A Trip to Remember

False alarm! Turns out we had no access to internet.  I am sorry to those who were anticipating the next post while we were actually IN Nicaragua.  Sometimes these things happen. It was a blessing in disguise more than anything else. Being without my cell phone and MAC was truly liberating. Instead of mindlessly spending time on these technological gadgets, I enjoyed so much being in the company of our team, conversing, singing ridiculous songs at night while Eric played the guitar, and just embracing everything that Nicaragua had to offer.


This is hard thing to do for most of us because we are completely surrounded by technology in this day.  If you are willing to REALLY try to detach from BBM and facebook from time to time, I guarantee that it will make a big difference in your day.  

Getting back to Nicaragua, we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into going on this trip, but we knew it was going to be something really worthwhile.

The beginning....

I heard about the trip after a screening on campus of the “The Human Experience” put together by the Newman Association and Alpha Phi Omega.  It is an amazing movie that puts a perspective on the way we live here in America and how blind we are to the poverty and sickness that exists outside of our bubble.  

After the screening, Maureen Madigan, the Catholic Minister of the Newman Association at Stevens, asked us to reflect upon the images we saw in the movie.  Overall, the message was very powerful and students responded with very meaningful answers. 

My decision to see the movie was spur of the moment, but I thank God I did because I would not have found out about the mission trip to Nicaragua that Maureen began to explain to us.

She began to talk about the mission trip she had been working on together with a charity called Mustard Seed Communities.  I had never heard of them before, but was immediately intrigued.  She told us there were only four people going so far and more spots needed to be filled in order to make the trip happen. 

Right then and there, the trip filled up four more spots – Bryan Franklin ‘11, Arik, Zeevy ‘11, Sarah Parker ‘11, and myself, Juliet Turalski '13.  Already going on the trip was Ceceila Williams ‘11, Nicole Patrone ‘11, Herman Saini ‘13, and Roy Wang, graduate student, who heard about the trip through the Student Newsletter. 

We had two months to fundraise $16,400.  Unfortunately, Roy found out they he could not go on the trip about two weeks prior to our flight.  His efforts towards our fundraising was tremendous, however, and we could not have done it without him.  The whole team really pulled through between getting the word out, coming up with creative ideas to fundraise, and following through with all of them.

The past two months all became worth it from the moment we began descending into the sea of lush green trees that encompasses Nicaragua.

Julia, administrator of Mustard Seed Communities, met us at the airport. 


She is an amazing individual who lives and works in the Mustard Seed house in Diriamba- seven days a week.  She speaks English very well and acted as our guide throughout the entire stay.  

We met the children of Hogar Belen – Diriamba on our first day.  At first, we did not know what to expect.  Some of us were apprehensive because we had never dealt with children with disabilities before.  When we walked towards the kids for the very first time, Sarita, one of the twelve year old girls with Down’s Syndrome, came running towards Ceceilia and jumped right into her arms without any warning.

It was unexpected at first, but it kind of “broke the ice” if you will.  After only a half an hour with the children do we realize how innocent they really are.  


They are simple -  simple in the most wonderful sense. They do not judge or stereotype us, but embrace us. 

We soon learn that every one of the children has a story. These stories range from physical and mental abuse, forced drugs, and rape by biological or foster parents and relatives.  Many of these children have disabilities such as Down’s Syndrome, microcephaly, cerebral palsy, hydrocephaly, autism, mental disabilities, and more.   Also, they have all been abandoned.

Despite the overwhelming sadness we felt after hearing these stories, the time we spent with the children was more fulfilled with joy and happiness than I could have ever imagined.

It only took a few minutes of spending time with them that we all got the hang of it.  They made it so easy! We did not need to speak their language to understand them. Through the use of sign language, we got a long just fine.  Even with their respective histories, they manage to put a BIG smile on their faces, especially when they interact with people.  In exchange, we had BIG smiles on our faces.  

In the face of tragedy, every child living within the Mustard Seed home shines through their pasts in the most magnificent way.  At the end of the day, they are children just like your own who need the basic necessities to live and grow.  The main difference is that they do not have the same access to resources as we have in America.

One boy who looks like he is one years old is actually six years old.  He was not born with a disease. He looks so young because his mother drowned him as an infant, damaging his internal organs, which in turn, did not develop properly.  As tragic as his story is, I can't help but to look in the present moment, at the positive life he has in the Mustard Seed home.  He has a BEAUTIFUL and strong set of teeth, which he loooves to show off.  Incredible that his cheeks don't hurt by lunchtime...


Out of all honesty, the most important thing about meeting this child is the love that reflects  through him. Just this thought alone makes my personal troubles go away.

