Our Journey into Missions (Pt. 4) 1st Trip to Nicaragua
It was February of 2000 when our plane touched down in Managua, Nicaragua. We were a small group of 7. When we got off the plane we were greeted by 95 degree heat and 95% relative humidity. There was no jetway at the airport in those days. We walked down the portable stairs and were guided into an old, dank, light blue painted building with no air conditioning by two rows of military police all carrying AK-47 military rifles. It was somewhat intimidating. After passing through immigration and customs, we were picked up by two old pick up trucks driven by orphanage staff. Off we went on the 30 kilometer trip to our destination. I remember as we passed through the customs area, there was a wall of glass where families would pick up their loved ones. Faces would be pressed against the glass as literally a hundred or so people were squishing in trying to find their family member as they exited the customs agent. It was quite the first impression.
While riding in the back of a pickup truck is illegal in much of the US, it is legal in Nicaragua. And we had an interesting ride for the next hour as we cut though the big city of Managua on our way to the farm where the orphanage was located. We arrived late so were taken to the old guest homes that were located at one end of the farm. Stinky, hot, and sweaty we went straight to bed.
The next day we were briefed on the project we would work on and the rules at the orphanage, and later on we were given a tour of the farm. Steve was one of my closest friends (and still is) and as we were led around the property, we both liked the simplicity of life that existed there. It was very different from our go go go lifestyle we have in the states. When we met the kids we both fell in love with the children. Meeting the children brought me back to my experience years earlier in Mexico. Kids with no parents and in need of attention and love. It seemed so easy to bring joy to these kids. They simply wanted attention and encouragement.
We were at the orphanage for eight days. Our project was to built a chicken coop. Each day we would work on the project in the morning and play games with the kids in the afternoon. We took a day to go to church, another day to visit an island, and a third day to do some sight seeing. But overall, the highlight for me was the children. One day we were with the founders of the church that founded the orphanage. I was talking to his wife about adoption. There was a young 12 year old girl who I had connected with when we would be spending free time a on the farm. She was not adoptable said the founders wife. But there was a second girl, 13 years old, who was. This 13 year old was very sharp and had learned basic english on her own. Supposedly she was adoptable.
These same founders had purchased a postage size small island near the city of Granada in lake Nicaragua. One of our excursion days was to go out to the island and relax, have lunch, and do some swimming in the fresh water lake. We hopped in a small motorized fishing boat and started out to the island. Shortly after leaving the dock for the 20 minute boat ride, I became overcome with emotion. It was an experience I had never had before. I had my sunglasses on and tried to hide the tears rolling down my face by looking out over the lake. Steve saw me and began to pray quietly. I couldn’t square my simple lifestyle at home with the lives of the majority of people living in this country. The majority lived day to day. They were very simple yet very kind. And the needs seemed overwhelming. At that moment I know my God was opening my heart to these people and quickening in me the calling to missions once again.
Upon returning to the states, I mentioned to my wife the 13 year old and immediately we began looking into adopting this girl. We contacted our state agencies to begin the process and filed the appropriate paperwork. Two months later we received notice that the couple handling the paperwork in Nicaragua had a life threatening accident and were life flighted to the US. Our adoption was cancelled. The girl was too old to complete the adoption in time according to the local Nicaraguan laws.
Julie and I were disappointed but not discouraged. We prayed about all that had happened over the past few months. We felt that we should not try another adoption but rather to investigate Nicaragua as our future mission field. Julie then took a trip with our daughter in July of 2000 to the same orphanage. During that trip my daughter got an ear infection and had to go to a Nicaraguan hospital. It was definitely a third world experience. Also during that trip the team leader was bitten buy a scorpion. And they also experienced a major earthquake with aftershocks that lasted 4 days.
