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.

Images of Nicaragua

Of all the pharmaceuticals the team traveled with, this is how many they arrived with after customs held part of the team’s bags until Wednesday.

Update on Raul

We are thrilled to report that Raul, the boy with the terrible skin disease who we’ve seen on the last couple of mission trips, is improving!

Thanking God for clean, dry socks

It is 11:00 Saturday night and after 11 1/2 hours of traveling including 6 hours of very bumpy dirt roads and at least 6 stream crossings, we are back in Managua. The stories from our time in Aguas Frias are so numerous that I won´t even begin to tell them here, but we wanted everyone to know that we are safe and excited to come home. Our supplies finally arrived late Wednesday afternoon and we were able to do the work that we had hoped to accomplish. Many lives were touched by our presence here and our hearts have all grown to include a new community of friends.

Dios le bendiga,

Lori

The tide seems to be turning

I´m feeling a bit guilty right now. I´ve spent the entire day seeing the sights of Nicaragua and shopping. Not exactly what I expected for the first day of a mission trip, but flexibility is key right now as we maneuver through the bureaucracyof Nicaragua.

Customs is not our friend

This trip began just seventeen hours ago and there is already so much to tell. We got on the plane without a hitch with only minor shuffling of vitamin bottles because bags were overweight.

Headed to Aguas Frias

Our team is packed to the brim and headed to Aguas Frias (cold water) in the Kilambe region of Nicaragua. 

The rare time a girl wants to add more weight

The team has managed to fit almost all of the vitamins, toothbrushes, etc. into our limited luggage space. Pray that the airport scales are kind to us tomorrow as we will be pushing the weight limit on every bag.

How many toothbrushes do you need to care for a village?

Once again Country Club Christian Church is sending a mission team to Nicaragua. The trip participants are: Carty Johannsen, Beverly Johnson, Anne Ingersoll, Carla Aday, Stephanie Pilkington, Lori Bennett, Dr. Jim Stanford (a dentist from St. Louis and nephew of Lee and Jarene Stanford) and Dr. Stanford’s daughters, Allison and Ashley.

The Road Home

It´s Sunday morning and we´re having breakfast at CEPAD before heading out to the airport to fly home. What an amazing week this has been. There are many more stories to tell and photos to post, so please check back throughout the week for more on our wonderful adventure.