Coming home is bittersweet

After another long day of travel, the mission team returned home late Sunday evening. My experience in Aguas Frias has once again opened my heart and mind to the trials faced by those in countries without the luxuries of the U.S. The transition back into everyday life is part of the journey — issues like air conditioning not working and $4/gallon gasoline seem so trivial after the hardships we witnessed in Nicaragua. Here are a few highlights of our time in the village of Aguas Frias.

We arrived in Aguas Frias late Tuesday evening after nearly twelve hours of travel including some very difficult and muddy terrain. I’m thankful it was dark so I couldn’t see the foot deep ruts or the steep dropoff on the side of the road. The truck did get stuck once and I thought we were destined to walk the rest of the way. Our talented and dedicated drivers’ persistence finally got us to the village where we were graciously welcomed by some of the locals. Wednesday we settled into the clinic and began exploring the beauty of the area. Since we still had not received our supplies, part of the group took an eco-tour hike to a beautiful waterfall. We had been encouraged to bring mud boots for this hike but, after much discussion, decided that hiking in mud boots sounded really uncomfortable and we didn’t want to take up space in our luggage for an extra pair of boots we would only use one day of the trip. This could be the biggest packing error I’ve ever made. The mud was everywhere and very deep, making for a difficult hike up the mountain. The effort was worth it when we arrived at this:

 

 

We finally received all of our medical and dental supplies early Wednesday evening. Even with all of the delays, over the next two days we were able to put together and distribute nearly 400 home health kits to families who traveled long distances by foot through rain and mud. One member of each family attended a class explaining the contents of the bag and how to use each item. Their keen attentiveness was a testament to their desire to improve their quality of life through the information and supplies we were distributing.

The dental clinic provided much needed care to many individuals as well. Our team dentist, Dr. Jim Stanford, performed procedures that he admitted he would never attempt in his clinic at home and extracted ten times more teeth in two days than he averages in a normal year. His faithful assistants, Carty and Anne, deserve so much respect and gratitude. Their willingness to suffer through many intense and gruesome dental procedures to serve the people of Aguas Frias will always be an inspiration to me.

There are so many stories to share but the hour is getting late and my body is still recovering from the stress of traveling. I was touched by the beauty of the land, the strength and kindness of the people we were able to serve, and I hope to share many more stories over the coming months in an effort to increase awareness of the needs of this region as well as sharing the lessons I learned from these beautiful people. The difficulties we faced during one week are so small in comparison to the daily trials they face, yet they find joy and love amidst it all. I am so thankful to be home with my family, but I already miss our new friends who are so far away. 

Thanks to all who have been keeping us in their thoughts and prayers. Your comments and encouragement on the blog uplifted our spirits during the frustrating early days of the trip and were a nice connection to home. 

Dios les Bendiga,

Lori