Would you be joyful if...

    Joy. Not happiness, but joy. That is what we need in our lives. Pure, perfect joy. As outsiders, many people think that Americans should be filled to the top with endless joy. I mean, we have all the necessities in life plus more, from T.V's in our cars to flowing hot water with the snap of our fingers. Yet, as an outsider would look around America, there is more sadness and want for more then anywhere else in the world. Through all generations, good is never enough... but why not? All that we have should make us enlightened to live, but Americans cannot take the time to open their eyes enough to see how blessed they are, because they are to worried about what they can get next. Take it from one little boy that I heard on the plane, "There's no TV's? You've got to be kidding me! I'm so done." This little boy was about ten years old... and I would love to have put him in the shoes of the Nicaraguans I met on this trip for just one day.
  We all hear about the poverty in the world, but we do not realize how hard they have it until we hear it from them. Over the course of spring break, I heard a lot of comments about life from Nicaraguans that I was unaware of... and it made me think. How joyful would our lives be if we lived like they do? Would our smiles be genuine, like theirs? Would we be willing to help the others in our country, even though we have next to nothing? Would we greet the Americans, that we know have so much, with open arms?

Just think, how joyful would you be if...

You only had one meal a day- and to get to that meal you had to walk at least 5 miles... sometimes with a baby on your back. Oh, and you are only six.

You went to stay in a hotel, and you thought that big white swirly thing was to wash your hands... because you've never used a real toilet. Or, you thought the liquidity stuff by the sink was to put in your hair... because you never knew what hand soap was.

You had to be at work at 7 a.m, or your job would be given to someone else. But, to get there- you had to walk 30 min from home, then 30 min back for lunch, to work again, and finally at 5, home again.

Your salary at the end of the month was $200, $2,400 a year if you had no weeks off... and that is if you were a teacher, less if you did manual labor. That would be less than $1 an hour.

You had to sleep on a picnic table every single night, because there was no bed for you to claim as your own... and you are only seventeen.

People live like this. Every single day of their life. But, they radiate joy. They radiate a sense of pure satisfaction with their lives... they feel blessed to be in the position that they are. Would you? If you were handed those cards in life, would you feel blessed?

I would love to take every American child to Nicaragua so that they could learn, so that they could see what happiness is really about. It is not about the brand names you wear, or if there are T.V's on the plane... it is about what God blessed us with, and how we react to them.

Top 10: #1

      Have you ever looked into the eyes of a stranger and instantly felt a connection? Have you ever felt like you were put there in that moment to take care of that person. It seems that each time I go to Nicaragua, I feel this connection. When I am there, I do not want to leave because I know that, even though I am going home to the luxury's of the United States, those closest to my heart are still in the lands of poverty. The places that I feel the most connection seems to be at the feeding center. When I am there, I instantly connect to the people, and this year it was one girl in particular. The name of the girl is unknown, since the language barrier increases when we travel to this part of the country, but the pain was loud and clear.
    Each time I go to the feeding center, I am astounded by the maturity of the children there. Children the age of eleven are seen walking for miles holding their little siblings, just to assure that they get food. They are seen making sure that their siblings are not hurt, instead of having fun with the other kids that are their. They are seen caring and loving for each other. If you put an American eleven year old child in their position, they would be lost of what to do. These children have the responsibilities of adults, and I can't believe how willing they are to take on the challenge. (The picture below is of a young girl who takes the responsibility to care for her little sister at the feeding center)

 The sad part about the responsibilities that these children have is that they have no one there to take care of them. No one to give them a hug, to make sure they are able to eat- because they are in charge.
   Although it was the most heartbreaking thing I have ever experienced, it was also the most powerful. My number one experience this year in Nicaragua happened with one little girl in particular, whose picture will be below, that needed the love of someone, because she went so long without any love at all. This little girl taught me that a hug can go a long way, that just being their for someone can help cure even the biggest hurts.
  When we got to the feeding center that day, I began playing with all the kids- we are like their jungle gyms. As I was playing, one girl in particular came up to me and was my buddy for the day. We played, laughed, and she introduced me to her siblings- there were two of them that were younger then her. As we played, I could tell that this girl was different, I felt an attachment that usually is not experienced at the feeding center. As the morning went on, we began serving the kids lunch. All the kids got to their tables, prayed, and then lined up for food.
  After they eat, the children can either hang around a little more or go straight home. As we were all still hanging out and playing, one of my teammates came up to me, saying that the little girl I was playing with earlier was crying- but she did not know how to ask what was wrong in Spanish. I went over their, and the girl who was laughing and playing earlier was crying painful tears. Something was wrong. She needed help. My heart broke as I slowly interpreted what was wrong with my beautiful friend. She continued to explain through hand motions and broken Spanish that she had a headache. Now, we all get headaches, but the ones that bring us to tears are apparent for more then one reason.  As I held and rocked her, I told her Jesus loved her. I told her I loved her. I held back with every ounce of my being the tears that were milliseconds from my eyes. I did not want this little girl to have to worry about me- it was her turn to be taken care of. As I continued to take care of her, she began to calm down. I assumed that she had eaten her food- so she should not have this headache because of starvation. But my assumptions could not be further from the truth. When she was calmed down enough to be able to show that she was not crying, she went over to get her book bag to show me something. As she opened her bag, I was astonished. There was a full meal in their, untouched by her little hands. I motioned to it and she began saying no, no, no. I understood. She was not allowed to eat the food that was handed to her. My gorgeous friend who kept crying and crying because her head was pounding because she was hungry, sacrificed herself so that her parents and any other siblings at home could eat. She sacrificed so much, just because she loved her family. At this sight, I was close to tears. I wanted her to eat. I wanted to bring her entire family all of the food I had back at the base just so that my friend could eat, so she did not have to cry because her stomach was empty. I wanted to be able to fix it.
   This little girl in the blue and pink shirt changed my entire trip. I have wanted to change Nicaragua before, but she has inspired me to do as much as I can to keep that smile on her face. She showed me that I can not provide everything to make her life better, but I can provide what she needs most. A hug and an I love you- the power of love is the greatest thing out there. It can heal tears, hunger, and anything that this girl faces. Te amo mi amiga. I miss you.

"Three things will last forever- faith, hope, and love- and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13