World News!!

Check out the featues section here about our Chacocente friends. http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1355355/k.FAC7/Our_World.htm

May God continue to watch over them.

A New Day

As I look back on our experience, I realize that there are no real words that can explain the transformation that occured in so many of our lives. Below is a letter from Nelson (a resident of the project). He is 29 and has lived at Project Chacocente for 2 years. NElson has also taught himself how to read and write in English. I think it pretty much sums it up.


29/07/09

Hello North American Friends,
I am very happy because I am working with you. I want to tell you all of you are so special and important to me. I want to tell you, when I lived at the Managua Dump (Chureca) I never thought I have a lot of American freinds. You are part of my happiness and my family. I was born at Chureca. I lived at Chureca for 27 years of my life. I am here and I am going to tell you.

My family and me, we've had a lot of hard situations, you've never imagined. We ate food from the dump. We drank contaminated water. We reveice all sort of sickness, but we are here [at Chacocente] and we live thanks to friends like yours. You help us. Now my son have a teacher and he study all the time. I finished my high school. Now I am sick and drink medicine, because I lived for 27 years at Chureca, but I feel so happy. I am not scare to die, I know my family will be good. Project Chacocente friends from the USA I love you. Thanks!

Nelson also took the time and paper to copy down Matthew 20, the parable of the vineyard workers where each receives equal pay regardless of their work day. What an amazing reminder that we are all equal when it comes to God stuff.

Be sure to also visit a short video about our group put together here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz3F4EvwW_U&&fmt=22. Let it buffer a bit first for best playback.

"There's Always Hope..." (Last Day)

We chose to make this final blog's title "There's Always Hope..." because that is what we as a group have been witnessing this whole trip. We witnessed hope in many forms, whether through the Chacocente program, the individual families' stories, or the incredibly hardworking people that make Chacocente possible.

Our family group name is "Group Every Group" because we've had the fortune of working with almost every other group on each of the individual projects at Chacocente. Some of the projects have included: macheting the fields behind the school, building a dirt floor and sidewalk to be cemented later,cementing the floor in the school's new auditorium, and building additions onto two houses. We worked alongside unbelievable people, who have overcome such great challenges and yet have such hope. People like Pedro and Basilla, a husband and wife who tragically lost three children at the dump, fled to the mountains from accusations of neglect on their part. Several months later, they were able to join the Project and have been living their successfully for four years.

This is just one of the many incredible stories we will all be able to share with you when we come back. This week was filled powerful worship both at the camp MEFEL led by each family group and at two different local congregations which were exciting, joyful (and very loud!) We also had many fun adventures culminating today with an unbelievable cloud-forest hike and zip-line rides. We have experienced far too many things in the last 9 days to even begin to describe in a short blog, but we would like to take a few lines each and express our thoughts on what this trip has meant to each of us.

Jackie LaRosa:
This trip has meant more to me than words can describe. I have experienced, witnessed, endured and enjoyed more things than i could have ever imagined. The people of Chacocente are the most thankful and gracious people I have ever met, and they surely have left the biggest impact upon my life. From now on, I will be thankful to the Lord for He has blessed me more then I ever knew.

Troy Baltutat:
Traveling to Managua, Nicaragua has been a life changing experience. I saw how people lived who had nothing but a couple pieces of sheet metal for a house, sitting on top of a pile of garbage. Chaconcente has been a new chance for many families living in the dump. I met many determined and hard working Nicaraguans, one of which was about 65 years old. I now know to have for even the worsed conditions, and now I have hope for all of the families living in the dump. God has shown me the light in even the darkest shadows.

Kelsey Novak:

This trip has been an unbelievable, life-changing experience, I think that many of us had no idea what to expect prior to arriving, but I think that this trip has gone above and beyond anything that we could hoped or expected for. The first day, we went to work at Chacocente and I think many of us observed the way that the families lived, which for us, appeared to be pretty harsh conditions. However, the second day, we went to the dump and to see where the families had worked so hard to leave and overcome, made us truly appreciate their hard work. The families were some of the most caring, and hard-working people I have ever met. They worked endlessly and said nothing, they used what they had to accomplish their goals, and showed us that is doesn't take material things to make you happy. I think the most powerful thing that I will take away from this trip is to trust in God's plan for you completely, and know that he will provide for you whatever you need to fulfill said plan. There is always hope, whether in God, others, or the future.

