Monday was a lot of fun. I prepped for my Tuesday charla all morning and went with the group to Villa Catalina and El Chonco in the afternoon. I made a little nine-year-old friend named Eliseo in Villa. He walked around with me, sometimes engaging in conversation, sometimes just enjoying the walk. He pointed out his friends, told me about things we passed, and gave me the signature Nica finger-wag when I asked him if he had a "novia" (girlfriend). Visits to Villa Catalina are always great - the people who live there are happy and thriving, and it's a great thing for the groups to be able to see. It's almost like a finished-product example of Amigos' work. Of course, it's never finished. The community is growing and improving, and people there are taking initiative to continue to make it better. But much of Amigos' work there is done because the people are taking so much initiative. It's a beautiful thing.
Our Monday afternoon visit to El Chonco was one of the best so far. I hadn't seen my little Chonclets in almost a week. The first kid that I saw when we were walking to the work site was Anayelle, and she ran over and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I saw all of my other little friends that day, too, and after we finished work on the water system for the day, I got to play with them for an hour or so. Siri and Patricia gave me their regular sass, but we worked through it. These kids need you to be stern just like any other kids need it.
Sometimes I feel like I haven't been able to teach them much about healthcare, but I do feel like I'm helping some of them to learn respect and discipline. I love my little Chonco girls, and I know that they are going to grow up to be strong and beautiful women. There's a song that we often play on the bus going to and from the work site. It's by R. Kelly, and it's called "The World's Greatest." I get chills every time it's played while we're driving in Nicaragua because I truly see these kids as the greatest. God made each of them unique and special, put careful time into designing them for greatness. There is so much potential inside of these little Nica kids, and I can only imagine what they could accomplish with just a little more opportunity. Giving these kids clean, running water is putting them one big step closer to reaching their full potential, and I'm so excited to be a part of it. And I am reminded that what I'm doing to teach them is putting them a little bit closer, too. Whether it's how to wash your hands or how to prevent the spread of disease or how to respect your friends and neighbors, I'm making a little difference to them. It might be hard for me to see and discouraging at times, but I have to trust God that he is using me to make a difference.
Yesterday was a full day. I did a charla on vitamins, and the kids played BINGO. Mostly the kids just enjoyed playing the game - I'm not sure I was able to teach them much at all. But it's an experience to grow from and learn from. I just wish I had more time than just this summer to learn and to improve!
Tuesday afternoon was work work work, dig dig dig. I helped dig a huge trench to lay pipe in (another part of the El Chonco water system). We had a lot of people in our group, which meant a little bit of down time when they were doing the actual pipe laying (a job for three or four people who actually know what they're doing). I got to hang out with a few of the Sacred Heart girls that I've gotten to know the past couple of days and a couple I had just met. They are so nice and so much fun. We talked about life and stuff we like and don't like and prom and just pretty regular things. I love getting to know and spend time with the group members. It's where my heart is a lot of the time here. These are great girls, and the ones who fall in love with Amigos and our work here are going to take that love back to the U.S. and maybe invest more into the organization (whether it be time/money/getting others involved). It's cool to be a part of the growth of the organization. And it's even cooler to see people's lives transformed when they come here, even if it's in a small way.
On the way back from El Chonco yesterday, I was still feeling a little discouraged about my charla. Why am I here? What's my purpose? What is God really using me for? Am I really of any use here in Nicaragua? I was looking out the window of the bus, and I was taken aback by the scenery. The sun was peeking through the clouds in the most delicately beautiful way. The Nicaraguan landscape was radiant, with lush green grass and trees, cows and horses grazing lazily, and quiet little houses all in a row. God has been speaking to me a lot through imagery lately, and I felt him speaking clearly to me at this moment. He said, "I created all of this, all of the beauty you see in front of you. And I am the same God who created you. I put the same time and thought and heart into designing you. I made you just as beautiful and just as special." I felt the Holy Spirit encouraging me, and I really needed it. It's exhausting to work in missions abroad. There are people around all of the time, the ultimate problem of poverty seems overwhelmingly huge, and home seems really, really far away. But I know God has a plan for me this summer, and I know that, little by little, I learn what that is and He'll use me to make an impact on the people I am working with here in Nicaragua.
I am so proud of you Molly! I know that God is doing great things with you there. Sometimes you don't see those things immediately, but you have to trust that you will.
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