Below is a write up by Jonathan Levis about his experience last year working at Campo Alegria.
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My eyes slowly lift open revealing a yellow light just beginning to spill through the windows. A rooster sings a morning symphony somewhere near by as a cool breeze blows about the cabin, bringing in the fresh scent of morning rain. I flip my sheet off the bed and sit up, rubbing my eyes. Stepping out the door I am met with one of the most beautiful sunrises I
have ever seen. A thunderhead hangs over the summit of Conception, one of two volcanoes rising from the lake right outside the cabin. The sun splashes around the clouds, warming my face. Bright oranges swirl with deep blues, nothing short of breath taking. And to think, I have an entire summer of this! Wow!I start here because everyone will wake up to an equally if not more spectacular beginning to their Nicaragua. The following weeks and months however will be unique to every person. At Campo Alegria the routine was ever changing, organic if you will. In fact, I don't think there ever was a routine. I was never bored. There was always a new group to welcome, or a surprise project to tackle. Not to mention the unplanned trips into the capital city, Managua. Everyday presented a new and exciting challenge. Allow me just to touch on some of the reasons why I loved volunteering my time at Campo Alegria.
We spent the majority of our summer preparing and hosting camps for children from local towns as well as children from La Chureca, the city dump in Managua. The children seem to rise and fall with the sun. Needless to say, mornings arrive very early at Campo Alegria. We start the day with a traditional Nicaraguan breakfast. I have grown to love guyo pinto y queso frito, (rice and beans and fried cheese). There are several other dishes that are just amazing! After breakfast, we gather the children for chapel. We learn several Spanish songs, songs such as, “Yo tengo Christo en mi corazon,” and “La nina de Tus ojos.” The rest of the day is a wild mix of activities ranging anywhere from English in the shade of the dinning hall, to baseball in the sand down on the beach. And then there is swimming! The children absolutely love the water! Let's be honest, I really enjoy playing out in the waves with them. There is almost always wind blowing heavily across the lake from the direction of the volcanoes. I throw child after child into the air, and they splash face first into the cycle of on coming waves. We are all completely exhausted by the time dinnerrolls around. I can't remember the last time I wanted to go to bed at 8pm but I certainly welcomed it then! If there was a daily routine, it probably looked something like the mentioned above.
If you spend more than a couple of minutes at Campo Alegria, you are sure to run into Oscar. He and his family live and work at Campo. I spent many evenings with Oscar sitting side by side in hammocks on one of the porches, doubled over in laughter. He tries to play to the fool, but we all know that he understands English better than he lets onto. Oscar also has a big heart. About mid way through the summer, I grew very sick. After two sleepless nights, it was time to see the doctor. It was a rainy day and all the vehicles were out of camp. Oscar volunteered to take me into town on a motorcycle. So, I climb onto the back of the bike, placed a hand on his shoulder, and we took off down the beach. Oscar smiled and waved at everyone, as we bumped and jostled our way through the pouring rain. All the while, the sick and scrawny American clinging onto him for survival. We made it to the doctor in record time. They drew blood and ran some tests, and I crashed into a bed. Oscar never left my side the whole three hours we were there. Oh yes, He was even there to laugh at me when the nurse gave me a shot in el trasero!
Going into the town of Rivas with a list of items,
was one of my favorite things to do during the summer. This is where you really experience the culture. Very quickly I learned to dive right in, not worrying about grammar and sentence structure. It was all about engaging the people andlearning from them. Listening and practicing the language. I love walking through the market. I'm talking about hitting La Competencia to pick up baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables, swinging by Pali, for meat and cheese. Then making several other stops all over town trying to hunt down various difficult to find items. Even filling the van up with diesel was an adventure. On the way back to Campo, sometimes I would stop the van under a tree, climb onto the roof and pick fresh mangos. Finally arriving home with all the items checked off the list, new words in my vocabulary and assorted memories from various people.There are two amazing people that live permanently in Nicaragua. Adam and Rachel are the reason that it is possible to volunteer at Campo Alegria for the summer. They invited us into their lives and we became a little family. Living and working along side Adam is a riot. The most absurd things happen to him, but he takes them in stride. Then quite animately retells the tails for all to share in his adventures. Even when crazy things are happening all around, Adam is very real. One more than one occasion he gave me incredible pearls of wisdom. And wow, just when you need it the most, they invite you to their house for chicken wings and french fries, good ol' american food!
I spent almost three months in Nicaragua, so I can not possibly describe all of my adventures. I can't even touch on all of my favorites. But after living it, and loving it, I can tell you that it was very challenging and rewarding. You will meet incredible people. You will have astounding experiences. And you will have fantastic stories to call your own."
- Jonathan Levis
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