Rain Rain Go Away

Torrential rain showers and lightning storms delayed much of this year's blogging. Fortunately, it allowed time for us to reflect on the impact our work has had in each child's life this past week.

Day 3, 4, 5, & 6 -

Day 3 was definitely a highlight of this trip. At the elementary, we continued our tutoring in reading, English, and calligraphy. At the high school we began our science experiments and sex-ed seminars.

The students were captivated by the rocket labs and enjoyed seeing the impact of chemistry and physics in a real world setting.

The sex-ed talks varied with each group. The primary focus of the seminars was to impart the importance of safe-sex and furthermore discuss the respect with which each person deserves to treat his/ her own partner. We wanted to make sure that each student was aware that any temporary decision could result in permanent consequences and that sex was a gift from God, intended for one man and one woman after marriage.

Day 4 paralleled a lot of the work completed on Day 3. This time, however, our work was directed at a younger age group. This continued throughout the rest of the week.

Small highlights included our occasional visits to the ice cream shop (Pops) and the one time we were able to treat four young boys on the street to an ice cream cone.

Friday, we celebrated Sofia F's birthday and were happy to eat cake and, of course, more ice cream.

Our final day was spent packing and visiting the children at Pan y Amor one final time.

Tears and laughter were exchanged. We were pleased to see the impact we'd made once again in Nicaragua.

Thank you to every contributor and donor who has made this year possible and for those who have helped fundraise for Pan y Amor. Your help has changed the lives of each child at Pan y Amor beyond measure.

Blessings,

- Ian

Back At It

A LOT has changed since 2014.

This year we have welcomed several new faces & places. We are also proud to share that because of your generous outreach and support, Pan y Amor has been able to relocate their middle and high school students to a larger and safer property. Given this incredible opportunity, they have started various projects including the cultivation of their very own school garden. Here, students from different grade levels have grown and harvested fruits and vegetables -- an opportunity they could not have had previously -- so thank you.

Day 1 (not actually) -

After our arrival in Managua late Saturday night, our group boarded a bus, which later transported us back to the hotel. Little Bandaids, a partner group of Little Pencils, welcomed us upon arrival. A week prior to our visit, they had visited Aproquen, a hospital well-known for their treatment of burn-victims and cleft-lip pallet patients. During their visit, they crafted dozens of games for the children and performed drama skits as well. For dinner, we all enjoyed some Nicaragüense pizza and then got ready for bed.

Day 1 (actually) -

The following day was spent touring the city on bus and visiting small marketplaces. Several of us purchased small trinkets for ourselves and families at home. Throughout this process, many of us also discovered the importance of bargaining.
We also spent a period of our time deciding whether we would visit El Volcan Masaya or the lagoon. After much thought, we chose neither (lol). Instead, we drove by El Lago de Nicaragua, which *interesting fact* is the only lake in the world that has sharks.
Later that evening, we enjoyed a home-cooked meal made by the Brenner grandparents and prepared our supplies for the following day.

Day 2 -

Yesterday was spent at both the elementary and high school campuses. At the elementary we all split up to aid the different age groups in various classrooms. Some of us helped with math, while others helped with reading, English, and calligraphy. At the high school, we ate lunch, jumped rope with several of the students, and were introduced to the students we would be visiting for the rest of the week. While some of us tutored, a couple of us were also able to finalize the plans for the rest of the week including science projects, sex-ed talks, and break-off groups.

Later in the afternoon, we were treated to some ice cream at a nearby parlor to top off all of yesterday's hard labor.

In the evening, we went back to the hotel, prepared ourselves for dinner and finished the night off with a delicious meal at the Porterhouse.

Now on to Day 3!

- Ian