Saturday, April 1, 2017

Final post... I think!

We all made it safely back in Pittsburgh late last night!  There are so many stories to share, so please feel free to ask us about the trip.  One thing we took away from this trip was that even the delays and unexpected circumstances were a huge part of what made this trip amazing.  One example is that our delay in getting to Managua resulted in at least one awesome story of God's timing and compassion.  We have all been blessed by the people of Nicaragua, and hope that you will join us in continuing to pray for them.

Now that we are back home, we have a renewed appreciation for our wifi and internet capabilities!  Please enjoy more of the pictures that will forever be wonderful memories for us all!


They decorated for us


The family whose home we ate lunch in on Day 1 in La Bendicion.  We all loved the little boy Melvin (pronounced Mel-veen)


The boys really enjoyed the crafts as well


Sweet girls


A pretty necklace craft


Making new friends


Relaxing


Our new friend Nayheli (pronounced Ni-e-lee)


Decorating a frame for a family photo


We LOVED the jersey


La Bendicion presented us each with a gift 


They even had one for our interpreter Marcos.  He was fabulous!


Welcoming in Tierra Neuva


Meeting new friends in Tierra Neuva


Getting to see old friends ~ Henry (the President of Tierra Neuva)


Board member Juan


Reconnecting with Josalie after 4 years


Kyra and an old friend Claudia


Aron and an old friend Dina


New friend Harold and his daughter


Heading down to see their crops with Henry


Beautiful view


Agros employee that we've known for several years


Tierra Neuva presenting us with gifts


Old church in Granada


Resting during a hike around a volcano


A beautiful country


Thank you all for your prayers during our trip!  They were felt, and deeply appreciated!

The NCC Nicaragua March 2017 Team

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Last day in country

We fly home tomorrow.  Today was a day full of reflection, and team building.  This trip yielded a wonderful positive imbalance of roses versus thorns (a Kovac tradition).  Our new partnership with La Bendicion is off to a great start, due in large part to a wonderful receptive people.  Our visit to Tierra Nuevo, although short (biggest thorn), included many renewed friendships, many new friendships, and an overall feeling of friends visiting friends.  Enjoy some last few pics.


Team with some amazing Nicaraguan views.



Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Day 2 extras and Day 3

Here are a couple more from yesterday.



Joe, Isaac (now pronounced Eezack), and Oleg earned this rest with their new buds.  Hours of playing was certainly a highlight.


Saying our goodbyes was hard, but knowing this was just the beginning of the relationship between our two communities made it easier.


Day 3 was a brief stop at Tierra Nueva, where we met old friends, made new ones, 
and previewed our June Kidzone trip.  Definitely a success!

Some of the team.

Margarita and Tierra Nueva's newest resident.  With a doctor on site daily, 
the health of all has improved dramatically.


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Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Day 2 (and final day at new village)

What a wonderful God we serve.  Many thanks to all of the prayers that have and will continue to be lifted up. They have mattered!  And thank you for all who helped support this team in coming to Nicaragua.  We could not have done this without you.  Enjoy!
Our team with most of the students.  They built this amazing school in 2 mos.
Juliet and her new twin friends.
Exploring the farm with new friends.
See a pattern?
Great group photo.
And they like classic rock.


Day 1 Continued

We don't have the best wifi here, so loading pics is harder than expected!  Here are a few more pics from Day 1 that finally loaded!

Duck Duck Goose game!


Playing soccer!

Planting coffee seeds

Sweet girl!

A necklace the kids made



Monday, March 27, 2017

Day 1 La Bendicion - The Blessing

We had a tremendous day!  The village was so welcoming from the minute we stepped off of the bus. Please enjoy some of our day.

"Helped" plant coffee seeds.

This is the very first step for their coffee crop.

Learning a lot about all of their different crops.



Time for some finger nail polish and hand painting!

And the universal language, sports.  Big hit.