The Team at El Mirador de Catarina!

The Team at El Mirador de Catarina!
Granada and Mombacho Volcano in background!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Bryan's Kayak Adventure!

VIDEO

Today I (Bryan) finished classes and decided to Kayak across the Ocean to Isla Chora...
I knew this task would be a difficult one, because I would have to kayak out to sea from the beach...through massive waves. I rented my kayak and walked out to the shoreline where I was quickly visited by a scene from Cast Away where Tom Hanks' character tries to sail away from his deserted Island only to be thrust onto the rocks by the gargantuan swells...

Pushing these unpleasant thoughts away from me I rationalized that the only way to get through the surf would be to time the wave intervals and pounce upon a ripe opportunity...

After 10 minutes of counting wave cycles I seized my moment and rushed out into the surf... once I had beat the first set of waves I jumped into my vessel... and it flipped over spilling my lunch into the sea... I quickly righted the boat and gathered my belongings...In the distance a wave was looming that could nearly break my little boat... I jumped into the kayak and rowed with fury directly at the wave, hoping to clear it before it broke..... I succeeded!

Then I kayaked hard for 40 minutes to Isla Chora where I snorkeled with some Americans and ate my lunch...

It was the same crazy ordeal to get back onto the beach (after I had left the island), but well worth it!


VIDEO

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Courtney's Video...

Courtney!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Crocodrilo (Crocodile) VIDEOS!!!!



Today we rented bikes and rode 6 miles to feed the crocodiles!!!!

By the time we were done we had attracted a crowd of 16 people...

You will notice Courtney was absent... Oddly enough she preferred a massage to feeding crocodiles... LoL

Watch the Videos!





Saturday, June 20, 2009

Videos of Costa Rica!

Safely in Costa Rica

Hey Families,

We left Nica a day early and are now safely in Costa Rica!

We are on the way to the beach!!!!

Pura Vida!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

We may have communication problems the next two days...

Dear Families,

We will be leaving Granada for a more remote area on Friday and I do not know if the phones will work when we are there... 

Just letting you all know that communication could be patchy until Sunday night.

-Team


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Finally getting up the videos...

HERE ARE THE VIDEOS!!!...
Ok - so we were going to post these a couple days ago but there was a huge power outage through the entire city so we couldn't get internet long enough to get them up...so here they are :) 
...from our tour of Las Islettas

Zip-Line's and Jungle Storms at Lagoons...

Hey Guys!
We are having a blast here! We are keeping busy with school but found time the last two days to go on a Zip-Line Canopy Tour... and today we went to Laguna de Apoyo... it was amazing to swim in this usually still lagoon as it was rocked with waves as a massive storm moved through (no worries parents... there was no lightning!)... but the water was warm and the rain was cold... and we were surrounded by amazing foliage in the spectacular canyon that comprises the crater lagoon!
Might I mention that all of this occurred whilst holding ice cold bottled Coca Cola in our hands... Yes... its still bottled down here... and it tastes better!!!!







Laguna de Apoyo



Zip-Linin'


Is that Katie Dempsey...Or George of the Jungle?



Is that Courtney Jaramillo.... Or a Chupacabra?




Monday, June 15, 2009

Spanish School and Jungle Boat Adventures!

Today we began our Spanish classes!!! Its four hours straight of one on one tutoring! Its way intense and I think I learned more today than I did in an entire semester at UofA!

After the classes we went on a tour of the 365 little islands in Cocibolca and played with monkies and swam! Check out the pics and videos below!








Ashley plays with a Spyder Monkey!




Katie poses for a pic with her Nicaraguan boyfriend!




The Crew on our personal boat tour!





Courtney "Ballin it Up" in Cocibolca!

Videos to come tomorrow!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

A reunion with Amandita and Carolina... and off to Granada!

Bryan-
Last year I got extremely close to two girls at the children's home, and they no longer live there... I cant even describe how much I grew to love these two girls after spending two months with them...so I really wanted to see them! Furthermore, their mother is bad news (one of the girls has fetal alcohol syndrome) and I was worried that they were living with her.
Thank God they are living with their sister and are doing great! I got to go visit them and it was a wonderful little reunion!!!!
(Carolina, Bryan and Amandita)
Today we set off for Granada! We are all set up in our wonderful homestay and already got to take part in a Nicaraguan birthday celebration complete with pizza! We start class tomorrow at 8am!

(Katie, Ashley and Courtney in Granada)
(Here is our first video from Granada!)


(Our Homestay!)



Thursday, June 11, 2009

Today was truly spectacular... We made 200 meals and stowed them in a cooler which we placed in the back of the 4X4. We then set off down what seemed like deserted and long forgotten jungle "roads" seeking the huts of Nicaragua's poorest of the poor. What we found we will never forget.

Below we will all relate our experiences...


