As the time whines down until I go back to Nicaragua I decided to look back at my journal. In my journal I found a lose piece of paper from a porch time last year. They told us to take a piece of paper out and write down what we wanted to when we got back so that our trip wasn't just something fun we did for spring break. I wrote down three things: spread the word about this place and see what people will do to help, set a goal amount of money to raise to give to ORPHANetwork, and get a bunch of people to come back next year so they can be inspired by these kids. As I look back I think that I did these things. I told lots of people about my experience there and got them to give me money for ORPHANetwork. During the Compassion Diet I raised over $700 for ORPHANetwork. I talked to tons of people at Gobblerfest about the trip. I pretty much anybody that anybody that would listen to me about how they should go on this trip. Although I did all these things I still feel like I didn't do enough. It is hard when you become so passionate about something to see people that are so clueless that if they knew any better they could make a real difference. This was a big problem for me both times when I got back in the states, especially the first time. I am so excited though because there are 21 new people coming on the trip with us this year. As an equipo leader I am hoping that the girls in my group will get a passion to help the people of Nicaragua like I have.
I am really excited to see everyone in Nueva Vida. It will be nice to see Pastor Berman and give him the watch that he asked me to get him. I just looked on his Facebook page to see if he responded to my last post and found a project that some Americans are working on there a week after we leave Nueva Vida. They are coming in to plow the fields again so that they can grow more crops for the community. It made me so happy to see other people with the same passion for the people in Nueva Vida. Pastor Berman is doing great things there. A part of Toxic Charity said, "Juan admitted that many growing Nicaraguan churches were active in their evangelism efforts and that was good, he added but they did little to assist their converts in their struggles of their daily lives. They seemed more concerned about saving souls than saving people." After reading this I was so glad that we work with Verbo Inglesia and Pastor Berman. I have personally seen Pastor Berman involved in the people in his church's lives. He has a heart for the entire community. He helps all of the children and knows what is going on with most of their families, which is really impressive considering how many kids come to his church. The people in the community know him and he knows them. When we walked to Moises' house this summer he was saying hello to everyone as walked there and everyone knew who he was. They respected him.
There is just so much that I am excited about I don't know how to contain it. I just want it to be time to get on the plane and start the journey to Nicaragua.
