We have loaded 34 cargo containers of aid for Nicaragua from New Jersey since 1987, but we have never been on hand to see one arrive in Nicaragua, to go through customs, nor to help unload that which we so carefully packed in New Jersey.

This was our chance and we jumped at it.

The process: After leaving New Jersey, the 45 foot cargo container takes off to Puerto Limon, Costa Rica where it is off-loaded and put on the road to Nicaragua. It ends up at a private customs warehouse in Masaya (left) where it sits, and sits, and sits until all the paperwork is processed. As a courtesy to the relief nature of the shipment, the custom's officials crack the seals on the container, then take off a few boxes — commercial shipments would be completely unloaded and checked.

The container then heads over to the offices of Masaya Without Frontiers, our Nicaraguan partner organization. What took about fifteen hours to load in New Jersey takes two and a half hours to unload in Nicaragua, all materials sorted as to their destinations and type.

	Our 45 foot high-cube cargo container sitting at the customs warehouse in Masaya, Nicaragua.
The doors swing open and not a box falls out — a testament to the tight packing of the container by New Jersey stalwarts.
A token inspection of the cargo. Thankfully, customs officials don't require a complete inspection of every box, bag, and bat in the container.
"Please take this. I may need it later." Guy Talbot begins unloading the container.
Robin Friebur carries a few of the hundreds of stuffer bags of clothing we pack into the container to utilize all available space in the container.
Those last few boxes are the toughest. Rob Zemser grabs one of the last boxes at the end of the container.
	It's about 6:30 and the sun is setting in Nicaragua and the container is all unloaded...
... The workers are in need of a shower and some refreshments. The gang assembles before the empty container, a good day's work done. By the next week the aid materials would be on their way to more refugee camps.