Here’s a quick blog post before we leave! Where are we going? Matagalpa, specifically the city of San Ramon where we’ll be staying for three nights in home stays. This is one of the most exciting parts of the trip: being able to live in solidarity in a rural community. We will be getting up early, helping run the household (this can include milking cows, making tortillas, and various types of physical labor), discussing how rural life is (we are being paired up based on Spanish speaking ability, I’m a little nervous!), and seeing how life is for Nicaraguans outside the city of Managua. Where we have had pretty good comfort here with showers, beds, and pillows here in the city, our host families probably will not have these. We’ll really be roughing it!! Everyone is excited, nervous, and above all ready to have an awesome adventure. We’re nearly ready to get on our bus for a 4 hour drive, so adios!
-Sarah
PS: Toni and Lynn Fydalle if you are reading, Fr. Joe from Notre Dame who stayed at your house a few times sends a big hello ( yes he is on this trip with us!)
Yeah, Tony and Lynn Fadale get a shoutout from Fr. Joe!
That’s why they call it a small world.
Hannah: Tony and Lynn and me and Rhonda and the whole American Martyrs church are preparing for Jack Jezreel, the head of the JustFaith ministries in Louisville, to make a visit on June 12 and we hope you can come and tell your story of what you’ve experienced to our group…. We hope others in the Portland community and beyond know what Jack has done in lighting the fire of social justice and outreach – and I know he wants to talk to the UPs about the Justice Walking program for college students like all of you…
Stay in the moment and keep God’s thumb print with you…
Love Dad
Great job on the blogs! They are fascinating and fun to read. I’ll bet Ellen really enjoyed the jumping spiders. Can’t wait to hear about the home stays. Thanks for the Mother’s Day message.
Safe travels.
Bridget and Geoff Webster
(We love you Ellen!)
Hugs to Laura Goble!
Greetings from Portland.
Sounds like you are going to get to experience first hand what it is like to live
without the comforts we all take for granted. It should be a great trip and
a real eye opener as well as a humbling experience..
Megan, it reminds me of when your group had to prepare the chicken
meal in Africa :)
Hope all if well and all of you are feeling better.
Bill
You are all so amazing!!! I cannot begin to imagine the experiences you are having, yet you are there and will have these very special memories. You have a reason for being where you are right now and I am so happy for each of you and am praying for you!! xo
I am really jealous of the community experience you are all having. I wish I had a similar experience when I was young. Maybe we all need to have our eyes opened to how the rest of the world lives.
Keep up the good work!
Sarah the farm life sounds exciting. Dad wanted me to tell you, “11 down 5 to go and Kings are at home”. Dad and Zach are going to Sunday’s game. Love Mom