27 dresses

We were delighted to receive an invitation from a young couple we know to attend their wedding. As we arrived, we noticed a large group of people gathered outside the church. We hurried over and saw a lovely young lady in a wedding dress. But it wasn't our friend. Then we saw another, also not our friend. It turns out, there were not one, not two, but 27 couples getting married in the church today. 27 dresses, 27 weddings, 3.5 hours. A wedding marathon if there ever was one.

Getting Ready

December is a month of preparations. We have been experiencing this in a number of ways.

On our MCC team . . .
We enjoyed baking Christmas foods and then inviting some friends over for an advent service.

In our neighborhood . . .

Everyone has been working together to paint the streets, put up banners and balloons, and clean up to prepare for La Purisima (today and tomorrow). Earlier this week, we had an early morning visit from the traveling Virgin and her parade. For more on La Purisima, see December 2007 of this blog.

In our house . . . We have been decorating for Christmas and enjoying the mixture of old and new cultural traditions. We also just bought a lovely used crib from one of our neighbors! It became quite the neighborhood affair installing it in our house (the process included cutting out part of one of our doorframes). So now we are ready for this little one coming in 2 months.

Morning Routine (and thoughts about water)

Just thought we'd give you a glimpse into our day to day routine. We are generally "early to bed, early to rise" because it gets hot after 5:30 or 6 in the morning. Often, Beth does a little laundry, washing it on our cement washing block and hanging it on the line. We try to stay with an excercise routine--in the past this included an aerobic latin dance video called Zumba. Now Alan has an excercise regimen that includes various push-ups and sit-ups. Beth does some pre-natal yoga.

We then shower and refill the storage buckets before our water is turned off. This generally happens around 8am each day. It usually comes back in the evening, though recently we have been a couple days in a row with no water. While we are tempted to complain, we have at least one teammate who has not had water for 4 months! One of the ironies is that Nicaragua has plenty of fresh water between 2 large freshwater lakes, a large network of lagoons and rivers, and a high water table. However, contamination and deforestation are quickly drying up and infecting much of this natural resource. Additionally, problems in the national budget and infrastructure often make distribution of existing water a challenge. Anyway, for us it is a good discipline to use water less wastefully. For example, we use leftover water from clothes or dishes to flush toilets, and we are learning to never allow the water to run unnecessarily while washing or showering.

Thanksgiving & gift exchange

This is the last week of classes for the 2008 academic year at the Baptist Seminary. Yesterday we had a special year-end celebration, a kind of Thanksgiving service and secret Santa all in one. We shared reasons for being thankful - good health was mine. Then we passed out gifts for the secret Santa exchange. The event was topped off with a delicious pot-luck "Thanksgiving" lunch. We ate several dishes from Nicaragua's atlantic coast: rondón, a soup of beef, yucca, platanos, and quiquisque (kind of like sweet potato) in a coconut milk broth, and patí, an indigenous empanada-type pastry filled with ground beef. We also at chicken, beans, tortillas, rice, bread, and chocolate chip cookies (baked by me). The cookies were a big hit - they were gone in about 5 minutes. Here are some photos from the event.

Acción de Gracias/Thanksgiving

We´ve now been here in Nicaragua for more than 2 years, and I think it´s about time to make a list of some things we have been thankful for here:

-delicious fruit and fruit juices
-neighbors who look out for us and invite us into their families
-2 jobs that we really enjoy
-hammock chairs and rocking chairs
-that satisfied feeling after doing a bunch of laundry
-energetic young people
-other volunteers (MCC team members, Food for the Hungry, AKF, etc.)
-our patio where we can have a little garden, see the planes fly over, and watch the sun set
-breezes or rain that give the occasional respite from the heat
-pigs and other funny animals
-good books and the people who send or bring them to us
-visiting different churches and hearing from God
-playing piano and singing at the conservatory next to the seminary where Alan works
-fried cheese and plantain chips
-visits from family
-Bolivian food (carne, sopa de mani, etc.)-kind and/or interesting taxi drivers
-excellent care in the hospital
-when someone tells a really funny joke or story that we understand
-lunches at the MCC office
-kids who are really excited that they have learned to read
-beaches-mountains
-learning about prayer
-fans
-feeling the baby move around

US Elections - a Nicaraguan perspective

Many of you have probably already read/heard about the international reaction to Barak Obama's victory in the US presidential elections of last week. We witnessed similar interest here in Nicaragua. Lots of people were curious about our votes - who we voted for, how we sent in our ballots, etc. Many Nicaraguans have family members living in the US, so we also heard lots of comments like, "My cousin really likes Obama," or "My aunt is nervous about the elections because she doesn't like either candidates' policies on immigration."
The day after the elections we received congratulations from colleagues, neighbors, and friends on our new president. The two primary Nicaraguan newspapers were also congratulatory, with Obama making front-page headlines. La Prensa says, "President Obama: Historic Elections Conclude in the US" while El Nuevo Diario announces, "Obama Makes History".
For more election commentary and opinion, send us a personal email or a facebook note. :-)

Las elecciones

"¿Van a votar dos?" "Are you going to vote two?" This was the question of the day yesterday from our neighbor kids. The Nicaraguan elections are on Sunday, and last night (Wednesday) was the last day of campaigning before the three days of "silence" that always precede elections here. We explained to the kids that we can't vote in Nicaragua because we aren't citizens. (And we don't give opinions because we try to stay out of local politics as much as possible in countries where we are not citizens). It is perplexing to them to talk to an adult who is not voting because voter turn-out in Nicaragua is among the highest in democracies in the world.

