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