Mary Mitchell


Yesterday, after 3 days of digging 1.5 ft and 3 ft trenches, carrying 40 wheelbarrows of rock and sand, mixing almost 9 bags of concrete, laying 30 support block (150 lbs each), refilling the trenches, leveling the dirt and laying the concrete  Kaitie, Cal, Mr. Cole, Angel, Wilmer and I finally finished our one construction project. We paved a new walk way to what will soon become a shed for fertilizer. It was really hard work that has now taken its tole on all our backs but it was so worth it. The workers here work so hard and I personally wanted to finish this project for them, so it was one less thing they had to worry about. It was great to get to know the workers we worked with, Angel and Wilmer, who are so funny and kind. Today since we were done, we helped other groups with their projects and I got to speak a little to Joel, another worker. The people who work here and even just the people here in general have so little, yet they are so happy and kind and loving and generous and hard working. It has been so inspiring and humbling to get to know these guys. They are also so eager to learn, even as adults, and as we work they would continually ask us how to say things in English because they wanted to learn. Yesterday I also went to a English class and the students there were in their 20s. They were all so kind and eager to learn; it was amazing. They didn't know much English but they were trying hard to talk to us and learn. Today, we went to a public hospital here in Nicaragua. As they were preparing us for this visit they described this place as a place no one wants to go. I got super anxious and scared and was afraid I would be too overcome with emotions and break down. When we actually got to the hospital, my group talked to 5 men, all in the same, very hot room (there are 6 beds but as we got there one man got discharged). You could see and feel walking into the room the anxiety the people had and the pain the men were feeling. We went one by one to each bed side and talked to them and got to know them a little bit. We then prayed for each man and prayed that they would get the treatment and medicine they need and that they would feel God's presence. The men and their families were so grateful just to have people there to pray for them and the smiles and thanks we got was amazing. When we were talking to one of the men, I had a verse on a notecard that I had written beforehand (in Spanish of course) and I gave it to him. The verse was Joshua 1:9 and I just wanted this man to know to not be afraid because God is with him. At the hospital I was overwhelmed with emotion, joy, compassion, love, and sadness but it was so beautiful. Nicaragua is absolutely beautiful and I miss home so much, but I have fallen in love with the people here.

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