Hello again. The last week or so has held so much, I do not
even know where to begin. Brace yourselves… this could be a very rambling blog post! Saturday
was Independence Day for all of Central America. The morning began with a
parade throughout Masaya. It was much like an Independence Day parade in the
States but with no order. People were crowding central park for no apparent
reason. To avoid all the confusion and disorder, we sat down to enjoy a couple of fresh fruit smoothies.
The children in the
parade marched down the street, but rather than in an orderly fashion, it seemed
like mass chaos. Crowds of people pushed
and shoved to get by. We had to climb up on a fence to even see what was
happening in the street. When the students excel in school, or make the “honor
roll”, they get the privilege of walking in the parade. It was adorable to see
little girls, three and four years of age, dressed up in costumes and dancing
their hearts out. The smiles on their faces were priceless. Teenage boys marched
in matching uniforms playing drums, trumpets, etc. It was obvious they had
practiced for weeks, even months, for this moment. You could tell they were so
proud of who they were and what they had accomplished. What an
honor it was for them to be marching in front of their city because of their own
personal success in school.
Saturday afternoon was a much needed day of relaxation. We
spent the day at the SI base with Krista and Caleb, the young American couple
that lives there. We swam, worked on homework, studied, and played cards. For dinner
we ate hot dogs, Doritos, and chocolate chip cookies… and it was AMAZING. Never
in my life did I think a hot dog and chips could be so satisfying. Although I love my host family and the Nicaraguan
culture, it is so nice to have a break once in a while.
Sunday, Austin and Jill drove us to Managua to attend an
English speaking church. It was the strangest thing to see a room full of white
people, speaking perfect English. Not a word of Spanish was spoken anywhere. It
was like pure culture shock all over again! Although I believe it is important
to fully engage in the culture and language of Nicaragua, nothing was more
refreshing than going to church and actually understanding what in the world was
going on.
Monday, after school, we went to Granada. First, we walked
around the city for a while and bought some gelato.
Next, we learned of the Granada Islets. The Mombacho Volcano
is a huge volcano near Granada that borders Lake Nicaragua. There are about 365
tiny islands in the lake, thought to have resulted from an eruption of the
Mombacho Volcano thousands of years ago. The four of us (Austin, Jill, Austin, and
I) climbed into a tiny boat, along with a tour guide to see these beautiful islands.
The islands are very close together, so they almost have their own little
community.
Families may buy an island and build their own mansion. As we went around to the different islands, our tour guide knew the story
of each. The richest family in all of Nicaragua, famous for their wealth, had a
vacation house on one island. Restaurant owners, business owners, wealthy Americans…
the list goes on and on. It was bizarre to see a huge, absolutely stunning
vacation home, right next to a shack where boys were sitting in the mud and fishing with only a stick
and a piece of string.
When we came around a corner, we saw a boat, two jet skis,
and a bunch of tubes. There was an older, white haired couple on the island
surrounded by the sweetest little brown faces. Our tour guide told us that this
was a Christian, American couple who had bought an island after retirement.
They built a house on it, purchased a couple of jet skis, and invited all of
the children in the surrounding homes over. It was like they had become the
grandparents of a small village. It was precious to see the “grandpa” on a jet ski,
pulling the boys on a tube, while the girls sat on the edge of the island with
the “grandma” eating cookies and laughing. What a creative and personal
ministry this couple has created, right out of their own home.
Monday night I began to feel very strange. I was completely
exhausted, more than I can even begin to explain. Tuesday morning I began
getting ready for school, but my entire body ached. Even after almost thirteen
hours of sleep, I wanted nothing more than to take a nap! My temperature was over 101,
so I decided it probably was not the best idea to go to school. After taking
some medicine, I slept for the entire day. Sophie brought me chocolate corn
flakes and fever reducer, Elia made me soup and tea, Austin stopped by to check
in on me, and Krista and Caleb brought me Gatorade to make sure I was
rehydrating. The amount of love and concern these people have for me is
amazing! Being sick away from home is usually terrible, but I felt completely
comfortable here in my new home and resting in my new bed.
After sleeping for hours, watching half of a movie, Skyping Jeffrey
multiple times throughout the day and my family in the evening, I was finally
starting to feel better. I probably left my bed for a total of ten minutes in
over 36 hours, but I healed quickly! I am so thankful for all of the family and
friends I have… for each of you who have been praying for me. I know that it
could have potentially been much worse!
Only two more days of Spanish school and we are finally on
to work in the sites. Even though I can hardly speak or understand any Spanish
at all, I don’t care. I am ready to get back into micro finance and hopefully
be able to use what I learned in school to communicate with the ladies and
children. Thank you so much for your prayers, support, and encouraging words… I
have definitely been blessed by them, and need them so much!
