POST by ERICSON: Thanks and Praise

Ericson performing at a Bboy event in downtown Minneapolis

On our first day in the United States, it was exhausting but it was also a new experience, a change in culture, big buildings, big cities and a good and new experience for everyone in our group.

In San Diego, we visited a really nice and humble family. The pastor and his wife received us with their arms wide open.

When we were in Davis, California, we visited a church where they had a lot of Mexicans and that church was really strong in the Lord. The pastor, his wife, and his kids gave us a lot of advice and a gift of a lot of blessings.

We also went to the New Life church in Sacramento. They were really generous because they gave each of us money and we helped with the community. It was really fun.

The second trip to the United States was when we went to Minnesota. There were really nice families waiting for us when we got there. It was a really nice experience because Gods plan was great and eight people in our group were baptised along with a lot of other people from the church. The people we performed for were accepting of Christ and it made me feel really happy because we were winning souls for Jesus.

The problems that we may face always have solutions and God always is with us. Everything is always in his hands and when we are with him, he will never leave us and he will always help us. He will move us and guide us.

The third tour took us to Richmond. This part of the USA was a huge blessing for us. There were a lot of happy families, happy because of our arrival. Also, they were happy and proud to have us with them. The people at the church had really good hearts.

We went to a Baptist church in Chicago that took us to a camp where we had a lot of fun. Video games, rides, water slides, and pools. It was a really pretty place, thank you for letting us have that great experience.

When we got back, we were visited an Assemblies of God church. We were there for two services and so we performed twice. The people there liked our praise and worship a lot.

When we went to the next church, Sezni was standing in front of one of the windows and he started peeing in front of it and the people where still in the service. Jed went to cover him because that was very embarrassing. He said, “Lets go walking to the other church and not wait for the transportation!”

Whilst in Chicago we were with both poor AND rich people. We did our CREATED performance for the people in Chicago and we won a lot of souls in churches and schools. We would invite people off of the street to come and see us perform. That city really was a blessing.

Right now we are in the house of a lovely family. Shane and Jenny and their kids take care of us really well and also everyone else that we have been with too. We are really thankful to all the people that have helped us and who we have stayed with, the people that have helped us with transportation, a place to stay and their love. Thank you!

This story was written by a Nicaraguan youth, and was voluntarily given to Capital on the Edge for publishing. The subject choice was his entirely. He has elected to write about his experiences for the glory of God and so that others may learn from his experiences. The translation of this work is performed voluntarily and not professionally, hence there may be some errors. Any decisive deviation from the text is in consultation with the author, and is done so to make clear the life events written about and to provide further information so that the story is more understandable.

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Ericson and Jonny being HE-MEN and lighting a fire with the Bridge to Hope folks in Richmond, Virginia

Primer dia en estados unidos muy cansado pratodos una nuava experiensia un cabio de cultura edificios grande y siudades grande una buena y nueva experiensia para todos los del grupo siudad san diego visitamos una muy buena familia y umilde el pastor y su esposa nos resivieron con los brasos a biertos y nos a consejaron la pasamos bien estubimos en siudad David california es tubimos en una iglesia de mejicanos una iglesia muy sometida Dios el pastor y la esposa el hijo nos direon munchos consejos y regalo una vendision tanbien estubimos iglesia new life hellos fueron muy buenos con nosotros nos dieron realos y simos a lluda comunitaria fue muy bueno y divertido.

Cegundo viaje a estados unidos fuimos al norte de america estado minesota Lindas familias esperando a todo el grupo fue muy buena experiensia por que Dios hiso la hobra con todo el grupo uvieron bautismos se bautisaron 8 personas del grupo y munchas personas mas y munchas personas arepintiendose y a sectando a cristo en sucorazon parami fue una dision ver todas esas almas ganadas para la gloria de cristo.

Los problemas que siempre pasavamos todos siempre se solucionavan nose pero yo se que Dios los solusionaba las vendiciones son muy grande a limento rropa un techo donde dormir es lamano de Dios moviendolos i guiandolos .

Tercer viaje SIUDAD RICHMOM Fue una vendision muncha familias a legre de nuestra llegada munchas familias a legre y horgullosa de tenernos conosimos familias muy podres y buenas de corazon estubimos en una IGLESIA BAUTISTA con una familia muy a legre hellos nos llevaron a un canpamento pasamos un buen momento en el canpamento estubimos en video juegos y juegos mecanicos y picinas fue un lugar ermoso gracias por esa experiensia

Regresamos y estubimos en una IGLESIA DE LAS ASANBLEAS DE DIOS . Y llegamos y nos resivieron muy bien es tubimos en dos cultos y simos dos precentasiones y alas personas les agrado cuando regresavamos a la hotra iglesia SEZNI separo en la ventana de la IGLESIA estava horinando y era todavia el tiempo del culto y jed su padre corio a cubrir a su hijo de la pena jed nos diojo vamonoa a pies no esperamos los veiculos y llegamos a la hotra iglesias .

