Good morning!
This morning the birds are getting brave and have joined me on the porch- looking for their own breakfast (beetles). Yum!
Yesterday was a hard day and our team is waking up weary today. Sleep does not come easy when there is so much to think about. Please pray for us as we process the extreme poverty we are seeing and for strength to continue in our work here.
Our morning Tuesday began with a 45 trip out to La Majada- a school with 130 children. The school recently received 400 chicks which have quickly developed into adult chickens. This chicken farm will help the school become more self sufficient. El Ayudante has made a huge impact on their school/community and this is just the next step. The children enjoyed VBS and were very well behaved. The children presented us with a table full of fruit they had brought for us from home. How amazing that they gave to us so generously when they have so little.
In the afternoon we went to a very poor area of town. The situation we encountered is the worst of the worst. The people in the community used to work in the landfill scavenging for food and plastics they could sell. Even though it was difficult, the landfill helped the people survive. Last month, the landfill closed and a new one has open up about 5-6 kilometers away. Not only is the landfill farther away, the people are not supposed to be in the landfill and said they have very limited time that they are allowed in. So, these people that were able to survive are now relying on teams from El Ayudante and the ministry of Pastor Felix and his church for their food. This is my third time in Nicaragua and my fourth central America mission trip and I have never seen anything like what I saw in this community. Pastor Felix took us around to various homes to pray with the families and to deliver food, shampoo/conditioner, soap, toothbrushes, etc. Over and over, the story was the same. Prayers are needed for jobs, for health, for food. One lady said something I don't think I'll ever forget. She said, "I know you didn't ask, but these children, they only eat once a day."
Needless to say our hearts our broken for these people and our minds our challenged as we wonder about how to provide them hope of an escape from a very difficult situation. In the midst of it all, they were able to praise God. Their faith is astonishing.
Today will be a much needed break from the intensity of the trip. The team will be headed to Cerro Negro volcano this morning to hike up it. Tom and I will stay behind because we have the incredible opportunity of meeting our Compassion (www.compassion.com) child, Fabiola, this morning! In the afternoon the team will go on a walking cultural tour of downtown Leon and then head the the Pacific for a meal on the beach. It is important for our team to learn about the culture of Nicaragua and to experience it's beauty. We also support the local economy by supporting these businesses and our team gets a chance to rest. I pray it will be a day of rejuvenation for the team!
Thanks for your continued support and prayers!!
Blessings,
Katie and the Nicaragua team
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