Just returned from another Nicaraguan trip; my wife (Monika), son (Torrey), and dear friend Natalie. From the get go, things were not going to be the same as before; that said, God’s roads are never clear and often hidden from plain sight. The plight here is not on the scope of Haiti (at this time), but being the second most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere, there is certainly plenty to do. The coast lines are still in tact (unlike that of Chile), but water contamination continues to shorten life spans at an alarming rate. Nicaragua has suffered from a massive earthquake in 1972 that leveled Managua and Category 5 Hurricane Mitch in 1998. The effects are still seen after many years… as will Haiti and Chile.
Every time I get the opportunity to visit Nicaragua, my heart is torn… this time however, I was struck at how “slow” things are. For the first time (in six trips), we actually “resided” in the area as a short term “live in”. Numerous times, we laughed at the “time warp” effect and that time may actually slow down here.
We visited Luz de Manana and San Marco de Belen as our first order of business; two sustainable Agros International farms Rescue Response Gear helps to support. We were not only blown away by the progress of building a sustainable farm of over 200 manzanas, but the fact that in 6-7 years, over $400,000 of debit will be paid off and the land will be shared by 30 families for generations to come. Most of these beautiful people can not read or write, but will work their tails off to be entirely debt free (something our government and many citizens of this nation do not understand).
The next item on the agenda was to purchase and drop off ceramic water filters to the neighboring town of El Astillero. The filters were purchase through Potters For Peace out of San Marcos Nicaragua. PFP or Potters For Peace, produces over 150,000 filters in typical year and began in 1998 to deal with the well water contamination issues resulting from Hurricane Mitch. Because of time constraints and normal Nicaraguan travel hiccups, we were only able to drop the filters off. The presentations and in-services will happen in a few days. Two schools and two churches were the recipients of the filters. We are excited about bringing more in a few more months.
For me, a gut check is always the result of coming back to the States; whether Nicaragua, Mexico (any part), Philippines or where ever. The result is humbleness and a truer sense of what is at stake in our lives. What we all hold on to will be ripped from us at some point; count on it. The strange thing is that we think the tighter we hold, the surer the grip… the reality is that the opposite is true. Friends, open your hands and behold the truth of life. Reality is stranger than fiction.
