Alan & Beth in Nicaragua

What's Next?

2011-01-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

This is a good, fair, and frequent question! We returned to the US on December 15 and spent a wonderful first few weeks in Kansas, Texas, and California with family. We are now staying on with MCC until the end of February to do a Storytelling tour with MCC East Coast, Central States, and West Coast. Email us if you would like more details! We are very happy for the opportunity to travel and share with lots of churches, friends, and family as we transition.

And then . . . we're not sure. We have most of our belongings in Kansas; family in California, Pennsylvania, DC, Kansas, Texas; a California teaching credential we are not sure we want to use; generous offers from eager grandparents; and a new little Thrush due to arrive in late June. No jobs, car, house, or health insurance mean freedom to make intentional choices and embark on a new, fresh journey! Right?!?!

In the meantime, we really are enjoying this time together. We have many homes, plenty to eat, and kind, generous friends and family everywhere we go. We invite your prayers in this time of transition. Thanks for your support. Happy New Year!

Wrapping up: Despedidas

2010-12-31T17:44:00.001-08:00

Despedidas . . . good-byes. Four years, countless rich relationships, many different ways to say goodbye.

Saying goodbye to our favorite places:

Views from the Mombacho volcano, a favorite place for the hiking and beautiful views. We went with the MCC team for the last time in November for our team meeting fun day.

Swimming for the last time in the Laguna de Apoyo (volcanic crater lake).

Saying goodbye to the MCC team:

We have been part of a really great team, including lots of cool new people that we wish we had time to get to know better. Not everyone is in this picture (taken at Alan's 31st birthday celebration)--see the post "visitors" for a picture of the whole team.

A couple of highlights from the last few weeks included the Thanksgiving potluck (above) and an advent service (improvised advent wreath below), both at the MCC office.

Saying goodbye to our church family:

From our culto acción de gracias (a good-bye service).

Simon enjoys this last time with his friends from church.

With our good friend Norma, who has taught us so much about Christian community over the last four years, at her new house.

Saying goodbye to great neighbors:

These have been the hardest goodbyes! We´ve tried to savor all of these last times with the kids and adults on our street.
Our next door neighbors and friends Javier and Reyna (below, with Alan) took us out for an evening out on the town! Their mom, whom Simon calls "Mimi"--grandma, watched all the kids, and we went to see the National Folkloric Dance troupe (above) and then out for typical food.

Don Orlando and Doña Anita (above) in their pulperia, consistently providing good food and conversation to the community. Don Orlando and Alan have also watched many baseball games together over the years.

December was full of special community events. As always, we had the festivities for the Purisima on December 7 (see posts from December 2008 and 2009). For the Dia de Guadalupe (December 12), our neighbors set up tents and tables and provided lunch for around 400 people. As part of the celebration, the kids and parents who have participated in the library had a special farewell tribute and song for us. Later in the day, several neighbors chipped in to buy pizza. We sat around our living room one last time, chatting and sharing memories.

Saying goodbye to colleagues and friends:

We visited Estelí to say good-bye to some good friends--the Castillo family (above) and the Perez family (below Simon exchanges a final fist bump with Maykol).

Issela (on the left) and I worked closely together for two years, and all the family members have become very special to us. They made us our favorite soup (chicken meatball soup) a few days before leaving.
We took a trip out to Boaco in our last week to say goodbye to Marlene (right) and family. We went with Yolanda (center, in the white), long-time MCC worker, good friend, and care-giver for Simon.
We also had a party with the youth group from the Santa Rosa BIC church at Adam and Marisa´s new house. Many of them have participated in exchanges over the years. They are a dynamic, energetic group with a great vision.

We invited numbers of past participants in exchanges from all over Nicaragua to come to MCC to reconnect, share their experiences, and say goodbye. It reminded me of all I have loved about my job--seeing a diverse group of energetic, creative young people learning and serving together.

