One Smooth Stone: President Kevin Olsen brings his family to Nicaragua

After several trips to volunteer at a Samaritan's International Compound in Nicaragua, President and Founding Principal of One Smooth Stone, Kevin Olsen, brought his family in January. Over the 5 days, Kevin’s wife, Carol, and their two daughters, Emily (age 11) and Abby (age 7), joined a team of 13 adults and 16 children from Ginger Creek Community Church to plan a baseball camp for local kids, distribute clothing and shoes donated by Illinois families, and construct walls on a home for an impoverished family. Partnering with the non-profit organization Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), the team also handed out nutritious meals from a food distribution center in Pucha Quape where FMSC feeds 25,000 starving children a day. The organization makes a great impact in combating hunger, especially at the local dump (La Chureca) where thousands reside.

After returning from the trip, Kevin remarked that the experience greatly impacted his two girls. “It was my third time in Nicaragua, but our first time as a family. This trip solidified the relationship our family will have with the people in Nicaragua for years to come.” Emily already has plans to return in the summer with her youth group, and Abby is eager to go back and see her friends in Nicaragua. They both gained a new understanding of what it is like to live without the comforts of their home in Illinois, as well as had the opportunity to meet people who were very poor, but still deeply content.

Emily Olsen hands out shoes