These elections, which will take place all over Nicaragua, are municipal. However, they feel like national elections because they reflect strongly on the balance of power of the political parties in the country generally. "Vote 2" is a common phrase here in Managua and it refers to voting for the FSLN (Sandinista party--those currently in power) mayoral candidate. The other candidate in Managua is from the Liberal party.

We see and hear much more about "voting 2" because of the very heavy campaign efforts by the current government. For the last number of months, they have been paying people to stand at all major intersections in the city all day, waving party flags and wearing shirts that say "Love is stronger than hate." The large posters read "prayer against hate." The party's traditional revolutionary colors of red and black intermingle with their new peaceful colors of pink and yellow. The photo above is from today's newspaper (La Prensa), which is criticizing the continued use of government vehicles, property, and money to campaign. This political cartoon (we love following political cartoons here--Nicaraguans are brilliant with word play and satire) from today depicts two men in "Love is stronger than hate" t-shirts silencing the opposition. There has been some violence on the part of both sides leading up to these elections, but the irony is more clear when the perpetrators are wearing pink and yellow shirts with this message.

WCC dignitary

Yesterday afternoon we attended a forum hosted by the UPOLI (where Alan works) in honor of a visit by the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Dr. Samuel Kobia. Five panelists spoke about various Central American projects to overcome violence. Dr. Kobia then shared reflections and observations about the work of the WCC and how these Central American projects fit within its goals and mission. The event was attended by evangelical/protestant leaders from across Nicaragua and Central America. In the photo, Dr. Kobia is in the center.

Costa Rica Vacation

In late October Beth and I traveled to Costa Rica for several days of vacation. We needed to use up our remaining vacation time for the year, plus we wanted a final getaway before Baby Claassen Thrush comes. Our plans were a bit postponed by my appendicitis recovery, but we readjusted our plans and headed south.

Our hotel was between Playa Conchal and Playa Brasilito on the Guanacaste Peninsula. We spent our time relaxing and reading on the beaches, hanging out by the pool, and reapplying sunblock. Here are a few pictures from our trip. If you want to see more, click here.

The Hospital

We've come to know the Baptist Hospital pretty well in the past few months. This week I (Alan) got to know another section - surgery. I went to the ER last Thursday w/ lots of abdominal pain. Turns out I had a perforated appendix, for which an operation was required. I came out of surgery late Thursday night and spent the next 3 and a half days in the hospital. I am now recuperating at home, trying to rest and drink plenty of liquids (the Managua heat can wilt even healthy souls).

I am grateful for the many people who prayed for me during these past few days. God's hand was over me through it all. I also appreciated the many visits. In the photo are MCC team members who dropped by last Friday. I also received visits and calls from several students and staff at the Baptist Seminary. It is good to be out of the hospital now, de-appendicized and feeling much better than I did last week!

Intercambio

Our team continues to change and grow. This time the new members are all through the one year exchange (intercambio) programs YAMEN! and SALT. It has been fun trying to get them oriented to Nicaragua the last couple weeks. This picture was taken at our first team meeting all together at Selva Negra, near Matagalpa.

Rachelle Francey (front left in the cream-colored shirt) will be working at Hogar Belen, a home for abandoned children with special needs.

Maritza Masavi (center, brown t-shirt) came from Bolivia through YAMEN! to work in the Christian School for the Deaf as a classroom assistant and social worker.

Greta Tom (front right with yellow shirt) is working at the Cultural Center in Batahola Norte

Matt Boyts (back second from right) will be working at an educational center in Nagarote.

Not pictured: Nathaniel Forry, the littlest member of the team (about to turn 2) and Kayon Watson.
Rachelle, Matt, and Greta pose for a picture at the SALT/YAMEN!/IVEP orientation in Pennsylvania with Violeta Castro. Violeta, who is Nicaraguan, is now in Virginia with IVEP. She is serving for a year as a conversation partner in Spanish at Eastern Mennonite University.

Sugey Arce (left), is with IVEP in Elmira, Ontario. Ana Julia Lopez (right) will be traveling soon to Mexico City through the YAMEN! program.

SALT: Serving And Learning Together

YAMEN!: Young Anabaptist-Mennonite Exchange Network

IVEP: International Volunteer Exchange Program

Baptism

This past Sunday our local BIC church welcomed through baptism 7 young adults into the Christian community. About 70 of us loaded into a rented bus to travel the 2.5 hours to San Jorge, a small port town on the shores of Lake Nicaragua (see our map below). Practically the whole church waded out to sing and celebrate around the group. The rest of the day was spent enjoying the lake water and chatting around packed lunches.

