Reflections from a week in Nicaragua by Oscar Zavala.
“We cannot do great things, only small things with great love”. -Mother Teresa
A diverse and excited group of Sunrisers (and honorary friend, Boris) visited Nicaragua in late August. It was the ending of the rainy season and the time for the Procession of the Virgin del Nancite. This was my first experience traveling abroad with my fellow club members and I was uncertain how it would turnout. My experience with Semester at Sea prepared me for service visits where 5-30 students would participate. However, I am not accustomed to traveling with older adults with varying views, interests and motivations, so I had wondered how it would go. And, of course, it went great!
Having had our itinerary maximized, our days were filled with many exciting and heartwarming interactions and experiences. Everything from hands-on activities like helping in the Health Care Clinic and visiting people's homes with the Homecare Providers, to sitting through meetings with City and Government officials and everything in between. All very meaningful and impactful and at times exhausting.
Throughout the week, everyone in the group always stepped-up to check in and support each other and ensure we were “doing” ok. Asking great questions, translating, taking pictures, sharing the bug spray, and making sure no one was left behind, were daily rituals. And in the evenings, even though we were tired (and exhilarated) by the events of the day, we took time to process and debrief, share ideas and thoughts of how we can help, and express some ideas of what we could do going forward. So for me, one big highlight was the quite time following the day’s activities, a time when our band of Sunrisers could all gather, enjoy a late evening meal and a cold beer on the patio and discuss our individual highlights of the day, as well as sharing other personal stories.
We all had so many daily impactful moments and as we went around the table to narrow it down, it was hard to pick one. Several times, what was highlighted surprised me, because often it wasn’t about the people we met or the activities we experienced, but rather, about one’s admiration and appreciation for another member of the group. There was something in the way a person engaged, took initiative or was just being playful and fun that inspired others in our group to acknowledge them.
Traveling together, provided us with the time we needed to slow down and observe and express our gratitude to each other. For each of us, there were many moments that we will always cherish and remember. And having this wonderful “shared experience” together, fed by a mutual compassion and desire to serve, simply reinforces how much we sincerely appreciate each other and the efforts we make. And reminds us to continue to be grateful for the small things other members constantly do to support us individually as well as our overall Rotary mission!
Oscar Zavala is the Co-Director of the club's International Service Committee.
