The trip is almost over and leaving all the children is heart wrenching. They have all made me become a better person. I have learned to be thankful for what I have. Most of the children go home to indescribable things: an over dosage of medicine, no food, a table as a bed, parents that don’t give a care in the world about them, and more. At one of the home visits Julissa, who is 24 and has cerebral palsy, lives in these conditions. Her mother over doses her medicine, puts her on a “bed” in a closet, locks the door, and would not feed her for days. Hearing the story drove me insane, but I was told to turn my negative energy into positive energy that can help me. All this helps me to be the person I want to be.
     Friday, we had a fiesta to say goodbye to all the children. When we got to the school, the children were so happy to see us. We gave them all hugs and kisses as we arrived and throughout the fiesta. We danced, talked, and played around with all of them. Each moment I spent with them is an amazing memory I will cherish forever. We gave everyone food and to see their faces when they got it was amazing. They seemed very thankful and I was happy to see them enjoying every moment. When it came time to say goodbye I just wanted to pack them all in my suitcase and take them home with me. When we were saying our goodbyes, Dayana started to cry. It made me feel so loved to know how much I have helped and impacted her life. She has impacted mine too and it hurts me to not be helping her anymore. It was difficult to hug everyone and know that that is probably our last moment together. I savored each and every second I had left with them. As they piled into the van, we gave them hugs and kisses. We waved as they drove away. They all have their place in my heart and they will never be forgotten.
     This trip has pushed me out of my comfort zone and has pushed me to be a better person. I have had an outstanding time and have learned so much from this trip. I love all the children and memories I have made here.

                “One smile can start a friendship-

                One word can end a fight

                One look can solve a relationship

                One individual can change your life.”

      One of the girls, named Dayana Prisilla, smiles all the time and followed me around all Tuesday. She held my hand as we walked around from the class, to the bathroom, or where ever we were going. She was so sweet and gracious. I was so happy to be there helping her and have her be happy I was there too. I loved being around her and it makes my day when she smiles.
    Wednesday, I was in the pre-school and they were the cutest bunch of kids. I was sitting on the ground looking at a book with Victor, when all of a sudden Winder came up behind me and gave me a great big hug and kiss. It was the cutest thing and it made me smile from ear to ear. I wanted to put him in my suitcase and bring him home. The next day, I was in a different classroom and Winder saw me as he was walking by. He ran in to the classroom and gave be a big hug. It made my morning fantastic and it felt amazing to know he cared about me.
     Today I was in a classroom with a kid named Darwin, who had cerebral palsy. I had been helping him with writing his name.When I congratulated him with a high-five, he took my hand a kissed it. It was the sweetest thing and he made me feel so loved and grateful to be helping him. He is a bright kid and nice to be around.
     Tuesday I did a home visit. The boy is named Elgine and he is 6 years old, with poor motor skills. He is so cute and smiley. He could walk and move around on his own, but it is just harder for him to do. He could talk, but was pretty shy. His father left when he was born because he didn't want to take care for him. His mother, Marcel, and her new husband took care of Elgine. They had a small house, but owned some property as well. Although they had electricity, they had no running water. The walls were brick, the floors were dirt, and the roof was tin. When we were leaving, he walked outside and waved goodbye and blew kisses as we drove away. Next, we went visited a girl named Hennessey, who is 11. She had brain paralysis and the valve to her heart was swollen. The medicine that she takes put her in the hospital for 7 days with pneumonia. She couldn't talk or comprehend. Her arms and legs could move, but she could not walk and do things on her own. She took a liquid medicine and 90 pills a month. It costs her family a lot of money to pay for her medications. Like the other family, the father left and the mother and step-father took care of the child. They had a small house and with 2 small rooms. They had electricity and running water. They have dirt floors, brick walls, and a tin roof. It's sad to think that some people just leave their child because they are disabled, because, if anything I think they are special. It is amazing to see that even though these people don't have very much they make the most of it. and we should and we should all learn to do the same.
     The week so far has been filled with adventure and I am very glad to be here to help all the children. They are all so sweet and I love them all.

     When we arrived in Nicaragua it was hot and humid, nothing like Colorado. On our way to Hotel Hamacas we were stopped by a religious parade and sat in the van for 2 hours. It took 4 hours in all to get from the airport to the hotel. As we were driving, I was thinking how sad it is to see these people living in these conditions while I get to live in an air conditioned house and I have a bed. Some people have hardly anything and struggle to keep themselves on their feet. On Sunday, when we arrived at the school  it was nothing like I had expected. There were two sides and to get the classrooms you would walk outside. They had a huge garden and the school yard looked tropical. When I imagined the school I thought of it as a square building and each classroom was inside. I kind of thought of it as a very small elementary school. We began to start cleaning and organizing each classroom. We cleaned desks, floors, walls, toys, etc. We were hot, sweaty, and sticky. Later that day we picked up bags and bags of trash that were in the school yard and garden. It felt amazing to help the kids out and know that this only happens once a year.
     On Monday morning when the kids arrived at the school I was ecstatic. We were meeting and greeting all the kids and they gave us many hugs. They were the sweetest things and we got to show off our sign language and Spanish. On Monday I worked in Lydia's classroom, which is a 4th grade classroom with students that are deaf. I sat in on the class and observed how the teacher taught. They learned personification, read, responded to questions, and did subtraction. Trying to help the kids with the reading and writing was very difficult, but I tried my best. When they did subtraction I used sign language to help them find the answer. The kids were so sweet, gracious, and smiley throughout the  day. Every time they got a chance to interact with us they would and we did the same.
     The next day they arrived and it was like the day before, hugs and smiles. I was in a class that did lifestyle in the morning and in the afternoon they wrote their names and practiced numbers. When I got to the classroom I was greeted with introductions and hugs from the students. During lifestyle they raked and watered some plants in the front yard. We got into the classroom and I observed how the students did their work. I made letters and numbers for the kids to trace and to get better at writing. I had them pronounce their names and the numbers 1-12. At around 10:00 they had a break and while I was walking over to the basketball court a little girl ran up to me and gave me a big hug. It was the sweetest thing ever. It just touched my heart and it was amazing. After school ended we went to one of the kids houses, his named was Jesus. As a family they lived in a tent and had a small circus. They did not have very much food, so we brought them some bags of groceries. They were an amazing family and were very nice.
     So far the trip has gone great and I have learned to step out of my comfort zone and be more confident. I loved helping the kids and it feels fantastic to be making a difference.