Follow ETBU in Nicaragua

Tiger Athletic Missions Experience Blog

Day 6 Blog

Thomas Sanford
ETBU Sophomore
Shreveport, La.

Friday, May 12, 2017

Friday started out by waking up at the usual time to eat our final, but yet another wonderful breakfast.  After an eventful week at the Donna Holland Christian School that involved painting classrooms, cleaning, and just hanging out with the kids, we were able to say our last goodbyes to them.  It was sad because we all bonded with them very well and did not want to leave. Although more than half of us are not fluent in Spanish, we were able to communicate with them very well. Being able to meet the kids here was an amazing experience and getting to know them and share the gospel has really opened our eyes as a team. It was good being able to see them one more time.

Once we left the kids and the school we headed to Managua. This was our first time being able to see the city of Managua in the daytime. It was nice to see all of the valleys that ran through the mountains along our drive.  Once we arrived in Managua, we headed to a senior citizen center for a variety of activities. The older ladies were very welcoming and happy to see us. We got straight to work to help in the construction of their new building. We also installed a water tank on the roof and moved two large piles of rocks and dirt. They had a service and three players were able to share their testimonies and explain why we came to Nicaragua. After the service we helped serve food and spent more time talking about the Lord and praying with them.

After we left the senior citizens center, we headed to the hotel in town. Driving through Managua is very different compared to Diriamba. There was so much more to see and more people and traffic.  We arrived at the hotel and were able to hang out at the pool for a couple of hours before dinner.  It was great being able to take a break and relax before dinner at the hotel.

This trip has really opened up my mind and made me sit back and realize how grateful I should be of what I already have at home. It was also a big step for me to take. This was the first time I have ever flown, so coming to Nicaragua was something I had to pray about. I never really wanted to get in to missions until now. After being here and spending time with the kids and people of Nicaragua, I really would like to do this kind of work more often. Coming back to Nicaragua is definitely something I will do in the future.