Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Gracias a todos


I want to say thank you for all of your support while I took an adventure that God brought me to. On this semester abroad, I knew that God was going to open my eyes to things I never knew. And, it was during these four months I gained a better grasp as to what it means to love people the way Christ does. I can't tell you everything, but I will tell you some of the lessons I learned...

Many times when we want to help others in need we treat them as though they are in need of immediate relief, like clothing, money, food, etc. But really, these people are not in a life threatening situation, they should not be treated like they just survived an earthquake in Haiti. What they need, is going to take more of a sacrifice on our part, they need a long term commitment of persons who are going to walk them through healing, help them find confidence, and challenge them to do things for themselves that they are able to.

An example of this, is a question that I always struggled with; whether or not to give people on the streets money or food. I learned and I can confidently say that giving money or food to a person on the street is not helping them, it is only enabling them to stay where they are at. A better option would be to point them to an organization that is equipped to really help them out of their situation. If you want to commit to helping these people, then join in on an effort that God is already blessing by donating your time or money to those who have a grasp and a plan to treat the root causes of the situation.

With that said, make sure to take a closer look at where you are putting your money and time. It is a good idea to ask these questions; How much money is the organization actually using on those in need? How does the organization measure there success? Are the missionaries you are supporting being responsible and faithful with the money you are giving them? Is sending your children on an expensive mission trip the best way to help those in need with your money?

I want to challenge you, as I have been, to ask these important questions. To hear the stories of those who have been helped from mission organizations. To read books from and talk with those who are experienced in the field of poverty alleviation.

When I first began learning about these things, I almost felt discouraged to help and leery of doing something wrong. But, instead of leaving it at that, I searched deeper and did my research. There are many ways that I have changed my approach to serving and loving others, and I found that there is a deep need for me to be giving more of my time and money, I just need to make sure I am smart about how I am doing that.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Lugares a ver, pero solo un poquito tiempo



This is what we ended up doing...
  • Tuesday=Granada-Walking through the city, Zip-lining, drinking smoothies, and eating
  • Wednesday=Masaya & Granada- Greg and I liked Granada so much we decided to go back. But first we went to an amazing burrito shop for lunch in Managua, then headed to Masaya's National Volcano Park to look into the Volcano. Then we headed to Granada to see more of the city, get another smoothie, and eat dinner.
  • Thursday=Jinotepe & Managua- We went to Jinotepe for the Chinese restaurant that was all I hoped it was going to be! Then we went back to Managua to use the internet and drink some coffee. After this we are heading back to the burrito shop for dinner and then going to the Ruben Dario National Theater for a night of flamingo guitarists and dancers.
Looks like I will have to finish packing in the morning before our taxi comes to pick us up at 9:00am to go to the airport. There is nothing like going where ever you want for how long you want to. We are just trying to soak up a little bit of everything before we leave.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Hacemos Memorías


Last night, Greg and I decided to take a break from the non-stop work and visit one of our favorite places: Mason Sur. Not only do they have great Margarita pizza, but the view is amazing, especially at sun set. It looks over a laguna crater and gives you a view of the whole city, including the giant Lake Managua, the volcano, and some mountains.

After that, I went home to wash some laundry in the washing sink, for what I think is going to be the last time hand-washing my clothes for awhile. I usually do my laundry at night because it is a bit cooler out and it is a good time to process the day.

As for today, all my work is done! Today at 3:30 we are going to present our work to the staff at the Nehemiah Center. After, we are going to go out for dinner with Iskra, she is our go-to person, our host family and Prof. Dan for a final celebration of our time here.

The next three days we are going to do some final traveling and try to visit four different cities. This is what we are thinking...
  • Tuesday=Granada: See the city, eat at restaurants and either go zip-lining or do a tour of islands
  • Wednesday=Matagalpa: Explore, eat, and see what there is to do
  • Thursday=Jinotepe/Masaya: Explore Jinotepe and eat lunch at this Chinese Restaurant (one of my many moments of culture shock and awkwardness, a Chinese restaurant where they speak Spanish). Then, head to Masaya to explore, eat dinner, and do the Mount Masaya hike (which includes a cave tour)!
Some where in there, I am going to pack and be ready to take my flight back to busy Chicago by Friday morning.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Estoy Pensando


