All good things come to an end...

It has been a day of goodbyes. This morning I went to school and said farewell to my 7th and 8th graders. I am really going to miss them, and they said they would miss me too, which made me feel like my heart was melting. I left them with a small token of my time here: a pencil or a book mark. Some of the students gave me hugs and sweet words of goodbye. I even got a gift from one of my 7th grade girls. I hung around NCA until after lunch so that I could say goodbye to all of the teachers too. It is hard to leave when there is so much love and acceptance.

I walked home for the last time and took in my environment. It is not everyday where you can walk down the road come across loads of garbage, a road-side snack shack, cat-calls and people riding in the back of trucks. This is all Nicaragua, and I will miss it in some strange way. As soon as I got home, I ate some of my last arroz con leche (rice pudding) and then hit the pool. I probably spent much more time at the pool than I should have, but I was in denial of leaving, and the bright blue of the sky, green of the palm trees, and coolness of the water were so addictive.

After my time at the pool, I started to pack some things up in my room. Emily and Katie came in a few times to help/observe/interrupt my packing and I loved it. Before I could finish with my packing, we all jumped in the car and headed over to La Finca for dinner with some of my other friends/teachers from school. I thoroughly enjoyed my last Nica meal of Jalapeno Chicken, ripe plantain, gallo pinto, and tres leche for dessert. It was fantastic; the perfect way to end four wonderful months. And so, as we went our seperate ways in the parking lot, I said goodbye to so many people that I have come to love. The community here at NCA has been so uplifting and supportive. I will truly miss it.

And so, here I sit, with tears in my eyes, trying to put my 4 months in Nicaragua into words. I told Mike that I don't cry with goodbyes...but I caved. In the solitude of my room, I let a few tears fall. I just had 8 hugs from Katie and 5 from Emily before they went to bed. Gina gave me a hug and swiftly got the girls on their way--she knows goodbyes can be hard. It has been better than I ever imagined it would be. God has taught me so much about teaching, myself, and who He is. Once again God has shown me his faithfulness and blessing in my life. He put Nicaragua on my heart years ago, and lead me back this semester. It still amazes me how God is control of the smallest things. For example, I was just walking back from Aimee's apartment a few minutes ago when I realized that I have not come across a single tarantula or scorpion since I have come here. One of my fears about Nicaragua was that the insects are so big and creepy. God has helped me overcome my fears even though some are small, like spiders, and others are big, like the responsibilities of teaching. I am so thankful to be finished with the semester and all of the hard work, but I can't take the credit for it. God was my strength through it all and he will continue to be in the future. That is the promise I cling to.
So, here I sit, with a bunch of packing yet to do and a heavy heart. Luckily, the future is bright as I consider my next adventure, especially because I know I will never be alone.

I have a renewed love for the following Bible verse because I have relied on it so much this semester: "I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13. It is simple, but so perfectly true.

Thanks to all of you for following me on this fun and exciting adventure. I have appreciated the emails, skype dates, thoughts and prayers that you have given me. I praise God for the many blessings he has given me. I see this experience as one more beautiful memory I can lock up in my treasure chest of life. Praise God!

Leon and other outings

This weekend was a mix of activity and relaxation. On Friday I went with Mike and Gina and the family to Galaries, the big mall. Our little outing included window shopping, lunch, groceries, and my first experience at GameSpot, the arcade in the mall. Although we enjoyed our time away, it was longer than expected. There were some rotundas and roads closed in the area, which made our trip home long and frustrating. Mike and Gina did a great job of navigating, and I got one last tour of Managua!

On Saturday, I took a trip with my friend Leah. We decided to visit Leon, where she used to live. I met Leah at a gas station, and we took a "chicken bus" to another bus stop. The Nicaraguan public transportation system uses school buses, which are commonly known as "chicken buses." They have no laws against maximum capacity, so you often see these buses overflowing with people, especially around 8 am and 5pm. Thankfully, our bus wasn't overflowing. When we got to the next bus stop, we waited in line to take a micro bus (or a van) to Leon. However, because it was a workers holiday, the buses were very slow. After about an hour and a half, we finally got a bus and headed to Leon. When we arrived in Leon, everything was wet and there were some small floods in some areas of the city. We managed to only get our feet slightly wet as we jumped into the back of a camionetta. A comionetta is a pick-up truck with benches in the back that is commonly used as transportation in Leon. We took a short drive through the city and towards the main square. This is where we spent the majority of our day having lunch, shopping, and taking in the city. I was able to find a few things for great deals! After shopping, we visited the family that Leah used to live with. They had a parrot that could talk. It said some funny things and it could even laugh!

After our visit, we took a taxi to the bus stop and grabbed a micro bus home. I got out at another bus stop on my own, and took a taxi home, which was the first time I have ever done that. Thankfully, a lady who spoke English, saw me struggling to communicate with the taxi driver and helped me out. It was great to finally be home and rest my feet after a fun day in Leon.

On Sunday, I went with Rebecca to see where Chilo lives. Chilo is the lady that cleans our apartment. She is a sweetheart. She lives up on the hillside, which is beautiful, cool and green. It was fun to see her family and their way of life.

Monday night, I had one last visit to the Pena's household. This is where Aimee was living for about 2 months of the semester. They made a wonderful Nicaraguan meal including quesillos, cacao, and arroz con leche (rice pudding...yum!) It was delicious, and I thoroughly enjoyed my last meal with them. As always, it was difficult to say goodbye, but I have so many fond memories of that family.

Some of the pictures I have posted are from Leon and my visits, but I have also posted a few random ones that I have taken in the past few weeks. Enjoy!