Fried Chicken, Home Visits and a Wedding: Day Two

We slept in a bit today; I guess the giant rooster was off his game a little bit. Our first task was to pick up the mothers and take them to the market to buy uniforms for the upcoming school year.

The experience was, well, a bit trying, but successful. It took us more than three hours to get the shoes, uniforms, backpacks and notebooks, meaning we didn’t get to Pollo Campero for lunch until around 2 p.m. Stomachs were growling and blood sugar levels were low, but the team was quite flexible and very patient.

We ordered 75 pieces of chicken and, not surprisingly, none was left over. The kids ran around the ball room and read letters from their pen pals at The Big Top Child Care Center. Our team climbed the jungle gym apparatus chasing after kids and played games in the kids’ area. We handed out the backpacks and notebooks as we were leaving and the moms took the uniforms home as well.

We drove three families who live close to each other back to their neighborhood in order to spend some time together and see their homes. The first house we visited, where four of our kids live, had pictures of us and the kids that we’ve given them decorating the walls. It’s funny to see my family’s cat (from our Christmas card) hanging on a wall in Nicaragua, but on a deeper level, I’m touched that they treasure our relationships so much.

We then walked down an intense hill—an unnamed team member may or may not have fell down, holding a baby (everyone was perfectly fine)—to visit the home of two of our other kids. These kids, Glenda and Katy, are sweet girls who excitedly showed us their home. Before we could even go inside Katy ran in and bounded out of the door holding a stuffed bear. With a huge smile, she asked her mom if she could give it to Emily. Her mom agreed and Katy rushed over to give Emily her gift. Katy then gave all of the team members a stuffed animal. My parents received two small yellow fish that stuck together at the lips using magnets.

It was getting late in the afternoon so we walked back up Mt. Everest/the hill. Before we could leave though, we were told that our presence was expected at the first house we visited. Indeed, we arrived to find ourselves attending a wedding for Noel and Nefret! Their wedding was much more elaborate than the two Emily and I had at Pollo Campero last year. One child, Ninoska, served as the priest. She held an open Bible and recited familiar words “in sickness and in health” and some unfamiliar ones “in fullness and in hunger.” The happy couple was then given water (wine) and interlocked arms for a celebratory drink. Nefret tossed the bouquet, which Emily came away with. The kids chanted, “Beso, beso” (kiss) and cheered when they obliged.

Tomorrow is our last full day. We’re visiting the dump in the morning then throwing a Christmas party for the kids in the afternoon. I can’t wait to see them when they see Santa Claus (aka Gary Waugh)!

-Dylan