Salomos a siudad chicago estubimos con personas de munchas razas podre y ricos y simos la hobra de Dios en CHICAGO munchas almas ganadas en escuelas y Iglesias estubimos in bitando en las calles para la hobra y fue una vendision esa siudad .

A hora en la actualidad estamos en la casa de una ermosa familia SHANE Y JENNY ellos y sus hijos son muy vondadoso estar con esta familia y todas las hotras que hemos estados le estamos a gradesido familias a mables de buen corazon Dios les dara reconpensa y los vendesira por cuidarnos gracias por todo familias por los alimentos y techo y trasporte y su amor gracias.

POST by FRAN: A Head count for Head Lice

Francesca at Niagara Falls with Canada in the background

Do you want to know what it's like to be standing outside a familiar house, with familiar people inside the house and not be invited in, but instead be put in their cold garage all because you have head lice? 

It all started on a cold Thursday morning... around 10:30 a.m. The Capital on the Edge group, which contains ten Nicaraguan boys, my Dad, my Brother, my Sister and me. We reached the Seaburg's after a long bus ride, and Jen Seaburg, the woman of the house, detests lice! 

She came into the garage and talked over all of us in her best Spanish: "Okay guys, DO NOT come into our WARM house, you have to stay in the COLD garage, while I go through each of your hair one by one!" 

The response I heard after Jen's little speech sounded a little like this: "NOO!! We don't have lice!" Dad then yelled "At least we aren't sleeping on the street again tonight!" Jen laughed a little and slowly said in a bitter-sweet voice "Alrighty, who is first then?" What happened next was excruciating!

Francesca with her baby cousin

POST by FRAN: Brave New Girl!

Lorenzy, Grandad, Francesca, in Rochester, NY

Traveling is a lot of fun, but it can also be really scary, especially when you’re flying with just your 13 year old sister, by yourself. First time being in charge of passports, first time going through security by myself, with my passport in my bag instead of it being in Dad’s bag along with everybody else’s passports.

Well my sister and I flew from Baltimore to Buffalo with Southwest Airlines a while ago, and that was probably the scariest thing I have ever done. As we lined up to cheek in our bags, Dad was scaring me more and more every second. He made me check in our bags and he made me do all the talking and he made me take charge!

My sister was acting calm and I was trying not to get confused. I guess I had to be the responsible one, so that meant I couldn’t freak out! Otherwise we both would have freaked out!

We went through security and I started to panic as I couldn’t see my little brother or Dad anymore… All that was going through my head was “Oh My Gosh!!!! I don’t know where to go!!! I need to PEEE!!!! CALM DOWN!!!!”

I calmed myself down and Lorenzy asked me “can we go to the bathroom? I think this is the wrong way any way.” We went to the bathroom and I went into one of the stalls… “Oh… where should I put the passports?!” I didn’t even put them in my bag… I told myself “there’s a bathroom on the plane!”

I waited for Lorenzy to come out and we went to find our gate, it was really close to the bathroom! We sat down and I turned on my computer and began to work on my last Bible study for Teen Ranch, in Canada, where I was headed to.

Then I began to get excited thinking about seeing my two little cousins and my aunt and uncle and my Granddad! It wouldn’t be long before I’d be working at the Ranch for a couple of weeks, either.

A loud voice came on over the airport’s PA system, saying that we were going to start boarding soon, so I turned off my computer and got the passports ready. When the line had gone down a little we got up and walked over to the aerobridge entrance. We smiled and got onto the plane without any problems.

We went to the back so we wouldn’t have to sit next to any weirdoes. We got seated and everything, and then we were ready.  The flight was very short and we got there in no time… Southwest Airlines is my  favourite airline when efficiency and fun are high on my to-do-list!

we started to walk following signs to the baggage hall. We went through a smallish hallway and on the other side saw aunty Jamie and Granddad waiting for us! All my fears were gone when I saw them smiling and pointing to us, and waving at us!

We went to get our bags and then went to the car and drove to Rochester (New York), where we were going to be staying. We went to Aunty Jamie’s house and saw Tidgh and allegra, our adorable cousins.

