Nicaragua | Compassion International

Sep 28

“The presence of dignity doesn’t mean poverty is absent.”

This sentence truly hits me in the heart of what I witnessed last week on my trip with the Compassion International Sponsorship Tour to Nicaragua. My first impressions were more distant – seeing the homes and destitute situations from our air-conditioned bus; attending worship services at Be Tania Baptist Church in Ciudad Sandino; even the visit to the project in Hilario Sanchez where the children greeted us with smiles, laughter, and a beautiful program of music and dance. None of this prepared me for the heartbreak I felt after walking down a dirt road to visit a rural family home.

What I saw up until that point were beautiful faces, kind hearts, people who are proud of their country Nicaragua, who take pride in themselves and their children. We were welcomed with open arms, smiling, shiny clean faces, handmade gifts, and love. This somehow did not prepare me for the true poverty these people face in their lives every day.

Amazing, warm greetings as we entered the room and the children shared a performance and gifts just for us. The performances included a dance interpretation of “Que Seria de Mi“, with little girls dressed as birds acting out the line “I would be like an injured bird lying on the ground … if it were not for your love and grace!”

Fun times singing and dancing with the children as James, another sponsor on the tour, played and sang in Spanish.

The frisbees, balls, and candy we brought were flying everywhere!

One of many shots I took just so they could see it on the back of my camera - loved it!

The family we visited in the rural neighborhood of Hilario Sanchez lives in the small wooden structure pictured below. There was a bed in one corner for the parents, another bed in the opposite corner for the children, and a “kitchen” in a corner as you enter the door. It was very dark inside since their electricity was not working.

Inside the mother of the home shares a little of her every day life with us.

This tiny corner of the structure is their kitchen.

In the background of this image you can see the outside of the home we visited.

The family’s 96 year old grandfather lives in his own space on the property.

Maybe my experience was different from others on the trip because I had missed the first day of home visits due to flight delays. Maybe God intended for me to see it this way. All I know is something deep inside of me has been changed and I will never be the same.

I have been sponsoring and sharing letters with a little girl named Kenia since last fall. Going to visit her was my reason for taking this trip. As we visited the project and interacted with the children in Hilario I met Madlyng. She had been sponsored in the past, but the sponsor did not continue and she was dropped from the program. I felt an instant connection to this bright, beautiful girl and so now I sponsor her as well.

The final day of our visit was filled with anticipation. We would finally meet our sponsored children and spend a fun day with them. Tears, hugs, love and prayers, flowed throughout the day mixed in with laughter & smiles as we all played at Chavalandia. I’m not sure who had more fun – the sponsors or the children – it was a blessed day!

Everyone brought gifts for their sponsored children and families that were greatly appreciated, but I was struck by the realization that it was not just the financial, but also the emotional support that these children craved. Madlyng asked me several times if I would please write to her. Her original sponsor had never written one letter and this was devastating to her. I can’t express how much the letters of love and encouragement mean to these children. Just knowing someone cares and believes in them gives them hope. If you are unable to sponsor a child financially there are opportunities to connect with and write letters to a child whose financial sponsor does not have the time to do so. The letters I receive back are a gift I cherish – I hang them on my refrigerator. Both of the girls I sponsor are bright and wish to be doctors. Madlyng loves science & Kenia loves to paint. I pray they will have a chance to follow their dreams.

Compassion International has been working in Nicaragua since 2002 offering thousands of children the opportunity to participate in the child development centers and rise above their circumstances, but the need is still great. One staff member at the offices of Compassion International Country office in Nicaragua summed it up very well during our tour of their facilities.

As he held a stack of papers for children currently selected for the program, but still needing sponsors someone asked, “How do you stay so positive?” He pointed to this sign on his wall . . .

It was overwhelming to see true poverty first hand, and has taken me a couple of days back home to even begin to process my feelings. I feel much the same as Nick, another sponsor shared during our final night in Nicaragua. I had gone from looking out the window of the bus with remoteness and possibly even a little fear just a few days earlier. After getting to know the amazing people of this country Nick said he wanted to get off the bus and embrace them all in hugs! I couldn’t agree more. It was a roller coaster of emotions and an eye opening experience to witness the presence of dignity in the face of poverty.