June 12, 2008 by Taylor Permenter
15 high school and middle school volleyball players boarded a plane to Managua, Nicaragua. We hardly knew each other and were totally unaware of the experience we here about to have. The trip was through Bring IT USA Promotions (a Volleyball travel service) and led by owner, Tim Kelly, a former All American Volleyball player for UCLA and CJ Sherman, my high school coach. Once we arrived, we hopped on a school bus and headed to the local gym to play against the Nicaraguan Senior and Junior National teams. As we walked into the building, it was obvious that this trip was going to be more about simply playing the sport of volleyball. The gym was dim lit and dusty, with cement floors and no air conditioning. It’s amazing how different it was; especially the fact that none of us ever really realized how much we have in the United States. The cool air conditioning and slick wood floors, as well as access to ice cold water fountains and such nice equipment, are all such a luxury that we all had taken for granted. This night began the 10 day journey through the Central American country that sparked the opening of each and every one of our eyes.
The next day, we headed to Finca Java, an organic coffee farm near Jinotega. That night, we went to the local school to play and teach volleyball to the children. It started out as a game, just playing against a team of boys that the school had got together to play us. But, after a while, we broke off and started doing different activities; teaching the younger kids how to play, kicking the balls around, having conversations with kids who didn’t want to play. A couple of us even joined a basketball game that some of the older boys had started. Whether it was talking about volleyball techniques or the astonishing (to the kids there) fact that some of us are sixteen years old and six feet tall, every one lent a hand in speaking Spanish. This night was truly a great experience; it taught us that, even with a language barrier, people can still communicate and really have fun together.
The next morning we were woken by the loud crow of a couple of roosters. Later on, we went on a hike, rode horses, and played baseball and colored with some of the kids who lived near by while their parents had a community meeting. We also enjoyed our refreshingly freezing showers accompanied by a bug here and there and our delicious, home-cooked meals. I feel that this made everyone realize that the days spent by people in Nicaragua are just so pure; so simple and not poisoned by the stress and mayhem of most modern society.
After those two days, we ventured back to Managua where we played a couple more matches which we all did well in and the drove to San Juan del Sur, an absolutely beautiful town located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. This place was filled with incredible experiences for each and every one of us. One of these was the opportunity to work on an “Earth Ship” construction site, building a solar home out of recycled and natural material. This was neat because we were working on the actual site, pounding dirt into old tires, sawing wood, and twisting wire to form the frame of a room. It was a lot tough work, but showed us how much effort people actually have to put into the job. [Some of the other kids on the tour visited schools where they played with the kids and taught them some English words and songs and about not littering and other little life lessons].
The rest of our stay in San Juan del Sur included zip-lining through the rainforest, visiting the gorgeous beach, surfing, and simply enjoying the serenity. On our last night there, we played a volleyball match and then went out to dinner and ice cream with the team. It was awesome to speak with the girls in a fairly unfamiliar language and just learn about their lives.
Leaving San Juan del Sur was not something any of us looked forward to, but it definitely ended up being worth it. When we left, we drove to an orphanage in Jinotepe. As soon as we unloaded from the bus, a couple of kids ran up and hugged some of the girls. And that’s when I knew that this day was going to be unforgettable. All of the kids were so adorable; I don’t know how we ever left. At one point, some one took the huge bag of craft supplies that we had collected and set it on the floor of a craft room, and in less than five minutes, it was swarmed by little children and dispersed around the room. They were so ecstatic. Beads were soon spread all over the tables and happy faces were working hard on necklaces and bracelets. Each of us made a couple little friends and with them, we did puzzles, colored, played games, chased each other around the yard, and had insane amounts of fun. I have never seen so many smiles in my life.
It’s just incredible how much these kids loved this one day that we came and spent with them. It was so upsetting to drive away; all of us had tears in our eyes, imprints on our hearts, and were touched in so many ways. That night, we stayed at the “base camp” for volunteers and the next morning, our trip continued on to the next stop, Granada. Here, we went on a boat to “Monkey Island”, shopped in the market, and even climbed part of an active volcano. The trip as a whole was so much fun; every match we played and every place we visited was truly unique and unforgettable. A piece of my heart was left in Nicaragua and I am positive that I am not the only one who intends on returning soon.
So, yes, we did go to Nicaragua to play volleyball. We played well and even ended up beating the Senior National team. But, it was so much more. Such strong bonds were made amongst teammates; bonds that don’t just happen by passing a ball back in forth in a gym or chatting over the phone. We were there for each other to observe a way of life so unlike our own and witness the way it changed the way we think and feel. Peoples’ eyes were truly opened. The true beauty of the world revealed itself and each and every one of us was touched by it.
