Nicaragua has already broken my heart, and blown my mind. Everything here is so colorful and vibrant, but the color of the country says nothing about the feelings of the people. We have visited the barrios frequently, and tried to build relationships. Every one is so hospitable and inviting; more so than I was expecting. Families are surviving and barely getting by, but every day my heart breaks a little more because of the living conditions. The language barrier is a constant struggle. I am learning how to communicate without using words. I am learning how to listen to the cries of the peoples hearts.
We planned on visiting the Hospital on Thursday. Riding in the back of the truck on our way there my mind was full of thoughts, but little did I know that this would be a life changing experience for me. As soon as I walked in the doors my stomach dropped. It was dirty. It was nothing like a North American Hospital. This was a shocker. I had obviously not prepared myself for this. My group was assigned to the kids area of the Hospital. We walked down the short hallway with a sack full of cremas (Nicaraguan cookies). The first room we walked into was crammed with 4 sick kids, the kids moms, beds, and cribs. The first girl had an awful red rash that covered her small body. Her mom was holding her. We made as much small talk in Spanish as we could and then asked if we could pray for her. Her mother said yes, and as we started to pray tears fell from her eyes. The whole prayer, and the rest of the time there became a blur to me. As we kept walking from kid to kid, all I could think about was the hurt that her family must be going through. This made me so sad and so angry. How could this family afford this? What are they even doing here to help her heal? We continued walking from crowded room to crowded room. The more rooms that we went in, the heavier the air became. It was filled with sickness. We prayed over a little girl with 6 toes. There was a room full of horrible stomach bugs, pneumonia, broken bones, and rashes. It became hard for me to breathe. I didn't understand why I felt this way. Then it hit me… I had finally realized and accepted the poverty and hurt in Nicaragua.
Despite the hurt that I have seen, I have experienced God's grace. My team is such a blessing. I could not have asked for a better group of girls. We are all growing together, and continually figuring out who we are in Christ. I have found my purpose here, and I'm already falling in love with this culture, and community. The crazy thing is that its only been 2 weeks.
"I am complete in Christ." Colossians 2:10
"I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2 
