I left off on Wednesday, which was our "day off". I'll make this first part fast to get to the good stuff though! So don't skip the ending!
We went zip-lining, but I preferred to stay on the ground :P It didn't really do much for me the first time, and I thought the money could be spent elsewhere.
But let me tell you, I am SOOOOO glad I didn't do it, because two of the men that work there took Susie and I to see the monkeys! I'm still stoked that I saw my first wild monkey! They're my favorite animals!!! Sooooo cute!!
Then we went to the market, yada yada yada, then we went to a cafe- faaaaaantastic!!!
But the end of the day was the best. This was the night I got to share (don't worry- Mario translated!) a little bit about my passion for art with the girls at Villa Esperanza, and why they have a lot to do with it (I'll TRY to summarize what I told them ;]). I told them about how my dad is an amazing artist, and I grew up watching him create amazing works of art. When I got older, my entire family went through some really, really tough stuff, which no doubt strained my relationship with my dad. For years, my dad and I were angry with each other. I started to draw and paint in high school, hoping that maybe that would help my dad and I connect again. When I went to Nica for the first time and met these girls, the Lord used them to teach me so much. He taught me about true love and forgiveness. When I went home, my attitude towards my dad was completely different. I began interacting with him differently. When I started The Nica Project, he became more and more interested in what I was doing, and started to help and give me advise. Eventually, we became more and more comfy with each other, which hasn't been the case since I was about eight! I was FINALLY able to see how much he had changed, and what an amazing father he had become... and he really is wonderful! So basically I was able to fully forgive him for everything we've been through, because of how the Lord used the kids in Nica.
After sharing, Perla (oldest girls at the Villa) prayed for my dad and I, and something happened between Sara and I. I don't remember exactly what she said, because I was just focusing on her smile. She smiled at me for the first time! From what I've been told, its very hard to get on Sara's good side. She has a very hard time trusting people. She gave me a note the next day, and told me a little about her own dad. It was heartbreaking. She told me that she will be praying for my dad and I, and asked that I be praying for her. Her and I got a lot closer over the next few days, and I learned a lot about her family- don't ask how that happened... I don't know much Spanish, you know?? But I'm so excited that my story was able to give her at least a tiny bit of hope. I'm glad she understood from my story that the Lord CAN change people! He CAN change lives! And I'm also glad that my story brought us together. Its crazy how the Lord brings people together at such random times, when you least expect it! Love this girl!
Anyways! We set up a bunch of stuff for them to make little sketchbooks (gracias Val!!!) and let them create what they wanted. It was SOOOOO fun to watch them! I even got to do a few rough pastels for some of the girls, which was really fun.
Overall, it was an amazing night, which I didn't expect. I'm so happy that I was able to share with these girls about how much the Lord has changed my life USING THEM!!!
Okay, now hopefully it won't be days before my next post!
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