NICARAGUA: Disadvantaged/Orphaned Children Service

Having the ability to help in any capacity is an amazing strength. I took my children on this trip because I had already been on prior volunteer trips to Nicaragua and I wanted to share my experiences and show them that even though they are small, they can have an amazing impact on people they do not know. Playing endless hours of Uno, Checkers, and dominoes with the kids at the orphanage was great - there smiles were priceless. We were able to bridge the communication gap and teach them some English and they were able to teach us some Spanish through play. My favorite memory is my son running around the courtyard with 2 of the boys from the orphanage playing with water guns and getting absolutely soaked with a giant grin on his face. While there we also helped patch up walls and paint back rooms where the children store extra clothing and bedding. The gratitude from the nuns for such a small task was heartwarming. I felt extremely comfortable in Nicaragua. I do not speak a lot of Spanish so I would have my daughter (who does speak) translate when we would walk to the small community stores to buy candy, sodas, and locally made cookies and bread. We were lucky to be there for the New Years holiday so we were able to watch fireworks being shot off in the street along with other community members. Earlier that night we ate dinner with a local family and got to know of there experiences and get a real personal taste of the community.