Katie:
 I can hardly find the words to express how much today's experience touched my heart. After driving down a dirt road for miles, we made our first stop in a community of one room huts. The sight of seeing starving children running with their empty bowls for food was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was difficult for me to hold back my tears while we served the many hungry people. I have learned to count my blessings and to take more opportunities to reach out to people in need. I will take the memory of today and hold it in my heart forever to be a reminder to spread love to all. 





Cody: 
Today has been a bittersweet day for me. It is my last full day here in Nicaragua. The last couple days I have been feeling under the weather so I haven't been doing much more then sleeping and reading in my bed. But today, I was not going to be kept down. We got up to continue painting the walls we started yesterday, and I took short breaks all the way through so that I could go to the different english classes I had been going to, so that I could get a picture with all the kids. These kids are the bittersweetness of Nicaragua. They are so beautiful and sweet, I wish that I could come back every month just to see these kids grow up. I'm truly going to miss them. A part of my heart will be here with the kids. 
When we left to go to the feedings, I really didn't know what to expect. Maybe go into a shabby neighborhood and hand out some food to poor people. I was blown away by what I actually saw today. There was a level of poverty that I had never seen, and will probably never really understand. It really puts life into perspective. I wish i could be here longer so that I could help more. I do hope, that other people are inspired and would like to go do something like this. We really do have so much in America. These people have very little. Being around these people and being able to help them breaks your heart and then fills it up all at the same time. I can't wait to be home to see friends and family, but I will miss this place.










Ashley:
What a day!! These last two weeks have been such a blessing to be able to spend time with the children in the school, but for the first time today to be able to go into the villages was something that touched my heart in a way I could never have imagined and will never forget.

For what was for some of these children the only meal they have had all week, they children were so grateful! I wish I could put into words how they're appreciation and joy touched my heart, but I couldn't begin to do it justice.

Life is so precious - if I take nothing else back from this experience thus far, it is to truly appreciate the love and relationships I have in my life. It's not about what we say we are going to do tomorrow, or what we can say we did yesterday that matters - but it is what we make of the moment we are living in that matters. Sometimes all it takes to effect and change the lives of those around us with nothing more than a smile.

Miss you all so much! God bless!






Courtney:
Putting today's experience into words is so hard to do. It was heartbreaking to drive through the jungle where children from the villages ran up starving and shoeless. We asked the first village if they had eaten anything today and they said no. When we asked another village they responded the same way. No food. They hadn't all week. Could you imagine not eating for an entire week? We take it for granted that we get to eat a nice meal everyday. After eating at the Children's Home for almost two weeks we were beginning to complain about eating fried rice and beans for every meal. Those kids in the villages would love the opportunity THREE times in ONE day, no matter what meal was. We eat more in one day than most of those people eat in a week. How insane is that?!

At the last village we visited we had to walk up a little slippery trail to get to the grandparents house. They told us it's nearly impossible to walk down the trail during the rain because they'd fall, yet these elderly people made the trek daily. The couple welcomed us into their home where we saw a tiny banana in their kitchen. They said that was all the food they had in their house/hut. One banana in the entire house! It was so hard to hold back my tears when the little boys told us they had been praying God would provide food for them. 

Today was definitely the most eye-opening day I've had all week. I am so thankful I was able to come help out here and see how these people live. They truly are out of sight and out of mind here. I hope I don't forget the feeling I had today so I can continue to make a difference. God bless the people of Nicaragua!





Bryan:
As many of you know, I was here for two months last summer. I saw this kind of poverty many times a week. Yet it seems that during the long school year, while immersed in the UofA culture, I almost forgot exactly what I had seen here. I almost lost control today when we reached the huts of a family who literally had not had any food for 10 days because their crops had failed. When word got out that we were giving out food people literally started running to the truck. The kids that arrived had bloated stomaches... a clear sign of starvation. 

After seeing what I witnessed here today, I don't know how I could ever complain about anything ever again without a guilty conscience. God help these people.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Time is flying by...


I can't believe I (Ashley) have already been here two weeks! Time has absolutely been flying by - and every minute has been one I wont forget!

This morning we kicked off the day with breakfast and coffee - the BEST coffee I'v ever had! Don't worry, I'm leaving all of my clothes here and filling my bag with this coffee so you can all have some ;) So after breakfast we worked for hours taking pictures of the rest of the students in the secondary school for the cards that they are putting together. Bryan and Courtney had a lot of fun making faces to get the kids to smile :)


After taking hundreds of pictures we had lunch with the children and rested up for a bit. For lunch today we had beans and rice...JUST beans and rice! I'd never imagined how much I'd love just boiled beans and rice! Because oil is so cheap here the Nicaraguan people fry almost everything! To eat beans and rice that hadn't been fried was a nice change ;)

After lunch we got to work painting the Mission Center. It's amazing to think that just a few years ago when this school opened these rooms were used as classrooms! So much growth has taken place here, I can't even imagine the way it was before - with just dirt floors!