Emily Miller:
Hola! This week has been an amazing experience for me and everyone else here. I am unable to say in words how life-changing this trip has been for me. I have met many great people, who i hope to keep in touch with and hopefully see again. I am not ready to come home because I will miss everyone here too much. Too much has happened this week for me to type, but I hope to share my experiences with everyone when I get home. Adios, Emily

Tom Luketich:

This past week has been, for me, too many things to describe. I've seen absolute poverty, and I've seen hope come through that poverty, and I've seen women, men, and children working together, regardless of race, or language barriers. It's hard to describe how this week, and these people have changed me, but it has had a significant affect on my life. And, however much I'll miss this country, and the people in it, I'll always have those things that they've shown me.

Rachel Bachri:

This week in Nicaragua has been such a great experience for me. There have been so many things that I will never forget. Such as, the friendships I've made with the people from chacocente, the eye-opening sights from the dump, and also all of the fun things that we have done. Throughout this week I have realized that living in the USA, we have so much to be thankful for. When we leave I will really miss being here, and all of the people here. I was really able to grow close to the kids here despite the fact that they did not speak english and we didn't speak much spanish. Overall, I am going to take so much home from this trip. All of my memories here and things that I will never forget.


Bob Lewis:

Well, I don't think I can add anything else to the incredible words of not only our family group tonight, but those posted by every group each night this week. This has proven out to be a wonderful, powerful and as many have said before, a "life changing" experience for all of us and over the weeks to come, we will share many stories, hundreds (or most likely thousands) of pictures that everyone took, and the spirit of Chacocente that we bring back home with us, that truly demonstrates, "There is always hope!"

I have posted a few more pictures that are just a few of the memorable moments this week, and while you enjoy them, please pray for our safe return home tomorrow. We will come back tired, spent, happy, sad, inspired, exited, a little dirty and most of all blessed to have had the privilege of coming here to meet our new friends at Chacocente.

God Bless and Good Night

There

Wednesday july 29th, the last work day.

One group macheted in the fields all of the days, we ended up clearing two plantain fields and cleaned up the soccer field. Macheteing is very relaxing because you can take out a ton of anger, but you get very blistered and scratched.

In the school, there was an unfinished auditorium. The work team was able to pour a cement floor. It started as just dirt but now it is a solid floor. All of the mixing and pouring had to be done by shovels in giant piles. Each pile consisted of 6 wheelbarrows full of sand, 1/2 full of rock, and 4 five-gallon buckets of water.

There was a kitchen that was still in need of completion. One work team had to transport about a foot to two feet of dirt for the perimeter around the kitchen. We hope that Veronica likes her new kitchen, and we hope that they can put concrete in the kitchen before rain season.

At two of the houses on the project, two work teams were able to build an addition onto each of the houses out of cinderblocks. One of them was a kitchen, and one was a bedroom for their teenage daughter.

The members from various workteams welded metal beams for the roof of the kitchen, and today helped to attach the beams to the structure..

Today at the worksites, many different acts of fellowship occured. After a huge downpour of water, the soccer field (dirt field) turned to complete mud. After the rain stopped a couple of guys dove in the mud and then about half of the group jumped in after them. After about almost an hour they were completely covered in mud from head to toe. The boys who had began it all, had soaked through their clothes, with their boxers, and skin coated with mud. We tried to hose down but we couldn't get it all off. When we eventually got on the buses to leave we organized into dirty and semi-dirty on our way back to camp.

The second major act of fellowship that occured was between the Nicaraguans and Americans. It was a game of futbol (soccer). We had divided into 3 separate shifts,

