Today I really appreciated seeing Consuela (an ACECEN facilitator we met on Monday) in her natural environment. We first visited her at her school and then travelled to one of the schools she is in contact with through her role as facilitator. At her school we were once again impressed with Nicaraguan hospitality as we were welcomed into the classrooms.
At the first school (Emmanuel) each classroom visit began with an obvious display of respect for Consuela. "Good morning, miss. God bless you." The class also showed their hospitality by answering our questions, asking questions to get to know us better, and allowing us to look through their notebooks. Later in the visit we sat with a few parents who also expressed their love and respect for Consuela and their Christian school. They described Consuela as the school 'mom' and 'pastor'. This school community is a great example of support and brotherly love in Christ.
The second school we visited (Ebenezer) was much the same in the respect they showed for Consuela and their Canadian visitors. The school community was very different, though. Many of the students were on full scholarships due to need and a child's education being a low priority. Despite this reality, there is support for the school as parents do work to make the school a good place for their children and the staff makes great sacrifices to educate God's children.
After a Malaysian meal we also had the opportunity to see positive, sustainable change in action at Rancho Ebenezer. The ranch was set up to help the community. The pastor tried a few different strategies and learned a lot before he began working with his current model. What we were impressed by was the sustainability of the model. The ranch raises goats, sheep, pigs, ducks and chickens. The goats & rabbits are available for sale but before they can be sold the new owner must go through training to learn how to raise the animals and make the most of its resources (for example, composting the dung in old car tires and using it to fertilize plants also purchased from the ranch).
Tomorrow we look forward to a day touring Nicaragua.
- Leanne Kersbergen
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