Every Once in a Blue Moon

This opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Today in Rivas, Nicaragua, it was 98 degrees. Everywhere you looked it’s green. I am not here to go to the beach, I am here to go to Esucuala Especial Sor Maria Romero, a school with children that are disabled. I, along with 9 others, cleaned the school and now we are teaching the kids for the rest of the week.

        Today was the first time I met the kids. I had questions flying around in my head. Would they like me? What happens if I can’t communicate with the kids? All of those questions went away as I met them. They do not even know me but already trust me. Right when they get off the bus they are excited to be there. Some run up to you and hug you, while others were a little more shy. My Spanish and sign language practice really paid off.

        Today I went on home visits. The first home was in Palos Negros. Erling is only one year old. Erling was born with a birth defect that made him have one leg half the size of the other. Erling has a very thin femur, no hip bone and no achilles tendon in his right leg. At this moment he has a cast on his right leg to fix tendons. When Erling is five he will get more surgeries to fix the leg. They will not do surgeries on him right now because the leg itself needs to be more developed. He is not taking any medications and is not doing therapy. Every 8 days Erling and his mother take a trip to  Managua, Nicaragua for doctor appointments. I feel lucky because I have two legs, I can walk and talk, and I can express how I’m feeling. Today taught me that human beings can be happy no matter their life situation.

“To the world you may be one person but to one person you may be the world.”-unknown