A Leisurely Sunday

Lauren spent the morning at the orphanage bathing all of the children, leaving Nefret and I on our own for church. I certainly missed having Lauren there but I think it’s quite admirable that she spent her Sunday with the kids.

Nefret and I were in for quite a treat at church. The worship was great. Worship is always much more lively here than at home but today was even more intense than usual. I felt like I was at a party instead of at church. The band was rocking out and there were even women dancing with flags and ribbons up front.

To our surprise a man of obvious Non-Nicaraguan heritage approached the pulpit to give the sermon. I quickly recognized that his Spanish accent sounded much like mine – bad. Another gringo! He spoke in Spanish for about 5 minutes before switching over to English. A translator helped the vast majority of the congregation understand the language I was quite pleased to hear. Perhaps the most humorous parts of the service for me were the times Nefret, Brad, and I would be the only people laughing, since the Nicaraguans had to wait a few seconds until the translator translated the pastor’s jokes.

After church we had a chance to hang out with the orphans from Casa Bernabe – the orphanage where we’ve stayed during our last two Spring Breaks. I really enjoyed watching Nefret reconnect with some girls. I got to see my friends Giovanni and Manuel for a bit, too.

We lounged around here for the afternoon. I watched some football and called my parents and Grandmothers on Skype while the girls read and watched a movie. We were supposed to have dinner with our friend Ramon tonight, but unfortunately he is sick. Hopefully we can see him later in the week.

Tomorrow I am headed back to Spanish school in the morning – only for 2 hours this time – and Lauren is headed back to the work. I think Nefret is going to hang around a coffee shop and then join me for lunch with the street kids.

I’m both excited and anxious to see how the kids act tomorrow. After the change in demeanor we witnessed on Friday I don’t really know what to expect. I clearly do not have any skills in counseling and can barely communicate with them. Part of me is frustrated because I don’t know how to make the situation better. I can’t even really ask what the problem is. I am being humbled, though, and reminded that the only things I can really offer are my presence and my love. I know, deep down, that those are the most important qualities, but I always face that temptation to try to do more. Confronting my inabilities is yet another way in which I’m being humbled.