Final Reflection-Ariela

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been back for more than a week.  I loved working with this team and will carry with me the memory of how each member made this a wonderful, successful trip.  I will remember the following about each person:

·      Bethany for her humor and how she connected with each team member.

·      Grant for his steadfastness and reliability.

·      Jared for his enormous heart and the way he didn’t let language get in the way of showing people that he truly cared about them.

·      Karisa for her organizational skills and ability to keep us on track.

·      Lindsey for her eagerness to help in any way.  Also, for her intensity in listening to people and in doing her jobs.

·      Max for his gregariousness and generosity. 

·      Sandy for her sweet nature and how she showed her love through smiles and pictures.  Her leadership, along with Lindsey’s, in our daily worship was invaluable.

·      Tony for his quiet presence.  He allowed others to share and speak and was a great support to me as a co-advisor.

·      Zac for his boundless enthusiasm – even when feeling pretty sick!  He showed his interest in the people and culture by asking questions, making observations, and connecting with our Nicaraguan partners.

This was a great team!  I was so blessed to be a part of it and thank all the families that shared their son/daughter with us. 

May God richly bless you all!

Ariela

Final Reflection- Bethany

The last few days we spent in Nicaragua were some for the most meaningful for myself. The days we spent at the orphanage, in the villages- those were days where I learned a lot about people and God and water. However, after returning from Awastingni and Pinera, I was able to reflect on the things I had learned. Poverty is relative, kids are kids everywhere, and I have no qualms with rice and beans three meals a day. The Collaboratory and the Nicaraguan people have changed my worldview and inspired me to live my life in a way that allows myself and others to be aware and proactive in the lives of those that live both close and far away, and to be aware of the profound importance of clean water.

--Bethany

The Return

We left Puerto Cabezas on Saturday May 28th and after a full day of travel we arrived safely at the Dulles airport at around one in the morning. From there our team split up and went our separate ways.

Altogether this was a successful trip. We accomplished almost everything that we set out to do and we even managed to have some fun along the way! Thank you for all of your prayers and support over the course of our trip. We could not have done it without you.

In the next few weeks we will be posting reflections about the trip and what we learned, so make sure to keep reading!

-Lindsey