Francesca with her adorable little cousin, Tadgh

We went out for dinner or lunch, not quite sure which one it was, but I know that the food was good! We had a load of fun and went to our good friends, the Seaburg’s. We would be staying at their house. I was only going to stay one night. Lorenzy is still there with them now, having a load of fun.

The next day I left for Canada with Granddad. I said my goodbyes to everyone and then hit the road… it took us 3 hours to get there, but we made it safely!

I just wanted to say Thank you to my Parents for letting me come here and for making this possible… I love you guys.

Fran, Mum (Elizabeth) and Renz in San Diego (A GORGEOUS city in Southern California)

Thank you Granddad for driving me here, it was a lot of fun spending time with you… I hope you made it back ok.

And thank you to the Stevens for adopting me as a new addition to your fun-loving family!

Lorenzy, Aunty Jaime & Francesca

To learn more about Franny, please visit our page, Our People 

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POST by RENZ: Cooking up a STORM!!!

Lorenzy with her cute little cousins in Rochester, New York

Right now, I am in Rochester, New York. I am staying with some friends of mine and my family’s, the Seaburgs. I am also here to visit my uncle, aunt, and their kids. I love being here. The people are really nice.

Sometimes when I go places like church, or to someone’s house with the Seaburgs or my uncle or aunt, I almost always have somebody say “LORENZY!!! How are you? I haven’t seen you for so long! I think the last time I saw you was when you were like two years old!” And most of the time I’m thinking in my head “I have no idea who you are but I’ll just act like I know you.” So I’m like “Ohh yeah.. Hey… What’s up?” It is horrible. However, sometimes the people start out saying “You probably don’t remember me…” and that doesn’t make me feel so guilty.

About a week after staying in the Seaburg’s new house, Josiah (the Seaburg’s oldest child) and I decided to make cookies. But not just any type of cookies, chocolate chip cookies.

We had so much fun making them. Izzy (the youngest child of the Seaburg family) helped us by pouring the ingredients into a huge clear bowl that we were using. She accidently dropped some of the brown sugar on the floor but no one seemed to notice much.

I mixed the ingredients together and Josiah did pretty much everything else. Once the cookie dough was all done, Cora and Aidan  (Their other kids) came over to us and asked us if they could have some cookie dough. We obviously said “no” since we made the cookie dough and also we are just really mean!

One of the best parts was next. We got to grab the gooey yellowish coloured dough and shape it into not so perfect circles. We watched T.V. whist we waited and when the house started smelling of wonderfully baked cookies, we took them out and set them on a tray to cool and put some more on trays to go into the oven.

We did that about three times until they were all done. Then, Jenny told Cora and Izzy to go and take some cookies to the neighbors. After the cookies had been delivered to some of their new neighbors, we got to have a few cookies each. Only a few of the cookies that we made were burnt, besides that they were absolutely PERFECT!

About two days later, we decided to make more cookies since the ones we had made before were so good. We did the exact same things as before so that they would be as awesome as the last time.

However, Izzy did not help us this time. At the end, after we had made a bunch of normal sized cookies, Josiah and I decided to make one big cookie. We did not have too much dough left over but it was bigger and fatter than all the other cookies. When it was done we split it between ourselves (Josiah and I).

Lorenzy with the Seaburg kids, Josiah & Izzy - Renzy is having the time of her life!

To learn more about Renzy, please visit our page, Our People

If you would like to support the Brien family, please visit our support page and learn how you can be of help: Contemplating SUPPORTING something significant?

To learn more about the Australian Christian Churches, please CLICK HERE

To learn more about Capital on the Edge's home Church in Australia, please CLICK HERE

POST by SHANE: Hope for the People (Part Two - Visiting the Edge)

In the 2004 film “Hotel Rwanda”, the true story of hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (portrayed by Don Cheadle) saving over 1,000 refugees from the nation’s genocide in 1994 was told.  Part way through the movie, an exchange takes place between Cheadle and an American camera man played by Joaquin Phoenix. 

The dialogue is as follows:

Paul Rusesabagina (Cheadle): I am glad that you have shot this footage and that the world will see it. It is the only way we have a chance that people might intervene.
Jack Daglish (Phoenix): Yeah and if no one intervenes, is it still a good thing to show?
Paul: How can they not intervene when they witness such atrocities?
Jack: I think if people see this footage they'll say, "Oh my God that's horrible," and then go on eating their dinners.

I’ve always found that excerpt to be one part powerful and the other insightful. We commonly watch the news; make broad statements to those within earshot about how things need to change and then move on with our lives. It’s an understandable reaction within a culture where every terrible thing happening on earth is hurled at us each day by a myriad of media sources. 