While we obviously have had many wonderful times at the end, this stands out as a highlight. Alan´s colleagues and students (above) planned an all-day outing to the beautiful Catarina community overlooking a crater lake. They shared songs, Scripture, memories, good food, and tools that they learned from Alan and are now incorporating into their own work.

The last night . . . we enjoyed receiving last visits and calls from our very closest friends. Here Simon enjoys the last time with his "tias"--Issela and Cecibel.

We feel unbelievably blessed for this time!

Wrapping up: Graduation

2010-12-31T17:35:00.000-08:00

On December 4, the Baptist Seminary held graduation ceremonies for the certificate programs in Christian Education and Chaplaincy, the high school degree completion program for pastors, and the BA in Theology. Each year, the BA graduates choose to dedicate their graduation to a person who has been influential in their development. This year, it was Alan. Since he has developed deep relationships with many of them over the last couple years, it was especially meaningful to be able to participate in this celebration of their accomplishments. On a side note, we also had the privilege to share some special music using the brand new grand piano from the conservatory!

Alan with his colleagues/advisors, Dr. Jerjes Ruiz (Director of the Humanities Institute at the Polytechnic University) and Yeni Bolufer (Seminary Dean).
Some of Alan's students proudly displaying their diplomas.
Simon patiently waits and reads his book during the ceremony (this is a little misleading . . . he spent lots of time playing outside with other kids).

Wrapping up: Handing off the work

2010-12-30T09:59:00.000-08:00

A large part of the last few months has been figuring out how to pass along what we've learned in the past four years and make a healthy transition to those who are continuing the work as we leave. When we arrived, we both began in new positions where no one had been working before us. We have thoroughly enjoyed our work, so here at the end we live with a lingering sense of sadness mixed with deep gratitude for all of our rich experiences.

For Alan, the hand-off has involved preparing binders and course packs of all his syllabi, activities, readings, etc. for his classes. Since no one is yet assigned to work in his position, he left this wealth of information with his Nicaraguan and Cuban colleagues at the seminary.

In November, we spent 10 days with Lloyd and Goldie Kuhns, who will be coming to Nicaragua in March to work with Connecting Peoples and assistance in the MCC office. It was a very full time of traveling to churches and partners, visiting volunteers and families, and trying to explain to them all what I would do differently the next time! Lloyd lived in Nicaragua and Costa Rica in the 1970s, they served with MCC in Brazil, they both speak Spanish, and they are warm relational people who will do a fantastic job. Below, Lloyd gets to know some Nicaraguan young people who have participated in exchanges.

Another element of our lives here in Nicaragua has been the process of gradually building up (with the help of many of you!) a community lending library. Over the past year, Angela (MCC rep) and I have worked with a group of Nicaraguan educators to develop the idea of a mobile library system. Then in August, Marisa Clymer Shank arrived with great experiences and abilities to continue this work. Marisa and I spent a lot of time together in September, visiting other library projects, including this rural mobile library, below. If you are interested in continuing to follow the wonderful things that are happening with the books from our library, here is a link to Adam and Marisa's blog.

Always listening

2010-10-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

We live in a rich, diverse auditory environment. Airplanes, traffic, horses, loud music, ambulatory sales people, and neighbors talking, arguing, and singing converge to produce our daily soundtrack. Almost-21-month-old Simon is soaking it all in. Take the following example.

We don't listen to or sing Justin Bieber in our house. But that didn't prevent Simon breaking into a chorus of "Baby, baby, baby, oh, like baby, baby, baby, etc." the other night while preparing for bed. His surprisingly good pitch enabled me to recognize it from our bus rides and cranked-up radios of our neighbors. The boy has been paying attention! The video doesn't quite capture it (as usual, we came too late with the camera and missed the moment), but is still cute.

A more touching demonstration of Simon's listening ability manifested itself a couple times in the past week. We were sitting inside playing (once at our house, once at a neighbor's) when suddenly Simon stopped and said, "She's sad" and "cries." I had not even noticed the strains of a child's cry from another house on the block. Simon, however, heard and identified the emotion. Is this how our children begin to teach us? I want to take time to listen carefully and notice people's emotions like Simon does. May we all continue to grow into compassionate, loving people!

