DAY 1. Hello Nicaragua!

Heat and humidity of 100 degrees welcomed us at 11 o’clock this morning as we exited the plane in Managua. A balmy sensation, after this chilly summer we’ve been having in Vancouver. The flights were great, and this is our first of our long-distance travels that have been nausea-free. At the first sight of Kyle and Ally, who had come to pick us up at the airport, the girls squealed with sheer delight. It was a joyful hug-filled moment. After a lunch stop at Papa John’s for some all-American food, we continued on along the pot-holed highway to El Valle de la Laguna, and home to Kyle and Allison.

What a place this Nicaragua is. Poverty like I’ve never seen, nor could have ever imagined. An abundance of hot, humid, smoky smells. Scrawny dogs, cows and horses. People walking everywhere, or pedalling bicycles or riding in rickety old carts pulled by some breed of equestrian with which I clearly am not familiar. The public transportation buses are simply unbelievable. BC Air Care would never pass these diesel environment-polluting rust-buckets. But the scenery is astounding. Lush and green, a plethora of beautiful flowers and tall trees and leafy shrubs. Mountains too, just like home. Charmingly coloured birds that chirp and sing all day long. What a truly picturesque country. And the Nicaraguan children are gorgeous... tanned skin, pretty dark eyes and sleek black-of-blackest hair. And really friendly with their big smiles. I’m liking this Nicaragua already.

We spent a relaxing afternoon at Kyle and Ally’s place, enjoying the view, then watching the thunder and lightning storm. The rain here is warm but sure torrential, and sounds really loud on the roof! Comes right into the house too. Hello rainy season, nice to meet you.

In the evening, we drove to Bachert’s place for Campamento gospel meeting. Tried singing along in Spanish, which I’m sure was a source of amusement for the locals. Stew told his testimony, Mark interpreted. There were some 50 or so kids there, most of which were unsaved. Kyle and Ike spoke too. I was impressed with how attentive and respectful the kids were. Of course, not understanding the Spanish messages, I was largely entertained by the geckos who were busy catching bugs. What interesting little creatures. We were so excited to meet Katharine, our little sponsor child, for the first time. Such a doll. Hope to spend some more time with her during our visit.