Two Special Meetings: a leader, a school

In addition to regular Spanish classes this week and our Monday Reunion gathering, we had two wonderfully special encounters.

On Tuesday, May 12, we were privileged to meet with and hear Padre Fernando Cardenal share stories of his personal experiences providing leadership of the National Literacy Crusade in the early 1980’s.  After the fall of the Somoza era, he was approached by The Twelve of the Sandinista government to oversee this national program.  Now at 81 years of age, Padre Cardenal shared with passion, vigor, and tears of various struggles, heartaches, and joys, as well as challenging the GC students to “be happy” and “don’t waste the one life you have to life (we are not cats with nine lives)” and “love, serve…there is no other way.”  Padre Cardenal explained that he gave his life for the poor and for justice because of Jesus, desiring to model his life after him.

On Wednesday, May 13, our group was also privileged to visit two different rural, public primary schools.  The primary students gave a short program to the GC group, and afterward, we interacted with them in their classrooms and on the playground.

 

Overall, students are doing really well.  We have such a wonderful group of students! Tomorrow we head out to the Caribbean Coast for four days to learn about that part of Nicaragua, which has a very different history than the Pacific side.  Here’s to 6 hours of being on a bus followed by 2 1/2 hours on a panga (boat) down a river!!