Thrush Family Visit

From August 9-16 the entire Thrush family came to visit us in Nicaragua. It was the first time in 2 and a half years since all of us had been together. We had a great time relaxing, laughing, praying, and seeing the Nicaraguan sites together. Here are a few photos from the week. From top to bottom: part of the family in front of the MCC Nicaragua office; the family at the Masaya volcano; visiting a friend in a rural community; the Thrush men (plus our driver Salvador) at a lake in rural Nicaragua); waiting at the hospital for Beth's 4-month check-up; sitting in the rocking chairs at the Quina Shalom, the Mennonite guest house where we stayed.

Family News

We're going to have a baby! The Claassen Thrush family will be expanding from 2 to 3 sometime in early February 2009. Beth just finished her 16th week, and both mom and baby seem to be doing well these days.

The photos are from our recent time with the Thrush family. Grandma Thrush to-be brought some baby clothes and diapers for us, making it seem a bit more real.

Check back for updates as the months progress.

Day of the Revolution

Today, July 19, is a big holiday in Nicaragua, celebrating the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Somoza dictatorship. We are using this day off to update our blog (thus the blitz of posts) and saying goodbye to our one-year SALT volunteers. In the background as we write this, there are lots of fireworks, loud medleys of revolutionary music, and honking as the buses all make their way to the central plaza for a celebration (led by President Daniel Ortega, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, and a few representatives from Cuba).

There are lots of ways to view this situation, and this year it is being used heavily for political purposes; that is, gaining support for the policies of the current FSLN-controlled (Sandinista Front for National Liberation) government. These are a couple examples of murals depicting aspects of the revolution.

This is one depiction of the revolutionary ideal. The partial-statue is what was left of the statue of Somoza when the Sandinista revolutionaries tore it down. The masks of hypocrisy are set aside, and the children play with their Nicaraguan flag kite in the land of lakes and volcanoes.

Fruits and Vegetables

Several times people have asked us the very good question, “What kinds of fruits and vegetables do you have there?” Nicaragua, while exporting primarily coffee and tourism, is home to fertile, volcanic soil that produces a variety of food for export and domestic consumption. The most commonly eaten vegetables are onions and peppers (used in most dishes). Second tier are carrots, beets, tomatoes, and cabbage. Squashes are also commonly used (a pumpkin-like one called ayote, chayote, and pipian). Some of our favorite fruits in season now are mangos, mamones (like large grapes with peels and big pits), and pitahaya (dragon fruit). There are also all kinds of citrus fruits, bananas, and plantains. Alan and Peter (Beth’s brother--here with us for the summer), have been making delicious fruit smoothies every morning with papaya, banana, and orange.

Dancing and painting and stuff

I love this picture because it expresses how I often feel here. Everyone around me is dancing. I like it, and I want to be involved, but I know I don't quite fit in and sometimes I'm a little unsure. So I smile and join in the best I can. As Andy is doing in this picture. :)

This is the group of young people from various cities in Nicaragua together with youth from the New Guilford Brethren in Christ church in Pennsylvania. We learned (dancing, new languages, how to make tortillas, Nicaraguan history/culture, new ways of worship, etc.) and worked (painting and fixing roofs) together. We saw beautiful ways that the churches here are reaching out in their communities, and were inspired to follow this example. For more photos, click here.

Updated MCC Team photo

Here is our relatively new, expanded MCC team. Of course, it will change again soon when three of our SALTers leave tomorrow (:(). Front Row (L-R): David Mercado, Social Commission Coordinator; Angela Opimi, MCC Nicaragua/Costa Rica Representative (big boss); Alan Claassen Thrush, Peace and Conflict Transformation Professor; Kayon Watson, CEPAD Nehemias Connecting Peoples; Paul Manickam, PE teacher at the Christian School for the Deaf. Standing (L-R): Yolanda Cruz, Office Assistant; Emma Richer, Special Education Coordinator at Hogar Belen; Issela Medina, Connecting Peoples/Office Assistant; Beth Claassen Thrush, Connecting Peoples/Office Assistant; Rebecca Janzen, Project Assistant at the Batahola Cultural Center; Sarah and Seth Hays, Agricultural/Health Accompaniment Workers; Steve and Colleen Forry, Agricultural Accompaniment Workers.

Changing Seasons

The past several months have been "verano" (summer). April and May are especially hot. The humidity also rises little by little until it reaches almost unbearable. We find ourselves (and maybe others too) a bit crankier. Water balloons go a long way in improving neighborly relations. These water balloon games we introduced (thanks to our time working at camps) became a favorite pasttime of the neighborhood kids during the hottest weeks.

We are now in the midst of shifting to "invierno," which could be translated "winter," though that seems strange because it is not very much cooler. "Rainy season" is more appropriate. The rains began in mid to late May, taking away drought and water balloons, and bringing impassable streets and the growing season.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is a very special day in Nicaragua. There are two important holidays here: La Purisima (see our December 2007 blog), celebrating the virgin birth of Mary, and Mother's Day, celebrating, well, mothers. We want to give a special hello to our moms today (especially since they may be the only ones actually reading this blog :)). We love you and are thinking about you!