I keep thinking about the lovely people I met in Nicaragua. I've traveled to Moldova, Belize, Brasil, and distant states in the U.S. but none have left the lasting impression on my heart as these children.

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Finding My Pearls by Dr. Carol A Brown

Finding My Pearls in Children.

Typical Tin House in poor areas of Granada, Nicargua.

Most of our time in Nicaragua was spent with children. There were a few little babies, even some nursing mothers, but most were ages 5 through 10 years of age. There are some youth groups who receive tutoring, mentoring, and Bible study. Most of these young people are displaced without stable homes. A faith-based orphanage had been provided for housing but these were recently closed by the Nicaraguan government. I am sure there are families who live in comfortable homes, send the children to school, and enjoy opportunities to work for a living. I didn't see these kinds of circumstances while in the country. Our team visited areas of extreme poverty with people living in tin shelters patched together with a tin roof, cardboard, and scrap wood. The floors are packed dirt which are swept daily by the women. You can see hammocks swinging through the doorways into the interior. It is a very uncomfortable feeling standing outside one of the homes knowing you will return to a home of comparable wealth. 

 

Proudly displaying her coloring sheet.

The children were happy. I'm not sure they could explain or define the meaning of happiness, but they enjoyed what they had and especially found joy in each other. The older children took great care of their younger siblings. We could see mothers sitting in the doorways of their homes watching their children all day, every day. Their faithful attention to their children is admirable but also tragic. There is no entertainment, no trips to a fast food restaurants, no outings at the mall, only the endless days sitting in unbearable near-the-equator heat. As the team visited with some of the families, several talked about their despair with no hope for a better life. There was also discussion of suicide among these families.

     The children were grateful for our gifts and craft activities. We could see joy and excitement in their faces. They sang and clapped along with us, smiling through the cute lyrics of songs written especially for children.  I wasn't sure when to clap, or smile, for that matter. All the music was in Spanish. This was incentive for me to learn the language. I'd like to know the reason for the smiles.The children gave us a lot of joy and reasons for being thankful to God.

 

Jewel of Central America

Based on images and photos, Nicaragua appears to be a jewel displayed in a crook of land just south of several small countries in Central America. The clear blue Caribbean Sea waters the eastern coastline while the Pacific Ocean laps the beaches on the western side. The web and Google images provide a nice display of images with watery lakes, fire-like volcanoes, mountains and villages. The colors are breath-taking.

Although many of the indigenous people living in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and other Central American countries flee and migrate to the United States,  Nicaraguans are less likely to emigrate from their country. Crime  is lower as well as lower rates of corruption and violence when compared to her neighbors. Unfortuneately, poverty is still an ongoing problem. As the second poorest county in the Central America, many people live in deprived situations.

About 30% of children living in Nicaragua are considered food deprived. Hunger is a basic human need, but so is education and opportunity to live, grow, and fulfill goals for one's life. Many children are unable to attend school or complete their education. Save the Children is a nonprofit reporting "One-third of all Nicaraguan children never enroll in elementary school, fail to attend, or drop out before reaching the sixth grade." The Pearl Foundation contributes time and resources in Nicaragua. One of their videos shows children singing in one of the local schools. As you watch the Pearl Foundation video, you will see the first pearl discovered in my journey. The children are full of anticipation as they wait for the next group of Americans to arrive. We come with gifts, toys, and games. We also come with our story and who we represent. Simple Bible stories translated to Spanish is our first and most important gift. We hope they realize that only the gospel story is truly free. All other god-stories require the recipient pay a price through sacrifice, personal deprivation, or shame. All other gifts usually come with a cost to someone. We don't mind paying the price, but the God-story in the Bible is entirely free.