Once again it's Friday post time because things have just been taking a little longer to come together. Last weekend I did end up going to the beach. I went on a different trip than I had mentioned previously. It was shorter, cheaper, and with fewer people, thus, more tolerable. I didn't actually go in the ocean because it was pretty gross but the resort we stayed at had nice pools and hammocks. I am a big fan of hammocks. I thought about taking a picture but I did want you to get the wrong impression of missionary life. Oh wait, I'm not one so I can tell you whatever a want without thinking you'll judge me for spending my support money frivolously. Good thing I have that freedom. If I didn't, can you imagine how boring these posts would be? Oh well, still no picture.
Having a long weekend is great for the most part but the first day back isn't always the greatest. Actually, if I was disposed to cry I think Wednesday morning would have been a prime opportunity. After that my day got better. I was just a tad frustrated because my 1st grade class that used to be the best is now uncontrollable. However, thanks to my cat-like reflexes and brute strength I didn't get bitten. I think I need to pray more.
I guess now on Fridays a group of pre-med students come to my school. Last time they taught my students to watch for still water because it breeds mosquitoes and how to was their hands. I was under the impression that today's lesson was going to be on how to wash hair but it was really vaccination day. I just finished reading the book "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." It takes place in Brooklyn (imagine that) in the 1910's. At that time in the States students got vaccinations in mass. The still do it here, they just came into the class room and gave crying students shots and signed off their health cards. Another prime photo that I didn't take.
According to my calculations I have less than three months of Nicaraguan life left. Things could change but I think some people would rather I stuck to the original plan. As far as "plans" go once December 4th comes I have none whatsoever. That is a strange thing to think about and another thing that I should pray about more frequently.
Other exciting news. Last night a new light was brought into my family. This one came in the form of a boy named Grady William. I won't get to see him until Christmas but am hoping that the super awkward baby stage will be over by then. And it's not like he'll remember I wasn't there so I think I can still keep my position as best aunt.
Have a great weekend, Joy
Friday, September 21, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
TGIF
Hello my peeps, I'm sorry if you feel neglected this week but I couldn't figure out what to tell you. I still don't really have anything particularly profound but you've probably have come accustomed to that. First of all, I wasn't to remind you that you can always look at my archived blogs if this one is lame and you want to remember why you read these faithfully week in and week out. Because trust me, some of them are fairly entertaining.
Now onto recent news in my life. September 14th and 15th are Nicaragua's independence days. Yesterday and today I only went to school for a few hours and next Monday and Tuesday I don't have to go at all. This morning my school had presentations, a few students from each grade had prepared something patriotic. It was the usual, preschoolers holding up their letters in the wrong order spelling AIRTAP, and girls dancing in their fluffy white skirts to burned CD's bought off the street. I was planning on taking pictures but wasn't able to take many because my camera is having some issues. Yay for technology.
As for weekend plans my options were paying to go to the beach for 3 days or staying home alone. I opted for not going which says a few things. One, I'm not a huge fan in the first place (the whole sand thing) and you would need to make it amazingly appealing to get me to pay $140. The people that were going are the same people that I do everything with, which recently has become another thing that make trips with them worth less than $140. So now I am at home by myself with no plans and am fine with that fact.
There is a new coffee shop open in my neck of the woods. A family that has a coffee plantation and exporting business decided to continue with vertical integration. I went there last night and this morning, both times for free. The story about the company is really cool. I think it is important for nationals to use their resources to promote economic growth among the lower classes. Hopefully these companies will stay open in spite of the opposition to free market presented by the government. For more details on the lameness of the Nicaraguan government you can research the dispute that was resolved yesterday between the Nicaraguan government and ExxonMobile. Or explain to me why we never have electricity.
You may remember, but probably not, that on February 20th, I sent an posted asking for opinions on the combination of chili and cinnamon rolls. On Sunday the topic got brought up again and it was decided that last night we could try out the combo for ourselves. Basically the final vote was that cinnamon rolls are really good so if it takes a bowl of chili to get cinnamon roles, I for one, am not going to complain.
