Day one seeing life with different eyes.

Today was the team's first full day in Nicaragua and I don't think I'm the only one on the team who will be going to sleep tonight with a new perspective. Perspective is something that, try as we might, we can never truly share with someone. Perspective is unique to the individual and only really changes when God touches our lives and allows us to see things through different eyes. Today was one of those days when God touched many of us and allowed us to see with different eyes.

In July I wrote a post speaking about why we were traveling to Nicaragua and why in particular we were working in Ciudad Sandino. In that article I talked about natural disasters, poverty and over crowding. Today I walked through the streets, spoke to the families and saw the things I wrote about. The experience was, to say the least, perspective changing. They say a picture speaks a 1000 words here is just a little of what we saw.












In the middle of all this poverty, LifeLink has built an oasis - an amazing school facility that offers the children of Ciudad Sandino an opportunity that most of us take for granted - an education. In amongst the dirt roads and tin shacks, the school wall rises 9ft high topped with razor wire. At first glance it could be mistaken for a prison but that is until the gate is opened and you get a glance of the green grass, the palm covered rancho and the green and white school buildings. The school is an amazing contrast to what exists just outside the walls. Centro Escolar LifeLink offers children a chance at a future, the tools to change their lives and, most importantly, shares God's love.













Today was a perspective changer. As we walked through the streets of Ciudad Sandino surrounded by poverty, mud and burning garbage, I caught glimpses of God in the smile of a child, in the friendliness of strangers and most of all in the people who make Centro Escolar LifeLink possible.







We ended our day worshiping with the people of Sandino. We found whether in English or Spanish giving thanks and praise to God is universal and was something we could all share in despite our differences.