To be honest, before arriving in the city, I wasn't all that excited for this trip. All that I had heard of the country at all was how cheap the souvenirs were going to be...which didn't set me up to expect much better about the country as a whole.
While the souvenirs were indeed well below the prices of those here in CR, the city of the Granada made more of an impression than I expected.
The architecture and colors of all the buildings were reminiscent of Spain. It also seriously reminded me of Charleston, SC.
We went on a carriage ride around the city and got to see all the beauty up close, and from up above in the steeple of the Iglesia de la Merced.
We also took a boat tour of Lake Nicaragua and the miniature islands within it. The nature and history on the islands were both incredible.
We also had the opportunity one morning to work with over a hundred children in the less privileged area of the city. As we were driving to the church/school, there was a visible change in the houses getting closer to the volcano and further from the city. The closer we got, the more the houses began to look like no more than shelters - built out of sticks and sheet metal. (As it was above 90 degrees everyday we were there, I've compared these houses to ovens.) The average family income in the neighborhood is $2/day.
We reached the area and the children just started pouring over the hill from the neighborhood. We had a bit of song and worship time at the beginning, and then the children were split into age groups.
I was assigned to the snack committee. Our group prepared hot dogs for each kid and some of the parents that attended. I was moved to tears by the gratitude that the kids showed as I handed them each a snack. It was obvious that they were grateful for any nourishment they could get. There were several children who tried to sneak back in line for seconds, or begged for an extra snack bag to take their brother/cousin/mom. Having to say no, as we only had enough for 200 people, absolutely broke my heart in ways I hadn't expected.
We then did some more worship songs with them after the activities to wrap up the morning. The love and grace that shone through those kids was a souvenir that didn't cost a thing, and won't soon be lost to the dust on a bookshelf.
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