Hakuna Matata

Day 5:

Today wraps up our last full day in Nicaragua. We realized that we wanted to end the trip with a bang. We went (drum line please) ZIP LINING!!


We started the day early, ate our beans for breakfast, and headed on out! We went zip lining at a very well-known (and safe!) location called, "Mombacho." All strapped in our harnesses, we were ready to fly! Although everyone had trouble jumping off the first platform, by the last platform we were like pros! With the help of our amazing tour guides, we were able to zip line upside down and even superman style!

Two hour later, we were done and headed back to the ranch. We enjoyed our last PB&J sandwiches together, and then hurried to get ready for the beach la playa!
The Buzbee's have their very own property on the beach (which happens to be the Pacific Ocean) and they so kindly invited us to end our day there. With our swim suits on and beach towels handy, we were off! Oh, and did I mention that 30 other kids that we had met throughout the week came too?

Though it was a long trip up to la playa, not one complaint was made after we saw the BLACK sand and huge waves (ok, so maybe they were not huge, but they are bigger than what we are used to in Miami)! Some of us walked along the beach talking about this week while others went wave surfing for hours with the kids. It never got old :)

**(back at the ranch)

As the sun went down, we were packing all of our belongings and getting ready to say good-bye. Yet, no night would be complete until we had our devotion time on the third floor.

What is the third floor, you may ask?
First off: it is the third floor of a building here on the ranch.
Second: it has 5 hammocks that you could easily fall asleep in, overlooking a panoramic view of mountains. (no picture could capture this view!)
Third: it is where we have gotten to know each other and debrief about our days :)

We are all very excited to see our families tomorrow, yet it is a very bitter-sweet feeling. Though we are headed to see our families, we are leaving our Nicaraguan family.

It has been rewarding watching our WCS students build genuine relationships with the students from La Chureca. Yet, we knew that would happen. What we did not know is whether           or not our students would form a good team. They exceeded our expectations. Like I mentioned in previous posts: there were never hands being un-used. It was a privilege working with this team. It is obvious that they are being changed from the inside out.

From Stephano's humor, to Chris' musical talent, we've learned a lot from each other. From seeing Sabrina and Connor always singing together, and Chandler always making sure Candice is awake, this was an interesting group that clicked as of day one.

Although the actual missions trip is coming to an end, we hope to continue our mission back at school. Everyone is excited to go back and share what they have learned and what they saw.

"Though we brought them physical objects that will get worn out and thrown away, the lessons that they taught us will stick with us forever."-Stephano Battistoni.

Though we had to say good-bye today, everyone that we met simply said, "we will see you later."

Love,

The Nica Crew





p.s. Don't forget, our plane lands at 2:52 pm--TACA airlines

p.s.s. Don't worry Claudia, we have the Kipling backpacks! ;)

p.s.s.s. I'm sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes, it's been a long day!

I hate good-byes

Day 4:

Time is moving quickly for us. We officially have one more full day as of tomorrow. 

But enough about that, let's talk about today!

Today was our last day to play with our "new-made" friends. Some of the children have truly captured our hearts. You can ask Conner Stephens, she could not stop crying. 

The typical "missions trip" picture is with a person and about seven kids wrapped around their bodies. And yes, we have 100's of those!

When looking at the picture, it may just be a picture but when your in the picture, at that moment the kids truly steal your heart. There are no words to express the children's faces when they see one of our WCS students. We have discovered the true meaning of love at first sight :)

Yet, today was sad. We had to say good-bye to them. Between the tears and long hugs, some of us knew that it will not be the last time we see them. 

We waved good-bye, and headed on over to "Tip Top" (aka the Nicaraguan McDonald's). Although fast  food is definitely not my favorite, Cha Chi said it was a must try before we went. 

**Fact: Veronica, one of the managers for the Scholarship Students, explained to us that eating fast food is considered "stuck-up" in Nicaragua because it is so heavily connected with America. Sort of sad, right? We're correlated with fast food. 

After we stuffed our bellies with fried chicken and french fries-- Exhaustion hit us! (15 minute shut eyes have kept us alive!) 

