Nicaragua

Our Accomplishments in Nicaragua: Starting the wall

I just returned last week from my trip to Nicaragua. I often refrain from using the term "mission trip" because I feel like that leads to certain assumption. It was a volunteer trip. Everyone on their own, or with a friend. Everyone from different areas of the United States. We worked through Orphanage Outreach building a wall in the city of Jinotega. Jinotega is up in the mountains of Nicaragua. While some of us started the wall, others provided educational activities at the daycare facilities where the wall was being built. I've been on another international volunteer trip but this trip really blew me away. I had a phenomenal time with the people of Jinotega, the volunteers on the trip, the leaders/directors of the trip and, of course, the children at the daycares.

First, I will start with some of my favorite

pictures. The smiles on the children's faces as they

were eager to help us. (Obviously, they could only help with small tasks, not with the

wall.)

Or when they found fun in the simplest activities.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

This was the first day of volunteering. We were told that we needed to dig holes in order to put the columns that will hold the wall together. There was already a hill of dirt that we needed to dig through first in order to start digging at ground level.

Every brick that was needed for the wall was carried by the volunteers. Given the

weight and amount of bricks, everyone needed

to help!

An hour after the heat was completely unbearable, it started to rain. Really RAIN!!! We were completely covered in water and mud. The dirt started to become more like clay.

Each hole needed to be 4 ft 6 inches deep!