A week in Nicaragua

In the month of June, I got the wonderful opportunity to spend some time in the beautiful country of Nicaragua. Wow, if you haven't been, then you need to go, asap. I was there on a work related trip, spending most of my time in the fringe community of Santa Maria.

As we were flying into Managua, there was an incredible lightning storm. I was trusting the Lord to bring us safely to the ground, but I was still a little scared. I'd never been so close to lightning while in an airplane. However, the pilot skillfully guided us to the ground and we landed safely in the pouring rain. And that would be the theme, pouring rain. Nicaragua is a very tropical place and this was the rainy season. The skies were thick and the foilage was bright green. You could cut the air with a butter knife.

The community of Santa Maria is a unique place. The citizens living there were previously living on a volcano approx 10 kilometers away. However, in 1998 Hurricane Mitch changed everything. Bringing impossbile amounts of rain in a short amount of time, a mudslide occurred and killed 1300 people in the community. In short, it was horrific. I can't even begin to describe the stories that people were sharing.

After two year of being in limbo, bouncing from one IDP (intenally displaced people) camp to another, the government finally gave the citizens some land (the place now known as Santa Maria).

We joined with the long-term Food for the Hungry staff and lived and worked in the community for a week. It was absolutely amazing. The people were great. These had overcome something horrific and were trying to rebuild their humble lives. It was heart warming to play with the children and team up the men in the planting trees throughout the community. The mudslide had tried to tear apart the fabric of their community, but they were pressing through. I was just in awe. They refused to let this mudslide take the spotlight. The spotlight of this community was their strength in Christ.

Please enjoy the pictures above. Let me know if you have any questions.

Faces of the Dominican Republic

Here are the faces of the children of puello, dominican republic

I was in the dominican republic for 12 days during the month of April. It is a place filled with beautiful people.

The Poetry of Josh

blood


The cold wind in my hair,
A day I would not forget.
The stars seemed close at reach
But your presence was drifting away

My fingers grew numb in the chill,
A moment that lasted forever
I imagined that things never changed
That I had been steadfast in my words
But I brave that icy day once again
Determined to change the course I made
I felt the blood run through my veins
Reminding me of my own breathe

Written by Josh Kienzle

In Oslo, Norway on October 5, 2003