I wrote this story upon my return from setting the foundation for the medical clinic in La Esmeralda in 2009. It is kind of long but really tells the story of why I love the people of Nicaragua so much.
The "Foundation Crew" - except for me. I'm behind the camera.
As many of you know I was blessed with the opportunity to join God in His work recently. I went with 15 other members of my church down to Nicaragua to begin building a medical clinic up in the "cloud forest". Our church is providing the funds and resources not only to build the building but to also staff it with a full time doctor and nurse when it is completed. I say "we joined God in His work" not as some sort of cliche; rather it is based on the evidence I have seen and heard with my own eyes and ears.
While there I heard stories of how the Nicaraguans had been praying for years for some sort of facility where they could receive medical care. The closest current medical attention is hours away and extremely limited even if you are somehow able make it there. The infant death rate is quite high due to poor prenatal care as well as basic precautionary immunizations. Oh yeah, and then there's the water. For the most part, where we were anyway, the water was taken directly from the streams that flow through the mountains. The good news is that they tend to move quite rapidly so they don't get stagnate; the bad news is they are used by everyone-for everything.
While there I heard stories of how the Nicaraguans had been praying for years for some sort of facility where they could receive medical care. The closest current medical attention is hours away and extremely limited even if you are somehow able make it there. The infant death rate is quite high due to poor prenatal care as well as basic precautionary immunizations. Oh yeah, and then there's the water. For the most part, where we were anyway, the water was taken directly from the streams that flow through the mountains. The good news is that they tend to move quite rapidly so they don't get stagnate; the bad news is they are used by everyone-for everything.
We landed in Managua, the capital. It is always hot and humid there as it is just slightly above sea level. It is considered one of the most dangerous places in Central America. I was told that unemployment runs at about 60%. North Americans are highly discouraged from being on the road or outside at after dark. We are always considered targets because obviously we may have something of value worth stealing. The crime diminishes as you go up into the mountains where we were building the clinic for the simple fact there is at least some food there. The most startling statistic I heard while there was that more than 70% of Nicaragua's population lives on less than 1 plate of food per day.
This is where God's hand first becomes evident. We had brought many extra bags of tools along to do the job. We had a wide assortment of power tools including a laser level for leveling the foundation. I was concerned for two reasons. First, we were entering the country as tourists-not contractors or construction missionaries. These bags would undoubtedly raise red flags to the customs inspectors. Second, these tools had great street value and marketability. Any corrupt agent could certainly have made a year's wages by simply "confiscating" them. As it turned out, God essentially decided to make 16 big white guys virtually invisible. Not one of us were stopped and spoken to and not a single bag was even opened! Praise God!
It was about a 3 1/2 hour bus ride to our lodging. We stayed at a place called Hotel Selva Negra (Hotel Black Forest). It was quite a pleasant surprise. The food was excellent and the rooms better than what I anticipated. There was always hot water for a shower-even if the water was to the top of your feet when you finished. Those of you that are ecologically minded might want to look at the link. The place is essentially self sustaining. It's pretty interesting. http://www.selvanegra.com/en/
From there to the work site took about an hour. It was only about fifteen miles to get there but we obviously traveled at about 10-15 mph the whole way. The mountain roads were mostly gravel and mud-and narrow. While driving you would constantly see people walking. I don't know where they were from or where they were going.
It was amazing to see the farming on the side of the mountains. They grew coffee, tomatoes, cabbage and bananas. I never did see a tractor or powered piece of equipment. As far as I could tell all the furrows were cut by hand or by animal. Most of the "fields" were on 45 degree slants. I'm guessing the people in those mountains may have the strongest legs anywhere. As a matter of fact I will testify to that in a little bit.
It was amazing to see the farming on the side of the mountains. They grew coffee, tomatoes, cabbage and bananas. I never did see a tractor or powered piece of equipment. As far as I could tell all the furrows were cut by hand or by animal. Most of the "fields" were on 45 degree slants. I'm guessing the people in those mountains may have the strongest legs anywhere. As a matter of fact I will testify to that in a little bit.
I need to give a shout out to Luis, our ninja bus driver. He is an outstanding young man that can come stay at my house anytime he desires. I can only say that our daily trips back and forth required a highly skilled driver and God blessed us with the best!
