Andrea Holeman, California
Once we were settled in to the relaxed pace of Nicaragua, it seemed we would never get
any work done. We were worried nobody would want to have their teeth cleaned
outside, with no real sterilization or comforts to speak of. We were worried the dentists
wouldn't want our help or that our little knowledge of Spanish would render us
impotent. Boy were we wrong! People walked for miles to come see us, and everyone
was grateful and everyone loved getting new clothes and toys.
It is hard to imagine what life is like for the people that live at Escamequita. Life is
different for them. They aren't used to getting help from Americans, and we could tell
some people weren't sure why we came to help them. But these are my neighbors. I
want them to be healthy and prosper. I want the kids to grow up strong and smart. I
want to give all that I can. When I see the respect that these people have for Donn, how
they watch him when he speaks, and how honestly "gracias" comes from their mouths, I
can't help but want to be part of Nica Dev. I can't wait for the next time.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone that helped out: Maria, Donn, Juan, the dentists,
the women of the village, our patients, Oral-B, Colgate, CFOFS, Mark, Grandma, and
especially Sandi and Jackie. You two were the reason this experience was so good, you
two did most of the leg work and most of the actual work. Thank you for walking the
talk. Not everyone does. You rock!!
Til next time…
Andrea
any work done. We were worried nobody would want to have their teeth cleaned
outside, with no real sterilization or comforts to speak of. We were worried the dentists
wouldn't want our help or that our little knowledge of Spanish would render us
impotent. Boy were we wrong! People walked for miles to come see us, and everyone
was grateful and everyone loved getting new clothes and toys.
It is hard to imagine what life is like for the people that live at Escamequita. Life is
different for them. They aren't used to getting help from Americans, and we could tell
some people weren't sure why we came to help them. But these are my neighbors. I
want them to be healthy and prosper. I want the kids to grow up strong and smart. I
want to give all that I can. When I see the respect that these people have for Donn, how
they watch him when he speaks, and how honestly "gracias" comes from their mouths, I
can't help but want to be part of Nica Dev. I can't wait for the next time.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone that helped out: Maria, Donn, Juan, the dentists,
the women of the village, our patients, Oral-B, Colgate, CFOFS, Mark, Grandma, and
especially Sandi and Jackie. You two were the reason this experience was so good, you
two did most of the leg work and most of the actual work. Thank you for walking the
talk. Not everyone does. You rock!!
Til next time…
Andrea
Andrea hard at work
cleaning teeth in
Nicaragua.
cleaning teeth in
Nicaragua.
Nicaragua has come to be a special place to
me. I have been down twice before this trip,
each time with surfing as my main goal.
When I decided that I was ready to make the
commitment and buy land at Las Fincas, I
was eager to have my mom see how beautiful
and magical my new home would be.
After a few months of failed plans, difficulty
getting donations, and trouble getting time
off work, we finally made it down. The days
before, when we were packing, it hit us how
much stuff we had gotten and therefore how
much work we had to do. We ended up with
about 250 pounds of donated toothbrushes,
clothes, toys, teddy bears, hand-made baby
blankets, jewelry, you name it. Our friends,
families, and co-workers really came
through!!
me. I have been down twice before this trip,
each time with surfing as my main goal.
When I decided that I was ready to make the
commitment and buy land at Las Fincas, I
was eager to have my mom see how beautiful
and magical my new home would be.
After a few months of failed plans, difficulty
getting donations, and trouble getting time
off work, we finally made it down. The days
before, when we were packing, it hit us how
much stuff we had gotten and therefore how
much work we had to do. We ended up with
about 250 pounds of donated toothbrushes,
clothes, toys, teddy bears, hand-made baby
blankets, jewelry, you name it. Our friends,
families, and co-workers really came
through!!
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