With the departure of Ken and Brenda’s family on May 31, we invited another group of high schoolers into our for a lives for a week. There were a blessing to each one of us.
Since this group was only girls, different activities were thought up for them to do. They arrived in here in Leon around 4:30 on May 31 and left a week later.
Friday
After they settled into the guest room and school. We had supper around 7:00 that night. Supper was delicious BX. BX is gallo pinto (rice and beans), barbequed meat, cabbage salad and tortilla. After supper, we did introductions and talked about the schedule. After that was done, we made the baby bundles that we were going to take to the hospital. In the baby bundles we put diapers, onesie, burp cloth, tract booklet (called La Antorcha de Verdad), Bible story book, and safety pins. This time we made around forty five bundles for the babies. We also do bundles for the mothers who have lost their babies as well. It is rather sad. Mothers that have lost babies are placed in the same room as mothers with babies. After we finished with the baby bundles, I think everyone went off to bed. The group had an early morning.
Saturday
Breakfast was later for me. I am use eating between 6:30-7:00. It was not until 8:30. After breakfast, we had devotions. After devotions, we had a variety of things to do. The group discuss what they had planned for the children that afternoon. After that, we divided the girls to help out with different things. Some went over to Nate and Angie to help with lunch. Some helped prepare fruit slush for hiking the volcano.
We had a yummy lunch of messy face at Nate and Angie. Messy face is the English name that Nate’s have given this Nicaraguan dish. It is fried tortilla. On the tortilla, you put pureed beans, cheese, and cabbage. It is delicious. But you get messy while you are eating it.
After lunch, Darling and I along with girls from the group headed out to our streets to get the children for the fun activities that the group had plan. We started off with a balloon dance. Some of the children did not want their balloon popped. When the last balloon was popped, Joel divided the children into two teams. They played the game were you have to empty the one bucket of water into another bucket. It was interesting to see them play this game because this was the first time for many of them. One boy wanted to go again after he had empty the cup into the bucket. They needed a little guidance to go to the back of the line. After they emptied the bucket, they did a ring toss to get two lollipops. We ended with a water fight. We gave each of the children two water balloons to start out with. They had fun throwing the water balloons at each other. At the end each of the children got a balloon and candy for on the way home.
When we returned from taking the children home, we cleaned the church. Some of us were cleaning in the church when I suggested to have a water fight. It was a good idea but the girls were wanting to go to a coffee shop to use Wi-Fi. We decided to have the water fight later in the week.
We returned home to have a pizza supper that night. After supper, the girls wrote in their journals about the last few days. We chatted for a bit before we went to bed.
Sunday
We had church in the morning. We provided them with a mostly Nicaraguan breakfast. We has scrambled eggs and gallo pinto. The non-Nicaragua twist was Italian bread. It was very good. Joel preached that morning on raising children and how both mother and father are needed to raise children.
The group provide us with lunch for Sunday dinner. We had a delicious lunch. We had smoked turkey, company potatoes, green beans, corn chip salad, and a yummy mocha dessert. It reminded me of some of Sunday dinners back home in Canada.
After lunch, we relaxed before we headed over to Fatima Park to play volleyball with the church. Volleyball was fun but interesting. I was often on a team that had multiple English/Spanish speaking people on it. I often switched with another girl from the other team because there was no one that could translate.
After volleyball, we headed over to church to have supper. After supper, we sang songs both in English and Spanish. Everyone that joined in had a wonderful time. After we were done, we took everyone back to their homes. Upon arriving back home, I gave may key to Letitia to open the big doors. She got the one open but I had troubling putting the van in. I decided to open both doors because it is easier to put the van in. Letitia dropped the keys and could not remember which one it was. So, I ended up opening the doors and pulling van in often that.
Monday
We arose and had breakfast. After breakfast, we headed out to hospital to hand out the baby bundles. Even though I have been to the hospital once and know about the circumstance. I still think of how the hospital is so different from the hospitals back home. The hospital is the public one. There are four or five mothers in one room. As began we to hand out the baby bundles. We quickly ran out boy bundles because there were more boys born. We handed all the baby bundles expect one. There were few mothers that were sick with Denga Fever. These women were put in isolation rooms. Thinking back there were no personal protective equipment for the nurses to use. Once, we were finished handing out baby bundles. We went to hold the little babies. After we were finished holding the babies, we went up to the children’s floor. It was rather sad to see all the children sick laying in the beds.
After we were finished at the hospital, we returned back to the church. I got lost part of the way home. I soon figured out where I was After we meet everyone at the church, we headed put to sing for an old lady. She was in the process of making arroz con leche. It is a sweet rice cooked in milk. I like for a treat. The lady enjoyed the music.
In the afternoon, we went to the beach to swim. We got there and the tide was really high. It was highest I have seen since I have been down here. We still had an enjoyable time. When we got home, we had our water fight. It helped out get the sand that came home with us. We founded out that one of my neighbours grandpa passed away. I asked the girls if they would like to attend a vela that night. They were interested in going.
