Spanglish

As spanish more learn we, english goes bye bye. Well we are not quite that bad, but there are times where english just doesn´t seem like our native tongue. Then again, Spanish is not easy all the time either. So we live with Spanglish, but between the two of us it works. It is hard to believe that we have been here 8 months, time is moving fast. We are enjoying our time here and the rainy season, though I am sure in a couple of months we will get sick of the mud. We have been spending the majority of our time in Bramadero building relationships and trying to make a "normal" life for ourselves. This last week we have had the opportunity to work in our partners office in Managua. We have been working on a proposal for the World Bank, which has been a stretching experience since all the information is in English and we have to translate it for our partner. But we are enjoying our time building on our relationship with Jamie (our boss).

Sarah´s mom is also here doing some volunteering work for a month. She has been here a week and half and seems to be enjoying herself. It has worked out nicely that we are working more out of Managua than normal in order to spend more time with her. Last weekend we went to a natural reserve (cloud forest) here called Selva Negra. We spent time relaxing, hiking and looking for the howler monkeys that called to us from the mist.

Last month Sarah celebrated her 30th bithday, it did not turn out to be the best day, but it was one to remember. We were in the community and decided we would take the motor bike to Teustepe where we would spend the day at a hot spring. Since we are in the rainy season, it rained most of the night. We left around 10 a.m. and made it to the next village where we spun out in the clay mud and before we knew it we were lying in the mud with the bike. We decided that if we were able to make it out the likely hood of us being able to return because the roads are steeper coming back was very small. We opted to return to Bramadero where we could clean off the mud from our clothes. As we were driving back Seth was unable to shift because the shifter had bent in the fall, so we drove very slowly back to Bramadero, but at least we made it back. Of course, when we made it back everyone wanted to know why we were back so soon and then they saw the mud caked clothes and figured out we had fallen. We were both dissapointed, but glad we were not injured. We decided any other special days during the rainy season we will be taking the bus. Therefore, we will be taking the bus to Granada to celebrate our 9th anniversary on the 9th of this month (the time sure flies by when your in love).

The parable of the sower

Matt. 13
3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."

During the last several weeks, I have had the opportunity of becoming the farmer, becoming the sower, and it has been a mind opening experience. While I am planting beans, I make a small hole and throw beans in it. Now, were I am planting is not exactly a smooth level plain, instead it is rocky, weedy, and usually on the side of a mountain. What has occurred to me is that when the soil is shallow, we plant beans. When we are on the path, we plant beans. When we are on a rocky area, we plant beans. When we are in the weeds, we plant beans. Were there is ground (any type of ground), we plant beans. And we do not just plant one bean, we plant 3 or 4. I often think as we are planting, why are we planting here. The likelihood of a plant growing well is small, but still we plant. And than I think, well let's just plant one bean in this hole, so we don't waist the others because nothing will grow here. But still we plant 3 or 4.

Than it dawned on me. When we sow our seeds of Jesus never ending love in peoples hearts, we shouldn't be concerned about were we are sowing them, even if it appears we are sowing them into solid rock. And we don't just sow one seed, we sow many. And wouldn't you know it, beans can grow on the path, beans can grow on rocks, beans can grow in the weeds, and beans can grow in fertile soil.

Back in Bramadero

Well this news a little late, but better late than never. The bus strike finished two weeks ago and we have been in Bramadero for the last week and a half. Also, the water system is back to normal in Bramadero, so it is good to have things back to the way we are used to.

The rainy season has started so everything is turning very green, but also very muddy. It rains almost every day in the afternoon, but some days all day and night. In order to get to our house we have to cross a stream or river if it recently rained, so that adds to our excitement. Seth has started to plant with the men, so he works most days from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. and often comes home very dirty. I planted one day with one family, but mostly spend my time with the kids and with the women. I have gone swimming, taught bible stories, played games and read to the kids. Also, I had the opportunity to cook with some of the women in their houses. We will be heading to Managua for a team meeting the 10th and 11th of this month.