With only eight days left there are certain things that I am looking forward to that I have not had the comfort of for the past couple of months.
  • Getting my hair and nails done
  • Mexican Food
  • Flammin' Hot Cheetos
  • Sleeping with warm blankets
  • Driving my car
  • Shopping at Marshalls
  • Going to church
  • Not sweating
  • Using a washing machine and dryer
  • The comfort of familiar things
There are also things that I am going to miss about Nicaragua...
  • Seeing Mountains, lakes and volcanoes whenever I walk outside
  • The people
  • Taking weekend vacations to remote places
  • Buying Mango de rossas on the street
  • Buying amazing sugar bread things in the mornings
  • My internship
  • Being sun-kissed
  • Going to the movie theater for less than $3
  • Taking naps in hammocks
  • The Kodakness of this place
The great thing about both of these places is that both have a piece of my heart.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Trece Días Mas

With thirteen days left and a deadline in sight for our final projects, us four have been hard at work each day. We have been at the Nehemiah Center from about 8:30am-6pm Monday-Sunday, and sometimes even later. With the rainy season here it is still very hot and now humid, but when it rains it cools everything down for a little while.

This week I had the opportunity to get some experience in the writing of grant proposals. They were writing a grant proposal to get funding to introduce a new crop in a rural area that will dramatically improve the nutrition of the children. I tried to sit and absorb everything they were doing. This is one of the reasons doing a semester abroad is so great, because you do not get learning experiences like that in a classroom.

This week we did take a break for some fun. There is a famous Nicaraguan skateboarder whose video premier we went to. That was a pretty cool thing to be at and we were invited to the after party because apparently we have "connections," whatever that means.

At the current moment I am quite exhausted because I waited for my bus to come for 1 1/2 hours and it never did, I ended up taking a taxi to get the The Nehemiah Center and luckily getting here right before the rain began.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Tesoros de Dios

Within these walls is where societies' least of these are considered Treasures of Christ. At Tesoros de Dios, children cared for range from dyslexia to severe cerebral palsy. It is on those mats the children receive physical therapy and outside of the center they participate in horse therapy. Along with therapy, they are provided with various learning opportunities, such as computer skills.

The organization is run by pure passion, surviving on the little donations they get to pay bills and keep the place running comfortably for the children they serve. I met one of the women who helps to make this place happen a month or two back, today I had the chance to go to the center and I felt the joy the workers had, and the smiles on the children's faces reassured me that Teresos was doing a great work for Christ's kingdom.

I wanted to write about this because I know some of you have generous hearts and a little bird told me that any donations, even just 10$ helps them out tremendously. If you are interested in learning more about Tesoros de Dios just send me an e-mail and I can either get you more information or let you know how you can help at Joanna.Dykstra@trnty.edu.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Sandalias de Cebra

Leon is one of my favorite places in Nicaragua. The people are friendly, the streets are clean, the architecture is interesting and second-hand American clothing boutiques are everywhere. I was able to get about six interviews in two days and a new pair of Roxy flip flops. It was a nice change of pace and faces.

The picture on the left is Alma. She has been my translator and cultural bridger for my internship. My first project was to write a story on her to help increase her funding. She is a vibrant person and a lot of fun to work with.

In the middle photo, second from the left, is Lourdes. Lourdes runs the Buen Trato program(domestic violence program). The photo on the right is Rakel, she runs the HIV/AIDS program.

Alma, Lourdes, Rakel and I met with the leaders who are running these programs in their churches. We were able to hear about how their experiences were going, how the knowledge they are learning is changing their lives and the surrounding communities, what challenges they are facing and what they envision for the future.

I love being able to go into peoples homes and churches and see how God is moving in Nicaragua; because when you only walk down the streets and play at the beach, you miss out on the real heart of this place. They are a people of passion, eager to learn, and ready to sacrifice their desires for Christ's. They are a nation in the process of transformation and I feel blessed to be here.

Monday, April 19, 2010

!lluvia lluvia!

For the first time in four months the clouds released their moisture into the Pacific Nicaraguan Coast on Saturday! We happened to be in Masaya visiting a famous market known for their art work, Artesanía.

The Artesanía is all handcrafted pottery, leather products, and paintings. They are very beautiful. But of course, I bought two pairs of wooden earrings. After the market, we went to a restaurant and ate a meal for $2. When we got back Greg was arriving home from his time filming in the mountains again. We went to On the Run to hang out and talk for the night.

Thanks to Amanda Cleary, I finished my first writing project for the Nehemiah Center today. I learned a lot through writing that one story. I look forward to writing my next assignments.

Wednesday, I will be going to Leon for two days to gather testimonials from the people impacted by the domestic violence and HIV/AIDS programs.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

¿Donde Vas?

