Comments from Our Students About Nicaragua

Jenn Lewis: Last year I saw the houses and the poverty from an outside perspective. This time we went into a near village and went to houses to talk to the people and to walk with them. When we were in the dump, Peter Willard (head of Chop Point) said, “How much did you pay God to be born in the U.S.?” It is a privilege and gift, not a right, to be in the circumstances I am in and not these peoples. Also, when we worked with the kids, we all saw the joy and contentness in their eyes and faces, that at times we who have so much more, lack. That was sobering. David Kelley: This trip was beyond what I could have imagined. I can’t think of any words to describe it or to describe the feelings I experienced. It was great to see people spreading God’s word and doing so much with so little. Shannon Carlson: This has been an amazing experience for me. Being down there and able to share God’s love with all of the kids was such a blessing. It was really a life changing experience spiritually. Every single minute of every single day was completely centered on God and serving Him. Just being there and having the opportunity to do what we did for the people brought me so much closer to God. It really made me rethink what it is that He might have planned for my future, and the idea of going back to Nicaragua or even somewhere else to do mission work has been opened up to me. It really makes me excited to think about serving God in this way for the rest of my life. Tyson Lepage: The missions’ trip was an amazing experience. It presented me with many first time opportunities. I have never been outside the U.S. before, had never seen a scorpion, or a porcupine, or an active volcano. I also got to meet Paul Hamn. More importantly, this trip showed me how blessed we are to live in the United States. I had never seen such immense poverty before. The children I played with really touched my life. They taught me through their laughter, smiles, and happiness, that worldly possessions do not bring happiness. We are all blessed to be able to have this trip. David Hasbrouck: It is amazing to see the work God can do with a good attitude and a willing heart. It was very powerful to meet 2 brothers who devote their time to serve those who were serving God in Nicaragua. Even when I felt that I could not adequately minister to the kids, they still had a great time and we were effective. Jacki Woodward: I went down expecting a trip like Mexico where we were in a nice place, ate out a lot, and did mostly service projects where we were well directed. But, in Nicaragua, we had to work for each of our meals, set tables, squeeze fruit for juice, smash plantains, and do dishes. We had to be a leader, self-directed with the kids and use all our Spanish faculties to be understood. It was a characterstretching trip for me. It is for that I enjoyed it. I also learned that God doesn’t forsake you. I have a rough time dealing with kids, but whenever I was having problems, a solution presented itself. That was a valuable lesson I learned. Caitlin Fillmore: I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to take this trip. God has been working in our lives in so many ways this week. It is always a blessing for me to see people praising God in different languages. It is a nice reminder that God is a powerful and universal God that hears all our prayers and sent His Son to save us all. This trip also has allowed me to open my heart and mind to the idea of God sending me overseas to do His work. God works in powerful and mysterious ways and the trip turned out to be more magnificent than I had expected or imagined. Amber Dinsmore: Going on this trip has made me so much more thankful for everything I have. It has made me realize that material things really should not make you happy. The Nicaraguan people have nothing and yet they are some of the happiest people I’ve ever seen. God works in so many mysterious ways and I appreciate that more after this trip. I have also learned to put others before my self more. I thank God for giving me this opportunity. Andy Foss: This is my first missions trip outside the U.S. and it was a life changing experience. It’s hard to grasp the fact that the people we were ministering to live in such poverty and still smiled, laughed, and were grateful for the little that they had. Sometimes the intended group to be ministered to does not feel the greatest effect of the mission. Rebecca Bauer: The mission trip was a great experience. There were many moments and experiences that are unforgettable. I’m thankful for everyone who supported us through prayers or financially, and for Chop Point for letting us go with them. One of the most moving experiences for me was on Monday when we went to go see the dump. I felt terrible to see the conditions that they lived in. It made me appreciate all that I have. The dump was very hard for me to see. My favorite memories were playing with the kids. On Monday after going to the dump, we went to a neighborhood where there was a Christian family living. After looking at the house, some of us went outside and got to play basketball with lots of kids from the neighborhood. The kids were laughing and having the best time; their smiles were so big! We also spent two days working with kids at the camp. David Hasbrouck, Jake (a Chop Point student) and I worked with a group of 8 kids. These kids were and are amazing. Although my Spanish is very limited, I was able to communicate with the kids fully. All the kids wanted, was love. They wouldn’t stop hugging or holding on to me. I became so close to the kids and the kids to me. One little boy in my group drew a heart in the beach and then wrote my name in it. He was such a sweet little kid, but all the kids were. The trip is an unforgettable experience. God brought us closer to each other, closer to Chop Point, but most importantly closer to Him. John Scribner: We were greatly blessed to be able to go on this trip. Despite the fact that we were working the majority of the time, it was an incredibly fun experience. Working with the children was wonderful. They were thrilled by all the activity we did with them, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We had a very fun time evicting a porcupine from our cabin! The view of the volcanoes was beautiful. This trip also had a sobering side. I was able to see the extreme poverty that many people in the country live in, compared to our lives in the states. Jamie Childs: This has been one of the most amazing experiences that I have ever had. God has really opened my eyes and my heart to an unfamiliar culture and allowed me to both enjoy and spread his love around to the children and citizens of Nicaragua. I feel very blessed to be able to go on this mission trip. Amanda Sarver: One of the most important things that I learned was trust. This trip took a lot of work. We had to plan, fundraise, and work together for several years. God is good and He got us to Nicaragua. Although we got there, there were many times when it seemed like the money wouldn’t be there and plans would fall apart. But God was faithful the whole time. God put everything together and I had an amazing trip. I learned to trust God’s timing and plans, which are very different than mine. They are perfect! God is always faithful!!! This trip’s destination was outside of Managua, Nicaragua. The group stayed there from 13 to 20, 2005.