Hola everyone!
This post is in effort to raise $400 to keep me alive until I return home June 10, 2013. I think that it's incredible that I've been blessed to raise over $5,000 in living and program support, all which could have never been done without the support of family and friends.
I want to tell you what these next 2 months look like for me so if you decide to donate towards my last couple of months you'll know what it's going towards :).
Recently FSF Granada started doing workshops with all 4 teams, the theme is Sano yo, Sano mundo (healthy me, healthy world). The series will be done with the help of community organizations who will come to our activity time and teach the girls the importance of respecting ourselves (and others) and respecting the environment (and how the two can overlap). Our first workshop last week focused on nutrition, a local Saul, came from the Opportunity International School in Diriomo to get the girls thinking and energized about nutrition. This was followed by an activity where the girls did trivia, filled the food pyramid with paper food, saw presentations on different types of foods and planted a bean seed. All this toped off with a field trip to a mirador (view point) and a small hike (big for some!) to enjoy nature and time together.
Some of the efforts that I will be making along side my co-coach Hassell are trying to establish little girls teams with in the school system. We've only had the chance play one game, which was a miracle, but at the least I hope to leave the program with lasting relationships that will move the Mariposa Jr. team in a direction where they have games regularly. So the next two months will be serious community outreach, leading gym classes and taking the girls to schools during recess time to get them moving!
My second half of the year in Granada has been much different than the first in both good and bad ways but overall this year has taught me so many valuable things. One of which being that community outreach is so fun! And that if I lead in Spanish than I can certainly lead in English...that building strong relationships is the key to community and encouraging others...that encouragement is priceless... that you can dream big and achieve big...that things like poverty, abuse, discrimination and depression are things that are so real but so are things like love, encouragement, justice and kindness...that you don't really know how strong your faith is in God until you are put in a place where you know no one and nothing of that place...that a group of 7-9 yr. olds can teach you many things about your character that help you change... and lastly you never know where you'll end up so stop stressing about where you're going and just live.
I'm excited to see where the next two months leads Hassell, the Mariposa Jrs and I as well as looking forward to going home. Some days are great and others can be draining, living in a different culture now for almost a year but everyday I'm thankful that I get to be here. I have a new adventure all set for the summer, in Portland, OR with a family I worked for prior to coming to Nicaragua and the prospect of graduate school in the fall at UW Tacoma for Social Work. Many things to be excited about and I don't think it will hit me until my last day here how much I'll miss Nicaragua but I know God's already preparing my heart.
Thank a thousand times over for those who have supported me throughout this journey, financially, prayers, thoughts and encouragement. If you have more questions about what I've been doing here in Nicaragua over the past year you can call me at (206) 792-9771 or Skype me :) Madymoo1 or email me madeliene.hernandez@gmail.com your donations are appreciated, too!
Abrazos,
Mady