After all the discomfort and challenges that they went through, when she came back she still felt that we should continue to pray and pursue Nica as a future mission field. So we made plans to make a trip, just the two of us, to pray and ask questions about possibly moving to the orphanage to work as volunteers. In September of 2000 we made the trip. It was a good trip and when it was all done we felt that the door was open to make the move. We began a two year plan to get our things in order to make the move. During that two year period, we looked for reasons to not go. It wasn’t as if we were set on the move; it was more as if we were constantly evaluating whether or not we should go. But our hearts were definitely with the children of the orphanage. During the next two years we made three trips a year, started construction on a house on the orphanage property, and sent money down for the construction. In October of 2002 we officially made the move to Nicaragua with a couple of friends who helped us carry suitcases down with some our personal belonging.
While riding in the back of a pickup truck is illegal in much of the US, it is legal in Nicaragua. And we had an interesting ride for the next hour as we cut though the big city of Managua on our way to the farm where the orphanage was located. We arrived late so were taken to the old guest homes that were located at one end of the farm. Stinky, hot, and sweaty we went straight to bed.
The next day we were briefed on the project we would work on and the rules at the orphanage, and later on we were given a tour of the farm. Steve was one of my closest friends (and still is) and as we were led around the property, we both liked the simplicity of life that existed there. It was very different from our go go go lifestyle we have in the states. When we met the kids we both fell in love with the children. Meeting the children brought me back to my experience years earlier in Mexico. Kids with no parents and in need of attention and love. It seemed so easy to bring joy to these kids. They simply wanted attention and encouragement.
We were at the orphanage for eight days. Our project was to built a chicken coop. Each day we would work on the project in the morning and play games with the kids in the afternoon. We took a day to go to church, another day to visit an island, and a third day to do some sight seeing. But overall, the highlight for me was the children. One day we were with the founders of the church that founded the orphanage. I was talking to his wife about adoption. There was a young 12 year old girl who I had connected with when we would be spending free time a on the farm. She was not adoptable said the founders wife. But there was a second girl, 13 years old, who was. This 13 year old was very sharp and had learned basic english on her own. Supposedly she was adoptable.
These same founders had purchased a postage size small island near the city of Granada in lake Nicaragua. One of our excursion days was to go out to the island and relax, have lunch, and do some swimming in the fresh water lake. We hopped in a small motorized fishing boat and started out to the island. Shortly after leaving the dock for the 20 minute boat ride, I became overcome with emotion. It was an experience I had never had before. I had my sunglasses on and tried to hide the tears rolling down my face by looking out over the lake. Steve saw me and began to pray quietly. I couldn’t square my simple lifestyle at home with the lives of the majority of people living in this country. The majority lived day to day. They were very simple yet very kind. And the needs seemed overwhelming. At that moment I know my God was opening my heart to these people and quickening in me the calling to missions once again.
Upon returning to the states, I mentioned to my wife the 13 year old and immediately we began looking into adopting this girl. We contacted our state agencies to begin the process and filed the appropriate paperwork. Two months later we received notice that the couple handling the paperwork in Nicaragua had a life threatening accident and were life flighted to the US. Our adoption was cancelled. The girl was too old to complete the adoption in time according to the local Nicaraguan laws.
Julie and I were disappointed but not discouraged. We prayed about all that had happened over the past few months. We felt that we should not try another adoption but rather to investigate Nicaragua as our future mission field. Julie then took a trip with our daughter in July of 2000 to the same orphanage. During that trip my daughter got an ear infection and had to go to a Nicaraguan hospital. It was definitely a third world experience. Also during that trip the team leader was bitten buy a scorpion. And they also experienced a major earthquake with aftershocks that lasted 4 days.
After all the discomfort and challenges that they went through, when she came back she still felt that we should continue to pray and pursue Nica as a future mission field. So we made plans to make a trip, just the two of us, to pray and ask questions about possibly moving to the orphanage to work as volunteers. In September of 2000 we made the trip. It was a good trip and when it was all done we felt that the door was open to make the move. We began a two year plan to get our things in order to make the move. During that two year period, we looked for reasons to not go. It wasn’t as if we were set on the move; it was more as if we were constantly evaluating whether or not we should go. But our hearts were definitely with the children of the orphanage. During the next two years we made three trips a year, started construction on a house on the orphanage property, and sent money down for the construction. In October of 2002 we officially made the move to Nicaragua with a couple of friends who helped us carry suitcases down with some our personal belonging.
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