Catching a taxi is a fairly easy thing to do in Managua, considering that every minute probably about 10 stop and try to get you in their car. The hard part comes when trying to tell them where to go...They don't have street names or addresses!

An address would be for example, turn left at the coconut tree and go three blocks in the direction of the lake. If the taxi driver doesn't know where THE coconut tree is you will have to get a different driver who knows. Getting home this is what I tell them...

Las Brissas, tres cuadras pasado el Hospital Lenin Fronsseca. Una derecha y una izquierda.
I live in Las Brissas, three blocks past Lenin Fronsseca Hospital, take a right, and then a left.

Sam came home for the week, so we decided to go to this Art Cafe. The guide book said their was supposed to be Open Mike nights on Wednesdays. Turns out, the entertainment was Star Trek in Spanish and after that really loud Hispanic eighties music with outrageous music videos. We had a good time. It was located at El Statua de Montoya, tres cuadras oeste o baja, una derecha y una cuadra mas.

This morning Sam and I caught a lizard with a blue tail.


Saturday, April 10, 2010

En Dios Confio


As far as our internships go, everyone but me is doing a film. This week, Greg, Sam, and Tim each left to begin filming in different Nicaraguan Communities. They are each gone for a different amount of time. The organizations I am writing for are based in Managua, so I have been here all week by myself. At times I was a bit lonely, because I am used to always being in a group of four. I tried to make the best of my time though.

It was one of the first times I felt alone here, which if you have ever experienced is not a great feeling. But, I new that God has purpose in everything he does, so I trusted that He was teaching me something through this. I don't know if I learned anything new, but I really had to rely on Christ to be my comforter, instead of people. I listened to some podcasts from Hillsong Church in Australia and one in particular talked about the need to give adoration to Christ and to always begin things with an attitude and words of gratefulness. I was encouraged, because with a shift in my attitude, my time alone did not have to be boredom. I used it to praise him, I used the time to make a plan of things to do and go out and do them, I used it to reflect, and read a lot.

I finished a book, Three Cups of Tea. I started reading it when I got here and it took me a while to finish, but it was a great story, and the topic happened to almost be an application of what I have been learning about poverty alleviation.

I posted a while ago about not knowing how to love people the way Christ does and that I was going to try and figure that out. Well, I have not come to a complete conclusion but I have been reading two books that have completely challenged my thinking and I highly recommend them. One is When Helping Hurts, the other is Poverty Alleviation. If you are interested in helping anyone at all, I suggest you read these first.

Before I leave I will be sure to talk about what I have learned as far as helping the poor, I don't feel as though I can do it right now, because I know that I still have a lot more to find out.


Monday, April 5, 2010

Fuimos a Leon

In all of Nicaragua, Leon is the only city that has a sight like this. On Good Friday, the people fill the streets to watch their friends and family make artwork of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They make this art work out of wood shavings, dirt, corn, rice, and beans. Their is no music or dancing, because they see this as a holy day, a day to remember the suffering that happened.

The artwork is vibrant in color, each one displaying a tribute to Jesus Christ. Along with the artwork, on the streets there are many people cooking and selling food. The most common thing was fried chicken and French fries.

This weekend we also got to see Roberto and Griselda's house. They live in a rural area outside of the city. The property they live on holds all of Griselda's family. As each one gets married they either add on a room to the house, or build one right besides it. Roberto kept making jokes about how it is actually an empire of Griselda's family. Her family included grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, and sisters. When a man gets married, its a custom to live with the girls' family. When they have saved enough money they get permission from the eldest in the family to own part of the property and build a house. They built theirs only a year and a half ago.

Roberto and Griselda stayed in Leon for another day, but Greg, Tim, and I returned home on Saturday morning. We took this opportunity to cook some familiar food. We chose Chicago Style hot dogs for lunch and French Toast for dinner. It was a good day.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Semana Santa

This week was the first week of my internship. This week is also Holy Week, which means that almost every person in Managua doesn't go to work and heads to the beach. As the week progressed buses filled with people leaving the city, stores closed down, and buses stopped running. We still came to the Nehemiah Center everyday because, for us, there was work that needed to be done.

We didn't do anything too exciting. Although, I did get to watch Dancing with the Starts on Monday and Tuesday night! Last night Greg and I went up to the local "On The Run"(gas station) and hung out there for the night. It has air conditioning, coffee, and snacks; making it a great place to relax and talk.