These children want to be loved just as any individual in the world.  Love is truly the essence of our being and we cannot move forward without it.  These children remind us to embrace the love we have in our lives and realize how fortunate we are. 

One of the days there, Julia took us to La Chureca- the city dump located in the capital, Managua.  Here, 1,500 people live without running water and eat scraps from the heaps of garbage food surrounding the area.

Our team visited the elementary school within the dump that has an enrollment of 500 children.  Here, these children are without disabilities, but are dealing with a whole other issue- malnutrition.  One can see by their big stomachs and blonde hair, the signs that they are not receiving the necessary nutrients in order to develop properly.  These children have the most beautiful smiles, but behind the smile is a body decaying due to the poverty and lack or resources available to them.

I will never forget the words Julia told us while we were in the dump. She said, “Never give up on your dreams.  Look at the way you live and see what you have.  Do not take it for granted.  When you are having a bad day and are angry or sad, think of the children’s faces here and you will see that your day is not so bad.”


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Living in these moments in Nicaragua has entirely changed my life.  Its true what they say - it makes a world of difference when you can put a smile on these children’s faces.  Traveling to Nicaragua showed me that.

There is nothing cliché about it.  This is real life.  I realized how exposing myself to this environment can only make me stronger in my own daily life in the States.  Mustard Seed Communities has instilled the fact in me that we should never take anything for granted down to the simplest commodity as hot water. 


From Julia, to the caretakers and the drivers, and the people of Mustard Seed working in Nicaragua - all have made us feel so welcome and comfortable in their country.  A week later, and I already consider it a home away from home. 


One of the most beautiful things to witness is how every person living in Nicaragua and involved with Mustard Seed, truly cares for each child who has been taken in.  Isomar, one of the older girls at the Diriamba home, took one of our girls and went to show her the three caretakers in the laundry room.  She pointed and said, "I have three mothers."  Then she took her to the carpenters working in the field, pointed and said, "I also have three fathers."


This sense of community and family is truly inspiring.  The love they have for each other and the way they care for one another is something I can never forget.  


.........

We live in a bubble that makes us very comfortable. Sometimes we need to seek outside of our comfort zones and test our comfortable lifestyle.  Our lives are something we need to appreciate, AT LEAST for the sake of these children in Nicaragua, because most of them will never have the opportunities we have.  It is because of them that I have found more gratitude and appreciation in my own life, and the beauty of the word "family."

The trip taught me to take my time and enjoy the little things in life, spend time with those closest to me, and above all, have faith so that every individual going through a hard time can pull through.

Again, our mission team could not have done anything without the support of our Stevens and Hoboken community.  Everyone was so tremendous in our fundraising efforts.  On behalf of our mission team, I would like to thank each and every one of you who contributed to our cause.  Without you, we could not have experienced a trip of a lifetime.


Peace and love,
Juliet

The Morning Of

The nerves are setting in.  Our much anticipated trip is finally becoming a reality.  It is exactly one hour (2 AM) before we all have to catch a ride to Newark Airport.  The unknowingness of it all is a strange, but exhilarating feeling.

It is the first time that Stevens Institute has put together a mission trip with Mustard Seed Communities. Maureen Madigan, who runs the Newman Association on campus, pursued this mission trip months ago.    Her vision and perseverance led our group of 10 individuals to come together for an extraordinary cause in Nicaragua.

Get ready as eight students from Stevens Institute, Maureen, and Father Benny (born and raised in Nicaragua) from Saint Peter and Paul church, are about to embark on a wonderful journey in an effort to use  their dedicated time and energy with those who need it most.

Over the past two months the team has fundraised thousands of dollars in order to make this trip possible.  The community of Hoboken has truly embraced our mission and has supported our fundraising efforts the from the beginning.  We could not have done it without the support from Black Bear and Willies, the many delicious donated trays of food from restaurants on Washington St. for a dinner in the St. Peter and Paul parish center, scooping for a cause at Ben and Jerrys, and proceed night at Ralphs Italian Ice.  Most of all, we have to thank our family, friends, and students from Stevens who have given their donations and prayers toward our mission trip.  Without their support we would not be leaving to get on our flight, which is now....in 4 hours!

Our anticipation amplifies as we count down the hours.  Only one stop in Miami and then we fly to Managua - Nicaragua's capital.

Today, we were all texting each other about mosquito netting for our beds, which were recommended for our stay.  I have a feeling that when we get there, however, the mosquitoes will be the last thing on our minds.

I cannot wait to meet the children - all 18 of them who have been abandoned and are disabled in one way or another.  Without a doubt, this will be an eye-opening experience for our entire team and I can't wait until we land on Nicaraguan soil.

We invite you to follow our blog and join us on on our mission trip as we travel to Central America!

-Juliet