Nicaragua

Flying into Managua the pilot pointed out the volcano on our right. The brown lake filled with Managua's waste comes in sight below us. We finally hit the old runway with a thud. We are all excited and worn out from our red-eye flight. As soon as we step off the plane the heat and humidity welcomes us. We are finally in Nicaragua. We make a quick restroom stop before heading through customs. Toilet paper goes in the trashcan located in the bathroom stall. We make it through customs and get out bags from baggage claim, thankfully everything made it. Outside is noisy and many people walk along the sidewalks waiting for their loved ones. We throw our suitcases on the back of a pick-up and wait for our bus. A bald man dabs his forehead with a handkerchief. A dog pants. A man walks through the streets selling water from a dirty bag. I continue to take in the sights. A horse with ribs showing grazes on the side of the road. Children walk from the Christian acedemy in uniforms. Nicaraguans watching the bus full of gringos drive past. The U.S. embassy stands with a flag barely waving in the still humid air. A man sitting in a hammock. Coconut and banana trees. A crater lake. A prostitution hotel. The lushness that the rainy season has brought. Every person who walked past the bus speaking spanish held their own story. This is amazing. We reach the orphange and sit down to have lunch together. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, papaya and salad. We hold the babies. At the end of our night we sing worship together as the rain pours and the thunder shakes the ground. I see a creatures glowing eyes as it scrurries through the grass. I fall asleep listening to the rain and watching a lightning bug dance around the ceiling.