Yet, the volcano Masaya was awaiting us. We picked up the older students, who we had not met yet, and took them to "el volcan." 

Should I say more?

Our bus rides are some of the most memorable times of the trip. I can't help but crack up when I turn around to Stephano Battistoni and Austan Scherr singing, "girls just wanna have fun." And did I forget to mention that Chris Gonzalez can really hit the high notes to every bee gee song out there?

After an unforgettable bus ride, we were home sweet home ranch.  

God really challenged us tonight with words that were spoken by Mr. Buzbee. It's obvious we are here for a reason :)

Stay tuned: flight details manana! 

Head Count!

Day three:

I feel like there are few times when you wake up to a rooster crowing. This day being one of them. The mornings are some of our favorites. (Except today was a little harder for some people to wake up--aka Candace Morris). 

For the last three days, we have been woken up to a good cup of coffee and a nice warm breakfast. No complaints here!

Today's main focus: Mr. Nolander challenged us this morning to serve one another. Whether it be serving one another their food or getting them something to drink; it was our job to serve today. 

We had a little bit of free time this morning, before we were scheduled to meet with the kids, so we explored the local market! From headbands to jewelry there was so much to choose from. 

Important thing to know when in the market: bargain bargain bargain!! 

Then we hopped back on the bus, enjoyed a delicious PB&J, and were off to La Chureca (the dump).

We were welcomed by exactly 26 students and 2 teachers who were eager to explore the zoo"el zoologico" Relationships were quickly building on the way over to el zoologico between our students and the La Chureca students (although Hunter Sessions may have said otherwise). 

God was allowing Hunter to practice patience dealing with two "hyper active, mischievous, and disobedient" young boys. Yet, God never said this mission would be easy ;) Thanks for taking one for the team Hunter! 

On the other hand, we had Kevin and Francisco, Chris and Allison, Sabrina and Orlando who truly created a bond of friendship. 

Did we mention all the kids knew every word to Justin Beiber songs??

After dropping them off, we headed back to the ranch home, to a refreshing shower that was much needed. 

We put on our Sundays Wednesdays best and headed, all 16 of us, to church. And when I say all 16 of us, I mean 13 of us. 

Stefano, Alex, and Chris were left behind due to rubber bands and bathroom breaks. "it was only 5 minutes" 

But we'll let them explain that to you.....

We end the night reflecting on our "highs" and "lows" for the day. But today there were no lows. What truly consumed our conversation was how much we missed our "new-made" friends today. 

Stay Tuned. 

Love, 

The Nica Crew :)

p.s. Here are some pics!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you La Chureca

Getting some roofing done!

The Streets of La Chureca

Our new friend Ramon--after we finished tarping his house :) 

Gerald--look at that face!

joint efforts--between students and home owners

Day Two: The women of Casa Havila

Our handsome men after their futbol game :)

Day Three: 

FIELD TRIP!!

Alex and his new friend at "el zoologico" ;) 

Patience is a virtue. 

We love you Hunter!

Casa Havila y futbol.

Day Two: another day waking up to a non-chalant breakfast (which was rice and beans this morning), hearing the cold showers running in the morning, and the excitement of a new day and experience. 

 

Casa Havila. What is this, you may ask? Yesterday we experienced for the first time, La Chureca (the dump). This morning us girls were able to go meet some of the girls who grew up in La Chureca and were rescued and placed in this house, Casa Havila. We walked our way over with them to the local park to simply spend time with them. 

It is humbling seeing these girls get excited over the simplest things that we can share with them. All we did was give them our time, swing on swings, and carried on fun conversations. The conversations that we shared with them helped us get to know the group of girls that we have been praying for since we first decided this missions trip was a go. 

Meanwhile, on the dump, our brave boys were battling the heat of the Nicaraguan sun as they played with the raw talent of the "Chureca" squad. After losing the first soccer futbol match, our boys were able to bring home a win (with the help of a Nicaragua boy). -Stefano Battistoni 

After the boys and girls were re-united we headed on back to the Ranch. 

