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

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.

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! He is half way through his eight-month treatment regimen which includes various medicines and monthly doctor visits.  I left money for the remaining four months of treatment. The doctor says that after the fungus clears he will begin to grow again. Also, he still needs surgery to remove what remains on the eye. I will follow up on that to see that he fully recovers. Hopefully, we can see him again in January. Thanks for your love, prayers, financial support, presence etc in changing this family’s life.  Raul’s smile says it all!

 Peace,

Carla

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

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. Carla made the connection for us this morning during group time — we are getting just a small glimpse of the systems that the Nicaraguan peopledeal with every day. The good news is that positivemovement was made today and it looks very promising that we will get the bags released from customs tomorrow. Today we did receive all of the medicine and supplies that were purchased here in Nicaragua, which is a significant part of the contents for the home health kits.

Due to tie up with the bags, most of the team spent today as our fun day (originally scheduled for Saturday). We took a boat tour around Lake Managua where we saw beautiful homes built on many small islands that were created by a volcanic eruption. One of the islands even houses a group of spider monkeys which were transplanted here by a veterinarian who also owns another island for his summer home. The monkeys are very entertaining and one very courteously posed for pictures. Next we headed to Masaya and spent a few hours at the market fulfilling our need for souvenirs and gifts. Finally we visited the Masaya volcano but didn´t get much of a view since the daily afternoon rain arrived just as we got there.

Carla and Carty went on their own little adventure today. They took a public bus to visit a 13 year old boy who has been treated by several of the previous mission teams. He has a very serious fungal disease and our church has been working to get him proper care. The bus trip was going to take about 3 hours each way and they have not yet returned to Managua. I´m sure they will have lots to tell when they arrive. The experience of Nicaraguan public transit will be one I´m sure neither of them will ever forget.

Tomorrow is when the journey really begins for me. I´m anxious to get to work and meet the people in the village of Aguas Frias. Probably won´t have an opportunity for more updates until we return to Mangaua on Saturday.

Quick update: Carla and Carty did get to see Raoul and he is doing much better. He even has hair and smiled for a picture. We are leaving for the village, Aguas Frias, any minute. Thanks for your comments. The connection to home warms our hearts.

Dios le bendiga (God Bless You)

Lori

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. We arrived in Managua right on time. Off we went to baggage claim and then the true test — customs. I happened to be the first member of the group to go through the line and I was pushing a cart carrying four or five large bags. They pointed me in the direction of the x-ray machine and I immediately began to fret. I loaded them all onto the conveyor and hoped for the best.  The first couple went through and I was about to unload them when the customs agents began to open one of the large suitcases full of vitamins. From the look on his face you would have thought that he had discovered an entire case full of cocaine. Then they opened the next bag which was full of dental instruments and it all went downhill from there. Despite our best efforts to explain that we weren`t carrying any prescription drugs, the surly customs officer I feared said no way, not without the ‘proper paperwork. Our hearts sank as they pulled every bottle of vitamins, neosporin and all of the dental equipment and supplies aside. These ten bags are now being held at customs until we can provide the proper paperwork from the Ministry of Health. Our team members from CEPAD will be working very hard tomorrow to get these bags released.

From the airport we traveled to the CEPAD Nehemiah center. We gathered together to sort out the mess that was left from pulling out our personal items from the bags that were confiscated and to our surprise discovered that one duffel full of vitamins and some of the dental supplies did manage to get through amidst the craziness. The rest of the day was spent settling in at CEPAD, touring Managua and learning a bit of the history of the area.

Our plan was to leave tomorrow morning for the village where we will be working for the rest of the week. Due to the customs challenge, we are postponing our departure in hopes that we can get all of the luggage back by the end of the day. Luckily we had a bit of flexibility in our schedule later in the week so we will still be able to spend four days in the village.

It is raining here and I am looking forward to hitting my bed with the pitter patter of rain on the metal roof lulling me to sleep. Not that it is going to take much for me to get to sleep. It has been a long day.

Lori

Our team is packed to the brim and headed to Aguas Frias (cold water) in the Kilambe region of Nicaragua.  Located high in the mountains in the state of Jinotega, Aguas Frias boasts great natural beauty including majestic waterfalls and broad mountain vistas.  The best coffee of Nicaragua is grown in this region. 

 Our partner agency, CEPAD (the Council of Protestant Churches of Nicaragua) recently began working in Aguas Frias and the surrounding six villages to empower the people to develop stronger community resources.  Already a clinic has been built, a water purification system has been constructed and a hydro-electric plant will hopefully be complete to help power our dental tools. 

 Following an eight-hour drive, our team will set up a dental clinic to serve the people.  Each day we will conduct health education seminars to teach people basic home health techniques such as good hand washing.  At the seminars we will distribute home health kits donated by our church filled with essential items that most families lack such as toothbrushes, Neosporin, vitamins, Tylenol.  Other team members will work on a project underway in the village such as laying pipe or putting the finishing touches on the clinic and water purification system buildings. 

We trust that more will be built than bricks and mortar and more will be healed than dental problems.  We go open to the Spirit whose presence will greet us in the faces of new friends and fellow travelers on the journey in Aguas Frias.  Please pray for the team members (and for the staff of CEPAD and for our hosts in Aguas Frias) that together we may build and heal in ways that reflect God’s gracious spirit of love and peace. 

We will pray for the health and happiness of our families while we are absent.  And we pray for CCCC that you might know the joy you are bringing to those living on $1 a day.  Thank you for all the medicines you donated. 

Dios te bendiga (God bless you) 

Carla Aday

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. If any bags come in underweight, there will be last minute stuffing in of more vitamin bottles. There has been some holdup on the paperwork noting that we are a medical mission team and have permission to bring in all of these supplies. So, we will be traveling under the guise of tourists who have very severe vitamin deficiencies and are obsessive about our dental care. I just hope that we don’t get a surly customs agent.

The forecast in Nicaragua is looking like rain, rain and more rain. Hopefully it will be scattered, short-lived showers. The temps look very comfortable in the region of the village, Aguas Frias, Kilambe. My bags are all packed and thankfully I just fit in a nap since Carla is picking me up at 3:30 a.m. I am a morning person, but that wake up call will be rough even for me.

Several times in the last week people who don’t know me very well have asked where I am going. When I tell them I’m going on a mission trip to Nicaragua, I most often receive a very surprised, “Why?!” then “I could never do that. You are a better person than I.” I’m grateful that I do not perceive this journey as anything less than a great opportunity and have no fear of going. The hardest part for me is leaving my family. I’m so blessed to have a husband willing to take care of our two small boys for a week on his own. Thank you honey!!

Please pray for safe travels.

Blessings to you,

Lori

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.

We are all anxious to see family and friends and sleep in our own beds tonight! Thank you for following our journey. We have felt the prayers and good wishes from our friends in Kansas City, around the country and around the world. I suspect we´ll all return with a different perspective on life. I know I will.

Lara