Day 6

Hey guys! It's Kailyn and Carrera writing the blog for day 6! We embarked on the bus with the Centro de Fe students to go to the ABEM Centre in Managua. The Centro de Fe students have been looking forward to this for years, as it is their grad trip which is almost equivalent to our prom! The bus ride over was loud, and not to mention wet with raw chicken juices, but we all got to know the Centro de Fe students better through laughs and Google Translate conversations.

The time at the pool was packed with fun and friend-filled activities (and some that border-lined violence). Once we arrived, most of us lathered up on sun-screen, while others did not. They payed for that later. We got into the pool right away. Some people went in against their will by being pushed or thrown in, specifically Eva who got picked up in her chair and thrown in the pool!

In an instant a crowded duel of water handball began against Nicaragua and Canada. It quickly got aggressive and competitive between both teams with tons of tackles and doggie piles. A nail was lost, blood was shed, tears were cried, EVEN ROY! Even though this aggressive competition sometimes scared the lifeguards among us with the thought of drowning, these unique experiences ultimately brought us closer together. There is no such thing as a language barrier in the communication method of sports! Quick shout-out to Austin the Beast: he definitely asserted dominance in that game!

On to the next aggressive pool activity...Chicken Fights! The chicken fights were pretty even between most members of the team and Nicaraguan students. This epic brawl lasted for a long time - long enough for all of our backs to be compressed in pain. As much as it hurt, this too was a bonding experience.

Although we all spent lots of time in the pool, there were lots of land activities as well. Nine-Square was a highlight for a lot of us. But the ultimate highlight was the rematch soccer game, except this time the Nicaraguan and Canadian students mixed together. It was quite the brawl. After a long game, Coach Koen's team ended up taking the win thanks to Austin's own goal, averaging out his dominance in the pool (Roy cried).

While these sports went on, many students remained in the pool. With simple conversations, games, swimming lessons, and even a water balloon fight, we connected with the Nicaraguan students and continued to get to know them on a deeper level. Lots of laughs were shared. After all this excitement, Lucas decided to go on his own adventure and get a coconut. He climbed up a palm tree and got three coconuts and drank from one of them!

After a fun day at the amazing facility, it was time to head back to home base. The bus ride back was vary quiet, besides the occasional wincing and groaning from the sunburned ACS students. We were all very tired and crispy, but we all had a great time. It was incredible to see God help us connect with the students of Nicaragua, and how he is working through us all in so many different ways. Once we got back, Matthew and Marshall did devotionals for our group. We anticipate our day tomorrow with the grad class, painting at the school.

Thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts and for all the prayers. We cannot wait to tell you all about our trip in more detail when we return.