A little CHAMPION in Managua's Children's Hospital

We battle to push it out of our heads. We distract ourselves to avoid facing the thought. We make up excuses to focus on something else. Many people sleepwalk, some stay in the shallow waters of the pool to avoid the depths they’ll find at the opposite end, and still others hone their ability to remain apathetic. These are all ways to cope so that we can remain happy and optimistic about life, but unfortunately, they are also equally ineffective at solving these terrible things that are happening.

The people of Nicaragua are poor. 

Oliver & his family's Pigs

The average per capita income is less than $1,000 a year. Nicaragua is the second most impoverished nation in the western hemisphere (Haiti being first) and the poorest Spanish speaking country in the world. The underemployment rate (those unemployed or working for less than Nicaragua’s legal minimum wage) hovers close to 50%. Minimum wage scales range between $0.40 and $0.80 per hour (officially) depending on industry. Those in the population not malnourished subsist on a diet of mostly rice and beans every day. 

Elizabeth handing out medical equipment in Solis... Thanks Shane & Jen for your support of our community!

 Houses, particularly in rural areas, are often made up of a composite of materials from the nearby landscape, both natural (stones, tree trunks or branches, etc.) and fabricated (aluminum, tin, lumber, etc.). There is no heat and no air conditioning in almost all of the country’s non-commercial structures.  The rural population approaches 50%, but only about 1 in 20 Nicaraguans own an automobile. The average person spends less than 5 years in school and almost one-third of adults over the age of 15 are considered illiterate. All of this is ordinary to the citizens there.

Cedro Galan public school

So, imagine a life where all of the above is true. You are average, which means you are poor and surrounded by those who share that same status. Jobs are scarce and when available, they are hotly contested to the point where the winner often ends up working for a wage beneath the required minimum. The government and police exist, but make little more than you (sometimes less) and are almost never above reproach. Most are only accustomed to small bribes, but there is always the possibility they are complicit in more serious and violent crimes. Theft is so widespread it is an accepted part of daily life. Trust, as we understand it, is a foreign concept.

Billy & Francesca Learning to DANCE!

During my family’s visit, it was unexpected, but at least a little encouraging finding that despite all of the above, happiness does not evaporate entirely. People smile and laugh easily once they’ve had a little time to warm up. They tell stories and ask how you are just like anywhere else in the world. To the casual observer, you might even say that they live like you might imagine you would in their situation. It’s when you peel back away from the surface a little that the differences become more apparent.

Chapel time on the Edge

While happiness and laughter are present, characteristics more rarely found are hope and a belief in the future. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both are in such short supply. What the circumstances in Nicaragua seem to have caused is a permanent survival mode mindset.

In the U.S. people around my age associate the Latin phrase “carpe diem” with “seize the day” (that and Robin Williams standing on a desk at some stuffy New England prep school in the 1950s). However, it’s the extended version of the saying that goes, “carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero” meaning “'pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the future” that applies here. You see, there is no future to hope for in the minds of many Nicacaraguans. There are only the needs of today that must be met and tomorrow isn’t considered until it arrives. Goals and dreams are commonly uncommon because, really, what’s the use? The population at an overwhelming rate is locked in a regular struggle to survive.

The Disciples, disciple...

I was supremely impressed by the 8 young men in the guesthouse that I met while staying with the Briens. All of them fall somewhere between very skilled and incredibly talented as “trickers” (street gymnastics) and/or dancers (bboy – breakdance, and electronic). They are delightfully adept at improvising and are applying themselves each day to learning choreography. They also seem eager to finish their education and learn English. Having said this, what does their future look like if they don’t have faith that there’s a good one waiting for them? If they don’t believe they can overcome the challenges they are sure to face, how far can they go? Absent hope, is the effort worthwhile?

Elizabeth & Lorenzy working with Missionary Doctors to Make Sure the People of Cedro Galan get Appropriate Medical Care

In the Bible (Jeremiah 29:11), it says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This is what I pray for in those 8 young men and also for Nicaragua as a whole.

Francesca Brien, a 15 year old missionary in Nicaragua

I believe the opportunities will arrive, but also know that such prospects come and go frequently all around the world. Do the people of Nicaragua know they have a future and a hope? Is it just a whisper in the ears of a few or will it be heard as a shout from the lips of thousands?

The children of Capital Edge Community School

This is why my friends and others like them have come to Nicaragua. It’s so they can be used as tools to help bridge the gap between the few and the many.

What of you and me? Why have we been placed wherever it is we’re currently taking up space? What’s our purpose?

I think we can come up with more than a few good answers, but I’m pretty sure it’s not so that we can go on eating our dinner.