1/12/2014 León

After breakfast, we took the drive into the heart of León where we were all awed by the old architecture and open town square. Even though it was still early in the morning, the town was quietly bustling to get ready for their day. Street vendors opened their stands, ice cream carts were just arriving and in the background the songs and hymns being sung in the church could be heard. Walking up the the church and taking in the immensity of the structural beauty was an experience we will never forget. Enormous columns protruded from the foundation and exhibited the grandeur of the all white church. It was humbling to enter into such a timeless piece of history this country has prided themselves on maintaining for decades. Inside, sculptures and art adorned the walkways and walls. We then visited a second church which was smaller than the first, but nonetheless still beautiful. Our final visit for our time in this area of León was the Revolutionary Museum; here we were lead by a tour guide who educated us on not only the history of the revolution, but a lot of history about Nicaragua on its own that was eye opening to all of us.

We went to visit the Plaza de Paz or The Plaza of Peace.  Plaza de Paz is a community started by two nuns.  The goal was to help bring the locals out of poverty.  There were many different places to reflect and meditate within the community, including a meditation forest, a meditation room, and a labyrinth.  Some students walked the labyrinth and reflected on their experiences.

 Then went to Chacraseca where Fairfield University had gone to after Hurricane Mitch in 1998 to help build houses for families who lost their houses in the hurricane. Met one of the families. They are one of the poorest families and have a small territory where they have limited trees to gather the firewood that they sell to stay alive. It was an eye opening experience. They had 3 tiny houses the size of a dorm room for 3 families each. They had 9 families living in 3 houses. It was an unreal sight.

After a long day of touring around León, we finally made it back to our hotel in Managua. Once we got back and ate a delicious meal we all got together and reflected on the weekend. We discussed the life that we live and how it is different from the people who live in Chacraseca and take loans from Nitlapan . One of the main topics we discussed is how we are helping the people who are living in these conditions by coming up with software and process for collecting the information they need. It has been so rewarding working and trying to contribute to reducing the interest rates and helping with small businesses.

~ Becca, Gina & Katie