While the team is on the mountain serving in La Esmeralda and the surrounding area, they will not have internet to blog or send pictures. Cell phone coverage can be difficult, but we always attempt to have one brief phone call per day with updates on how the team is doing. I, Denise, will be receiving those updates and posting here as they come in.
Friday the team made the trip up the mountain on the winding dirt road to La Esmeralda. That bus ride becomes a challenge for those with motion sickness. Some rode in the truck with Donna Woodson, one of our missionaries to Nicaragua. All in all, they did pretty well and arrived in good shape.
They stay in a house near the clinic called the Marena House. It is a vacant house that is leased by the government. Donna Woodson, makes the arrangement with the government for us to use it for the week and it works out great.
The house has a central meeting area with separate rooms for the team to split into bunk house type rooms for boys and girls. There are very basic bathroom facilities that help them get through the week. Each year the church folks do some work on the house to make sure it is ready for the team. They also haul in bunk beds and mattresses for them to sleep on.
Their meals are cooked in the kitchen at the clinic and served under the pavilion on the picnic tables that the 2012 construction team built.
After arriving in La Esmeralda and meeting their Nicaragua team partners that will host them and be their translators, they have to unload everything from the bus and haul it up the hill to the Marena House or to the clinic if it belongs there.
La Esmeralda is in a cloud forest which means it is a rainy, wet environment. That can cause problems with the dirt road and hauling things around once they arrive. The weather was good for the trip up the mountain and unloading the supplies and suitcases. That is always a huge blessing!
Friday evening they spent time getting to know the Nicaragua team and preparing for the next day's events. That night there was a lot of rain. The storm, combined with the first night in the new environment, made for a difficult night's sleep for some.
There are many adventures ahead for this team. Thank you for following their journey through this blog and carrying them with your prayers!