We recently hosted a volunteer, Alayna, who spent three weeks with us in Nicaragua. Alayna wrote about her experience, and wants to encourage more visitors to travel with CEPAD.

There is a lot of power in a story. One thing I have grown to love while studying Public Relations is the ability to hear people’s stories and share them with others. When I found out about a Northwestern (Orange City, IA) Alumni who was working in Nicaragua doing exactly that, I knew I had to learn more.

Emails and messages were sent back and forth, and finally, a plan was made. I was going to spend three weeks with Nicole learning about CEPAD and her work in Nicaragua. I came to learn but I also came to work. CEPAD is always looking for stories to share with the world and most importantly with you, their donors and supporters. Nicole and I traveled to two different regions and visited community members’ homes to hear their story and the impact that CEPAD has had on them and their community.

I was quickly humbled hearing these stories. Each individual had such strong resilience despite the trials they face each and every day. After the first day, I tried to put myself in their shoes.

Waking up with the roosters at four in the morning;

Starting a fire to make coffee for the day;

Trekking through the mud in your knee-high rain boots;

Walking to the river with a bucket for water;

Cleaning and cooking three meals for your family;

Sweeping the dirt floors of your home;

Doing laundry in the river;

Shooing chickens out of the kitchen;

Trying your best to get sleep while fighting off mosquitos and bugs;

Oh, and taking care of your children.

Fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, daughters sons, farmers, housekeepers, pastors, leaders, bakers, butchers, seamstresses… I was meeting ordinary people, but they were living in extreme circumstances. Despite hurricanes, landslides, a lack of education, and surrounded by poverty, they were finding ways to thrive. CEPAD was providing them with the knowledge and supplies to get them on their feet. They are walking alongside these communities spiritually, mentally, and physically, training and equipping them to be able to stand on their own. I love how CEPAD’s work is a partnership. The community has to take action, and they do! These people are just waiting for the push in the right direction and the opportunity to grow.

I was honored to be able to meet these people and excited to share their resilience with others. Not only did they challenge the way I think about my life, they challenged my faith. The beauty of God is so evident in the green, fruitful landscape of the campo (countryside). If He cares for the coffee beans growing in the field, how much more does He care for us, His children?

These rural Nicaraguan communities love welcoming people into their homes, gardens, churches, and businesses. They feel seen and valued when others take interest in their lives and hard work. You can be a part of this! It can be scary going to a foreign country – new people, new language, new sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. However, CEPAD provided all of the housing, food, transportation, translators, and everything else I needed to feel safe here. It was a blessing for me to be a part of CEPAD’s community development work in Nicaragua. You can be a part of it, too!

If you would like to plan a trip to Nicaragua or want more information, please reach out to Ana Taylor at cepad.delegations@gmail.com.