Today, the group sought to discover the deeper meaning of a quote by Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.  To do this, we attended an education seminar, in which we discovered that the education systems in America and Nicaragua have positives and negatives in different areas — one negative being the low attendance rate in America, and the low government funding in Nicaragua.

Afterward, we visited the Intervida office to learn about their work in encouraging and providing assistance to low-income families wanting to receive an education.  Last but not least, the most rewarding and humbling part of our day was visiting a the primary school, Fray Odorico, in the secluded village of San Marcos.  There, the students prepared different stations, where they taught us Nicaraguan art, food, dance, and sports.  It was very heart-warming to see their bright, young faces so eager to learn.  We had been their first international visitors.  There, the glimpsers used our knowledge of different cultures to teach the children.  We taught traditional hula dancing, how to draw portraits, how to play dodge ball, and how to sing “The Cup Song”.

Terez and Julia teaching students how to dance traditional hula and Tahitian dancing.

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To end the visit, the teachers of the school answered some of our questions.  They informed us that the students were so eager to learn, making their job rewarding in every way.  Glimspers gained so much respect for the teachers and all their hard work, especially because some of the teachers have been teaching for 26 years.

In the group, we faced some bumps like people getting sick, but –in the end– it strengthened our bond as a family, because we all took care of each other.

Overall, the day was filled with slight obstacles, which were quickly forgotten because of the humbling and inspirational experiences we had.