Today we had our first academic seminar and we learned a little bit about the history of Nicaragua. The Glimpsers were challenged to put important Nicaraguan historical events into chronological order even though they knew little about Nicaraguan history.  The activity modeled the importance of understanding the past in order to understand the present. To further reinforce this concept, we took a tour of Matagalpa to get our bearings on how to navigate the city and to visit landmarks signiciant in Nicaraguan history.

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We returned to the hostel to eat lunch with our guest speaker, Dona Sonia, a current political figure in Matagalpa and past guerilla fighter for the Sandinistas. She talked about her experience as a guerilla fighter and we were all deeply moved by her passion, resilience, and commitment. The Glimpsers jumped at the opportunity to ask thoughtful questions.

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After an emotionally heavy visit with Dona Sonia, we took a bus ride up to El Calvario and got an exceptional view of the city. At El Calvario, the Glimpsers took pictures in front of a breath-taking backdrop and found their inner-child by frolicking through a colorful playground. As their Global Glimpse Leaders, we are so proud of how quickly our group of Glimpsers are learning to care for each other. We trained our first Leaders of the Day, Jimmy and George during our evening meal. The Leaders of the Day are responsible for waking up their peers, keeping everyone healthy and hydrated, keeping track of the schedule, and acting as the group’s role models. We were excited to pass off the torch and let the Glimpsers find their leadership styles.