We boarded the plane at LAX to El Salvador, everything's going perfectly fine, then we land. During the layover, Dean O and Dean V break out some bad news. Other schools were apparently going to Nicaragua for mission trips like us, they were trying to get us all together, but there was no vicinity that would be able to accommodate all of us. So a group from PUC left to Nicaragua the day before us and when they arrived at the airport, they hadn't made any prior arrangements, so they rented a van on their own and decided to drive themselves to their location. Little did they know that they were being watched. On the way to their orphanage, another vehicle passed by them and threw something onto the road to pop their tires. Moments later, another car comes and they're held at gun point and robbed of all their possessions. Everyone was safe, and the group ended up continuing on with their mission trip, but after the sponsors told us this story, all of us were terrified. It was pretty much too late to turn back now, because we were already in El Salvador. Then Dean V tells us that she told her sister about what happened, and Dean V's husband is in the military in Nicaragua (Dean V's from Nicaragua.) So there will be military personnel at the orphanage just in case we get into trouble. That was extremely reassuring.
We arrive in Nicaragua and Ana Maria is there to pick us up. We wait for Jaylene and Sterling and then go out to load the bus. When we walk out, there's a guard, or cop, or someone, there to escort us to the orphanage, with a gun. It was pretty crazy. After our luggage is tied to the roof of the bus, we start our two hour journey to Hogar Reach.
At the home, beds were moved around and we went straight to sleep.. sorta. If it weren't for the dogs, roosters, and cows -_______-.
The next morning, we "wake up" around 5 to worship with the kids before they start their chores and go off to school. Some of us went back to sleep until 7, when we go to work on the Wall.
We walk a couple blocks down to the academy where the kids from the hogar go to for free. And we're welcomed into this auditorium, which is a really big classroom, I think. Well we got to the school and they had this little ceremony for us, some of the kids and prof. played music and all the teachers introduced themselves, it was pretty neat.
We started building the wall, basically the whole day we moved hundred pound bricks.
Yeah.
and made some cement.
After working, which felt like forever, we went back to the home and had lunch. We took showers, and long, long naps. After waking, I walk outside our little house and there are some kids playing with some soccer balls. I walk over to Sheldon and Jasiel, the youngest girl, Sheldon pumps a soccer ball and the little girl throws it at me; naturally I treat it like a volleyball. She cracks up laughing. I keep hitting the ball with my arms, and she's probably thinking, "this girl's crazy! she doesn't know how to play futbol!" She then throws it to Season, and she plays volleyball with it too. So basically for an hour or so this little girl and Danya, her sister, throws balls around and then proceed to roll on the floor laughing.
Eventually, they get tired of it and we kick it around for a while.
The little girls again, grew tired of playing with me :( so I go into the main building of the home, and start playing uno with Saul, Christofer, Alexander, Paula, and Angela.
Around five o'clock the kids had to clean up and eat, so we go back to our "casita" and wait for worship.
The day isn't even over yet, but I think we're off to a good start.
-Varonica Napitupulu
At the home, beds were moved around and we went straight to sleep.. sorta. If it weren't for the dogs, roosters, and cows -_______-.
The next morning, we "wake up" around 5 to worship with the kids before they start their chores and go off to school. Some of us went back to sleep until 7, when we go to work on the Wall.
We walk a couple blocks down to the academy where the kids from the hogar go to for free. And we're welcomed into this auditorium, which is a really big classroom, I think. Well we got to the school and they had this little ceremony for us, some of the kids and prof. played music and all the teachers introduced themselves, it was pretty neat.
We started building the wall, basically the whole day we moved hundred pound bricks.
Yeah.
and made some cement.
After working, which felt like forever, we went back to the home and had lunch. We took showers, and long, long naps. After waking, I walk outside our little house and there are some kids playing with some soccer balls. I walk over to Sheldon and Jasiel, the youngest girl, Sheldon pumps a soccer ball and the little girl throws it at me; naturally I treat it like a volleyball. She cracks up laughing. I keep hitting the ball with my arms, and she's probably thinking, "this girl's crazy! she doesn't know how to play futbol!" She then throws it to Season, and she plays volleyball with it too. So basically for an hour or so this little girl and Danya, her sister, throws balls around and then proceed to roll on the floor laughing.
Eventually, they get tired of it and we kick it around for a while.
The little girls again, grew tired of playing with me :( so I go into the main building of the home, and start playing uno with Saul, Christofer, Alexander, Paula, and Angela.
Around five o'clock the kids had to clean up and eat, so we go back to our "casita" and wait for worship.
The day isn't even over yet, but I think we're off to a good start.
-Varonica Napitupulu
No comments:
Post a Comment