Grace in Nicaragua ... "Arriving in Managua"

This past month, members of Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, were part of a mission team in Nicaragua, partnering with the the Presbyterian Hunger Program and Equal Exchange, getting a first-hand look at the coffee farming business in Nicaragua. The trip will provide Presbyterians who are involved or interested in fair trade to see how it works and meet face-to-face with those who grow the coffee.

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Grace in Nicaragua ... "Arriving in Managua"

On Saturday, January 21, 2017, fourteen members of this delegation headed for Managua, Nicaragua, from various locations in the United States. Three folks were from the Indianapolis area, one from California. Two women, representatives of the Equal Exchange Coop, hailed from Rhode Island and Boston. The coordinator of our group, Jessica Mauldin, works for PCUSA, with the Presbyterian Hunger Program, so was traveling from Louisville, Kentucky. The remaining 7 of us? From Tres Rios Presbytery, of course!

We were greeted by warm weather, in Managua---and clear skies—and part of our group, thankfully! Our initial destination was the CEPAD Nehemiah Guesthouse, where we would stay for most of the week, except for the days on which we would be housed in homes, in a coffee-farming village. The guesthouse was gated, had a long and spacious courtyard, where we would eat most of our meals and hold many of our discussions and meetings. It was very pleasant; we could see the sky, hear birds, occasionally hear music, and could always hear traffic.

Our accommodations were in dormlike rooms, very simple and plain, some with air-conditioning--and some not! (But all had fans)