A High Risk Field Trip

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I now understand why our students had to sign the ‘high risk field trip’ form.

Today was our day off and we went zip lining high above a coffee plantation. Zip lining in Nicaragua does not quite come with the same level of ‘regulation’ as in Canada. For that reason I am not willing to post any pictures of your children flying over tree tops upside down, going tandem (superman) with Nicaraguan men or the massive collision at one of the 13 platforms and did I mention monkeys….hmmm…maybe I won’t.

We spent our afternoon in a market, shopping for all the cheap tacky gifts you will receive when we get home and this is where the story gets interesting…it seems that certain female members of our team were ‘discovered’ by Nicaraguan boys at the market….lets see, Tianna fell in love with the emerald eyes of a bronzed beauty named Francisco and the 15 year old Israel gave Allison a hand made heart….wow…and this is not even mentioning the budding, and quite unexpected romance among two of our group, nor the crush one of our girls has on our translator, Marrrrrio.

We had a great day…quite necessary after the emotions, work, and stresses of the last several days. As we sit together and write this blog as a group tonight, I realize what a great bonding time we had together today….well some of us bonded more than others….any parents worried yet?

Seriously, we did have a great day. In closing this short blog, I want to share the reflections of our group during our debrief tonight. We discussed at some length how easy it is to slip into a self-centred, self-serving lifestyle on our day off of play and shopping. I was encouraged to hear our students desiring to return to Canada transformed and conscious of the blessing they have at home.

This is truly an amazing group of young people.

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Comments

[Laurie]

Questions
Reading about the group's experiences in the dump a number of questions come to mind that I would like to hear what the group thinks (either during or after the trip) 1. Why do people live in the dump? If the answer is "They have no choice", I am curious to know the reasons behind the "No Choice". 2. How would you compare the people who live in the dump to the homeless people who live in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside? How would you compare how you feel about those 2 people groups? If you view them differently - why? I have no right or wrong answer to these questions but wanted to pose them to people who are "on the ground" helping in a seemingly desparate situation. I feel privileged to be a parent of a member on this trip