Hertylandia

Drive one kilometer outside of Jinotepe and you may come across this place hidden back among the trees out of sight by the general population. Go down a drive lined with those canopy trees that cover the top of the road and at the end you may just find . . . a waterpark!!! Created in the early 90s by Herty Lewites (who later ran for president), I'd have to say I was pretty impressed, and had quite a good time! you may ask, "Lauren, why did you go to Hertylandia?" Well, let me tell you!

Twice a week Ruby goes to therapy at Tesoros de Dios, a children's therapy ministry in Managua, and Friday all the kids from therapy and their parents went on a field trip! A group from a church in the States who helps to sponsor the ministry came and funded a field trip for all of us to spend the day at the water park :) Ruby and I went, and had a blast! Ruby loves the water, but was torn between wanting to be in it or not because it was a little cold. Our compromise. . . sitting on the edge with our feet in :)

But I’m going to share what more than anything else, touched my heart to the point I almost cried right there in the middle of the water park. The mothers. I have noticed it at therapy sessions before, but today more than ever seeing all the moms in one place (there were maybe 70 kids there, most accompanied by their moms) really touched that humbling point. Everyone knows that a child with disabilities requires more resources than a normally developed child; Ruby doesn’t walk on her own, still wears diapers and has to take medicine every morning and night. BUT ruby is very independent. She can move around the house on her own, tells you if she wants food, drink, or a diaper change, and when you hold her, she can hold on back. All of these moms devote 24 hours a day to care for these children that are nearly 100% dependent on them. They have far less resources than us, less money, less people to help and less suitable living conditions yet still they devote themselves fully to giving their kids the best possible. I think of the strength them must have to be the main (and often only) caregiver to a handicap child while also having other children too. While I know they probably feel very defeated at times, it was so great to see them all so happy to see their children having so much fun. Laughter is universal, it’s not a culturally based emotion, it doesn’t have to speak the language of the land, it doesn’t bias people who have normally developed genes, it is a symbol of LOVE. And that is what I felt at the waterpark, the love that not only the mothers had for their own kids, but the love they had for everyone else’s kids (for Ruby), the love that the team of Americans had for all our kids, and the love the staff and volunteers have for our kids too. It’s a pretty humbling thing.

One of the women loving on ruby :)