He needs between $200 and $400 for a new leg

He lost his wife in 1999 due to complications caused by diabetes. Today, he is on his own and living by himself in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He scoots around town on his motorized chair and manages to make it to the library, the Journey Home and multiple other stops on a daily basis.

He has a prosthetic leg, but is in need of a new one. His insurance will cover 80% of the costs, but needs help paying for the remaining 20% difference. That difference will be between $200 and $400.

Last year he was able to come up with enough money to buy an inexpensive leg, but it is uncomfortable and does not fit properly. He earned the money to pay for it by selling personal items on the local square. Some folks simply gave him a few dollars, while others bought his personal goods. 

Costa Rican Mountains

The Costa Rica landscape is comparable to no other. Years ago earthquakes, flooding and volcanoes shaped the land to what you will see today when visiting.

Fast flowing rivers, beautiful waterfalls, active volcanoes, massive craters are all over the 19,730 square mile country that is filled with a relatively small population of about 4.8 million residents.

Some of the beaches have white sand while others are black mixed with speckles of white. Monkeys swing from tree to tree while iguana’s lounge around waiting for an unsuspecting bug to cross their path.

"All trails seem to lead to waterfalls, misty crater lakes or jungle-fringed, deserted beaches. Explored by horseback, foot or kayak, Costa Rica is a tropical choose-your-own-adventure land." -Lonely Planet

He was eating with his family

He was sitting at a small table with his family next to an outdoor food vendor in Masaya, Nicaragua. The city is home to around 130,000 to 150,000 residents squeezed into a small area on the map. The city is to the east of an active volcano called Volcan de Masaya. The area is known as “The City of Flowers.”

The city is filled with history. One of the most notorious events occurred in 1912 as Nicaraguan rebel forces opened fire on United States Marine Troops on their way to Granada. The attack occurred during a period of civil war within the country.

The unprovoked attack on the Marines lasted for about one hour. Five Americans were wounded and three were captured by the rebel forces. The Nicaraguan Rebels lost 56 men who were killed by Marines during the attack. 70 rebels were wounded and 12 of those later died. The Marines continued on their journey to Granada and eventually convinced the rebel commander known as Luis Mena to surrender. Mena eventually went into exile in Panama.

Today the city is known for producing wicker furniture, cigars and leather products. The city is also on the critical crime list, according to the U.S. Department of State. Americans have experienced both violent and non-violent crimes in Masaya.

Living in the woods of Costa Rica

Born and raised in Costa Rica she doesn't have much, but she was all smiles. In the background is the place that she and her family call home.

The makeshift house is built of tarps, old fabric and metal roofing material. The home sits in the woods and is within a short walk to Pacific Ocean. There are over 800 miles of coastline in Costa Rica, much of which are made up of bluffs and steep rocks.

It is often necessary for the woman of the residence to stay home with young children as the average wage is about $10 per day, the highest in Central America. However, that is not enough to afford childcare.

Because her home is in the woods, she see's Iguana's and monkeys on a daily basis. While most Costa Ricans don't eat monkey and iguana meat, they do in neighboring Nicaragua. In fact, the government of Nicaragua encourages residents to eat iguana as opposed to chicken because iguanas are cheaper to raise when income is scarce. Plus, iguanas offer more protein than chickens. Iguanas have 24% protein compared with 18% in chicken.

Barefoot on hot concrete in Granada, Nicaragua

He was walking through the streets of Granada, Nicaragua with no shoes. The pavement was burning hot as the sun beams down on the city of about 130,000 residents. He was asking locals for money and many obliged handing him several córdoba’s or dollars.

Granada was founded in 1524 and is one of the oldest settlements among Latin American countries. Granada is located along the coast of the Lake Nicaragua. In the early days of formation it was the location of huge battles as English, French and Dutch pirates tried to take control of Nicaragua.

While the economy is better in Granada compared to other cities in Nicaragua, the U.S. Government warns American’s to use caution when traveling in the city. Political unrest often leads to demonstrations in cities like Granada as the next Presidential and National Assembly election will take place in November of 2016.  Sometimes political demonstrations turn violent as tempers escalate quickly.

Due to political unrest in Nicaragua and high crime, all U.S. Government personnel who travel to the area must be pre-approved because of safety concerns. Off duty government workers are not allowed to enter certain outdoor market areas due to increasing crime. 

The U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security announced in 2015, “The number of reports of burglary increased 63 percent from 2013 to 2014. The most frequent locations where non-violent crimes were reported to occur were restaurants, hotels (60 percent increase), roadways (700 percent increase), and on buses. There were also significant increases in reports from beaches and tourist areas. The majority of non-violent crimes were reported to occur during the day.” The U.S. also reported, “The municipalities with the highest rates of criminal complaints per 10,000 inhabitants were Bluefields, Granada, Puerto Cabezas, Managua, and Diriamba.”