I learned the card came Eucher this week. It takes me a while to catch onto card games usually but some how my partner and I still dominated two nights in a row. It was quite a relief because I don't know if I was up for being a failure.
Well, peace out, feel free to write out your life story for me since I'll have more than enough free time coming up the next 72 hours.
Love, Joy
Now onto recent news in my life. September 14th and 15th are Nicaragua's independence days. Yesterday and today I only went to school for a few hours and next Monday and Tuesday I don't have to go at all. This morning my school had presentations, a few students from each grade had prepared something patriotic. It was the usual, preschoolers holding up their letters in the wrong order spelling AIRTAP, and girls dancing in their fluffy white skirts to burned CD's bought off the street. I was planning on taking pictures but wasn't able to take many because my camera is having some issues. Yay for technology.
As for weekend plans my options were paying to go to the beach for 3 days or staying home alone. I opted for not going which says a few things. One, I'm not a huge fan in the first place (the whole sand thing) and you would need to make it amazingly appealing to get me to pay $140. The people that were going are the same people that I do everything with, which recently has become another thing that make trips with them worth less than $140. So now I am at home by myself with no plans and am fine with that fact.
There is a new coffee shop open in my neck of the woods. A family that has a coffee plantation and exporting business decided to continue with vertical integration. I went there last night and this morning, both times for free. The story about the company is really cool. I think it is important for nationals to use their resources to promote economic growth among the lower classes. Hopefully these companies will stay open in spite of the opposition to free market presented by the government. For more details on the lameness of the Nicaraguan government you can research the dispute that was resolved yesterday between the Nicaraguan government and ExxonMobile. Or explain to me why we never have electricity.
You may remember, but probably not, that on February 20th, I sent an posted asking for opinions on the combination of chili and cinnamon rolls. On Sunday the topic got brought up again and it was decided that last night we could try out the combo for ourselves. Basically the final vote was that cinnamon rolls are really good so if it takes a bowl of chili to get cinnamon roles, I for one, am not going to complain.
I learned the card came Eucher this week. It takes me a while to catch onto card games usually but some how my partner and I still dominated two nights in a row. It was quite a relief because I don't know if I was up for being a failure.
Well, peace out, feel free to write out your life story for me since I'll have more than enough free time coming up the next 72 hours.
Love, Joy
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Something new and different
Last Wednesday a group came down from Oakland to help out Matthew. He thought I might want to join them as a translator. I guess he figured I would understand, though not approve of, the use of the words hecka and hella. I consented on the basis that I would get out of teaching for a few days.
My mom contacted them ahead of time and arranged for them to bring me gifts such as peanut butter and toothpaste. The later of which you can buy here, the former not so much. Way to go mom.
On Wednesday and Thursday they were working at Matthew's feeding center. Some gave hair cuts, and washed the hair and feet of patrons while others worked on cementing the walls of a newly purchased, neighboring building that will eventually be a clinic.
From Friday to Sunday we were in Chinandega, another Nicaraguan provence. A local church there was building a new building and Matthew had wanted to help. Before he got involved they had sold $2,000 worth of tortillas and put up a frame. Since he found out about them he has been able to connect them with State side churches that have provided a roof and walls. Our group was able to help out more with stuccoing of the walls and filling in the floor with dirt as well as doing some VBS stuff and visitations.
My favorite part was getting to talk with the girls in the neighborhood. They were super loving and receiving. Even those in their teens would come up to me and hold my hand or play with my hair and chat. I know, me saying something positive about physical touch, a shocker.
I also got to ride a horse. It ran me in to a cactus. Blood was gushing from my leg. Well maybe not quite, but I did get a scratch.