Today in Nicaragua is "el 19 de Julio", which commemorates the end of the revolution of the Sandinista. Everything in Nicaragua is shut down for the day in order to celebrate. We decided it would be best safest to stay at the ranch and have our own little celebration here. (Don't worry parents, we're taking good care of everyone!)

With a little more free time today, a couple of us decided to go for a run. A couple of us being: Kevin Porter, Alex Mitchell, Sabrina Gadala-Maria, y Ms. Allyce. What we thought would be a 2 mile run ended up being a 4 mile run. Throughout the entire run Kevin Porter never let us forget we were running more than we expected ;) 

Though the run involved hills and un-even grounds, we fought through with the help of the breath-taking views surrounding us. It was an un-forgettable experience. 

After instantly jumping in the pool, we enjoyed an amazing dinner and are getting ready for our devotion time!

Everybody says, "hola mami!!" We love and miss you guys!

Stay tuned. Tomorrow is packed with new experiences :) 

Love, 

The Nica Crew 

day uno.

Where to even start?

Maybe a good place would be to say that we all had beans for breakfast. And for the record, they were delicious!

Today brought about more challenges than we would have imagined. We were brought into the dump for the first time and the odor was overwhelming. Yet, as soon as we got off the bus, not one hand was being unused. The students went right to work. Whether they were building roofs for local families, making sandwiches, playing soccer with the children, or talking with the ladies from the dump, not one complaint was made. It is obvious that everyone is here to work. 

It is rainy season here in Nicaragua. What this means for some of the families (in the dump) is that when it rains, they have water falling on their heads. When it rains, they cannot eat in their own kitchen. Through problem solving and team work, four houses were tarped! 

There are no words to describe how thankful the families were after some of the students laid tarps on their roofs. 

We couldn't help but feel accomplished when our new friend Ramon had a tear in his eye.

At about 3:00 we packed up our stuff and were ready to head back to the ranch (which is beautiful, by the way!) Yet, before we got on the bus Cha Chi took us on a little walk to a place where we could see the entire dump from where we were standing. It could easily be one of the most humbling moments of many of our lives. 

Mrs. Wier brought up a great point, "why were we not born to a life on the dump? Why have we been so blessed to even have a roof on our heads?" 

When getting back to the ranch, we were welcomed by the refreshing pool-- and everyone took advantage of it-- followed by a delicious yellow rice dinner. MmMmM. 

The laughter at dinner is contagious. It is very exciting seeing the students laugh together about anything! The passion and desire of these students was made evident today and we are constantly praying to be used in any way we can. 

**Stay Tuned :) 

p.s. sorry, the pictures would not up load. I will try again tonight!

 

::Paradise Found::

WE LANDED!!

At approximately 7:30 (local time) our plane landed in Managua, Nicaragua. 

Reality really kicked in when we were flying over Nica's mountain and green landscape :)

We ate, unpacked, and met the "one and only" Cha Chi! We were welcomed by an amazing work crew on the ranch and had a delicious pasta dinner. MmMmMm. 

We are very excited for what this week holds for us. Stay tuned for this weeks adventures. 

p.s. windows have already been shattered. You never know what can happen with Kevin Porter in the crew ;) 

The crew (minus the Stephens/Wier)

Bye Parents!! 

In the Bus...and the adventures begin!

Love, 

The Nica Crew

Nica '11

This summer, a group of 16 members from Westminster Christian School will be flying to Managua, Nicaragua. 

Why Nicaragua, you may ask? Well, three of our very own students went to Nicaragua last year with their church, University Baptist Church, not knowing exactly what they were getting themselves into. What they found was that the experience they had in Nicaragua had to be shared.

Through prayer and determination the trip was finally approved!

In the last 6 months we have held our very own 5k race (which raised $5,000!), partnered up with the one and only Sir Pizza (Thanks again Sir Pizza), and had a garage sale to raise as much money to make this trip possible. 

We will be leaving this Sunday, July 17, 2011. 

We are excited to see what challenges and experiences God has waiting for us in Nica. 

**parents: stay tuned. We will be keeping you updated on what we are doing everyday (along with pictures!) 

-The Nica Crew :)