Bus Strike and Water Outage

I am sure many of you are unaware there is a large bus, taxi and semi-truck strike going here in Nicaragua. The strike is going on it's 11 day and the government is not willing to meet their demands. The buses in Managua have gas subsidies, but the rest of the transportation industry has not, so they are striking to receive the same subsidies. The president basically told them to work it out themselves, so who knows how long the strike will last. Unlike in the states the country relies heavily on buses and taxis for transportation, so unless you have your own car (which is few and far between) you are stuck. Some people are stuck in other towns, while others are stuck in their own villages. You probably are thinking they are the lucky ones, but the thing is they use the bus daily to go to work or to go get food in a bigger nearby town, so in reality they are not lucky.

Seth and I are in Managua, stuck here for who knows how long. Seth's parents were here for two weeks. They had the opportunity to see the strike, but thanks be to God we were using the MCC truck and not public transportation. So our plans were not affected. We spent time relaxing with them on the island Ometepe on lake Nicaragua and in Granada and they also got a glimpse of what it is like to live in our village. They had the opportunity to play with the kids, make tortillas, wash clothes by hand on a rock, work in the fields and visit families. Although, there was one thing we all got to experience for the first time while in Bramadero, a water outage.

When we got up to Bramadero we found out the pump for the water had quit working and they were waiting on Jaime (our boss, who put the pump in) to come and fix it. Due to the strike he was not able to get to Bramadero as soon as would have liked. The village had been out of water for 4 days before he was able to come and try and fix the problem. In the meantime, people (mainly the women) were walking 30-45 min. to carry water back to their homes for drinking water. This was the way of life for the women until 7 months ago when a well was dug and a pump run by solar energy was put in. No longer did the women have to walk to a well, but each house had a spicket and the water came right to the house. This is the Bramadero we have always known, so we were not even sure where to walk to get water. Fortunately for us, we have a large cement tank that collects rain water and were able to filter the rain water to drink and take some showers. Jaime and the men in the community (Seth and his dad helped out) were able to fix a tube that broke and that is why the pump stopped working, but still for some reason unknown to us is they are only opening the water to the houses once a day for people to fill up tanks for drinking water. So, we are unsure when our water system will get back to normal in Bramadero or if this is the way it will be.

We enjoyed our time with Seth's parents and we are glad that got to experience more of Nicaragua than most tourists do.

Home coming

This week we got to experience the cross cultural event of young adults returning home after several months’ away learning. The reunion was typical, parents hugging their kids, kids trying to act cool in front of their hometown friends, and of course lots of talk about how things have changed around home. It was a blessing to take part in this activity, as it is one of the few times we have been able to see the intimate connection between parents and kids in the community. It is a connection that usually remains below the surface, but the extended absence made it all visible.

Many of you may be thinking of the first time you came home from college, or the even the first time your kids came back from a mind liberating semester of college (with the biggest pile of laundry you have ever seen). But here in Nicaragua, college is not even an idea dreamt about on lazy afternoons. The home coming we witnessed where several youth coming back after working several months in Costa Rica picking coffee. The average age of this group was probably sixteen, making the reunion that much more special. However, teenagers are not the only ones that go to Costa Rica during the dry season to earn a living. For the few lucky ones the whole family will go to Costa Rica, though this means that the kids that go miss several months of school. But still they are the lucky ones. Many times it is a father that goes to work, some just for two months, while others have been gone for almost five months. Families left behind have learned how to live life with out them. The oldest son that is left at home (usually not more the thirteen) will take some of the burden left by the father, sharing the rest of the load with the younger siblings. In some cases both the mother and father leave, causing their children to rely on their relatives for support. In one family the mother and father left (for 5 months) behind a one and half year old and a three year old to live with their grandma, who incidentally has five kids of her own under the age of 16 living at home.

However appalling this may seem it is a fact of life here, and it is a necessary fact of life. During the dry season there is no work in the community. In fact, the community would not survive if people did not bring in money from Costa Rica. People use this money to construct houses, buy clothes, shoes, and food. Though it has taken me a lot of time to see that even though the fathers, and sometimes mothers, leave their children behind it is a sacrifice of love. They know that by being gone they can provide things for their children that they would not have been able to otherwise. Although sometimes what they do buy does not make up for the time lost, however many children would not have a future with out this sacrifice.