Well just finished up dinner (fried rice and vegetables :) and now we're heading to bed, another long day ahead of us tomorrow!

Miss you all so much! Stay tuned for more!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

What we have been doing...

We have had an amazing opportunity here to have a positive impact on New Hope's finances! It takes thousands of dollars each month to run this school, orphanage and technical school, especially since every service is provided free of cost!


New Hope has had its fair share of difficulties in finding money to support these ventures and the leaders have initiated a child sponsorship program to help cover costs.

Thus, we have been engaged in taking pictures, and gathering the information of hundreds of students this past week so the New Hope leaders can take the cards to the states this week to find sponsors!

Each card will bring in $25 a month to New Hope (this is the cost per child to attend the school)! This place does so much good and shares so much love and we are EXCITED to have a real impact and to be a true help to these people!

Above you will find a card that we put together...

God Bless!

Ashley, Katie, Courtney, Cody and Bryan




Sunday, June 7, 2009

A Nicaraguan Sunday!

(Courtney at the edge of the very active Volcan Masaya)

Each day of our summer adventure continues to amaze me (Katie)! Our first Sunday of the trip was filled with rewarding opportunities and breath taking sights that look too beautiful to be real ! We began our day by going to the church iglesia hechos 24. After spending time with the adorable children at church, we traveled around Nicaragua seeking the sights of an active volcano and Lake Nicaragua!



(a little girls enjoys food and presents donated by New Hope)






(Bryan passes beanie babies out to children)


It was so rewarding spending the morning with the children at iglesia hechos 24. We participated in the celebration of Children's Day by handing out candy while the kids broke open a pinata, we gave out jugetes (beanie babies) to each child, and helped serve the children food provided by New Hope.  The children were so thankful for our visit and they showed us there appreciation by hugging all of us with smiles from ear to ear!! :) 



(Ashley speaks to the children)





(Cody speaks to the children)







(the children walk to church)

We came to Nicaragua to help people that live in poverty and we have found that the people of Nicaragua have helped us as well. Through the genuine smiles of the children you can see their simple ways of life.. health, happiness, and love! 

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Rain makes for an impromptu day off!!!

(Bryan soars above Managua)


Today was slotted for a lot of maintenance, but a large storm blew in and our plans were thwarted... Thus we were granted a day off of work and headed for Managua!

We started by having lunch at... you guessed it! TGI Fridays, where we all had massive burgers and cokes to make up for the beans and rice we have eaten all week!

We then sought out a zip line that cuts across a lagoon in town (but very much in the Jungle) and Cody and I (Bryan) jumped at the opportunity to take the ride! There were three jumps, and the last was right over the lagoon! We did the last one in the super man position, and I can honestly say it was one of the most fun things I have ever done! It was exactly like a dream... a dream where you were superman, or peter pan... just flying over the water... watching your reflection beneath you!!!! Amazing.

We then went to the market where everyone bought various items that I will not name in case one was a gift for you!!!




(A view of the National Stadium and Lake Managua)


(The team supports each other... literally!)





Friday, June 5, 2009

A Day of Ninos, Vistas y BANANAS!!!!!

(Cody FINALLY gets his bananas!)

One of the reasons I (Cody) came to Nicaragua finally happened. As you can see, I am holding two bunches of bananas. This was one of the small highlights of today. I came for the bananas, but I'm staying for the kids. Today we celebrated Dia de Los Ninos (children's day) at the primary school. The classes had competitions where the boys would compete against other boys and girls against other girls in sack races, balloon race and popping them by sitting on them, and carrying a lime in a spoon while you run(with your mouth). It is really funny to see the kids get excited in their gym. The students cheer so loud you think you are at a professional soccer game.



(We strike a pose as we ride in the back of the truck)

 


(One of the most beautiful views in Nicaragua!)

Yesterday, we got  to help teach the students english in all the classes. Its a lot of fun, i have sung "head shoulders knees and toes" more in the last 2 days then i have in my whole life. I sing myself to sleep with it now.  That and the awesome song Bryan and I made. We will probably be laying the track down, making a record. It'll go triple platinum. We have also been taking pictures of all the students one by one. So that New Hope Childrens Foundation can raise a little money. These kids have bigger smiles then i have ever seen. I want to take the kids home with me half the time. They are awesome and nice, even though i can barely talk with them.

(Courtney prepare for flight!)




(Some students take down a pinata for Children's Day)

We have been playing a lot of sports with the kids. They are really good at soccer. Most of the time they can school all of us. But they like us to play on their team because we are tall and they think that will help. We also get to play a lot of fun games like red rover (perro rojo) with the kids. They love that game. We have gotten to play volleyball with the adults that live here. Everyone is really nice. A big change to be around all happiness and fun. I don't think I've heard a single mean thing said since I've been here.