Tonight we are heading to Leon, where Roberto and Grieselda actually live, to see the festivities for Holy Friday. We are going to stay the night at Roberto's parents house tonight, tomorrow go out and see the city and watch the ceremonies late into the night.

I'll miss you all on Easter Sunday, because that day is not celebrated like we do, the big celebrations are today(Thursday) and Friday, one lady here explained it as being kind of "anti-climactic."

I will be celebrating Sunday though, because Jesus Christ came to the earth for the least of these and he came to pay for our sins so that if we confess them and live for him we will spend eternity with him. I praise him for his sacrifice and for the miracle of his resurrection, because he is ALIVE and living within us today.

Happy Easter!

Friday, March 26, 2010

San Juan Surf


This week my brother and sister-in-law came out to visit for spring break. We headed out to the Pacific Coast with the intent of surfing and relaxing at the beach everyday. I am happy to report that is exactly what we did.

Although my previous attempt to surf failed, this one did not. I got up multiple times and can't wait till the next time I get to ride the waves. We rented a beautiful house that was only a five minuet or less drive to the beach. My brother Vince's favorite part of the trip was the 4 cylinder turbo-diesel Toyota Hilux. San Juan del Sur is full of steep mountains creating bumpy rides, but we throughly enjoyed them together.

Having air conditioning and a blanket to sleep with was another one of my highlights. Overall, the week was spectacular; we surfed, talked, relaxed, ate, and played cards. I feel re-energized now. God has been showing me a lot and I am excited to see what else he has in store for the next 7 weeks of my internship.

Love and Peace

P.S. If you read my blog and have not clicked "follow" I would love it if you did. That way I can know who I am writing to. Thanks!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Buen Trato, Cada Rato


Yesterday I went up to Chinandega, about 2 1/2 hours north, for the day. I went with an organization that I will be working with for the next 7 weeks. We visited a couple of secondary schools, 7-12th graders, to talk to them about domestic violence. We gave them a vaccination against abuse, the vaccination was a lollipop. The students faces were filled with relief, they thought we were actually going to give them a shot!

Along with the lolipop, we gave them a bookmark. The book mark had a white heart where the students would put thier fingerprint. This was thier pledge that they would not be a violent person and they would treat people with respect. We also gave them a bracelet.

The organization is called Buen Trato Cada Rato. They are working to prevent domestic violence before it becomes a huge problem. The Nehemiah Center has many programs that try and prevent epidemics and such before they become overwhelming. I think that is a good thing to do, instead of waiting to act until it becomes a big problem.

It was a long day and I wasn't feeling very good, but it was really cool to see what this organization actually does. This is one of the organizations that I will be writing for.

AND I'M VERY EXCITED BECAUSE I'M ON SPRING BREAK!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Centro Nehemias


The Nehemiah Center is where I spend most of my time. It is an organization that contains multiple non-profits that are working to rebuild the walls of Nicaragua. Nicaragua has had many natural disasters, wars, and political instability. The organizations within the center work in various cities in Nicaragua to train the leaders with a biblical worldview, help communities see what potential they have, and aids them along in the process. The offices are all open and form a square, all surrounding the gazebo.

The top/middle picture is the "Rancheron." This is where we eat our lunches with the staff, relax, and many times have class. The top/left photo is Leonor and I. Leonor and I talk everyday. She has become a good friend of mine. We have English class once or twice a week because she is studying English and gets good practice with me. Likewise, I can practice my Spanish with her.

The top/right is Mercedes. Mercedes cooks us lunch everyday. I am blessed to eat her food, its muy sabroso (very tasty)!
Tomorrow I am having my last day of class, I will be taking my Spanish Final, it should take me three hours to complete! We had a meeting this week to finalize my internship plans. I will start it after spring break.

I have a couple main objectives during my seven week internship:

1. To work closely with the Nehemiah Center staff on materials in support of the work being done on HIV/AIDS and Domestic Violence. This will include promotional materials which will be used to attract donors and articles which can be used in publications.
2. To pursue an independent study on the issue of sex trafficking in Nicaragua. I will do research on the topic and summarize my findings.
3. Work on the promotion of the Trinity Semester in Nicaragua program. This includes coming up with creative strategies, gathering personal testimonies, rewriting promotional materials, etc.

Next week is Spring Break. My brother and sister-in-law, Vince and Lauren, are heading down to Nicaragua. Greg and I will be spending the week in San Juan Del Sur with them. I am really looking forward to relaxing and seeing some family!

