“Hey y’all! As some people may know, I fled the
country a few weeks ago and headed to the rural roads of Nicaragua. Not many people understand why (or how) I
managed to do this so here’s a little background and insight into my trip. For
starters, I will clear up what seemed to be very confusing for those a little
rusty on their geography; Nicaragua is in fact located in Central America,
contrary to those thinking I went across the world as they bid me farewell with
a heartwarming ‘Have fun in Africa!!!’ It’s the thought that counts…
If you didn’t
know me before college, then you don’t know the strong connection I have with
Nicaragua and the people there. I am fortunate enough to have been brought up
in a family that puts service as one of our top priorities. When I was in 8th
grade my parents started the idea of having a family mission trip within our
church to Nicaragua. As a middle school girl caught up in a materialistic
lifestyle, my parents knew this was something that could change my life. And it
did. Since that trip then I have been back 6 times now, seeing some of the same
faces while creating new experiences. As a college student I feel like you
don’t get as many ample opportunities as you do in high school to participate
in mission trips… at least I haven’t. With everything going on during school I
get so caught up that I easily forget what it feels like to serve others. I am
too busy worrying about who is going to be my date for the next formal or
having to get a new dress, that I rarely think about how fortunate I truly am.
After a few years of not having the opportunity (or really acknowledging one),
my return to Nicaragua was long overdue. This year my mom planned to lead a
solemnly women’s trip to Ticuantepe, Nicaragua to continue outreach there. After
much convincing, and emailing with my teachers to skip class, she finally
budged and said I could come with. Did I mention I would be the youngest
“adult” by a good 25 years? The stories I have from that…. too much information
honestly.
In
preparation for the trip, each team member was responsible for collecting a
certain amount of supplies to bring down there. Since I love working with the
children the most, I took charge of the school supplies that would later be
delivered to all 200 elementary students. Thankfully with the help of donations
from Tri Delta and friends in other sororities, enough money was raised to fill
a new backpack for each child.
So, on November 2, our team headed to the
Atlanta airport to catch our flight. After much anticipation, and 26 large
duffle bags later, we finally arrived to Pinas de Paz in Nicaragua. Pinas de
Paz ministries was our host for the week and home of the 10-acre beautiful
pineapple farm we were surrounded by. Our main focus for the week was women’s
outreach. We put on two luncheons for local families and school teachers where
we learned more about their needs while providing them with gifts (food, school
supplies, household needs) to take back with them. Throughout the week we also
made home visits to different families in the village. We went to about 18
‘houses’ to bring them the same types of gifts and pray with their families.
These homes are the most humbling, usually housing at least eight family
members under one tin roof with barely anything to live off of.
The school
of Ticauntepe held 200 elementary students in the morning and another 200
secondary students in the afternoon. Typically, once you turn about 13 or 14
you stop going to school and begin working for your family; the idea of high
school and college is another world for them. We held a field day of sorts for
the elementary school kids one day and had all sorts of games from dizzy bat to
wheel-burrow races. At the end of the day the kids got their new backpacks and
could not have been any more excited.
On one of
our last days we got the chance to do something I’ve never done there before,
which was going to visit the hospital. Honestly, when we got there the first
thought that came to mind was this place is a scene in the Blair Witch Project
or something. There was no such thing as having your own room, no, it was you
sharing a room with around 20 other patients. First we met with the expecting
mothers who ranged around 15-50 years old (mainly 15-22). As a 20 year old I
was extremely taken aback to even imagine being in their position, but for them
being married and pregnant at our age is completely normal. After giving them
some gifts that would help them with their new babies and praying with them, we
went on to meet the moms and children who were suffering from respiratory,
heart, and many other diseases. The stories we heard there really make you
believe in miracles and give you a sense of hope for their community.
One of my
main purposes for me going was to talk with the directors of Pinas de Paz to
set up a trip that will be available for students at USC, specifically through
the Greek Community. They were more than thrilled to accommodate us and I am
excited to work with them to get something started for us within the next year.
People often ask if you are doing these “good deeds” for yourself or for the
people you’re helping. I don’t think there is really a right or wrong answer,
or a morally correct answer. I would be lying to say I don’t do it for myself;
I get a constant reminder of how lucky and blessed I am, not to mention the
feeling I get knowing that I made a difference. Gandhi said it best: ‘Be the
change you want to see in the world.’
Delta love,
Kelsey"
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