Trust the Driver   Nicaragua is beautiful. The people, the places, the country. But there is one thing about Nicaragua that is somewhat scary, and that is the drivers.   This country has crazy drivers. And I have been to New York City, so I know about crazy drivers. If you almost wreck three times in a single trip, it is a good day. There are way more than just cars and trucks on these roads. You’ve got carts and horses, bike buggies and tiny taxis, and then buses and semis parked on the side of the road. In doing the work we have to do, we are having to travel in this mass...

Trust the Driver   Nicaragua is beautiful. The people, the places, the country. But there is one thing about Nicaragua that is somewhat scary, and that is the drivers.   This country has crazy drivers. And I have been to New York City, so I know about crazy drivers. If you almost wreck three times in a single trip, it is a good day. There are way more than just cars and trucks on these roads. You’ve got carts and horses, bike buggies and tiny taxis, and then buses and semis parked on the side of the road. In doing the work we have to do, we are having to travel in this mass...

There are only so many things that we know for certain:   -Antonia and Estella can cook (disclaimer: we might weigh 200lbs by the time we get home)  -Nicaraguans drive as fast as they can (which was kinda scary at first, now its normal) -Seatbelts and stop signs are optional -rice and beans are literally every meal -spiders are the size of your face (exaggerated by a lot) and only die by a chaco (type of sandal) -there’s a Canadian way to say “Z”: “zed”, and an American way: “zeee”  -church service is 3 hours minimum -you don’t...

 “Follow your dream”. It’s the basic idea that has permeated the American culture today. But I want to present a new ideal. Your dreams aren’t good enough. And the American dream isn’t big enough.     I could have easily told you what my dream was a year ago. They consisted of a clean apartment, a romantic boyfriend, an efficient car, a well paying job, several published books, a movie in production about my book, and a little fame for the heck of it.   If you had told me a year ago that my dreams would change to travel on a mission...

I never realized I resided in such a special place. I saw many places on my journey here, but none were as secure as this. The place for which I reside is bordered with high walls, one entry gate, and guards on duty. A guard, or two, (or three) stand outside these walls to enforce protection for my comfort and safety. As I was preparing to live in a cardboard box or under the open night sky, He had already chosen a place for me with more protection than most of the people that actually live here! How is this fair to be in such paradise when outside the walls some sleep with...

Blog post 1/26/14   We finally made it to Nicaragua! Saturday was a long day of traveling, and was very tiring but we made it safe and sound! We had like a 2 1/2 or 3 hour drive from the airport to Chinandega, and we took this truck that we just sat in the back of the whole time! It was literally just the bed of a truck with benches on the side for us to sit on and then our bags were just on the floor in the middle. We were able to see the beautiful country of Nicaragua during this time! We went through the city, saw the big lake, the ocean, as well as the volcanoes and mountains. I...