Interested in Seeing How These Families Get Through Tough Times?
- Feb 12
- 4 min read
The first thing I noticed when I arrived at my hotel in Granada, Nicaragua was the artwork. There were small paintings on each of the doors some of little geckos, iguanas,and butterflies. There were bigger paintings hanging through the lobby, the walkways, and in every room by the same artist.
At first, I thought the work seemed amateur, but when I looked closer at the painting behind my bed, I felt drawn in — its simplicity or innocence came through and I could feel the passion from the artist. Even though they weren’t technically good pieces, there was something pure and beautiful about them. I decided to suspend my judgment for a while.
When I woke up, I wasn’t feeling well, so I took a leisurely stroll around the city. Granada is a colonial city, and so almost every hotel, bar, or restaurant has a courtyard. It caused me to recall my love of Spanish architecture and I knew I was going to cherish that inside-outside living. In the evening, I hung out in the hammock, ate a small dinner, and then called it a night.
The next morning, I woke up early and went on an Isleta tour of the lake near Granada. I met a family from Denmark, and I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy watching their five year old daughter and seven-year-old son explore the world on our little boat. We searched for bats flattened against tree trunks. They were so camouflaged that you couldn’t tell where the bark ended and the bat began. Birds of all kinds flew overhead and perched in trees along with the monkeys. The kids were curious about the world around them. Not once did they ask for their parents’ phones or tablets.
As the tour continued, the parents shared more. Their son, Egska,had recently overcome cancer and was now cancer-free. They decided to take three months off as a family to celebrate this victory. It was a beautiful reminder of how precious life is and how to focus on what is really important — time together.
After the tour, I went back to the hotel to decompress and then tried to visit two churches in town. I wanted to climb their bell towers for the view, but every time I went, they were closed.
“Come back at three, señorita.”
“Please come back later, it will be open for sure.”
It never was. Eventually, I gave up.
At 3:30, I joined a tour to Volcano Masaya. We hiked part of the way and saw sulfur and smoke rising directly from the ground. From the top, there was a beautiful view overlooking a lake formed by the volcano, and you could see where lava had once flowed—everything black and hardened. Later, we drove to the very top.
Standing there watching the sunset and seeing the molten lava still glowing a fiery red was an incredible experience. Hearing the stories of the past, how people once threw their own children or virgins from the top of the precipice, hoping to secure favor from the gods for some current benefit, was both heartbreaking and shocking.
That night, I tried to go salsa dancing but only found clubs playing hip-hop. Here I was in Latin America and all I wanted was some Latin music and I was striking out! Eventually, I gave up, ate dinner, and went to bed disappointed.
The next morning, I went to Laguna de Apoyo, about a thirty-minute drive from Granada. It’s a large, beautiful lake, and access is through private lodges where you pay a small fee—about eight or nine dollars. You can kayak, swim, eat at the restaurants, and use all the amenities. It was well worth it and made for a relaxing day before heading to my next adventure.
On my last morning, as I was preparing to leave, I noticed a woman serving breakfast. She moved slowly and had a visible disability. She had heard from the receptionist that I was an artist, so she came up to my table and said, “I’m an artist too. These are all my paintings.”
In that moment, I felt a deep pang of guilt and also joy. Her brother owned the hotel, and her family proudly displayed her artwork everywhere. Every room was adorned with her paintings, and she was an important part of their family-run business.
I looked closer at her work and noted the dates, marking her improvement over time. I looked at her twisted hands, which didn’t function fully, wondering how she was able to paint the straight lines on the buildings of her beautiful city. She painted through the pain and struggle. Some paintings took four or five months to complete.
Again, I reproached myself for my ignorant thoughts, but also thanked God for art. It provides an important outlet for expression. I was also struck by how powerful it must be to have her family support her in this endeavor. How her work had transformed before my eyes!
Throughout the three days there, family was the theme, and also suffering, from the family from Denmark celebrating their son’s victory over cancer to this family celebrating their sister as she painted through her disability. They had their trials and they had each other and it was a beautiful thing to witness.
I finished my typical Nicaraguan breakfast, drank my last cup of coffee, and prepared to catch my next flight.
To Guatemala? Or, if I played my cards right, I might take a little detour into El Salvador.
“In a world that is full of negative news, I try to bring hope and light through creative story telling and the experiences I share. I am able to do this trip because of strong supporters like you.”
Please keep praying and if you feel compelled to pay it forward your donation makes all of the difference.
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