Love and Peace

Friday, March 12, 2010

Gracias a Dios es Viernes

Out of all the Gringo(name for Americans) restaurants to have, Managua has TGIFridays. We need a break from the culture immersion and were in serious need of a night out; we headed to TGIF for dessert.

While devouring our scrumptious dessert, we realized what a family we have become. Its amazing how we never run out of things to talk about. This year, they decided to do things a bit differently and have us all live together in one house. The first month it was a bit difficult because all you want to do is experience the culture without any hindrances. Living with three other North Americans hinders that a bit.

Now, during the second month, we are extremely grateful to have each other. Living in a culture that has virtually no similarities to your usual one definitely has its ups and downs. Having others to "talk through" the frustrations and funny moments is extremely important in this context. Even though we all come from different worlds, we have all have the same thing in common, everything here is different.

I am grateful for my roommates here. I am grateful for this opportunity to be stretched.

I am also grateful for my health because somehow, I am the only one out of us four who is not sick. I escaped the sick house to relax at Cafe Latina and get some homework done for the afternoon. Pray for them though, all of their stomachs are churning.

Love and Peace

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Feliz Cumpleanos Gregorio!


Greg had his 21st birthday on Monday! Everyone made it very special for him.

The day was started when Roberto and Yasert(I found out is spelled Jasser), played a wake up song and a birthday song outside of Greg's door. Jasser played the marimba and Roberto played a ukulele.

After class, I took Greg out to Todoasada for dinner. Todoasada is this great "hole in the wall" restaurant, that is only tree blocks from our house, with the most delicious meat and ensalada! Greg got carne asada(some type of beef) and I got pollo(chicken). It is one of our favorite places in Managua to eat.

After dinner, Greg and I walked back home and we had a fiesta. There was cake, very loud music, many speeches, toasts, singing, and laughter. Then on Tuesday, Griselda made a special dinner in honor of Greg's birthday.


Nicas Love to Celebrate Life!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Ometepe

Ometepe was beautiful. It took five hours to get there. We had to take a bus and a ferry, but it was worth it. We had planned on doing some adventurous things like hiking, biking, kayaking, etc., but that did not happen. We decided to relax, I was very happy about that decision.

We stayed in two different hostels. The first night we saw a beautiful sun set and took a walk through the little town. The second night we were at Finca Magdelena. B-E-Autiful. Everything is so cheap so, we lived it up and ate some really good food, walked to a rocky beach, and played cards all night while staring at the two volcanoes in the short distance.

It took a lot of energy to get everywhere, but I slept in this morning till 7am. I feel rested and ready to start my last two weeks of class.

Love and Peace

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Hay Muchas Cosas


A month in. A bit homesick. A lot to process at one time.

In the midst of every great thing there are always moments where you wish you could speed up time, or at least pause it to breathe. Yesterday I had a moment and thanks to Greg, I could talk it out.

At this particular point in my life I have a lot to think about, as far as my future goes. I have fallen in love with a lot of Nica things. If you don't know me, I get really excited and passionate about good things easily. In my brain, every other second I say I am going to move here, then the next one i am saying I just want to go back to Chicago. Its very exhausting. I am aware that I do not need to make that decision right now, so the next second I think "Joanna, stop thinking about that!"

Yesterday I was chopping away, dicing carrots and celery for dinner. Little ants were running rampantly across the table and the food. All I wanted to do was go and grab some bleach and raid, exterminate, and throw away the food! I had to contain my self, Griselda never seems to mind the ants, I didn't want to offend her. It is not that she is a dirty person at all, ants everywhere in the house is just normal. I have been able to get over some of my phobia of ants, but on days where I'm home sick and my mind is all over the place, its hard to find the strength to get over myself.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

La Carpio


We came to Costa Rica in order to learn more about the topic of immigration. Because the politics and economy are very bad in Nicaragua many immigrate to Costa Rica for work. We have had the opportunity to talk to people on all sides of the issue. Yesterday, we we did some touring of Costa Rica and we went to a human rights organization to interview one of the ladies who works in the area of immigration rights.

Today we had some more fun. We climbed up to see a crater volcano and also a crater laguna. They were both very beautiful. Along the way we had some fun adventures too! It was bittersweet these past two days because I have been very nauseous and I was wheezing all the way up the volcano, but I tried to make the best of it.

But today we saw something different and I want to try and describe my situation to you.

I wanted to vomit because I was not feeling well, because we were driving up and down mountains all day, because their were some foul smells, because all I wanted to do was cry.
I wanted to cry because I did not know how to process the things I was seeing, not the volcano,
but the second half of our day, La Carpio. La Carpio is a Nicaraguan neighborhood that has formed in Costa Rica. It is a community of people who have a great hope to make a better life. I have no pictures to share, but I do have a stories.

