You: Why are you staying there?
Me: I get to have a maid, and a few other reasons.
For the majority of my past year here in Nicaragua, I have seen this December marking the end of my stay. As much as I love the school I was working at and Nicaragua in general, teaching lower elementary English is not something I particularly enjoy or feel gifted in. At the end of August during a lunch with my boss, he mentioned a possibility of a starting a new preschool that I could potentially direct. Although this is not what I'll be doing, my reaction to the suggestion caught me a little off guard; I wasn't kicking and screaming. I think that God used this conversation to open my eyes and heart to continuing my stay here.
Fast forward now to October. One night I was at Coffee with my friend Lori and she asked me if I had considered coming back to Nicaragua for 2008. I told her that I was not opposed to the idea if God provided a way for me to stay here. I knew that if I wanted to stay I could easily fill my time but wanted it to be clearly His leading- not me trying to manipulate things on my own. Basically I wanted Him to plop something in my lap; He did.
You: OK, get to the point.
Me: Hum...where to start...
Hallie and Kathy August are a missionary couple that moved to Nicaragua in 2002 and started, with Amanda Gutierez, El Saltero. El Saltero is a community center and sports complex that aims to serve two barrios: Cedro Galan and Chiquilistaga. Currently the complex is basketball courts, a baseball field, soccer field, volleyball court, 2000 square-foot ranchon (covered, open-air multi purpose room with kitchen), computer lab, and library.
The complex is used for neighborhood Nicaraguan sports teams to practice and compete on and for kids to play at. It also can be reserved for churches to use for day retreats and is currently used to host a weekly youth group.
One area in the August's vision that is still seriously lacking is the education center. They have buildings for a computer lab and library but do not have the manpower to get these to be fully functioning. The computer lab is equipped with computers and was opened for a few hours a day but the lady that was supervising it no longer is able to so the lab is locked up. The library is a whole other story. There is a room and some boxes of books but a lot needs to be done before it can be opened to the community. In steps Joy. Hello, I was an Organizational Studies major (like that matters), love books, and have read The Book on the Bookshelf. So yeah put those three things together and I am in totally over my head again. But, add the grace of God and it's in the bag.
You: So what will you be doing?
Me: I'm getting there.
The Augusts are hoping to be able to open one of the few community lending libraries in the country. My main project will be organizing the books on to the shelves with room for expansion and setting up a system for people to take books home. My hope in this is not to become a life long Nicaraguan librarian but to create a clearly defined, yet flexible, system that later can be run by locals. Since this isn't something I've done before I don't know how long it will take. Right now I am estimating ten months because that would take me up to next Christmas and that seems like a good time to go home to the states.
This project will be what I am mostly working on when I return to Nicaragua, but there are some other things too. Along with this property, the Augusts have a pre-school and feeding center that I am invited to serve in as my schedule permits. Also on the property there are dorms for short term teams to stay at and I may be helping with that, especially as they will be helping me. Unrelatedly, I will be part-time, co-teaching a domestic-arts class at the NCA (where my roommates teach). The class is twelve juniors and seniors and I am excited to be able to be able to pass on my sewing, baking, personal budgeting, and event planning skills to them. Oh, and I hope to still help out with my current boss Matthew, either at the school one day a week or with his other projects. I know this may seem like a lot but most of it is open for flexibility as my schedule permits and God guides.
You: So what does that make you?
Me: Joy
As I am anticipating this change in my life, there is little that is known. I know that God loves me and that His desire is for me is that “the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in [me] (2 Thess. 1:120),” wherever I am living. I am not considering myself a missionary, because I don't know what that means or what you think that means. I will be serving Nicaraguans and building relationships with them and, much like I would be doing if I were in the States, aiming at making the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in the sight of the Lord (Psalm 19:14). So pretty much, yes, this is me living in another country, being me, whatever that entails.
I also know that things cost money and besides a few possible tutoring jobs, I won't be raking in the dough here. So these next two months of life in the States (December 15-Mid February), I will be working to earn enough money to support myself while I am in Nicaragua (this should not be impossible as living in Nicaragua isn’t too expensive and I’m cheap!). Since two months isn’t enough time to go out and get a real job, I am offering you a once in a lifetime (at least for now) opportunity to hire me to work for you. I'm not sure what you need done but I've assembled a list of possibilities (and have excellent references if you need them). If you live out side of Northern California I am willing to travel if it is reasonable Top three reasons to hire me: the job gets done, you get to see me, it's tax deductible.
For the Home:
-Cooking
-Cleaning
-Sewing buttons
-Child care (if really that is the only option)
-Old people care
-Driving
-Shopping/Returning Christmas gifts
-Organizing
-Striping wallpaper
-Washing cars
-Putting up (for procrastinators) or taking down Christmas decorations
-Redoing your address book (that's what I'm doing for my mom)
-Sending out your family updates (you could either send me pertinent information or I can make stuff up)
-Pulling weeds
-Reading
For the Office:
-Cleaning storage closets
-Filing
-Paper clipping
-Stuffing envelopes
-Making secret shopper calls (thank you WAMU)
-Basic computer stuff: Burning CD's, Word, Excel, MySpace
-Counting trees (That's what I did last Christmas for my brother-in-law)
For Homeless and Officeless people
-Drinking Coffee
-Walking (you know, like a walk-a-thon)
-Talking on the phone
-Painting nails
-Writing love poems
-Hanging out
-Pretty much whatever you can think of
Thank you for taking the time to read this, let me know how I can help you in the next few months.
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