I stepped off the old school bus onto the dirt. After being greeted by a dozen kids, we walked up the steep hill to the large concrete building that I would be calling home for the next week. To be frank, lurid thoughts crept into my mind: What was I thinking? I left air conditioning and the comfort of home for dirt, long skirts, and sultry heat? My shameful thoughts were interrupted by children tugging at my skirt, grabbing at my hands, and speaking at a rate my overwhelmed brain could not comprehend. My trip to Nicaragua proved to be a life-altering event that reinforced my desire and passion for missions.
As the leader was relaying information in that concrete building atop the hill, my mind could not help but wander. Listening became almost impossible. My camera immediately came out of my purse, and I began snapping pictures of everything I saw; I didn’t want to forget this moment. The second I took the first photo, I was bombarded with children. They wanted to see the picture. Then, they wanted me to take pictures of them. Most of the children didn’t have mirrors at home; some didn’t even know what they looked like. My mind was engulfed in taking photos of the children. Soon, Kyser, another member of the group, came to inform me it was time for lunch.
Lunch was a sack lunch of a sandwich, chips, fruit, Cheez-its, and a Rice Krispy treat. At this point, lunch was the farthest from my mind. Instead, I wanted to explore and play with the children. I knew though, that I needed this food for energy. As I sat down to eat, the kids played around me. I finished my sandwich and chips, but I began to give away the rest of my lunch to the frail children who surrounded us. Unbeknownst to me, this would not be the first time I would be giving away food!
The group I traveled with is called Baptist Medical & Dental Missions International (BMDMI). Our purpose was to provide the community with medical and dental needs, as well as provide them with basic needs like food, clothes, and shoes. After lunch, the group, as well as many of the local Nicaraguans, unpacked all the boxes and moved them to their designated station. As I was setting up the photo station outside the building, I noticed the kids had momentarily disappeared. I soon heard giggling and went to the back of the building in hopes of finding the source. What I witnessed stopped my heart. I saw the children digging through the trash, our trash, eating our leftover scraps of food. In that moment of complete dismay, I began to realize how wasteful we Americans are. Those dozen kids made a meal from what we had thrown in the trash. I began to tear up, feeling sure that this trip would show me how blessed I was.
Nighttime was filled with a powerful night worship with the Nicaraguans, a cold shower, and a night’s sleep on a hard cot that attracted various bugs and spiders. Typical mornings began with coffee, breakfast, morning devotional, and dismissal to our stations. Each station was prepared for seeing 200-300 people per day. We had a system set up in order for the days to run smoothly and to be able to see as many people as possible. First, they would go to a church service and be provided with a Bible. Then, they would travel to the medical station, on to the dental station, on to the optometrist, then to the photo booth, the snack station, then finally, the clothing/shoes station. My responsibilities for the week were divided between the photo booth and the vet group. With the photo group, I snapped family photos and printed them almost instantly on the portable camera printer we had. The vet group partnered with the local veterinarian, and we went door-to-door vaccinating any animals we could: pigs, dogs, cats, horses, and cows.
Each day at the photo booth was full of fun. Most families had never had a family photo, and some didn’t even know what they looked like. They would cherish that picture; some even fought over who got to hold it. My heart was heavy as I realized just how much we take a simple photo for granted. On my first day of manning the photo booth, I met Misael, a little 8-year-old boy who would soon capture my heart. His father was the local preacher, so he was always at the community center helping us. He went to school in the morning and then came to help around noon each day. Misael was one of the sweetest children there. He was constantly asking to help, picking up trash, and desperately wanted to be included in conversation. He would sit in my lap and read books, talk, and play with toys. He just wanted the love that I gave. By day 3, Misael began taking on more prominent roles in the photo booth. He began taking over! He would do pretty much everything except actually take the picture for us. He soon began asking if he could take the pictures. After much effort, he finally learned how to take an acceptable picture. By that point, all we had to do was sit and watch!
It didn’t take long for me to get attached to Misael. We soon became inseparable. Misael never acted like a child; instead, he was similar to an adult. Through worship and other activities, I saw his faith grow. He was one of those children who didn’t have much in the way of material goods, but he was filled with joy and faith. That alone inspired me more that he could ever know. One day, after school, he came to me with a huge smile on his face and handed me a note. I had no idea just how much of an impact that note would continue to make in my life far after the trip had ended. Translated, the note read: “I thank God for bringing you here to me. I thank you for loving me, and I love you too….I hope we meet again someday in this beautiful place.” To this day, that note remains in my wallet. I carry a little part of Misael with me wherever I go.
On our final day, after the final flood of Nicaraguans came through, we began to pack up our stations. Misael, yet again, was a great helper. After our stations were all cleaned up, Misael casually mentioned something about “tomorrow.” I reluctantly reminded him that I would be leaving the next day. The look on his face was one I would never forget. Tears began to stream down his face because apparently, he had forgotten that I would have to leave him at some point. The remainder of the night was spent with him holding on to me, his face wet with tears. I ate dinner with him sitting on my lap and spent the worship service with him sitting on my lap. His head rested on my shoulder.
The following morning we woke, ate breakfast, and loaded up our bus to leave. We walked across town to have a send-off in the community church in which Misael’s father was the pastor. After our send-off ceremony, we all put our hands over Misael’s father to pray. Halfway through the prayer, I felt someone grab onto my waist from behind. I just knew it had to be Misael. After the prayer I turned around; there he was with a giant smile on his face. It was what I had been dreading all week: I had to walk to the bus to leave.
I walked on the dirt road from the church back to the bus with Misael wrapped around my waist. His tears soaked my shirt. I heard his voice repeating in Spanish, “Please don’t go. I love you.” Knowing there was nothing else I could do, I held his hand and sobbed. We finally reached the old school bus and began saying our goodbyes. Misael refused to speak further; he just held on to me with all his might. Everyone began to pile onto the bus…everyone except me. I could not muster up the courage to say my last goodbye. Knowing I had no choice, I gave him one last hug, told him I loved him, and spoke one final goodbye. At that moment he began to wail and hold on tighter. As I stepped onto the bus, his mom came to pry his hands from my waist. I slowly made my way to my seat. I heard him wail one last time, “Don’t go! I love you!” as the bus pulled away from the church.
Misael forever changed my life and my faith. I know that I changed lives while I was there, and I am humbled by the joy and faith that the people of Nicaragua possess. I am so blessed to have been able to meet each of the children, especially Misael. I cherish our time we spent together and continue to miss him to this day. I am actually in the process of planning a surprise trip to visit him. This trip was life-changing and has made my passion for missions clear.