There was actually one evening when we were going back in the dark that we discovered the road partially blocked by a semi that had made a delivery to us about 5 hours earlier. It couldn't get any traction up the hill and had actually slid back precariously close to the edge of the roadway. It was a sight to behold. We got a chain from a different semi that had stopped to help. It was attached to the bus and Luis pulled the semi up the hill. I have a new respect for school buses and bus drivers in general!
There was actually one evening when we were going back in the dark that we discovered the road partially blocked by a semi that had made a delivery to us about 5 hours earlier. It couldn't get any traction up the hill and had actually slid back precariously close to the edge of the roadway. It was a sight to behold. We got a chain from a different semi that had stopped to help. It was attached to the bus and Luis pulled the semi up the hill. I have a new respect for school buses and bus drivers in general!
The whole purpose for our trip was to build the foundation for the new clinic. We were pleasantly surprised to find a good amount of the layout work and many of the column footing holes already in place when we arrived on site. We first stepped on site at about 1 pm. on Saturday. We immediately went to work digging the remaining column holes along with other jobs
This is where the second clear working of God appears. This place isn't called the cloud forest for no reason-it rains continually. Somehow, I wonder how, it didn't rain for 4-5 days before we arrived or during the first 4 days we were there.
You can't imagine the blessing of this unless you did the type of work we did for the first three days. The column footing holes were all 5 1/2' deep-3' square-and all hand dug.
Just for a point of reference-I spent approximately my first 12 hours on site digging just 2 1/2 of these holes. The ground was solid clay-not a rock in sight. The clay was difficult to dig in but anybody that has ever walked on wet clay has an idea how awful it could have been had it rained. I really think that had it rained as normal that I would have maybe been able to dig one hole per day-in misery.
You can't imagine the blessing of this unless you did the type of work we did for the first three days. The column footing holes were all 5 1/2' deep-3' square-and all hand dug.
Just for a point of reference-I spent approximately my first 12 hours on site digging just 2 1/2 of these holes. The ground was solid clay-not a rock in sight. The clay was difficult to dig in but anybody that has ever walked on wet clay has an idea how awful it could have been had it rained. I really think that had it rained as normal that I would have maybe been able to dig one hole per day-in misery.
By the beginning of the third day we were ready to to begin digging all of the trenches that would be filled with rebar and concrete to support all the masonry walls. These trenches were about 10” wide and 14” deep. We dug about 400 lineal feet of these trenches throughout the day. Still no rain. Hallelujah!
We were all pretty tired of digging after three days and looked forward to a new task-we thought. The entire fourth day was spent kneeling, sitting or bent over the trenches tying “collars” around the rebar at 4” centers with small pieces of wire.
You can see what this looks like in some of the pictures. By about noon many of us longed for our old holes! This did present a great opportunity to work shoulder to shoulder with some of the locals. It was fun listening to most of our feeble attempts to communicate. I heard much laughter as we took turns butchering the local language.
We were all pretty tired of digging after three days and looked forward to a new task-we thought. The entire fourth day was spent kneeling, sitting or bent over the trenches tying “collars” around the rebar at 4” centers with small pieces of wire.
You can see what this looks like in some of the pictures. By about noon many of us longed for our old holes! This did present a great opportunity to work shoulder to shoulder with some of the locals. It was fun listening to most of our feeble attempts to communicate. I heard much laughter as we took turns butchering the local language.
By mid-day on the fifth day we were filling the trenches with concrete. It was during this time that the first significant amount of rain started. About half the guys worked on this task while the rest of us went up to the church to begin preparing the dirt floor to be covered with concrete.
Walking to church.
I was so impressed by the local church members a couple of days earlier when we attended their 5th anniversary celebration of their church. These people walk through fields and gravel and mud roadways to get to this church.
I was struck that all of the females in particular were dressed in “Sunday clothes”. It was dry the day we were there but I wondered to myself how many of us would put ourselves through a normal rainy and muddy journey to go to church only to find plastic lawn furniture and a dirt floor upon our arrival.
I was struck that all of the females in particular were dressed in “Sunday clothes”. It was dry the day we were there but I wondered to myself how many of us would put ourselves through a normal rainy and muddy journey to go to church only to find plastic lawn furniture and a dirt floor upon our arrival.
The sixth and final day of work proved to be one of the most eye opening to me. Many of the guys were still mixing concrete and filling the trenches. While this was going on several of us joined a bunch of kids that were at the site in bringing cement blocks up the driveway to the site. All materials were left down at the bottom of the drive because trucks were unable to climb the drive due to their weight and the slippery conditions from the rain. It was about a 75 yard walk up a relatively steep incline-about a 12'-15' rise-to place materials on the site.
