Here we are. We’ve made it halfway already and I’m sitting here wondering where the time has gone so fast. After today there will be more time behind us then there is before. I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about that. Of course I realize that I’m closer to seeing my family and friends but then I know that I have people here on my team and Nicaraguans who also have a piece of my heart now. When I think about leaving the people at La Quinta I’m heartbroken and know that it will be one of the hardest things I will ever have to do. But since I still have four weeks before I have to do that I’m going to forget it for now!
I think it’s absolutely amazing at how close we have gotten to people that most of us can barely speak to. We are gradually learning their language but most conversations involve a LOT of hand movements and facial expressions! But yet here we are, sharing, laughing and loving together. We’ve become this big family and it’s beautiful. Just the other night we decided that all of us – our team and all the Nicaraguans at La Quinta- should play a game together. Well we ended up teaching all the Nicaraguan guys how to play “Star Tripping”! They loved it! So here we were, a bunch of Americans, one Canadian, and some Nicaraguan guys laughing until we almost cried, encouraging each other and making fun of each other. Justo in the tree, Franklin being silly, and Rene trying to push me in the center. It’s such a beautiful thing that laughter and fun can cross all the language and cultural barriers so that we could have a night where nothing mattered but the fun we have together and the joy of friendship. Although I feel like we are able to do that on a daily basis. I never really knew that that was possible. To love people and have enjoy their company so much when we don’t even speak the same language. But I guess that the beauty and wonder of love and friendships, it doesn’t need those things; it crosses cultural language and racial barriers. When we look inside of people and use our hearts to communicate, we are all the same. We’re all children of God and our outsides are just a covering for us to live in, NOT to be defined by. When we can all see that the world is such a beautiful and unified place. A place defined by love and understanding. A place I want to be in.
