Day 3 (January 29, 2017): Project Site NI-200

We met the rest of the Board for breakfast in the hotel restaurant at 7:30 and we're on a bus to project NI-200 at 8:30, arriving for the start of the service at 9am. They were certainly waiting for us! The church was decorated in red and white balloons with an elaborate banner that said "welcome --- of Canada". There are 600 children registered at this particular project. The service lasted 1.5 hours and was led by a 10-year old girl, brimming with talent and confidence as a leader and as a singer. In fact, many of the children sang during the service. The talent was amazing!! 
 

 [ A 10-year old girl sang for us with everything she had in her!  Moving!]

 [ These 3-5 year olds were wonderful singers ]

[ Children from NI-200, sitting attentively through the church service ]
 

It isn't easy to describe the feeling of visiting a project site.  Sitting around the Board table and discussing how the organization is working on the ground is one thing.  But being amidst so many of the children from one of our project sites brings new meaning to everything.  The program is doing amazing work!  The children of this project site live in a tough part of Managua, where the average income is $100 US per month between two working parents.  To see them so involved, to happy, to interact with them, to talk to the staff - it is clear that the money is being well-spent and the children are getting so much from the investment.

[ These two girls wanted to give Pam some drawings they had made and to have their photo taken with her!]

[ Every child has a binder with all his/her records - and it's the same at every project site I have visited - Columbia, Thailand, Peru, and now Nizaragua ]

We spent three hours at the project.  Just before leaving, we were presented with gifts the children had made for us.  The good byes were difficult, to say the least.

 

From the project site, we drove an hour south to the colonial town of Granada, founded in 1524 and situated on the edge of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. We ate lunch at El Zaguan behind the main Cathedral - a favourite restaurant of our CEO.  Then we walked around the historic centre of the town, taking in the colonial architecture, before heading down to the Lake for a boat tour. 

[ A caleche in colonial Granada ]

 

[ Buildings in colonial Granada ]

 

[ Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in Parque Colón, Granada ] 

 

[ The view from the bell tower of Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral ]

 

[ a colourful colonial street in Granada ]

 [ Guadaloupe Church in Granada ]

 

[ Antiquo Convento San Francisco ]

The boat tour took us among many small islands, of which there are 365 in total.  Many have been bought by the wealthy, who have built elaborate homes.

 

[ Heading off on our boat tour of Lake Nicaragua ]

 

  [ Birds of a feather flock together! ]

 

[ One of the 365 islands is Monkey Island, and is home to just 5 monkeys! ]

 

[ Bird nests! ]

[ The Mombacho Volcano is one of the most prominent volcanoes in Nicaragua, located only 10 km from Granada.]

We wrapped up the boat tour just before 5pm, and started the drive back to Managua, arriving at the hotel by 6:30pm.  Enroute, we passed the Masaya Volcano, which is active.  Time didn't permit us to drive up and see the lava flows at dusk, but we could see the smoke rising above it.

[ Smoke from the active Masaya Volcano ]

When we got into the city, the rest of the group went to walk at the waterfront area and to have dinner.  But, due to my ankle bothering me from all the walking today, and the fact that we explored the waterfront yesterday, we decided to return to the hotel for a simple dinner of tortilla soup.

Such was the day we had!  A wonderful experience, made rich by the children and staff of Compassion project NI-200.