9:00 am La Chureca
After waking up to a cup of fresh Nicaraguan coffee we headed out for what was shaping up to be a productive day. As most of you know, the Buzbees run the school in the Managua dump, "La Chureca." We toured the school, spent time playing with the kids, and then recorded footage of the dump on our way out. This trip was my (Meredith) first time to the dump. It was just like anything else you might encounter in Nicaragua--no words could describe, no pictures could justify, and no video could truly capture what you see, what you feel, and what you wish for as you pass by the dump children, families, and homes that occupy La Chureca.
12:00 pm Lunch with the Keelings
God gave us the opportunity to meet two amazing people--Roger and Carolyn Keeling. Along with the many other operations and organizations the Keelings run, we were there primarily to meet with them about their upcoming project--The International Baseball Association of Central America. The meeting ended up evolving into much more than just talk about baseball and a blueprint as we feel a deep connection and future relationship developments resulted from our long lunch. The possibilities and potential for this project are endless. Not only are they focusing on baseball, but they are also ensuring that their baseball students are also great academic students. This balance is crucial in teaching discipline and giving these young men the opportunity to further their education as well as a possible career in college and/ or major league baseball. We could go on for days about the Keelings and their project(s). I'm sure you'll be hearing their name in association with our own mission work much more frequently in the future.
3:30 pm Drive to Gran Pacifica
The Gran Pacifica is the resort run by the Keelings and the future location of the IBACA project (see above). So, after our motivational and inspirational lunch with the Keelings, we decided we could do nothing better with our evening other than drive to the property (note: Roger specifically mentioned during lunch that the road was in bad shape and he didn't recommend taking the trip any time in the near future... so we did). I (Meredith) was driving the route to the Gran Pacifica while the two Brads slept comfortably in the back seat after a long morning. The bulk of the trip was as smooth as any Nicaraguan road (yes, a few bumps and potholes, but all paved). We should have known that continuing to the resort might not be in our best interests when we heard, "Oooooooyyyyyy!!" from a local who freely offered directions as we closed in on our destination. As we left the safety of our paved heaven, we crept into the world of mud, water, streams, and trenches while embarking on an 11 Kilometer "adventure" to the Gran Pacifica. The road was rough and I have to admit I was a bit nervous in a couple of places, but as I peaked the hill marking Kilometer number 10, I knew we were in trouble. I had the wheel turned hard over left, Demo was instructing me to turn the wheel left, to which I replied, "Demo! The wheel is left!!!" and followed it up with "Demo! I'm sliding! Demo! I'm turning! Demo! I can't control it!" Demo's name was worn out as the "baby suzuki" slid to a stop perpendicular to the natural direction of the road, half-way down the mud-ladden hill. I turned to Brad and he asked if I wanted him to drive. "Yes," I replied as I jumped over the seat and strapped on my seat belt. Things were about to get rough.
We got the car turned around, and we thought there was a way we could get out. Then.... came the ditch--aka "crater"--lining the right side of the one-lane mud road. No cell phone service. No one in sight, but a man riding a horse. No time as the sun was setting. No town for at least 3 hours (walking). And no way we could continue on to Gran Pacifica. We were stuck. Bad.
As night drew near, reality set in. There was a very good chance we might have to sleep in the car, in the ditch, in the middle of nowhere, in Nicaragua. No AAA service here, thanks. As Demo was gathering rocks from the hillside to fit under the wheels and brad was getting stuck in the knee-deep mud sinkholes, God sent us a tractor and 11 Nicaraguans to push. After a couple more setbacks, $60 in payment to our helpers, a luxurious mud bath for the interior of the car, and one more hill, we began our descent home. We stopped at the end of the road to take pictures of the damage and thank God for keeping us safe and blessing us with so much help in such a desolate area of Nicaragua.
9:30 pm Back at the Buzbees
Six hours after our original departure for Gran Pacifica, we made it "home." In contrast the trip was "supposed to" take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour. You do the math. To thank Demo for being absolutely THE best friend and translator in the entire world, we took him out for a dinner at a restaurant of his choice. As a special request from our hero, Brad ordered Juevos Del Torro (for those of you that aren't sure what that really means, it translates: Bull Testicles). Brad actually enjoyed them. He said it didn't taste exactly like chicken... but maybe a little better. After his testimony of the delicious bull testicles, he made us all (Demo, Brad Hall, and myself) try a piece.
The end to an eventful day left us drained, tired, muddy, and ready for bed.
As for today, we decided to show Brad Hall a little more of Nicaragua and see some sights we had yet to see, as well. We drove nearly 3 hours to San Juan Del Sur to visit the coast. We spent the day looking at different potential properties for sale, checking out the professional baseball arena, and even jumped in the ocean to catch a few waves. We had to say goodbye to Brad Hall this evening as he boarded his plane back to Alabama. Although he was only here for 3 days, he was able to see why we have a heart for Nicaragua and I think he may have developed a place in his heart as well. We hope to see him again very soon! "Te gusta, Brad!"
As a final reflection on the last couple of days: They were tough; they were exciting; and they were God's way of showing us a good time as he took us through "3rd world boot camp."
Thank you family and friends. Until next time...
Uncle B-rad and Mere
For us ignorant types, where do we get to see these pictures and video your talking about?
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