We started our day bright and early with a bus ride to a Baptist conference center to spend time with the grade 11 students from Bautista Libertad school. Upon arrival, while waiting for our BL friends to arrive we enjoyed some time as a team with soccer and basketball. Our day was framed with Seth’s 18th birthday.
Once the group from BL came, we all sat in chairs set up in a basketball court area. Both the Nicaraguan students and Canadian students sat all mixed together in community. We were led in prayer by the pastor and welcomed by the principal of BL.
We enjoyed time playing basketball, soccer, and swimming in a community pool. It was very special to continue conversations and connections with the friends that we met yesterday. We brought bracelet supplies that many of us enjoyed making with the students and exchanging bracelets and necklaces that we made.
Next, we enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by Trudy, a woman from our team. After lunch we spent more time with the BL team as well as bonding within our own team. Some team members also enjoyed some time talking with the translator Gabriel asking many questions about Nicaragua and answering some questions about Canada as well
At around 4 pm we all gathered to end our time together. We listened to a message from the principal of Bautista Libertad who expressed their gratitude for our time together as it had been multiple since since they had a team come to their school. Mrs. VanderVelde shared how we have experienced the love of Christ through their warmth, hospitality, worship, prayer and community building experiences. The students from BL echoed this experience and presented everyone on our team with bracelets that resembled the Nicaragua flag. A few of our students also expressed words of thanks to our friends from BL. As an entire group we sang Happy Birthday to Seth and the Pastor shared a special blessing and prayer for Seth’s birth day. This was the same doxology that we say in church so that was a remarkable connection.
It was such an incredible opportunity to meet these people and it was hard to leave as this was our last day spending time with them. Saying good bye was so heartfelt after spending two days together.
At the Nehemiah Centre we were spoiled with another amazing meal. We ended our meal with a birthday cake for Seth to bring a little “home” right here!
After dinner we spent some time in devotions reflecting on our day. Some favourite moments included connections made, making bracelets, sports, games, talking with Gabriel, and the swimming. One big takeaway that we discussed was the marvel that even though we come from such different cultures, languages, circumstances, and completely different areas of the world; we worship the same God. That was one thing above all else that we could connect over, the fact that scripture, and our faith are the same.
The guys in our group connected with Hudson’s cousin while the girls on the team unloaded a truck of construction supplies! We unloaded cement bags, wood, steel beams, ladders, buckets, and metal rods. We were completely covered in cement dust but it felt so good to help out in this way tonight.
We ended off our night as a team with an exciting game of charades! (We realized that over the course of the day, we sang to Seth several times)!
Emma and Pauline on behalf of the entire team
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