At the end of the day, we said our goodbyes or, "see you laters" as the people of Chacocente put it. Many of the adults of Chacocente made it very clear that their home was also ours. Some of them began to cry. It's amazing to realize how attached we could get to a group of people in 4 full work days. They sang us songs in Spanish. We sang a Spanish song and "Jesus loves Me" in English. When we sang, "Jesus loves Me", we watched the faces of the children at Chacocente looking right backm at us. Many of us began to sob. A lot of us couldn't even finish singing the song. After singing, we gifted Nelson, Pedro and Basillia three signed machetes. Amanda also gifted Nelson her Red Sox hat because the Red Sox are his favorite baseball team. More of us began to cry. After this, Gregg donated a small gift to each family to compensate for the daily work they left to work on special jobs with us. Finally, we left the people of Chacocente with good-bye hugs, a tradition at the project. Many youth who typically keep their emotions bottled-up, wept which showed how significant the connection was between us and our Nicaraguan friends. After hugs, the youth climbed on the busses, still crying. We watched out the windows as the families of Project Chacocente waved at us with tears in their eyes. Their faces were so hopeful despite their tears. As we drove away, the kids ran after our busses as fast as they could. We drove out the project for two and a half miles and watched a beautiful sunset all the way. We thanked God for the sunset and the symbolism of it. The sunset showed us hope for the families of the project and gave us an eagerness to hear more success stories about possibly 170 new families living in Chacocente. Thanks, God.

Family Group Wack-a-mole

Marissa, Emily, Shanna, Kirsten, Chrissy, Tyler, Sam and Josh

Work Day 3

Today, when we got to the camp there was a craft fair. All the crafts were hand-made by the Chacocente families. After shopping, we got right back to work. Our group is in charge of adding an addition to Karen's house for the teenage girls. We have moved sand and moved sand and moved more sand. Then we got to move dirt. Finally, today we were promoted to mixing cement and laying bricks. We're looking forward to finishing it.

Also, today the Chacocente families challenged CUMC youth and adults in a game of soccer. But to our disappointment, we lost. (we plan to dominate tomorrow) After 66 people showered in 60 minutes, we went to church. It was an amazing experience and most of us wish that the churches back home were like that. The church service consisted of loud singing and lots of dancing!

Post-worship, we ate dinner at an authentic Nicaraguan restaurant. At first, we were all stressed because it was late and we very hungry. The food was very good and there was live entertainment. We were all up dancing and enjoying the food. Its now close to midnight and we just got back from the restaurant and are all exhausted.

-One Thousand Sunflowers across the Delta Plain aka Operation Flapjack

Sara Walsh
Olivia Lammel

Kory Beardshall

Kian McCollum

Joe K

Justin Owens

Audrey Miller

Carolyn Vespa

Susan Conners

Aaron Talbot

Day 4: Work Day at Chacocente

Sorry for the delayof the blog...we were all reallllly tired and full of pizza!!! Yesterday was our 2nd full work day at the project. Our family group + Marissa worked on digging up dirt and taking it to the cinder block room that would soon be the kitchen. Once the dirt was there we had to pack it down into a dirt floor. We estimated that it took about 80 wheel barrow s of dirt each day to complete the floor! About 3 hours in yesterday both of our pounders broke so our process was delayed, but we found other means in which to finish! It's really cool how much we've bonded and become so close! We're all working for the same goal and in doing so have made some really great relationships! We're all so proud of each other because we all are working as hard as we can and leaning on each other for support! It's awesome to see God's love through all of us here and how much we've been impacted!

After returning ftom the project, we all showered and drive to Isaac's family's church for worship. When the service began we all started with a hymn. Even though there was a language barrior, we all recognized the song, Seek Ye First. The greatest part was how excited the people were. They were standing, clapping, dancing, and just so happy to be there, to share the love of God. We also knew the song This is the day and sang Sanctuary, as well. Aaron had taught us a song to sing for them in Spanish, so we went up and sang and the people there lit up. The song in English meant: Celebrate in the name of Jesus Christ, Celebrate in the name of love, celebrate in the name of Jesus Christ, my life is for you. The sermon was in Spanish but Isaac was kind enough to translate for us. It was based off of Acts 3:7 (look it up!!) and Isaac'a father talked about how being a true disciple of God wasn't just about giving to the needy or feeding the poor, but also about sharing the love that He gives us. To lead people to God and change their lives. It was a very powerful sermon that toiched us all. After the sermon, Aaron and Sam were called to the front of the church since it was their birthdays. It was a church tradition to give them each a hug, so every single person in the church gave them a hug. The whole service was an hour and 45 minutes but it went by so quickly! We all enjoyed it so much! Then we went to Pizza Hut and ate TONS of Pizza!!! Got back really late and went to sleep... :)

In Christ,

Team Awesome-

Mandy Marn

Mira Singhal

Kallie Kapfer

Amber Netherton

Rachel Brodland

Kevin Boyer

Mark Ripper