Day five

Day five

Today was a long day. It started for some of the team yesterday morning. I'm sure most of you know Jordan Barlow has been fighting a battle over his health almost since we got here. Everything came to a head Friday night. The decision was made to fly him home and Joel Harbaugh and Mark Holsinger spent all night working on the details to get him home. 

This morning the team headed out to Masaya Volcano and then to the Masaya Market for some touristy fun. Many of our groups were escorts by "helpful" locals who were eager to show us the place to find the best prices and authentic merchandise. Typically they took us to a vendor who happened to be a relative or someone who was willing to split the profit. 

After the market went to Papa Johns for lunch. This was the best Papa Johns I've ever had (and not bc I was hungry or missed pizza). We left the touristy part of town and headed out into the "county". After 45 minutes of driving up a mountain, weaving back and forth and being jolted around we arrived. 

Pastor Luis's church uses a humble piece of property less than half the size of our sports field back home. We did our program right away and then got to play and interact with the kids.  

The Holsingers brought a massive smiley face piñata for very in to enjoy. When the piñata finally broke the mayhem that ensued was startling. Kids and adults rushed in for handfuls. I picked up pieces that had flown further from the pile and handed them to a little girl who could just barely walk. Her sister (maybe 7 yrs old) thanked me profusely for helping. 

Pastor Luis would later tell us that the reason the adults had jumped at the pile as we'll was that many of them are near starvation and so they were not too proud to rush in like the children.  

We then walked the quarter mile or so into the valley to visit some homes. We visited Maria's home. This home is the inspiration for the M&M hut that was in the foyer for several weeks. We prayed for her and her family of five. 

God is breaking hearts. Not just bc of the abject poverty we've seen, but bc of the hope we see on the faces of so many who have nothing. We've seen pastors who board a bus and travel 3 hours in one direction without the money to get a ride home, trusting that God would provide. We've seen children laugh with pure joy at bubbles. God is changing your students. 

When we get home, after you e gotten the tourist recap from them, ask them what they'll never forget. Ask them what poverty smells like. Ask them what it's like to see the poorest of the poor love with such faith and love. Ask them how they're different.