A side note, our "hotel" wasn't the classiest of establishments. The lack of water was one thing, but I'm getting pretty good at creative showering techniques. But then Sunday morning at 12:30am, up came my dinner. About half of us had food poisoning. That continual queasiness kept up for the rest of, the much mellower, Sunday. Not my finest moments but I'll spare you the details. I tried to remind myself that some people don't have food to get sick off of but that didn't help much. I am feeling much better now and Matthew dropped of a plethora of medicines this morning in case I have a relapse.
As far as the group went, they were very cool. I was amazed by their willingness and graciousness. Does anyone actually want to wash crusty homeless feet or hold back my hair as I vomit? And they didn't touch my school.
There was another main girl translating. She was Korean (as was the team) so she knew the strange side dishes they brought with them and how to play their violent versions of rock, paper, scissors. She was in charge of group translating and I got to stick with my stellar Spanish conversation skills. Even in my poor translating (like I know what a plainer is in English) is a better match for me than teaching. That realization, combined with my 24 hour fast, made going back to school on Monday rather disheartening but I have to trust that God has me exactly where I am for a reason.
And unrelated, my roommate just bought a widow maker for our shower, it is this electrical contraption that lets you choose, cold, medium, or fairly-hot water. The result, a cleaner, but also more spoiled, Joy.
Oh yes, there is a hurricane. It is raining a lot here but we are totally safe. The electricity is off hecka a lot, but what's new? And there is lots of amazing thunder and lightning.
My mom contacted them ahead of time and arranged for them to bring me gifts such as peanut butter and toothpaste. The later of which you can buy here, the former not so much. Way to go mom.
On Wednesday and Thursday they were working at Matthew's feeding center. Some gave hair cuts, and washed the hair and feet of patrons while others worked on cementing the walls of a newly purchased, neighboring building that will eventually be a clinic.
From Friday to Sunday we were in Chinandega, another Nicaraguan provence. A local church there was building a new building and Matthew had wanted to help. Before he got involved they had sold $2,000 worth of tortillas and put up a frame. Since he found out about them he has been able to connect them with State side churches that have provided a roof and walls. Our group was able to help out more with stuccoing of the walls and filling in the floor with dirt as well as doing some VBS stuff and visitations.
My favorite part was getting to talk with the girls in the neighborhood. They were super loving and receiving. Even those in their teens would come up to me and hold my hand or play with my hair and chat. I know, me saying something positive about physical touch, a shocker.
I also got to ride a horse. It ran me in to a cactus. Blood was gushing from my leg. Well maybe not quite, but I did get a scratch.
A side note, our "hotel" wasn't the classiest of establishments. The lack of water was one thing, but I'm getting pretty good at creative showering techniques. But then Sunday morning at 12:30am, up came my dinner. About half of us had food poisoning. That continual queasiness kept up for the rest of, the much mellower, Sunday. Not my finest moments but I'll spare you the details. I tried to remind myself that some people don't have food to get sick off of but that didn't help much. I am feeling much better now and Matthew dropped of a plethora of medicines this morning in case I have a relapse.
As far as the group went, they were very cool. I was amazed by their willingness and graciousness. Does anyone actually want to wash crusty homeless feet or hold back my hair as I vomit? And they didn't touch my school.
There was another main girl translating. She was Korean (as was the team) so she knew the strange side dishes they brought with them and how to play their violent versions of rock, paper, scissors. She was in charge of group translating and I got to stick with my stellar Spanish conversation skills. Even in my poor translating (like I know what a plainer is in English) is a better match for me than teaching. That realization, combined with my 24 hour fast, made going back to school on Monday rather disheartening but I have to trust that God has me exactly where I am for a reason.
And unrelated, my roommate just bought a widow maker for our shower, it is this electrical contraption that lets you choose, cold, medium, or fairly-hot water. The result, a cleaner, but also more spoiled, Joy.
Oh yes, there is a hurricane. It is raining a lot here but we are totally safe. The electricity is off hecka a lot, but what's new? And there is lots of amazing thunder and lightning.
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