Jenny Schaumburg’s Thoughts on Her Trip to Puerta Cabezas, January 19-February 3, 2008

My experience with Fox Valley Mission Group, and the trip to Nicaragua can’t be summarized in a few paragraphs, but I want people to know how truly meaningful and inspiring this trip was, so I will give it my best shot! I have always wanted to go on a mission trip. I have a Spanish minor, and have never really been able to try out those Spanish skill (or lack thereof). I have always felt called to be a servant (it is what drew me to my nursing career). When the opportunity presented itself to go with your group, and be a part of something so wonderful, I could not believe my luck. I am happy to say that it was everything that I had hoped it would be.
I feel very satisfied with the work we had accomplished at Puerta Cabezas. I am not sure my husband is as excited as I am about all the new skills I have learned on the way, but after he sees my newfound tile laying skills, I am sure he will come around!! I know the building we worked on will have so many functional uses for the people living there. I am not the right person to really give details on the actual work that we did, but I can say that I feel confident that all of our sweat and hard work was noticed and appreciated by the people living there.
The most meaningful part of the trip for me was the interactions I had with the people living in Puerta Cabezas, and namely, the children living at the convent that we also called home those two weeks.
I was blown away by the children, their faith and knowledge of life, their laughter and games and songs. I couldn’t believe how quickly I came to really love them. I remember their patience with me as they laughed and talked me through my attempts at reading them English
children’s story books, translating them in my broken Spanish, and trying to get them to follow along with the pictures. (I also remember how one girl, once she realized I was telling them the Christmas story, rattled off the Bible verses to the others, and told the whole story…how I wish my Sunday School kids could do that!!) I am still singing the songs that they have taught me (although the youngest one would whisper her song in my ear, and the only part I could ever make out was “Baile mis calcetines” which I am sure was not what she said, as that would probably be “Dance, my socks”). I will never ever forget those children.
I feel very blessed to have been able to be a part of this mission group. I pray that I will have more opportunities to serve like this in the future. I am also grateful that this opportunity has allowed me to talk about the great things that Fox Valley Mission Group does. The people at my work have been very supportive of me and my trip, and have been very interested in the group. My church, St. John’s Lutheran in DePere has also been extremely supportive. I am bringing pictures in and giving a little presentation to a couple different groups in April. Hopefully the joy that this brought me (and hopefully brought the people we served in Nicaragua) will continue on as more people become aware, and realize that we are all servants in one way or another, and how easy it is to share our gifts when we have the opportunity. Thank you for the opportunity.

 

Lori McCarthy’s Reflections on Her Trip to El Ayote, 1-19 to 2-3-2008

Been back a week. As I was walking (blowing) home from work during the latest blizzard, thoughts of Nicaragua entered my mind. Maybe it was the 90 some degree difference in temperature and the snow in my face that made me reflect back, but in any case, I was back in El Ayote, Nicaragua. Many adjustments had to be made upon my return.. turning on the computer, answering emails, paying bills, turning on the cell phone, using a modern kitchen, cooking in a microwave, and yes the dreaded putting on the winter coat.
I am changed. My past thinking that third world countries were poor and did not have anything has been changed to they seem rich and have it all. Simple is appealing to me now. Maybe it was the fact that all my meals were cooked for me and my biggest responsibility was to make sure I was available when the John Deere Green paint had to be applied to the trusses, stopping whenever I felt like playing with the children who loved to be by us. Why do we in the USA have so much and still are not happy. There seemed to be a general happiness among the people there. Simple, yet happy. Maybe they were amused by my lack of Spanish speaking ability (I know I was). Very affectionate is their culture. They taught me a lot.
Visiting the sick with Fr. Glenn brought me into the people’s homes. Fire to cook by needed to be going all day, taking time out to go to the river to do the wash on the rocks. Elderly living with their families when they became ill – no nursing homes there! We all strive to get our children through College so they can be what they want to be. In El Ayote they strive to feed their children and hopefully get them through 6th grade. Teachers here have issues with more than 24 in their classroom. In El Ayote teachers seem proud that they have 50-60 in their 1 room school house (shack) – 1 teacher – 6 grades. My question is and always will be, what do they need from us? Certainly not our culture, as our culture is not a satisfied one.
Simple is better. I better understand the following which was read to my daughter and a local group of students going on a service trip last year: “Serving is different from fixing. When I fix a person I perceive them as broken, and their brokenness requires me to act. When I fix I do not see the wholeness in the other person or trust the integrity of the life in them. When I serve I see and trust that wholeness. It is what I am responding to and collaborating with.”
I have learned what Jesus means by being a servant. It is much more rewarding than trying to fix someone who we perceive as broken in our way of thinking. Thanks Glenn and residents of El Ayote for teaching me about life!