Today was the last day of our trip. First let me tell you a little bit about yesterday. We saw about 50 patients in the morning and then we packed up. During the week most of the patients had been bussed in from other areas, but yesterday when we got there, there was a line of people just waiting for us to get there. We were supposed to see children from an orphanage, but they double scheduled another trip for that day, so we just saw the locals that had heard about us being there through the grapevine.
Afterward we took a small trip to see Pastor Waynes school that he built. He has started a small school in the dump grounds where they teach up to 9th grade. The dump grounds is an area where the poorest of the poorest live in Nicaragua. Nicaragua is actually the 2nd poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere behing Haiti. So when we went down there it was so sad. It is basically the city dump, where people have set up little huts and they actually live. They try to get the first dibs on the trash for either food, or to find things they can sell on the street. Pastor Wayne has worked hard to set up a school for these children, in hopes that one day they can find their way out of that situation. When we went to the school, it is inside a big compound with large cement walls and barbed wire with an armed guard there all the time. He showed us the place that they had the school before, it was just a small building down the street. But he said that while they were there a few of his young girls were assaulted and one boy was kidnapped, so he had to move to another place that was safer for them. He is real excited though because graduation is in about a month and he is so proud of his students.
Today was our free day so we went to a couple of places to do some shopping and then we went to go zip line. I really was looking forward to that but I didn't partake because my back was really hurting and I didn't think it was a good idea. But the area we were in was just like a jungle. Some of the people said the year before they saw monkeys, but we didn't see any today. So Kate and I, who is pregnant, just acted as the cinematographers:) After that, we drove by a volcano. I don't remember the name but they said about 40 years ago it erupted and caused a lot of damage to the town. However, it has created a lot of lakes and inlets that are so beautiful. There was a lot of smoke coming out of it and it looked really cool. Some people have predicted that it should erupt again within the next 10 years. Also while traveling around the last few days it is very apparent that the sandanista group is still very present these days. If you haven't heard of the sandanistas, they are a group of rebels that have used terror strategies against their own people and to keep corrupt government officials in office. There are many armed guards placed in random places and their signs are prevalent across the country. Usually, this trip takes place the second week of October, but that is when the elections are this year and there is so much political tension, they decided to go earlier. Unfortunately, there is so much government corruption and it seems that many of the citizens are brain washed as to what leader would be the best for them, and how an actual democratic government should work.
Nevertheless, opportunities like this are very humbling. Sometimes it takes certain things in life to realize how lucky we are. Not only can we make our own choices and have equal opportunities as anyone else, simple things like eating 3 meals a day, sleeping in a warm bed, or having medical attention at our fingertips is simply overlooked and underappreciated. I am so glad I was able to attend this trip and hopefully I can continue to share the compassion towards people that I think I have been lacking.
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