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.
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:
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