I came to Costa Rica 14 years ago. I came because I wanted to work. I came here because I had no money. I work at my fruit stand from 7am to 6pm every day. I praise God because of his love for me. I have scars on my legs because of my husband. He took my house and all I had from me. But I praise God for his love. I want to go back to Nicaragua, but the government is unstable and I can not afford to go back and visit.

I have been here for 5 years. I hope to go back to Nicaragua when I have reached my goal. It is very hard to save money because I only make 60 dollars a month, I have managed to save some though. All I want is to work, I don't care what it is. Right now I sell ice cream on the street, but they do not pay me very much. During coffee season I can pick coffee. I do not have my papers, I walked alone through the mountains for five days to get here, I will do anything to provide for my family. I praise God for he is in control and everything is in his timing.

Today many people opened up their homes to us and talked openly about their lives and answered the questions we had. I can't describe the community to you, but it is full of people who do not have much physically but are filled with hope, spiritually they are rich. The dilemma is that I don't know where to go from here. All they asked is that we pray for their families. That we pray for more people to know Christ. That I can and will do. Its just really hard to see amazing people suffer, because its really hard to just walk away and go on with your day, you want to help so bad, but its like I just don't know how.

Maybe by the time I leave here I will understand better how to truly love people the way Christ does.

Friday, February 26, 2010

I AM NOW IN....

Reminder: Double Click to see it larger if you want

Friday, February 19, 2010

Santa Maria

On October 3, 1998 Hurricane Mitch killed almost an entire community. Those who survived had nothing left but the clothes on their backs. Hurricane Mitch stopped over the community of Santa Maria; for almost two weeks it did not stop raining, causing a mudslide. The scale of this disaster is similar to what is going on in Haiti at the moment. Because this community was up in the mountains (pictured above, specifically the lighter streak), many people did not know the extent of the damage going on and also making it difficult for rescue and relief agencies.
Although Hurricane Mitch happened 11 years ago, those who survived are still struggling to manage. Last week, we went and visited the Santa Maria community and I was able to interview many of the families affected. One woman I talked with lost all four of her daughters, her parents, and many other relatives. She was one of the 11 people who were on the mountain during Hurricane Mitch who survived.
The Santa Maria community was helped by relief agencies. They were all built and given new homes. This was great because it provided them with a roof over their head. The problem was and still is, they don't have a way to make money to survive. The Santa Maria community was all farmers. Along with all their other possessions, their land was destroyed. Eleven years later, some have found enough work to have beans for dinner every night, while others wonder how they are going to find food for the next day because there is no land for them to farm.
There are many sad stories to be told, but all of them have an amazing faith that has brought them through. The shack you see above, started as a table outside of the school in Santa Maria. Petrona, a survivor of Hurricane Mitch, realized she could make a profit by selling snacks to the students. A year later, she has a building, and is able to survive off the profits. Not only does she survive, she helps many other families by proving work and giving them money to live.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

"El Huracan"


Yasert is my little brother for the semester. He is two years old, he is, in every sense of the phrase, in his terrible twos. From the time he wakes up till he falls asleep at night he is on the go, literally never stopping. I have nicknamed him "El Huracan" or "The Hurrican". Greiselda amazes me with her patience and her ablity to laugh at him; he is truly a bundle full of joy.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Poneloya: Don Ocean

This weekend we ventured out to the Pacific Coast. Our plans were to learn how to surf. In Nica, Don is a term of respect; I now call the ocean Don Ocean because I have a deep respect for it.


I've been to the ocean once before, but I only went in it for a few moments because I was scared. This time, I was fearless. I got my boogie board and dove right in, trying to swim past where the waves broke. I kept at it, but every time a wave came I got shoved back onto shore. The sum of my story is that I did not attempt surfing; I realized that I do not have the strength to paddle past the waves. My dreams were shattered this weekend, for my secret dream was to move to the ocean and be a surfer babe. But, I will stay positive. Greg, did a pretty good job surfing. He never got up, but he got close a couple of times. With some more practice I have no doubt he will be a surfer dude.

In addition to swimming a lot in the ocean, we ate some yummy food at some restaurants on the beach nearby. Also, my Prof, Dan Brun, and my friend Samantha and I made a reggae music video. Above is a picture of us posing. To say the least, we had a weekend full of laughter.

