Goshen College Baseball in Nicaragua

From time to time we receive “google alerts” in our email whenever Nicaragua in mentioned in the news, usually it’s about the upcoming Nicaragua elections (November, too!) or the mysterious, giant canal being built through the heart of Nicaragua that may or may not be happening. But in December we received an interesting one that had Goshen College (our alma mater!) in a headline! We read more and found out that Goshen College Baseball team would be traveling to Nicaragua for a “mini” Study-Service Term (SST) experience in May. We knew if our alma mater was going to be in Nicaragua we had to go be their #1 fans! :) So we started emailing the coaches and the leaders of the group…whom just happened to be OUR leaders in 2008 when we did our summer SST in Nicaragua (essentially when we left our hearts here in Nicaragua…maybe another blog post sometime!) We received their game schedule and started planning our trip to watch at least one game. So in May we made our way to Jinotepe to watch a game, unfortunately we got lost and also there was a change in game location. So we only were able to catch the last inning of the game! But we cheered them on to a 10-0 victory : ) We were most excited to see the players, and of course, Doug and Maria who were integral in our formative experiences with Nicaragua and volunteer work.

It was great to see some of the players and see the SST wheel already turning in their heads even though they had only been here for a few days. SST was such a formative experience for us, as individuals, that I think ANY exposure to a foreign culture and country is a great opportunity for individual growth and reflection. I am so glad that Goshen College is giving this opportunity to athletes, as this is a university demographic that is often tied down to a schedule that does not allow them to do a study abroad program.

I think that sometimes long-term volunteers can get down about those who come to a country on a short-term trip…for a week or two to paint a school or drop off clothing for those in need, and maybe take some instagram worthy pictures along the way. (see this article: http://almost.thedoctorschannel.com/14323-2/  And this one: http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/life/richard-stupart-voluntourism-does-more-harm-good-260269/) While there are good ways and bad ways to do this type of work—An example: being aware of what jobs/opportunities you may be taking away from local people when you do something FOR them. I think even if volunteers and students “ONLY” come away with a new appreciation for how other people live and the experience planted a little seed in their mind of how they would like to live and give in the future, then that’s a start! It has to start somewhere, right? Full disclosure, I am not trying to say that we (as long term volunteers) have it all figured out, either. We often find ourselves struggling with similar questions. Why are we doing this work? And what does it mean for our community? Are we really doing this for self-serving purposes—to learn Spanish, to gain cultural competence, to add something different to our resumes? These are all legitimate questions that were addressed in our initial discernment phase and continue to be discussed. We hope that we have figured out a sustainable formula for the work we are doing here, and that as much as we are getting out of this experience, our community is also gaining something, as well. We are working through these issues every day!

I think that the articles above argue some very valid and important points to consider when seeking out volunteer opportunities, cross-cultural living, volunteering and giving. But I also think that just the act of GOING and BEING and LEARNING from people in another culture or community is so valuable—and you don’t have to cross borders to find these communities!! Try learning something new about the community down the road from your work, home or school. Just this act of stepping out of your comfort zone is a great first step towards understanding others that may be different from ourselves.

I think this first small step is exactly what the baseball team was taking. The baseball players were only here for 3 weeks, but they came away with new learnings, reflections and maybe someday, one of those athletes will be living and working in Nicaragua, like we are. Or will be making a future job or lifestyle decision based on something they learned in Nicaragua. It all has to start somewhere! We would never be living in Nicaragua today if it wasn’t for our “short” summer in Nicaragua in 2008. Other people we’ve encountered wouldn’t be open to doing international work if they hadn’t experienced a 2-week “voluntourism” trip in their teens with their church, for example. It’s important to consider where these beginning steps may lead individuals later down the road when we make judgments about a certain volunteer project or group.

(**Side Note: It’s super important to give and do and visit and travel responsibly, think critically before you give of your time or money. If you want to read an interesting perspective on what good vs. bad giving can look like, read Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (and how to reverse it) by Robert D. Lupton.)

Anyway, back to our time with the team. We enjoyed cheering (for an inning), wearing our GC swag, and hearing some about what the group was doing here in Nicaragua…they were winning a lot of baseball games, too :) Our favorite part of our small road trip was that we  were able to have dinner with Doug and Maria and catch up on life here in Nicaragua and in the states. It was so refreshing and exciting to see them again! Thanks, Doug and Maria, for taking the time to meet up with us! And a SUPER big thanks for being awesome leaders in 2008 and for opening our eyes, minds and hearts to Nicaragua. We would not be where we are today without you two! We hope to see you in the mountains of Nicaragua sometime soon :) Our door is open!

Maria, Doug, Me and Kyle after a delicious dinner and great conversations!

“United for Baseball”: The day before we went to the GC baseball game we saw this article about Goshen College in the national newspaper (La Prensa)!

Let me know your thoughts! What do you think about the types of giving and volunteer work that is happening around the world? What ways have your eyes been opened to a new culture or community?

Much Love.