Ok, here we are. Koen and Gary. Chef Gary. Finally a blog with Gen X understandable language. But, please for all our sake don't expect perfect grammar. Today was the last day. As Santiago AKA: Jamie, BTS, James said tonight "All our days are such full days, we do and see so much." Today was no different.
I woke up the kids with much joy and gusto. Yes, I am that dad, "Wake up kids! It's new and glorious day!" We have to do this because it's 6:30 am wake up calls and it's also spring break. If we ever let them (tired teens) figure that out we'd never get them out of bed. So, annoying high pitched songs and pumped up tunes never fail to rouse them from their heat riddled slumber. It doesn't drop below 25 degrees at night, hot right?
Breakfast was scrambled eggs with weenies, Gallo Pinto (naturally), Fresh cut fruit of which the pineapple was the first to be hoarded by the masses. An assortment of cereals (the healthy kind mom, not the fruit loops), toast and jam and juice with bits.
We arrived at CdF and the grade 11's led us in devotions and we continued painting desks and classrooms with second coats and first and second coats of the new color to go at the bottom half of the classrooms. We also started the annual mural (see picture below). We completed our work projects for the day at lunch and broke bread (rice) with our dear friends. Alison put in a request for bags of Plantain chips and I think every kid is bringing back at least one bag, which is ok, I guess because the luggage should be light (I hope). Have you ever had Plantain chips? Wow they are so very delicious. (Not scrum). We cleaned up after lunch and re-set the sanctuary for our long awaited talent show.
Man these young people have some talent!
The First act was the cup song. What is the cup song? It's that tappidie-tap-tap camp song sung with a melodious song about missing us when we are gone. Well honestly we knew it was going to be an emotional good-bye and nothing gets the water works more primed than banging metal water-bottles on the tile floor and suggesting to our Nicaraguan friends that they will miss us "f'o Reals" (I put that there because teens love it when 50 year olds use their jive talk).
Our second act was Owen the geographic genius who was able to fire off the capital cities of pretty much every country in the world. Wow. We were spell bound!!! What a gift.
For our third act four girls sang a song called the bird song (though it sounded nothing like birds). The harmony and melody was UNBELIEVABLE they sound just like nightingales. Nightingales ARE birds Koen ~ Gary. Oh yeah ~ Koen. Ok, it was an awesome birdish song then.
Fourth act was Rylan being his natural hilarious self. The great Rylan will say the whole alphabet backwards they told us. Then Rylan came up front turned his back to us and sang the alphabet song the normal way but standing backwards. Good grief...
Next up was the Macarena song. You know who wrote that song? Some guys named Los Del Rio a band from Costa Rica. Do you recall what country borders Nicaragua? (Owen does). Yup Costa Rica. What was the name of the capital city again Owen? Well, regardless of the fact that the song originated next door here we decided to "eh Macarena" our faces off for a few minutes with our Nicaraguan friends joining us.
We had an impromptu visit from Billy-Bob (Who was apparently the ambassador to Canada and a long lost cousin of Jorge the head of school at CdF). He was charming and lovable but had a nasty overbite.
T-Swift made an appearance too. Canadian and Nicaraguan Swifties all loved it but the rest of us are still trying to "Shake it Off".
Our Nicaraguan friends shared songs, amazing cultural dances with dresses that fluffed and twirled. Our friend 'Tavio played us a famous Nicaraguan cultural song and he'd only been playing the guitar for a year. He was really good. I mean really good.
Lastly, Sandra the principal from Cdf called Chef Gary to the stage. She had prepared a dish at home and brought it in for him to try. The dish was called Indio Viejo. It was a shredded chicken and beef stew thickened with corn tortilla. It was topped with some aciote paste and served fried plantain slices. Wow is all I can say. Koen couldn't handle not eating so he had to run to the stage to try out this dish. This was truly made with love and care.
OK... Ready for the big feels?
We went upstairs and took a massive group shot in front of the mural with all of us (see pic below). It's a classic Nicaragua trip moment because... Cue water works... Yup... Tears...
Really the tears are normal, the wailing and gnashing of teeth at us nasty leaders for pulling them away from their new friends was new...
It's hard, some might say excruciating (great word of the day entry that would be). As Nilda said tonight in our wrap up meeting: "I'm glad you are all so sad, that means your connections were deep and meaningful and that what happened here this week has the potential to shape and transform both us and your new Nicaraguan friends". She is right.
This is why we love this trip so much. It's not so much about a cultural visit or accomplish service related tasks abroad. For ACS and CdF it's being together as brothers as sisters in Christ. Sitting with each other in life's realness and together realizing (what we've always known and been told) that God is at work in their world in amazing and powerful ways. Yes, sometimes it takes going all the way down to Nicaragua and meeting some people we've never met to bring that reality home in a transformative way. Other times God has those encounters for us right at home in our school hallways, our work places and neighborhoods.
It's hard to say good-bye. But it's nice to know we are going home to share our adventures with all of you.
After our tearful goodbyes we went to the market in Managua. Chef Gary was in his element as we got a tour through the food section of the market, spices, meat, fruit, veggies flowers. Gary was drooling. It was fun to watch him sniff everything and tell us all the random amazing things about the cultural foods we saw. ACS look out I see a whole Nicaraguan food unit emerging.
We traveled back to 'Centro De Nehemias' and stopped to let Owen take an emergency bathroom break on the road side next to a Convent which had just let out for prayers. Excellent timing. Apparently Owen has a smaller bladder than me. Chugging Fresca may have led to this unfortunate pit stop. But who can blame Owen, Fresca is so very chuggable and reciting capital cities does make one thirsty.
Back at home we enjoyed some Pork and Veggie stew with rice, beans, and some tomato salsa and delectable fried sweet plantains.
Now its off to bed, as we wake up at 3am to begin our journey home. It turns out I need the sleep bc I had not travel nap today AKA: "eeping"
Thanks everyone for reading, praying and all you've done to make this transformative adventure possible.
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