To remember the weekend I have lots of pictures, but also some battle wounds. One is a giant bruise above my knee from my elbow. The waves were very strong and I got knocked around a lot. The other battle wound is a nice giant scrape below my knee. I ventured out into some waters that were further down the beach and the waves crashed me into a nice rock that I could not see because it was underwater. I think that it is infected; hopefully tonight I can perform some First Aid on it to stop the infection.

And one last thing: Nicaragua has the best chocolate ever!

Lovveeee
(Tip: If you double click on the pictures it makes them bigger)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Gallo Pinto

Nica food is very yummy, but it is differnt than I think most of you would assume. Nica food is kind of bland, depending on the item. There is one thing that is at almost every meal: Gallo pinto (rice and beans). I like it so much, that I am slighlty dissapointed if it is not at a meal. Another typical item is ensalada (salad) The salad is made with raw cabbage. It has lime and salt in it. They will sometimes add tomatoes and cucumbers to it. There is also this topping called "crema", it is a creme that tastes good on all of their food, I dont really know how to describe it. The yellow things in the picture are fried plantanes. I really like them too. There is not a ton of variety in the "typical" Nica diet. The reason is because they eat for survival, we on the other hand eat for enjoyment. In Nica they also eat their meals differently than in the states. In Nica, breakfast is the biggest meal, than lunch is big too, and dinner is smaller. It is hard to adjust to not having a hearty dinner, but it is proably better to do it in that order.


In the photo on the right is Grieselda and I. She decided that she wanted to do my make up. She put a lot of eyeliner on me. She thought it looked amazing, it did look nice, but when you are sweating nonstop a lot of makeup is no good. By the end of the night, I looked like I had black eyes, haha. I really enjoy hanging out with her though, we like to do and talk about similar things. She loves to give me pedi's and mani's, no matter what I say she insists on doing it, Nica's just love to serve.

Lovvveeeeee

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Laguna de Apollo


This weekend we went to a giant crater named "Laguna de Apollo." It was beautiful! While we were there I did a lot of kayaking and swimming. We stayed in a cabana that was right on the water. It was very relaxing and a nice break from busy Managua.
On one of my many ventures out on the kayak, I went right to the middle of the laguna. I looked out and all I saw was God's creation. The only words that I could sing were "Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God almighty, who was and is and is to come" the next line in that song is "with all creation I sing, praise to the king of kings, you are my everything and I will adore you." Those words had a new meaning than ever before. It was as if creation was singing along with me how Holy Christ is. Christ did not need to make the earth so beautiful and intricate, but he did, and for that I am grateful.
Congratulations Michelle and Jake, I pray God's sweet blessing on your marriage.


Hasta luego

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Mi Primera Semana


Hola Amigos!
This week we started our classes. I decided that we needed to take a "First Day of School" picture while we were waiting at our bus stop. We have to take two buses to get to the Nehemiah Center. One bus costs 2.50 cordobas and the other is 3 cordobas. It is very cheap, it is 21 cordobas to our dollar!
On the right is a picture of one of my classrooms. Samantha, the other girl in the picture, and I are in an advanced spanish class. Greg and Tim, the other guy, are in begginer spanish. Sam and I's classroom is in the Nehemiah center, it is nice and open to the outside.
I decided that I want to add another day of spanish instead of taking the media class that Sam, Tim, and Greg are taking. Starting next week I will have four hours of spanish three days a week. That means that I am going to get a new teacher and it will be one-on-one. In addition to spanish, I am studying Nica Culture and History, and Worldview. I have a lot of homework already, but it is all facinating to me so I don't mind doing the work.
Since I am not taking that media class, I will have one day free to do something else. Some staff at the Nehemiah Center are going to find me some opportuinites, I may even get to teach English to some of the staff!
To get from place to place, usually we take public transportation (bus or taxi), Greg and I have opted to walk a lot of places to get more familiar with the area and for exercise. One of those times we decided to walk I was not wearing good shoes, by the time I got back home I had a huge blister on the bottom of my foot!!!! Roberto made me pop it with a steralized diaper pin, that was a gross, yet at the same time very funny moment. He put sometype of ointment on it and by the time I woke up it was all better! I learned two valuable lessons: Wear comfortable shoes when walking long distances, and DO NOT get a pedicure before you go to Nica b/c you need all the calluses you can get!!
Tuesday I had no class, so Greisleda and I hung out all morning. We watched a movie on tv and painted our nails, they are pretty and pink now. Although I did not have class I needed to be at the Nehemiah center so I could eat lunch and I had a meeting to arrange the whole more spanish thing. During the day it is safe to be by yourself, so don't be alarmed. I was doing really good, I got on the first bus correctly, then I got on the second bus correctly. The problem occured when I needed to get off. Roberto told me to get off at the cemetary, I for some reason did not proccess that infomation. The bus kept going down this road and I realized that I should have got off about five minuets ago. So I got off at the next stop and made a phone call for direction on what to do. Well I got directions, but I was not seeing what she said I was supposed to see so, I kept walking and walking thinking I was going to find the right road. Out of nowhere Greg calls me and I was like "IM LOST" He put Iskra, a Nica friend from the NC, on the phone. I told her what I saw around me. She said "wave down a taxi and give him the phone". So, that is what I did and thanks to Iskra, I got to the NC safley. It was a good adventure, somtimes you have to learn things the hard way. I was just happy because the cooks at the NC saved me a plate for lunch!
Well, I am at an Internet Cafe and I need to do some homework. Blog ya soon, haha!
Adios