After we finished cleaning up, we went out for supper and had tacos. After supper, we went to Joel’s house, so they could look at hammocks and the chairs. We arrived back home. Everyone was feeling really tired so, we did not go vela that night.
Tuesday
We got up early to hike the volcano. We left to drive back the windy road to the volcano. We climbed up the volcano with several breaks on the way up. After spending sometime at the top, we decided to head down the volcano. Gary started down the volcano to show everyone how it was done. The girls started the volcano. Lucy started her way down. Darling, Larry, and I were still at the top. I told Larry that I will bring up rear when suddenly, Lucy fell and hurt her shoulder. Lucy could not get back up because her shoulder hurt so badly. The three of us got there as quick as we could. A local Nicaraguan came down to help. My mind raced through all the medical knowledge and first aid that I have taken in the past. We rolled her over onto her good side and got her sitting up. I looked at arm and noticed that the arm was dislocated. We got her arm into a sling and slowly started the volcano. Before starting down the volcano, Lucy’s shoulder slipped back into place.
Once we got to the bottom of the volcano, her shoulder slipped out of place again. It eventually went back into place. I know that we should put another sling on the arm. I fashioned another sling from some of the bandanas. Once, Darling and her got down, I cleaned up scrapes on her elbow. We got loaded up in the truck and started for home. The ride back was uneventful expect for cows in the middle of the road which is normal.
For lunch we had plates. I think most of us were shared plates. Plates are big down here. Plates consist of rice, beans, a type of meat, cabbage salad, and tortilla.
After lunch the girls got things together for the crafts for children class and cleaned up from hiking the volcano. They made a frog out green cup, green cotton balls, beady eyes, a party blower, and legs made of construction paper. The frogs were rather cute.
Once, the girls were finished with things getting ready for the craft. When headed to a coffee shop close to one of the grocery store. We walked into the store and saw Joel and Larry. Here we found out that Lucy’s shoulder had slipped out of place again but went back into place. Also, the coffee shop was full. We 
then head back to where we parked the van and headed out to another coffee shop. This one was not very full but we sat at two tables. We had good WIFI and coffee along with good conversation. When we were finished, we back to the church to get ready for children class.
We head to gather the children for class around 6:30. Once we got back to the church with the children; we gathered into the church to sing a songs. The children were energetic to sing. We sang some action songs. They gave all the energy into the actions. We divided into our classes and started the craft with the children.
Once we were finished the craft, we headed back to the church to sing the final song. We dismissed the children and gave them pico pan. The group gave them a bag with different things in it. We took the children back to their homes and return back to the church. We left to get our supper of Shawarma. Shawarma is a Middle Eastern food.
Wednesday
After breakfast and devotions, we started the painting project. We ran out of white paint. The people at the store said it would be there by ten that morning. Gary went to get the paint but it was not there. But it should be there around noonish-one. We sat around talking. At some point in time, we were going to stamp La Antorchas. We decided it was a good time to stamp them and get them done for Sunday. After we were finished with stamping, we continued to talk. This morning Larry and Lucy went to the doctor to look at her shoulder. Joel went along to translate. They came back with the arm in a proper sling. Our lunch was made by a church member. She is a really good cook. The paint was still not ready at noon.
Around 1:30, I got a text from Joel saying he got the paint. He told me have the girls ready to paint. I called the girls together and waited from him to come. He came and we got to work painting. We got most of everything painted but a few corners still need to be done.
We went out to the beach to watch the sunset. We sat the on the rock near the cross. You could not go out to the cross because it was high tide. The waves came crashing onto the rocks and you could feel the mist on your face. It felt rather cool. After the sun had set, we went to a restaurant for supper.
We got back to the house. I chatted with Darling for a bit. I head down to chat with the girls. We had good conversation that night. I think I went to bed around eleven that night. But the good conversation was well worth it.
Thursday
We had a late breakfast. After breakfast, the group headed out to Central to buy souvenirs for their families. The also visited the Cathedral. I decided to rest that morning. I told them I would meet them in Central around noon. I took the bus to Central. It was fun taking the bus again. I was walking into Central when I spotted the group. I meet up with them. We ate lunch and went material shopping!!! It was fun translating for them.
We finished at the material stores in Central and headed over to San Juan to the material stores. They founded several pieces of material that they liked. After we finished shopping, we took tritaxis back our house.
The girls showed their finds to Darling and me. After that, we head out to the park with bags of candies to play with the children. There were not many children at the park so we walked the streets and handed out candy.
We head back after our house to get ready for church that night. After church, we headed out Pupusas. We had a good time chatting and enjoying each other company on their last night.
After supper, several of them wanted to buy coffee for their families. We went to La Union to get coffee and few other things. After that we headed back to Joel’s so the girls could get their chair hammocks. We got back to church. The girls packed everything up to head out the next morning.
Friday
We had our last breakfast together. They all said what their favourite parts of the trip was. Soon it was time for them to head out to the airport to fly back home.
I had a good time with the group. Thank you all for coming. It was great getting to know you. God bless you.
A Northern Girl Called South 