Day 7

EYES OF HOPE

We see many beautiful eyes in Nicaragua. When I close my eyes they all pass in front of me.  I see large, round innocent eyes of children; eyes full of hope and expectation, full of joy and anticipation. I also see eyes of the elderly. These are eyes on faces that are 70 but look 90 years old. That is until they look at you and smile. Then a brilliant light and love shines through their eyes. These eyes have not had an easy life anywhere in Nicaragua, but they have hope in their faith. They know they have a good God who loves them.

Then there are the eyes without hope. We found some in the prison. However, surprisingly, we also found hope in these same jails. They were clearly encouraged that we took the time to visit and bring small gifts such as T-shirts and toiletries but their real hope came from faith. It seemed in each cell there was a man of faith to encourage and teach the others. Imagine a small cell, maybe 10 by 15 feet with CEMENT bunks. No wonder they have pains yet when we prayed they were healed. There were 4 bunks but 12 men. Where do they sleep? We found one on the floor under the bunks. That was his spot. Another jail had wooden bunks. Again, not nearly enough for all the men stuffed in the cell. Is wood softer than cement to sleep on? That is where we gave out Bibles. One man showed me his book that had some of the Bible included. It was so worn it barely held together. He was overjoyed to receive a Bible. I was overwhelmed to see the hope these men had in Christ.

We have seen many amazing things here. I have seen people go pain-free and healed by God under the touch of my hands and the words of my mouth. “Wow!” as my sister Ruth Ann would say. It is all beyond words, but I keep coming back to hope, and what is my part, our part now as we begin to look towards going home.

In talking to others who have been coming to Nicaragua for several years they see changes for the better. I see signs of hope. God is still honored here. God and Jesus are glorified everywhere from statues to names of pharmacies to the back of cars and buses. Unemployment is as high as 70%. This does not mean that those 70% do not work. I believe they often have unreported jobs such as selling something on the street or living in the countryside where they work to gather their sustenance. Yes, there is a need for massive overhaul of infrastructure. When I see the pastor’s son splash his ball in what they call “black water” (“don’t step in it,” we were told) in the barrio then this need comes right to my face. Yet we went to a church yesterday and found the dump across the street is going to be plowed over by the city. What a joy for that barrio! People care for each other here. So far they have kept out the large gangs because they pull together to keep them out. Education is free. Not being able to afford a uniform and supplies is what keeps children out of school. If at all possible people seem to want their children to study more after secondary school for a better chance at a job. University is free, but transportation and books can be costly. To us, none of these things are costly, but here they can overwhelm. Yet I still see the hope as people come together in faith and love.

Blessings, Joan