As I begin to meld with the people here in Jinotepe, I begin to notice that subtle beauties that some might not notice regularly begin to have increasing importance. Here you see things like groups of butterflies fluttering around trash in the street, gorgeous magenta plants growing from manure left by stray dogs and dying horses, and the beautiful life of a child in the same rags I saw them wearing last week. From all this, I realize that just like those butterflies, plants and children I have a duty to share a beauty with these people amidst their lives of trash, manure, rags and hopelessness. And perhaps now more than ever, I realize that after all the love, kindness, money and work I can give them, still the most beautiful thing that can be offered is Jesus. So with this essential realization we have been making daily trips into the local barrios (Nicaraguan neighborhoods) without any particular agenda other than planting the seed of Jesus with love and then watering it with a continued relationship and prayer.
For example, a small group consisting of me and three team members made a trek out and found a family made up of only a grandmother, mother and two young daughters (there is seemingly a consistency in families without men). The grandmother greeted us claiming that God has sent us to them because he knows everything. As it turns out, there is a section of their house (which is about as big as my room alone) where their aluminum sheets don´t quite cover. When it rains (and believe me, I´ll testify to how hard it rains), it turns their dirt floor into a river of mud. We are putting our dollars together to fix this problem, meanwhile, we will be joining them for a small church service in their front yard.
Internally, I´ve found that this experience hasn´t all just been gleeful spiritual roses. I´ve come to terms that I have found myself in a place of callousness in a place where all my passion should really be. I´ve been going through a series of pushing and receding in this issue but thankfully, hope and progress is being made. After hearing talk about it all my life I feel I am really hearing God´s voice (whatever that means). These are problems I´ve come to welcome and hope to encounter many of them on this trip and for the rest of my life. Work is being done.
