The Story

Sorry I didn't get to write the story I mentioned in the last blog. I started to tell it, but then we had to leave the hotel (therefore the internet as well) and so the story didn't get told.

My story is about returning home from the clinic on Saturday. We had a shortened day with the clinic since it was the teams last day and they needed to get things done around the hotel. So we left around 3pm. Well, we had a nice reprieve on Saturday when God opened the heavens and sent the rain. Friday at the same church was probably the hottest day we had in Nicaragua (and being confined to a church with poor ventilation and few fans didn't help). So the Saturday rain helped a lot. It brought cool breezes. However, the rain also turned the dirt roads into mud...

As most people know when dirt roads turn into mud roads, big heavy buses are not the most ideal vehicle to drive, but having a team of 27 people, plus translators and at least a dozen or 2 suitcases needs a bus to travel. Well, it took us at least an hour to get 1/4 - 1/2 mile down the road. We had young people and the local church pastor pushing the bus trying to help get it out of the mud. The team was kept on the bus and we had them jumping in the back trying to get the weight of the people to help give the tires traction.

The young people on the team and I were having a blast. It was probably a highlight (just for the sheer fun of the experience). The adults, however, weren't having as much fun. In part because of the dangerousness of the situation (someone could have easily been hurt by a swerving bus hitting or running them over), but the way the locals and the bus driver handled it, there were not even any close calls. By the time the bus finally got onto the paved road, we had attracted quite a crowd. Many people from the community had come to watch and a few helped push the bus.

Although due to the delay in leaving caused less time to get things done at the hotel, I am so glad it happened. It was a fun way to end the trip for the team and it gave us a chance to talk a little more with people from the community (plus it's always great to see a community come together to help out a bus load of Gringos!


I am now in Costa Rica with Chuck and Robbi. It had definitely felt like I have come home again. Tomorrow I will be going to stay with the family I lived with during my time here and see my friends!