Skip to main content

Nicaragua trip

Hey fam,

I'm back in Costa Rica!

It was time for a visa run for the group so about 30 of us packed up for 4 days in Nicaragua. As I write this we're on the bus headed for the Villa.

Our trip was awesome. First of all praise God for his help at the border both times. What could have been the worst part of the trip was easy and almost fun. Typically the time spent crossing the border could be around four hours or more, but somehow we were able to cross in about two hours going into Nicaragua on Monday and coming out today. And also instead of standing outside in the sun for it we were able to wait on the bus.

In Nicaragua we went into town the first day for snacks, adventuring, and fun. We went to the grocery store where everything cost about half as much as in Costa Rica. Then we got rickshaw rides. That could be a horse pulling a little cart behind it but these ones were guys on bicycles that push people in an oversized basket/cart like a little taxi. We raced each other and got a mini-tour of town.
Then, we headed to the camp we were staying at. It was an awesome camp. The girls had a big room for all of us. There was a really nice pool, awesome open fields and lanes of trees. There were paths to go exploring, hammocks hung everywhere, and lots of places to go lay out and just have quiet time and enjoy God's creation.

Our second day we had a camp for kids. There were around 80 kids that we split into teams. Goal: help them have as much fun as possible. They played soccer, basketball, gaga ball, did relays, heard people's testimonies and just ran around. After lunch was pool time. They played water polo and the little ones got a lot of horsey rides. One little boy would kiss every girl on the cheek that picked him up. The little girl I had was just about as cute as a child could get. They all left around 4 and we were able to rest and hang out by the pool.

The next morning I woke up at 5am to watch the sunset with my roomie Sami. It was beautiful and a really great time. Then later we went to the beach, about an hour and a half drive. The beach was pretty and the waves were crazy. Some of the group rented surfboards and spent the day teaching themselves to surf.
Note: I did not get ridiculously burnt. Wohoo!

Also another note: we baught an iguana on the way home on the side of the road. At the camp the cooks cooked it for us in a stew. Also the iguanita was a pregnant female. So they cooked her eggs also. I ate a bite of iguana and half an egg. Yup.

Today we got up at 5:30am to get ready to head home. At the border I bought a hammock and a pair of sunglasses for $10 because I couldn't find a bracelet.

Overall the trip was an awesome time to serve, to love on some kids, to rest, to spend time together, and have fun. I'm so thankful for the camp we stayed at, the country side, the scenery, and the adventure. God was so present in all of it.
Sometimes I wonder why I was born in America to a middle class family and not to a family with a house with tin walls and a thatched roof. Hopefully I use my blessings according to God's will and only bring glory to Christ. I didn't create this life for myself. I couldn't if I wanted to. Help me Lord to glorify you.

Love has no borders,
- Rachel Martha

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Counting Every Blessing

  Group Photo at Laodicea Hey Hey Hey! It has been a while since I have written an update like this. Life has changed a lot over the past several months. I have sat down to write an update several times, but I have not been fully sure of what I wanted to write. The last time I wrote an update was about a year ago when the decision had been made to leave Costa Rica early at the beginning of the pandemic. It seems unreal that it has been a year. Though there are many difficulties I could list from my own experiences this year, there are also many blessings. So this update is coming at you in the form of a list of blessings:  1. After returning home from Costa Rica I found a job that I was able to work from April to August. I know that many people lost jobs through that time and I was grateful I was able to at least work part-time. 2. Over the summer I was able to travel and visit friends I had not been able to see in a very long time. 3. In August I started my job as a resident ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Round Two

Hello all, As I mentioned before I am heading back to Costa Rica for a second year as the Female Student Life Coordinator for the GAP year program through Score International. This past year was challenging for sure which made for an excellent learning and growing experience. There were many highs and lows, but the grace of God was ever present. Through the course of these last nine months, we saw the Lord guide and direct 20 students, 4 interns, and 5 staff members closer to himself. I am beyond thankful for the year the Lord gave us and the students He sent to Costa Rica. I am also very excited for this coming year. I know that the Lord is going before us to send the right students and staff to Costa Rica. This year my role will be very much the same as last year. My ministry has been and is two parts. One is focusing on the GAP students. Second, it is leading a group of students to partner with Salva and Veronica in a town called Los Guido where my team is able to h...
Post a Comment
Read more

Saying Goodbye Too Soon

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Hello Family and Friends, I imagine that anyone reading this is also in the midst of a crazy season, but I wanted to update you on what life looks like right now. As of Monday we made the decision to go home. We were hoping to wait it out, but on Monday the news came that Costa Rica was declaring a state of emergency and closing their borders to all incoming travelers. This has effected us in two ways: 1. We were no longer able to do our border run to Nicaragua or Panama since we would not be able to re-enter the country. 2. There is no way to know if airlines will continue to fly flights out of Costa Rica if no flights are coming in. So with that information the decision was made to send both students and staff home rather than risk being stuck in Costa Rica. Though Costa Rica is...
Post a Comment
Read more