Nicaragua Update

I promised an update on my trip to Nicaragua, and here it is. I had this half-completed and saved as a draft for the past month. Better late than never, right?

My trip to Nicaragua was great. It was so exciting to see good friends from college and to enjoy some poolside relaxation. It was a great encouragement to swap stories and talk about how Manna can improve as an organization. I got to visit MPI Nicaragua's communities, and I attended most of their programs. I got to compare our Women's Exercise and English classes. It gave me several ideas to try in our communities. Even though our community members and cultures are very different, I think some activities and teaching methods can be applied to both sites.

One of my favorite parts about my visit was helping out with their Child Sponsorship program in La Churreca (the city dump, where a large number of people live and work). We got to give oatmeal and powdered milk to kids in the program. I also enjoyed their Intermediate English class. They had several tables filled with students and a PD doing one-on-one help at each table. It was super interesting to see how successful some of Nicaragua's programs have become in 5 short years.

Our Mini-Hokie Reunion

All in all, it was a great trip, but I was excited to get back to Ecuador and the work I've been involved in. Ecuador has truly become home, and we have nowhere to go but up.

Ecuador today, Nicaragua tomorrow

Sarah Scott and I are leaving the Manna House at 7:00am tomorrow. Why, you ask? We are hopping on a plane to go to Nicaragua. We are doing a site exchange for a week and celebrating MPI's five year anniversary.

We'll stay at the Manna house for the week and see how programs are run there. I'm very much looking forward to learning how to improve our organization as a whole and programs here in Ecuador based on attending MPI Nicaragua's programs and experiencing how Manna runs in a different country. An huge added bonus is that I'll be able to spend quality time with Leah and Hemby. ALSO, Tim Buttril and Kristen Walker will be in Nica for the week. It'll be great to spend time with some of my beloved Hokies. I'll update when I get back November 28th! Until then, I send my love and prayers. Happy Thanksgiving!

p.s. The following pictures are from my FIRST trip to Nicaragua in 2006. This was the trip that made me fall head over heels in love with Latin America and redefined my goals for the future. I can thank that trip to Nicaragua many years ago for leading me to where I am now. So in the spirit of the holiday, this a tribute to my thanks for that initial trip to Nicaragua and where God has so faithfully led me over the years.