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Hay muchas flores hermosas aqui



Personas Nicas son hermosas



Here are some photos of my house. The top left is where we eat meals, it is the view from my bedroom. The top right is the front room. There is a tv in there, we watch a lot of television. Nica's like things loud because that means happiness, when things are queit it signals lonliness, therefore either the stero or tv is always on. The tv is good because then all of us can laugh together. The bottom left is the kitchen (La cocina). The bottom right is the front of the house. It is enclosed by a gate. In the picture is Yasert y Greiselda. The dog's name is Rambo, he is there for protection. There are a lot of pretty gardens in the yard too.

One thing that you may notice from the pictures is that every thing is open. The picture of the kitchen there are those holes in the wall, they go to the outside. In the front room, where the flowers are, the roof is not a roof, it is open. It is very beautiful. I feel at home in my house.
I went over to the nieghbors house and I met the rooster, there are actually two of them and they are novios(boyfriend and girlfriend). The lady also has a parrot, Laura, that talks and sings in the morning, day, and night. I am used to thier chatter, it actaully is pretty cool!

I have made a lot of Nica friends, they are very sweet people. There are two girls across the street. The one is name Jennifer, she is 17. Jennifer and Joshua who is about 10 like to play kickball with me in the street at night. I have done that for the past couple of nights. Jennifer's sister is Errika, she is 23. Last night we talked a lot, she studied english for a while. She talks to me in English and I talk to her in Spanish, so that we can help eachother learn.

Today we went to a church called Iglesia Verbo. I LOVED IT! It reminded me of my church at home, Mercy Hill. The only differnece is that it was louder and bigger. Nica's have very very loud churches, its really cool. The songs were in spanish, but I understood all of them, and three of them were Hillsong songs. The sermon was in spanish, but there was a translator. I want to go back there.

Tommorow I start classes at the Nehamiah Center. I will be taking spanish and Nica culture/history. I will take classes for half the time I am here. I will be taught by some staff at the center. The last half of the semster I will do my internship.
I wish I could tell you guys everything, but that would take so much time. Thank you for being interested in my life, I feel special becasue you all read what I have to say!
Thank you for your prayers!!
Te Amo

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Mi Casa es Su Casa

We are now in Managua, we arrived last night at about 9pm. Our host family is awesome! Roberto and Greselda and thier 2 year old son Josheph have been very welcoming. The language barrier has been interesting but it is fun to read the dictionary together and play charades. My bedroom is the picture on the right. Like Managua, it is painted with lots of bright colors. The walls are light and dark pink stripes and one wall is lime green. There is lots of closet space...bonus!

This morning I woke up by a natural alarm clock at 5:30am: A ROOSTER LIVES OUTSIDE OF MY WINDOW...no sleeping in for me i guess. Greselda made Greg and I each a big fruit platter for breakfast, yummy! After I ate Greselda helped me unpack my things, she is very helpful.

Originally, we were all going to have our own host families. When we got here we learned that all four of us are staying with the same family so that we can build a community together. Its a good thing I like surprises.

It is very hott compared to ya'lls 15 degree weather. All in all, I love it here and can't wait to learn more about Managua!

Hasta Luego!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

As I walk this is my prayer

"You, God, hold my every moment. You calm my raging seas. You walk with me through fire and heal all my disease. I trust in you! I trust in you! I believe that you're my healer. I believe You are all I need. I believe you're my portion. I believe You're more than enough for me. Nothing is impossible for you. You hold my world in your hands."-Healer