Catching up: Visitors

2010-10-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been full of visiting! Visits for work, visits for fun, visits with family and friends. Lots of good times sitting around tables and living rooms, chatting with people.

In June, we received a visit from a church youth group in Maple Grove, OH. They served and learned together with Nicaraguan young people and experienced the richness and awkwardness of visiting their new Nicaraguan friends and their families in their homes. There was also time for fun and craziness like the new hairstyles that both the Nicaraguan and North American guys decided to model.
I had the opportunity to visit Rebeca (one of the IVEP participants--now in Winnipeg) and her family.
In July, my cousin Phil and his wife Mary came down from Honduras, where they were doing cross-cultural study through Fresno MB Biblical Seminary. We also enjoyed another visit from my brother Peter (here Simon, Peter, and Philip are enjoying a little fly-catching). I went out to Chontales to visit Consuelo (YAMEN participant now in Santa Cruz, Bolivia) and her family and church. Our own BIC church here in Monseñor Lezcano also received visitors from the North (Mechanicsburg BIC) who stayed in their homes and accompanied our church´s construction process. Ana and Annali, two Goshen College students, stayed in our home, and we went together to visit two IVEP participants and their families.

In August, we enjoyed a couple days with Sarah and Alvaro, down from Honduras. (How did we not take any pictures?!) We visited a couple of Alan´s students in Ciudad Sandino. For several weeks during the summer, we hosted Pamela, who was back in Nicaragua doing intense field research in the Northern region of Nicaragua and then transcribed her notes in our house while we discussed the world´s problems and solutions. We received three new MCC SALT/YAMEN volunteers (Christa, Sarah, and Sandy) and 2 new MCC couples (Adam/Marisa and Liz/Nate)--and have been enjoying lots of visits with all of them! This is our new team picture (thanks, Christa!):In September, Mom came to visit for a couple weeks. Dad joined in at the end. Then Alan´s sister Emily came.In the two days between the parental and sibling visits, I used my very broken Portuguese with a Learning Tour from Brasil.

Of course, we also have our regular visits and visitors. For example, every Saturday, Cecibel and Hania (and Hazel--not pictured) come to visit and practice English. Simon and I also take frequent visits to our original host family who lives just a couple blocks away to see their cat, climb their steps, and have some good conversation in the garden.

Catching up: Haiti

2010-10-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

There are some great things that have been going on the last number of months that we haven´t been blogging about. In July, a group of 7 Nicaraguans and 2 Costa Ricans headed to Haiti to work and learn alongside Haitians as part of MCC´s long-term disaster relief efforts. All but one had never traveled in an airplane before, so the trip itself was full of learning and new experiences. I enjoyed the time of orientation with them beforehand, hearing them reflect about their experiences receiving help and recovering from trauma after disasters (for some of them, this included the earthquake that destroyed Managuan in 1972). These personal experiences formed a strong and unique foundation of empathy, respect, and a desire to encourage their Haitian brothers and sisters. They had concerns about differences in food, language, and religion, but went with open minds and very willing hands. Seth and Sarah Hays also have a great post about the trip, with different pictures.

Some of my favorite reflections from group members as they returned:

-One thoughtful pastor reflecting on the unresolved tension that he felt as he realized that the God in Nicaragua prohibits some things (like card playing) that their God allows. Yet they worshiped together, and it really seemed to be the same God.

-One young lady talked about the contrast of being among rubble, talking with Haitian families, one week, then at a hotel in Managua at a conference the next week. She was wrestling with how to live with that knowledge and guilt that she had plenty to eat and they did not.

-Part of their work was in Desarmes, working with environmental re-construction (reforestation). One man from the countryside in Nicaragua shared with urgency his realization that if Nicaragua continues on their current path with unsustainable agricultural practices and everyone migrating to the cities, they will end up in a very similar situation.

