New porch, native dances, and the USA v. Belgium match

Buenos Noches!

After going to bed early the previous night, I was ready for a full day of work at the school. We got to the site around 8:30 and started making cement for the new porch. It was the first day of work when the kids were in school, so we were able to meet new children, and say hi to the kids we met the previous day. At around 12:00, the teachers of the Nicaraguan school gathered everyone together and the children performed native dances for us. They gave us certificates of gratitude for the work we had done, and we said our final goodbyes to the children. After eating lunch and working for an hour more, we went back to the hostel to take quick showers so we could catch the USA World Cup game. Of course, everyone was disappointed with the loss, but no one was more disappointed than Zach who may have shed a tear or two after the final whistle was blown. We had time to spare between the game and dinner, so some of us went to get shaves and haircuts down the street. Now we are back at the hostel so we can pack up our bags for the Corn Islands and change for dinner. As much fun working is, everyone is excited to relax on the beach for the next few days.

As everyone else has said, this trip has exceeded our expectations. Every single person I have met on this trip has been so nice. Everyone has thanked us, but I feel like we should be the ones thanking them. The ball players have allowed us to play baseball in their stadium and face better pitching than we face back home. The people we work with have allowed us to practice our spanish, and experience what it is like to work hard and build a connection with the people around us. Personally, I want to thank the children. It’s been an eye opening experience to see the differences and similarities between the children here and back home. The children are not greedy, and they take every opportunity they can get to try something new. They want to learn rather than sit around. The biggest difference I learned today is that while in the U.S., there is never an abundance of schools, in Nicaragua, there are not enough schools for all the children the want to learn. I just want to thank everyone who I have met during this trip, and I’m excited for the new experiences I will have on the Islands.

-Ethan