Hola!

Greetings from sunny (and windy) Campo Alegria. We were up for an early breakfast (except for Liam, he is willing to sacrifice being first in line for a few more minutes of shut-eye) and then we started prepping for the kids to come. We got a phone call from the teacher at the school where the kids were coming from, who said that she had 100 kids to fill the 60 spaces available.

Janeth came to the rescue by riding down the beach on the back of Oscar’s motorcross bike and sorting it all out. They talked her into 4 extras and then they set off northward to our camp.

They arrived in about 10 horse drawn “carriages.” They take old car axles and weld a metal box to it and hook it up to a horse. Viola-
transportation. It was quite a sight to see that procession make its way up the beach. The principal of the school said the kids were so excited, they could barely keep them in the carts for the ride.

They have all been divided into groups and the activities have begun. We are having classes of geography, English, science, beach time and Bible. Then we do two stints of swimming before lunch and before dinner.

We have all been commenting on how this is the best group of students yet. They are working as a team and are always looking for some way to help. One day we had to literally force them to stop working and go cool off in the lake. The leaders are not sure whether we want to come back next year since this group is so good. (That is a direct challenge to you Jill, Hannah, Alivia, Calvin,
Corey, Rachel, Katie and Daniel).

Heather P… after a nervous start is in her element. She was busy handing out clothes for the girls who needed an extra outfit to swim in. She is a natural leader of her group of girls. (Pam - Heather may be bringing back a sister.)

Heather L… is in charge of some of the science classes and hasn’t hurt herself (yet), but Dave has told her to stay away from climbing trees and other dangerous activities.

Robin H… bounds for the water to join his group and actively assists his group in painting their wooden models.

David K… is liked by his group and has fun assisting them in geography class.

Cara Y… is using her Spanish and has a special buddy that likes to hold her hand as they walk around the camp. She got to take Oscar’s horse for a ride down the beach.

Tommy R… is another natural leader. He is great at teaching classes as well as the various work projects around the camp.

Darryl C… Wow! Does he know Spanish! Why has he been hiding that fact? He is conversing easily and comfortably. Great job Darryl!

Ben S… after we forgot his (and Jason’s birthday-ooops) we had a belated pan of brownies and a pretty lame song of Happy Birthday in Spanish. He led his group out of the water and to lunch: they looked like a family of ducks with Ben the tallest in the front and the rest following behind.

Jason B… likes to play football, even in a country that has baseball as its national sport. He got a game going with the older boys during swim time.

Annie N… is always willing and able to do whatever job is asked of her. She is always asking what else she can do. She is a great girl to have along.

Sherilyn W… another leader of the group. The kids love to hang off her in the water and she is always surrounded by smiling faces.

Ice… towers above every Nicaraguan. His shy smile seems to draw them in. He loves to paint the toy models with the kids.

Liam… has blossomed in the last couple of days. At lunch “his boys” were listening to him tell a story in broken Spanish and laughing with him.

Mike Stevens… We have got to find a way to quiet that guy down. He is a quiet spirit, but he is willing. He spent all yesterday retrofitting the bunk beds to be sturdier. He went to Rivas one day to help gather supplies- he said it was crazy with activity- he thinks he will hang out at the camp.

The rest of us are doing well. We will update more later.

Hola everyone!

We arrived at 1am in the morning on Wednesday the 28th at campo Alegria. After a bumpy ride from the city through the sugar cane feilds. We almost hit a cow on our way in. When we woke up on Wednesday morning we were excited to see how gorgeous the camp is. The waves from Lake Managua were crashing on the beach and the volcano Imotepe is an amazing back drop to the whole scene. The colors here a very bright.

Since we’ve arrived at the camp we have all been busy working on projects to get ready for the kids to come on Saturday. Yesterday we put together sixty model airplanes, cars, and boats for the kids to paint. We have also been painting a cabin. We’ve organized the donated stuff. The shoes take up two whole bunks and half the floor, it will be exciting to give them away.

We have really enjoyed swimming in the lake. The water is really warm compared to the ocean at home. We haven’t seen any sharks yet, but you will be the first to know when we do. Last night the boys threw a ginormous toad over the wall from the boys bathroom to the girls bathroom while we were brushing our teeth, we screamed so loud you could probably hear us at home.

The food has been delicioso (delicious)!!!!!! Thanks to Janeth, Beatrice, and Maria. We’ve had a hard time getting use to the bugs but they were not as bad as we expected. We still have not seen a scorpion (YAY!).

We miss you all and wish you could be here too. We will send another
update soon. Please pray that we will be good examples for the kids and
that seeds will be planted.

Adios!
Chop Point Family

Chop Point, a non-profit organization serving children and families in Maine, has established a camp for poor children in Nicaragua. By example and word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ can give hope to children who otherwise have none.

Campo Alegría was founded in 1999, after Chop Point staff traveled to Nicaragua for a mission trip. After seeing how children literally live in the town dump, director Peter Willard became determined to bring hope to them. Donations were sought, land was purchased, and building began.

The camp now encompassed several bunk houses as well as a dining hall and kitchen, all with beautiful views of Lake Nicaragua.

Each February, high school students from Maine travel to Campo Alegría for three weeks. During that time, they take a bus to the town dump and fill it with children who’ve never experienced life outside the trash heaps. They take these children to the camp for several days of pure fun! It is a life-changing experience for everyone involved. As one high school junior remarked after returning to Maine, “I went to Nicaragua a boy, but came back a man.”

This blog was created to keep family and friends up-to-date on the daily happenings in Nicaragua this month, as the next group of students travels to Campo Alegría in just a few weeks. Please keep the entire team in your prayers!