Party Week!

This last week was my first week in the micro finance site! Although they are long days, it’s a great change from Spanish school! I leave my house every morning about 8:30, and I take the bus from my home in Masaya to the site in Nindiri. Micro finance works in two different areas: one group of ladies in Nindiri and one group in Jocote. I do not know the areas very well yet, but from what I have observed in terms of wealth, Nindiri seems to be a step lower than Masaya, and Jocote even farther down from there. Monday morning I walked with Katia and Holman out to the village of Valle de Volcan, out by the dump. I had been here with them once before, but going a second time was equally heart wrenching. The people stood in the dump, and literally waited the entire day for the trash truck to come. As it dumped the trash, they went crazy. They dug through it so quickly, as if it was treasure without enough to go around. We spent the morning passing out invitations to the ladies that lived here. Next Thursday we will have a meeting with these women to see if there is enough interest to begin another group there. The women seemed so confused. You could tell they were just waiting for us to ask for their money. We repeated over and over that it was free, the only requirement being they must show up. Fifteen ladies agreed to come to the meeting, which is more than we thought possible! How amazing.

The rest of the afternoon, Katia and I went shopping. Once every three or four months they have a birthday party for the ladies. Tuesday was the party in Nindiri and Friday in Jocote. We spent Monday and Thursday shopping, cooking, cleaning, and preparing. We decided to make Arroz con Cerdo (basically pork fried rice) and cupcakes.

 

Party planning and preparation this last week was definitely a humbling experience for me. I thought I knew how to chop vegetables, sweep the floors, mop, and wash dirty rags… but apparently not the Nicaraguan way! I loved having Katia teach me her way of doing things, and she was so proud when I could finally do it just like her. Everywhere we went, she told people, with the biggest smile on her face, that she was turning me into the perfect Nicaraguan girl. 

Holman and I made these two piñatas, one for each party. Not going to lie… I think I did a great job! 

My birthday was on Monday, but it ended up turning into a birthday week. Monday night I went to the base for my little birthday party. We had “build your own pizza” and chocolate cake. It was AMAZING! 

Katia and Holman kept telling me that the party on Tuesday was for three different women, but surprised me at the start of the party, and said that I was actually the third one. It was so fun to see the excitement on the ladies’ faces. You clearly tell how thankful they were to be celebrated. We began the parties with a short Bible study and prayer. After, we played a variety of games, broke the piñata, and enjoyed the rice and cupcakes. 

Preparing for each of the two parties was extremely different. In Nindiri, it involved sweeping the floors, cleaning the bathroom, mopping the tile, and cooking over a normal stove. But in Jocote, this was not the case. There was not a bathroom that needed to be cleaned… because it’s a hole in the ground. There was not a floor to be swept and mop, because the floor is dirt. The cooking took place in a pot over a pile of sticks. But it was so much fun!

 

I have been to Jocote three different times, and it is always the same. The kids all come together, running down the dirt paths between their houses, and hide behind the corners. They always peek around the edge and smile at me. When I turn around, they all giggle and take off running. Each time they get closer and closer, until they finally get the courage to come and play. Friday in Jocote proved to me the amount that my Spanish has improved! When I first went, about a month ago, I played with some of the kids. It did not involve any talking at all, because I had no way to communicate. But Friday, I was able to talk with them! We talked about their names, ages, families, favorite things, sports, etc. I was completely amazed at the amount that I knew, and honestly, I think they were too! 

This boy. This boy has stolen my heart. He is three years old. I have met him three different times, and every time, he comes running into my arms. He sits on my lap and just laughs and laughs. I have not really figured it out yet, but Nicaraguan children just like to laugh at me. I do not know why… but they always do. From the time I moved into my house, Oscar always just looks at me and laughs, and it is the same way in Jocote. This little boy is no exception. He sits on my lap and smiles at me with his huge brown eyes, and toothless smile. He takes his dirt covered, scraped up, little hands and squishes my cheeks, plays with my hair, and just stares at me. Every time I see him, he is wearing the same little Spiderman crocs on the wrong feet. How could you not love him?! 

The party in Jocote was an equal success. The love I feel from the women is amazing. They all genuinely care for one another and even for me! They have such a big desire to help me learn Spanish, but even if we are not talking, they find ways to make me feel special and accepted into their group.

We also spent much of the week doing home visits. We visited with this little girl who recently fractured her ankle. When I met her the first time, about a month ago, we were praying for God to provide the funds for her to have the surgery she needed. She was in so much pain. When I saw her again Friday, she was recovering from her surgery, and was no longer in any pain! Praise Jesus! 

Angelica is another girl whose story breaks my heart. At thirteen years old, she is the mother of a four month old baby boy. She got pregnant at the age of twelve, the father being seventeen. It really puts it into perspective when I think of my little sister, Haley (who is almost 15), being the mother of a two or three year old. I have met her two different times as well. The first time she seemed happy and proud to show off her adorable baby boy, but this time she barely spoke at all. She was stressed and worried about her son because of an allergic reaction he had to corn. If he couldn’t eat corn, and that’s all they had, what was she to do? 

Here is her precious son with his grandma who helps to take care of him.

It is stories like these that show the impact that SI is making here in Nicaragua. It is people like Katia and Holman who continually visit and encourage these young ladies. They give them scripture, advice, support, and prayer. I am witnessing, first hand, lives changing, and it is incredible! There is no doubt whether God is working here or not. He is transforming broken lives in amazing ways.  

Many people have been asking for specific prayer requests, but there are too many to name! Almost all of the ladies I have met are experiencing broken marriages of some sort. Infidelity is extremely common here. It is heart breaking to hear little children say, “If Jesus loves me, why did He let my daddy leave?”  

• Continual prayer for the women to hear what God speaking into their lives… That they would find their value and worth in Christ, and that their hearts may begin to heal.
• Our meeting with the ladies in Valle de Volcan on Thursday. If it is God’s will for a group to be started there, things would come together smoothly.  
•  Prayer for the young girls/mothers like Angelica – Provision, strength, and wisdom to be the mother that their children need.