Hola Nicaragua!

Yes, I am here...the travel was smooth. I am at the Mision Esperanza clinic with a few days to get adjusted before I dig in...Internet is down the road at another location and cell is sketchy...getting this blog entry in will be a sign that miracles do happen.  I am so happy that I am able to be in touch, even for a few minutes!

I will update as often as I can and really hope to hear from all the CMMB volunteers and keep up with your blogs too.

Blessings to all,
anna

CMMB orientation & On my way!

Just returned home from my Catholic Medical Mission Board orientation which was held at the Stella Maris Retreat in Long Branch, New Jersey. The location and facility was absolutely beautiful, situated on the shore. The weather was gorgeous and we all had the opportunity to enjoy the beach. Very peaceful and a wonderful place to have all of us new volunteers meet and share our histories and learn together some of what our journeys will entail over the next year. We met a few former and current volunteers who shared with us their stories and very valuable advice, toured the UN building, were treated to dinner in New York city, had lunch with the CMMB board members, and much much more!  To all the CMMB staff, Thank you for such a warm welcome and send off! The local parish, Holy Cross church has a special Mass and Blessings for all of us and an awesome banquet after mass where we met many of the people who so generously give to our missions. I could not of asked for or expected such a lovely experience.

I will be arriving in Managua on Thursday, September 22nd. Very excited and just about packed up!
Please follow along with me on my journey as I will be following as many of my fellow volunteers on their blogs. The more followers the more I feel motivated to journal and post pictures. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to serve the poor and marginalized communities in the world...I want to share it with everyone that I can.  And, please comment and let me know what you want to hear more about.

I will post photos from the orientation very soon as well.

Blessings,
Anna

A few photos from Mission 42 in Nicaragua

Watertown Daily Times | Morristown woman makes mission trip to Nicaragua

Watertown Daily Times | Morristown woman makes mission trip to Nicaragua

Mission of Hope in the Nica Community

 A Grateful Family!

Nurse Anna, Elizabeth and Barbara

Mision Esperanza

I just returned from Nicaragua this very evening...and, well, I just have to touch base. I don't know if I have ever felt such profound sadness, helplessness and hope in a single moment, a single day or any period of time in my life as I feel right now and since I boarded the plane in Managua... to leave, el irse... I had twelve hours of travel to feel all of these things...I had a moment when I felt paralized...walking from the plane to exit the airport in Jacksonville...there was a pull...a pull back to Nica.
Of course, I was very anxious to see my daughter and share my experience. Of course, I wanted a hot shower and the comfort of my bed and my stuff and to read all my emails and just breath.  But, I am not ready to leave Nica and I am ready to return... October cannot come soon enough. I know exactly the location of my heart.   So many  hopes, dreams, plans...prayers...
The mission team I spent the last week with were amazing in so many ways...I will be forever rooted in Mission #42 and to the wonderful people....the companions I shared this experience with and blessed to continue onward with the vital work that needs to be done... siempre!
I will elaborate a bit more later, but I just had to get some of this emotion off my heavy heart.
I love all of you and you are all in my prayers and always will be. Sister Debbie...you have way of capturing the heart of the matter and of the people you touch.
Blessings,
Anna

Leaving for the short mission

Ok. I am leaving for the short mission to Nica tomorrow night. I am hoping that I will have some good stories to tell and many photos to share. I am not sure of the projects that we will be involved in yet, but I am sure it will be an adventure. I am very excited to meet the Nica team with North Country Mission of Hope and will also be meeting at least one of the Doctors with the The Jessie F. Richardson Foundation based in Oregon. We are hoping to start discussing the development of a home visit program with the elderly. The JFR foundation has been working with the elderly in Nica for over ten years, so I am sure they have a wealth of information to get us started. I am thrilled to find such great resources for my long term mission.
I really should get packing!
Chao for now, anna