I noticed one young guy who weighed no more than 120 pounds carrying three cement blocks on his right shoulder up to the site. A couple of us joined in the process. I carried three blocks at a time for the first three trips-before I came to my senses. Three blocks are not only heavy, it was very slippery to boot. I began to carry two at a time after that.
The Lord did His best to humble me for the remainder of the day. That young man I spoke of earlier continued to carry three blocks at a time for about another dozen trips up that hill. It was amazing! I kept teasing him and offering to put a fourth on top for him. I am certain that he was probably wondering why I was wearing pants instead of a dress.
The Lord did His best to humble me for the remainder of the day. That young man I spoke of earlier continued to carry three blocks at a time for about another dozen trips up that hill. It was amazing! I kept teasing him and offering to put a fourth on top for him. I am certain that he was probably wondering why I was wearing pants instead of a dress.
Oh yeah, speaking of a dress. I was probably on my fifteenth trip up the hill when I was easily passed by a girl of about thirteen-carrying two cement blocks on her right shoulder! How humiliating. Made me want to chew tobacco, scratch myself or repair an engine just to prove I was still a man. Oh, did I forget to mention the eight year old boys carrying one block at a time on their backs up that hill? 20 times?
Now check this out. Just after we finish carrying all the block up a truck carrying 300-90 pound bags of Portland cement arrives. It all has to be carried up the hill to a shed up at the site. Everybody gets in line to carry a bag on their back up to the shed. Notice I said everybody. There was no less than 4 kids in the 12-14 age range putting these bags on their backs and RUNNING up that hill past all of us gringos! Woe to the nation that dares to invade Nicaragua. I suspect there would be some grown men that would be surprised to have their butts kicked by a bunch of 13 year old's-girls and boys.
I am certain those kids were having fun impressing us but I am also certain it was more than that. They knew that they were doing a great thing for their community and their people. I am so impressed with all of them and thankful for the opportunity to have been able “to be the hands and feet of Jesus” in their lives. I have no doubt that they all saw the face of Jesus in this group of everyday, normal gringos. What a blessing!
Unfortunately the rainy weather prevented deliveries of materials we would have needed to pour the church floor. We are hiring some local contractor to finish that. Because of this we were able to knock off a bit early on Thursday. We drove a ways and then hiked into the mountain/jungle to a waterfall. It was beautiful.
The following day, our last day in country, we drove back down towards Managua. We went to an active volcano. I can still taste a bit of sulfur on my tongue. It was pretty cool.
I will close with a few simple observations.
One, we have no idea how good we have it. We have so much that we can't even see the ends of our noses sometimes. In my poorest moments, and I have been poor, I still had ten times more than these people. Be thankful that you live in a country that allows life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Don't take it for granted.
Two, even though they are poor and have difficult lives I heard just as many laughs coming from my Nicaraguan amigos. Sometimes we think “stuff” brings happiness. I think sometimes “stuff” buries our happiness.
Three, God is active everywhere, every day, in every life. If it seems to you like God is pulling you-believe it He is gentle and loving. He won't force you to do anything. He seeks those that seek Him.
Lastly, and I knew this before this trip, the greatest blessings we can receive come from serving-not being served. Honestly, are you happier when you give something or when you receive? Okay, other than your I-phone. Every day is an opportunity to make someone else, and God, smile.
Thanks for taking some time to join me on my trip. God bless!
One, we have no idea how good we have it. We have so much that we can't even see the ends of our noses sometimes. In my poorest moments, and I have been poor, I still had ten times more than these people. Be thankful that you live in a country that allows life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Don't take it for granted.
Two, even though they are poor and have difficult lives I heard just as many laughs coming from my Nicaraguan amigos. Sometimes we think “stuff” brings happiness. I think sometimes “stuff” buries our happiness.
Three, God is active everywhere, every day, in every life. If it seems to you like God is pulling you-believe it He is gentle and loving. He won't force you to do anything. He seeks those that seek Him.
Lastly, and I knew this before this trip, the greatest blessings we can receive come from serving-not being served. Honestly, are you happier when you give something or when you receive? Okay, other than your I-phone. Every day is an opportunity to make someone else, and God, smile.
Thanks for taking some time to join me on my trip. God bless!
Additional pictures.
Thanks for taking the time to better understand why I love Nicaragua so much!
Thanks for taking the time to better understand why I love Nicaragua so much!
