We made it!

There’s only one way for nine gringos to cross the boarder from Costa Rica to Nicaragua: on foot, all belongings hanging from our American bodies. And for the over protective,our most sacred things vigilantly stuffed into our Mexican-made t-shirts, our strong and sweaty, bearded men, (Levi has a pretty pubescent beard-esque thing growing from his chin) peppered amongst the timid females, insuring our safety as we walked into uncharted territories. Considering our minimal planning and obvious tourist flag flying, the voyage went rather smoothly. We’re giving copious thanks to our King for his impeccable protection.

Bombarded by frantic Nicaraguans looking to make a buck or two, we quickly saw the evidence of how truly impoverished this country truly is. Within literally minutes, we had a young Nicaraguan kid, probably 16 or so, following our every step, convincing us he’d take us to Managua. (I forgot to mention that the transportation we took from San Jose dropped us off 3 hours short of our actual destination at the border, and while Tim was certain we’d easily get the rest of the way, Tiff, Jess and Becca were a little …unsure). So, as the story goes, young David took Tim and Steve to look at his van to make sure he was credible. And again, thanks be to Jesus, after cramming all of our bags atop the micro van, we made it safely to Casa Bernabe ( the first orphanage) with only a few minor snags including a flat tire. Good news is, Nicaraguans can change a tire much faster than Tim, Steve, Levi and Matt!

Tim is in his element here in Nicaragua and it’s absolutely incredible to take part in what the Lord is doing here. Upon our arrival, we met around 25 of the boys that live at the orphanage. Jocelyn, Matt, Levi and Steve quickly engaged 6 of the boys in a game of futbol; while Tiffany and Jess colored with a few others; Lindsay and Becca taking pictures and half-communicating with our new friends; Tim getting back to where he left off last summer.

The rain kept us from playing outside for too long, but thanks to Levi’s quick thinking, we were able to put together a game that the kids couldn’t get enough of…quack didlidoso. I say in confidence that we had just as much fun as the kids.

Our first night was also spent meeting Cole and Becca, two other Americans who’ve spent a great deal of time in Nicaragua. They shared their experiences and prepared us for what the week held. They warned us that we would be sad, angry, furious, and distraught; they told us we’d be tempted to (if we actually could) pull kids out of the ditch; and they challenged us to instead meet them there Those wise words will continue to guide our trip as we begin to understand and respond to Jesus’ heart for the poor.

yours truly,
lindsay