Los niños de Granada, Nicaragua (The children of Granada)

You cannot be here, for even an hour, without seeing the beauty, hope, and desperation on the faces of Granada's children.

Marci shared our breakfast with this poor boy from the Market

This boy hangs around the market all day begging - his family can't afford schooling

And there is something magical about them.

Watching Marci teach English

'Posing' for the camera - they LOVE 'fotos'

We have just fallen in love with these poor but almost always happy and playful, children of Nicaragua.

Waiting for the free doctor

There are many 'classes' of people in Nicaragua.  From the exceptionally poor...

Dad brings the family and laundry home on a wagon

To the children of the wealthy class...

Hurrying to church

His dad owns the hotel - he has a bell to ring for the servant

And even a bit of middle class (a very small group)...

Her parents own a permanent stall in the market which does good business

It can be heartbreaking to see them eating breakfast...

Eating cabbage and potatoes behind their mother's temporary stall in the market

But they never cease to make you smile with their infectious zeal for life...

Boy with skin disease waiting for the free doctor

Boys playing in the market

Josh - 'works' for Tio Antonio's hammock crew

Learning how to use the camera after a free haircut

Selling chicken in the market (live)

The kids WANT to learn - here parents pay

These boys spend their days making figures out of reeds to sell to Americans as they eat dinner on the patios at night

It is so sad, but also so refreshing.  These are not spoiled brats (any of them) and are polite and curious.  They love to be played with and they love to have their photos taken.  Most of all, they love it when you stop and spend a few minutes trying to communicate.  We have spent a great deal of time at this - today I taught about 50 boys at the school how to play a game my grandfather taught me as a child (One person holds his hands palm up and the other palm down and tries to hit the other before he can move out of the way).  My memory will probably be thoroughly cussed by parents, teachers and principals for years. 

These kids though, among the poorest of the poor, PAID me to take a photo of their baby brother.  I am going to get it printed and present it to them when I see them again.  But you can see in their smiles and waves that they were sad when we moved on.  Like all kids, they just want to be loved~

After paying me for a photo - they stole my heart!

To the children of Nicaragua, "Que Dios los bendiga todos los días de tu vida!"