The Sunday after our arrival, we joined the families of Nueva Esperanza who joyfully walk a couple of miles to a church in the neighboring village. Though the simple church building is utilized by a small congregation, the love and support they provide for one another is amazing to see.

On Monday we went out with some of the families and learned about the grueling task of planting coffee plant seedlings in the forest. Each family has been provided with a plot of land for which they are responsible for planting, growing, and harvesting coffee beans. Harvesting enough coffee beans to be profitable requires hundreds of coffee plants and, as we learned, planting seedlings in the hot Nicaraguan weather is hard work. However, these families work tirelessly all day during the week to maintain and expand their coffee crops.

On Tuesday we went out with different families and helped harvest ripe coffee berries on the mature plants. Harvesting the berries seemed more fun than planting seedlings, but after a few hours of picking berries as fast as I could, I found that each family member had already collected three or four times the amount I had. With thousands upon thousands of berries to be harvested, efficiency is crucial and these families have learned what it takes to be successful at it. After collecting several bags of berries, we went back into the village and they showed us how the beans are removed from the berries using a mechanical peeling machine.

Early on Wednesday morning, a group of howler monkeys began whooping and hollering from the jungle near the village. A couple of the men from the community led us across the valley to where we found the monkeys climbing in the treetops. These monkeys, said to be one of the loudest mammals in the world, are commonly heard, but rarely seen in the jungle and it was a unique opportunity to observe them in their natural habitat.

The afternoon of festivities ended with a community bonfire at the center of the village. After singing songs and praying around the fire, people hung around in groups and talked and laughed with their friends and family. Stepping back and observing the moment, I saw what a blessing strong communities are for helping each other through life's struggles, both big and small.

On Friday we decided to go see some of the volcanos located in close proximity to Granada. The first and closest volcano, Mombacho, is located just 10km to the south of the city. Mombacho is an inactive volcano covered in a dense rainforest, much of which is now protected by the Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve. From the visitor center at the top, several hiking trails lead into the forest and extend around the crater at the top. We took one of the trails through the rainforest and out to a viewpoint overlooking the city of Granada and the expansive Lake Nicaragua.

For the last day in Nicaragua, I spent the morning walking through the city of Granada exploring the beautiful Spanish-style churches and colorful buildings. The peaceful morning gave me a chance to reflect on the things I had seen over the past week and how truly remarkable it is when those with plenty lend a helping hand to those in need. My hope is that American's will provide the support necessary for organizations like Agros to continue making a difference in the lives of people living in Central America.