Happy belated new year blog-readers and welcome back to our blog here in Nicaragua! After a three week visit back home to the States, the program directors are back in Managua and ready to start full swing. Joining the team this year are four new program directors, Joanna Lang, Amanda Pirilli, Matt Creeden, and Megan Fuson. All are adjusting well and ready to get their hands and feet dirty in their new Nicaraguan community.
In this first week back, we have had the pleasure of hosting a group from Worcester State University, who make an annual trip to Nicaragua this time of year. Led by Jackie Brennen, a professor at the university, the team consists of five occupational therapy students who spent the week volunteering at a school about ten minutes down the road called Tesoros de Dios. Tesoros de Dios works with children that are either mentally or physically disabled, and so the team travelled back and forth everyday to assist them with a variety of activities and exercises, such as identifying colors and words, stretching and practicing physical movement, and much more. They were not only a pleasure to host and get to know, but the work they were doing was an immense blessing on many children’s lives. Steph and Katie also spent the week there, trading off days to help translate for the volunteers and doctors.
Next week all of the regular Manna programs will be up and running again, and so needless to say everyone’s schedules will once again be full. Thanks again for checking in with us, and stay tuned for our post next week!
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| Tesoros de Dios School |
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| Program director Katie working with one of the children. |
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| Jackie, the leader of the Worcester team. |
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| Program director Steph helping out with one of the exercises. |
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| Stephanie looking for Waldo with one of the kids.. |
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The whole group at Tesoros de Dios. From left: Sarah, Dave, Jackie, Kristen, Sarah. Front: Steph & Caroline |