(Ashley and Katie pass out beanie babies to the students)





(In the gym, about to give out the beanie babies)

We got to go to  this mountain a couple hours ago. We did our best to try to capture the picture with our cameras, but the pictures don't truly do the view justice. Their are so many beautiful greens all around each other. The camera can't see how awesome it is. I hope everyone gets a chance to see this kind of beauty sometime in their life.


(Ashley- teaching English)



(Here Katie is just "blending in")


(Perro Rojo.... or Red Rover)

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

FIRST DAY!!!

(Ashley plays Pato Pato Ganso during recess)

Hey Everyone! We arrived safe and sound in Nicaragua and have had a GREAT first day!!!
We are now at the New Hope Children's Foundation, which is a Christian school and orphanage high up on a mountain top in the middle of the Jungle! New Hope provides free education to over 400 students and also plays a large role in feeding the community (who are malnourished)...


(LtoR, Courtney, Ashley and Katie teach sixth graders the English word for ears)

We spent a large part of the day teaching english in the 1-6 grade classrooms and playing with the children... As you may see from the pictures... these are some of the poorest children in the world (I say you may be able to see their poverty because usually you can not tell it by their clothes because they take great pride in their appearance)...
Ashley and Katie had the opportunity to cook and serve food for the poor of the community, and we all partook in the Gallo Pinto (rice and beans) for lunch... we will have this for the next 14 days : )

(The line begins at the feeding center, Ashley and Katie prepare food within)

(Below: a child waits at the feeding center)
We were blessed to have also spent a considerable amount of time with the children... we played Pato Pato Ganso (Duck Duck Goose) with about forty kids and tomorrow we have promised to play red rover!
We are having a great time, but everywhere we look around we are confronted with extreme poverty and many unfortunate situations... 
I (Bryan) was also blessed today to be reunited with the orphans that I spent two months with last year... I missed them SO MUCH!


(Bryan reunited with Devoni)

We have plenty of assignments coming up which include a lot of good old fashioned manual labor... and we are excited to help! There is so much that needs to be done here, and the futures of these children are literally hanging in the balance!
We are going to try and update the blog very frequently, and we will feature different authors every time!


Sunday, May 10, 2009

End of This Trip!

Below, you will find summaries of last years travels- Look above for the current stuff!

Welcome to Our Blog!


Note! I moved many of the pictures to the bottom of the page, under the blog posts!

If you are here to follow Bryan's adventure (after this trip) go to bryanthomasbaker.blogspot.com


The first two weeks of our trip will be spent at the New Hope Children's Foundation in El Crucero, Nicaragua! Here we will blessed to serve at this Christian orphanage and school!
For an idea of what New Hope is all about, please visit this website: http://www.newhopechildrensfoundation.org/

Then we will proceed to the colonial city of Granada, Nicaragua where we will take an intensive spanish program and stay with Nicaraguan families! We will also spend much time in and near Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua) as well as on the dormant Volcan Mombacho, which towers over the city!

After a week in Granada we will head to Costa Rica, where we will also take intensive spanish courses... and spend much downtime on the BEACH! 

After this fun-filled week some of us will return to the USA, and others will return to New Hope for two more weeks of service...

Then Bryan will be joined by others as he flies down to Lima, Peru... to eventually complete a 7 day trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu!

It will be the summer of a lifetime! Be sure to keep track of our adventures right here!

Starving Children...

Starving Children...
We found and fed these little girls in the jungle today... notice their bloated stomachs... these girls are literally starving...

Katie and Ashley pass out food in the jungle...

Katie and Ashley pass out food in the jungle...

Bryan's Kayak Adventure to Isla Chora

Bryan's Kayak Adventure to Isla Chora

This family of countless children had literally no food in their house...

This family of countless children had literally no food in their house...

A child with one of the beanie babies we brought from home...

A child with one of the beanie babies we brought from home...

Cody is Bananas!

Cody is Bananas!
Cody has finally lived his dream!

Bryan in Lago de Nicaragua... Volcan Mombacho in background!

Bryan in Lago de Nicaragua... Volcan Mombacho in background!

Costa Rica!

Costa Rica!

Playa Samara, Costa Rica

Playa Samara, Costa Rica

The Girls in Granada!

The Girls in Granada!
...from atop a cathedral!

Sharing Some Love...

Sharing Some Love...
Cody and Katie give beanie babies to children in Managua.

Reunion!

Reunion!
best buddies get to see each other after a year!

Crocodile Adventure!

Crocodile Adventure!

The Girls...

The Girls...
at the mirador...

Cody Flies Over Managua...

Cody Flies Over Managua...

Zip Line in Managua!

Playa Carillo, Costa Rica

Playa Carillo, Costa Rica