June 21, 2008 by Meghan and Kamryn Sherman
We woke up on our last day in Granada. Everyone had decided to go to Kathy’s Waffle House, an authentic American Waffle restaurant. The group headed over and got excited to see the many waffle and pancake options: chocolate chip, banana, strawberry, blueberry…the options were endless! Most of us opted for a pancake plate, which came with two giant pancakes, but Eric felt like making his breakfast choice a challenge, and told the waiter “surprise me!” A choice many of us wish we had made. We were all brought our breakfasts, and then dum dum dummmm Eric’s monstrosity of a plate consisting of two chocolate chip/banana pancakes, two sunny-side-up eggs, a few pieces of bacon, and toast. Everyone was awed by his attempt to clean his plate, however, Meghan was a bit skeptical of his stomach’s capacity, and egged him on with “finish it, you won’t!” Eric put up a valiant effort, but was unable to finish his meal.
A few of us made some last minute purchases before returning to the hotel to load up our baggage onto our bus. We bid Whitney and Shelby goodbye, as they were going to stay in Granada to continue on their own Nicaraguan journey for a few more days. Our group began its trip to the Masaya Volcano National Park. We looked around the visitor’s museum, before making the drive up to the top of the volcano. It was breath-taking—literally as the volcano is somewhat “active”, emitting large amounts of sulfur into the air which caused many of us to cough. The volcano has a large cross that is 177 (the number was confirmed multiple times by Eric, Brian, and Kamryn) steps up onto the side of the mountain, which we decided would be a great way for us to burn off those calories gained from Kathy’s incredible breakfast. The view from the cross was amazing and a great place for hundreds of group photos. As we were loading up the bus, a few of the girls were handed fresh pineapples. As excited as we were to have received these marvelous fruits, we were also as equally disappointed when we realized that we could not eat them, as we had no means of removing their skin to get to the tasty meat inside.
We pulled up to a large building, and all were confused as to why we were there…turns out it was the Gallerias, or in layman’s terms, Managua Mall. We were told that we had about three hours to get lunch and entertain ourselves. Many of us headed straight up to the food court which was full of familiar restaurants: Burger King, Subway, Sbarro’s, Eskimo Ice Cream, and Papa John’s. Many of us decided to double dip, first eating at the BK Lounge and then heading over to Subway, or vice versa. Once we had eaten, we decided to wander around scoping out the local stores. We were caught off guard when we saw they, too, had a Nike, Abercrombie, and a few other American name brand stores. After exhausting the strip, we found a couch and a couple love seats and decided to call it quits and wait it out. To our dismay, we still had a little more than an hour to waste. Luckily, we found a candy shop within the parameter of our little “camp” and decided to spend the rest of our Cord change purchasing some flavored sugars. After squishing at least six people on a couch made for three, our time ran out and we all headed back to the bus. About ten to fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the gym to play the Nicaragua Senior National team, and a local Juniors team. The older team played the first match and led by their fearless coach (who took a little coercing by Mariah and Kam) TIP TOP TIMMY (AKA Tim Kelly) defeated the senior team in three. A great way to finish the tour! The younger team was not so lucky but nonetheless still ended in high spirits. After showering at the gym, we hopped aboard the bus for the last time and were chauffeured to the Best Western where we were to spend the next few hours waiting for our midnight flight. We had a wonderful dinner of pasta, rice and vegetables, fish, chicken and rolls in a private room. After finishing our dinner, we were free to wander around the lobby and patio until we had to go to the airport. Around ten thirty, we were all told to gather our stuff and begin the trek across the street to the Managua Airport. We all checked in and after making a visit to the bathroom we all headed to our gate. Surprisingly there were three guys also on our flight that were going to Jacksonville and we stole their m&m’s. Mariah was told her bag needed to be searched and was taken to a back warehouse and Taylor followed to make sure she wasn’t kidnapped. She joined us shortly after with Taylor at her side. It was a scary ordeal and Mariah may never be the same! HA J J/K Then, a flight attendant approached Rico and told him that there was not enough room in the carry-on spaces for his back pack. He, CJ, and Kam gave him their bags so they could be brought down the checked baggage. He was a little worried. However the big worry came when Rico was boarding the plane in Ft Lauderdale. After getting into Ft Lauderdale we ate some breakfast and the kids all flopped down and waited for the next flight. Rico was about to board and the flight attendant would not allow him too. Rico’s flight was not until 12 noon! YIKES so we all boarded and he was taking up the rear and did not realize this. So he sent some dude onto the plane to ask for CJ and the dude told Coach that we needed to wait in Orlando for Rico! We could not believe it. Wait for 6 more hours in Orlando, no way, now we love Rico but not that much. So a long story short, he paid $25 and got on the plane. But once again the flight attendant had to come ask CJ for the $25 as Rico had given her his last bid of change. We all made it home to be greeted by Eric’s Mom and sister and Brian’s Dad.
The tour was an amazing adventure full of fun, learning experiences and great memories. Favorite parts were the Beach Day, the Orphanage, the Zipline, Finca Java and the clinic we did, and also visiting the schools. Together we feel we made a lasting impression on a few young people in Nicaragua and we know that a lasting impression was made on each one of us!
THANKS Tim, Brooke, Jo, Taelor, Dave, Chris, Mort, and Wes for making our tour a wonderful one! And a special THANK YOU to Coaches CJ, Rico, Whitney, Shelby and Monica for coaching us and spending time with us!