Day Three: The First Day of Working...

Wow, if we only knew what was in store for us when we woke up this morning!

It all started off as planned with breakfast and a devotion by Lydia. After that we each found ourselves drawn to one of the three areas of volunteering - at the Church for the meal program, at the school for crafts and Bible stories with the 1st thru 4th Graders or to the construction site. Each had their own moments to remember.

Amy and Elaine along with Lydia, (BLC's own) an Enrich Missions Intern for the past month, went to shop for the fresh ingredients this morning before leaving for the Church. They took those delicious ingredients, chopped them up and cooked them to make minestrone soup for the lunch with the children. 

Lots of love went into making the soup. Being the first time on the menu, it was a big hit - not only with the kids but with adults alike!  Chuck just couldn't help himself, so he gabbed a bowl and enjoyed both the food and the company!

Elaine had quite the scare as she opened her backpack before lunch...

  ...And out popped our favorite little guy, who had some how worked its way into her bag!

Barb, Megan, Kayleigh, Leigh, Jen, Lydia, Chuck and Elaine, went the the school to have fun with the students. 

 

The students really enjoyed the first of four days of crafts and bible stories!

That morning session was so engaging that Chuck and SallyJo were caught getting in a quick nap before the afternoon session!

The construction site was a busy place for most of the day. Sand and gravel were being hauled down the steep road in wheelbarrows and buckets by some local workers and many on our team.  This is no small incline but rather a rocky, steep road tough to walk with nothing in your hands. It was much more of a challenge when your hauling stone and sand down it in wheelbarrows and buckets.

Donna, Rebecca, Caitlin and Logan all should be exhausted tonight after that effort!

Bill, Doug, Tim, Wayne and I spent the time placing boards for pour stops around the deck area and finished prepping any other areas before the concrete pour started. 

By lunch time we were definitely ready to sit down in some shade, take a break and gather with the rest of the team to share a meal. The morning sun and work had used up most of our energy reserves and the recharge time was more than welcomed!

Right on cue, with a tip of a bucket and some good natured laughter, our energy came back. Tim demonstrates one more time how it happened and was caught on camera by Bill!

Well, lunch had to end sooner rather than later so it was time to get back to work! The craft group went back to the school for the afternoon classes and the construction crew got back to work.

Time for the first wheelbarrow of concrete and we were ready to pour concrete for the afternoon.

The youth on the trip definitely put in a great work effort today!

We were starting to get into a flow of things when the first rain came. And drove us under the canopies.

We did get back to work only to have the second round of rain move in. Putting us right back under the canopies.

After getting back to placing the concrete for the third time, we found one more thing to test our faith. This was a safety issue which put a hold on the work day for most of the group. And brought about a meeting of the minds to solve the issue which saw the floor structure begin to belly from the weight of the concrete. 

After a trip to the lumber yard, one broken jack a bracing post later the issue was solved and we were finished for the evening, just as it became too dark to see. 

There are times when our patience are tried, but working together can bring a positive result to the end of the day.

Thank you Lord for a wonderful day with our team members and friends here in Matagalpa.

Day Two: Our Introduction to Matagalpa and the Mission

Our second day started off with breakfast and a short discussion about what to expect while we're here.

Then it was time to get busy with making lunch, a daily routine for the week. 

Our first stop of the day was at the church in Barrio Sor Maria Romero where we will be making and serving lunches for the children. 

There were a few familiar faces from last year that were beaming with great big smiles as we drove up. 

Next we visited the kitchen at the church, where last years team worked on many different parts including the electric, painting, cabinets, shutters and the shelving. Wayne and Megan informed us of the work completed here and how it is used by Pastor Rogelio and his wife Thelma during the lunch time feeding of the children. It is awesome seeing the kitchen now filled with supplies and being put to full use! 

We then went on a walk, several blocks away, to the Enrichment Center location. They have been very busy constructing a storage shed for supplies also doubling as a home for the family who watches over the property while no one is there. Then down the hill we see a large building with columns standing straight up to the sky and a shiny metal deck just waiting for our hard work this week pouring the concrete floor. This is truely amazing how last year they were in prayer to decide if they were going to buy the property to this year having a structure out of the ground and literally up in the air. (You'll see more information on this as the week goes on.) Thanks to the senders at BLC they are able to place the concrete on the first floor deck.  Next year, they will move forward with the second floor feeding and tutoring. The first floor will be an open area for multi-purpose use. 

The third location we'll be at during our week is the local school just up the hill from the Enrichment Center. There we'll be helping the student in Grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 create a craft.

Next up were a few of those unplanned moments that bring a little entertainment to the group and locals. Chuck found a neighborhood gentlemen playing a guitar and brought Logan, our resident guitar player on this trip, over to play a few notes with him.

Not to be out done we then all got to have "Coke in a bag". Here they don't hand out the glass soda bottles but instead pour it into a bag for the customer to drink so they can keep the bottle and get the return on it.  

Lunch time...

 

PBJ, Gatorade or cookies anyone?

...and our favorite little guy...

TIme to hear about the river that runs though Matagalpa near the Enrichment Center from Wayne. 

To cap the night we went back to the church to participate in their evening worship service. There was lots of singing by all and a little preaching by Chuck and "the brows" 

God does create such beauty...don't you agree.

Day One - Traveling to Matagalpa

The group has arrived at Matagulpa! What a group...

 

We took the four legs of the trip and made the best of them. The first was a trip to LaGuardia International Airport in Queens.We'd like to thank the wonderful drivers and co-pilots for a nice and comfortable ride with great conversation on the way to the airport! (David VanKempen and Jessy Wilson, Mike and Diane Mineau and Brad and Patty Hellman)

That second leg, the flight to Miami, was delayed a half hour which gave us time to eat and relax and give us less of a layover in Miami before the third leg of the travel began. We arrived in Managua, Nicaragua around 9:00 pm NY time and received a warm welcome from Megan and Wayne once we cleared customs. We still had a few team members get checked at customs as seems to happen each year. It's the luck of the draw and they were the lucky ones this year.

A few minutes to pile our luggage into Megan's truck and tie it down  and we're ready to load into the van for a two hour ride to Matagalpa, our home base for the next week.

After unloading at the Hotel, it was 12:15 am on our body clocks and a little rest was needed before sending out this blog. Sorry for the delay this morning we had a little technical issue that slowed this post. 

We are very thankful for the prayers and support given by all as we progress through this week not sure what surprises God may have planned for our group.