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

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.

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.

Already 50 or so signed up?

You will just Haff to ask.

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

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.