters

of the 2008 SBCC Student Ministry Nicaragua Team,

It is my pleasure to be writing you again this year to keep you up to speed (and we move fast) with our amazing experiences, as they happen, 1800 miles away in a small village called Vera Cruz, Nicaragua. Your students have an incredible week ahead of them; one that will give them unforgettable memories, heart-tugging stories, and life-changing relationships with the most unlikely of faces.

For the next 7 days, 23 high school students, college students, and leaders will truly learn what it means to pour out their lives for others. Whether with the 60+ kids at Casa Bernabe, the orphanage where we will be staying, the 40+ kids who reside in La Chureca, the local landfill, or the many lives we will encounter along the way, we will have the opportunity love and share our lives with those God places in our path.

We invite you to check this blog daily/every other day (depending on schedule & technology) for updates, pictures, and stories that may make you laugh until your stomach hurts, shed a tear or two, or even think a little about how blessed we are to have young people who would give up a week of their summer to care for those who are poor and marginalized. 

We appreciate all the prayer and support you have given us so far to make this trip possible and we ask that you would continue to be a part of this trip with us through this blog. You are as much a part of this team as the 23 travelers who will be stepping on a plane tomorrow morning and appreciate your prayer and support. Please feel free to join in the fun by uploading comments to the blog as well. The more embarrassing, the more fun for the group as they will be read to the team.

Again, I feel honored to be able to bring these letters to you once again. If you have any private comments, please feel free to email me at kevin.magee@springbranch.org and I would be happy to pass them along to your students. But it is now 11:15pm and I must finish packing. Until tomorrow...

Partnering in Ministry,

Kevin Magee