-Another pastor shared that he went to Haiti with a lot of voices from radio preachers in his head about how God was punishing the Haitians for their pact with the Devil, etc. (similar to comments from preachers about many different parts of the world struck by natural disasters). He said that as he learned about the political, economic, and religious context from Haitians themselves he realized: "It´s not God . . . it´s the government!"

The trip was difficult and wonderful for all of the participants from Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The challenge for all of us who are involved in these kinds of exchanges is how we continue to apply what we have learned, allowing God to use these experiences to continually mold us into more compassionately active people in our contexts.

These photos are all from Issela Medina:
With Pancha Moreno (she was the MCC Connecting Peoples Coordinator in Haiti--since she is Colombian, she was able to do the direct Spanish/Creole translating) and Pastor Yvone Georges.

Nicaraguans, Costa Ricans, and Haitians planting trees and playing music together

Worshiping together at Assamble de la Grace, a Mennonite congregation outside Port-Au-Prince.

The whole group outside Assemblée de la Grace´s church with pastor Yvone and a church deacon.

WAL participants Juana, Elvis, and Kimberly hold children at Assemblée de la Grace´s orphanage.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2010-10-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's been raining a lot in Nicaragua since the start of the rainy season in May. The initial forecasts for "winter" (the rainy months from May-October) suggested a moderately wetter season. The forecasts were wrong. There has been nothing "moderate" about the rainfal this year - it's been super-wet instead. In fact, there's already been more rain than the previous annual record - 1998 (which was the year of Hurricane Mitch, which devastated the country). And we still have a month to go in the rainy season.

There is one significant difference between the rains of this year and the devastation of 1998. Mitch dumped a huge quantity of rain all at once, which brought massive landslides and flash flooding. This year, however, the rains have been slow and steady. Lake levels have risen steadily and rivers are now overflowing their banks, but there have not been nearly as many mudslides and destruction of property.

There are significant losses, however. Nicaraguan farmers plant 2 bean crops: one in May right as the rains start, and which is harvested in July; the other in July, which is harvested in late September/early October. This year, the first planting was ruined because of too much rain, and most farmers didn't even bother to plant the second crop because their fields were too wet. Beans are a staple food for all Nicaraguans, and the loss of both harvests will likely mean high prices throughout next year.

In addition, the ground is completely saturated and there is a high risk for further flooding. This is especially true if another tropical storm or hurricane would hit Nicaragua. This is certainly within the realm of possibility - Hurricane Mitch arrived on October 30, 1998. We invite your prayers for a rain-drenched Nicaragua (and for all of central America, really).

Below are several photos that show the rising water levels. The setting is the Laguna de Apoyo (Apoyo Lagoon), which is a crater lake about 35 miles south of Managua. The first 2 photos show our visit in late July of this year - note our feet dangling in the water as we sit on the swing. The third photo is from our visit a month later, on August 22. Note the water level as Beth sits in the same swing. The fourth photo is from our visit yesterday, Sept. 30. Note that the swing was removed because the water was too high. Another indicator is the hand rail, which by yesterday was almost completely submerged.

More political analysis

2010-09-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

This time from the Christian Science Monitor. Never a dull moment in Nicaraguan politics! As a side note, there are several older stories about Nicaragua linked to this article.

Nicaragua in the news

2010-09-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

The LA Times ran a story today about the Nicaraguan presidential elections slated for November of 2011. From what we hear on our street, among our neighbors, in taxis, and at political analysis forums, the Times reporter has painted a pretty accurate picture of what's going on in politics here.

On our Front Porch

2010-08-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

I love the time between 4:30 and 5:30ish on our street. Everyone is coming home from work, the babies are taking rides in their strollers, the kids are playing soccer or reading, the rocking chairs are coming out to the porches, everyone is catching up on the news of the day, and we are all sighing in relief that the worst heat is past. I caught some tears sneaking up to my eyes a couple times last week as I sat outside chatting with my neighbors, thoroughly enjoying this ritual that has become an important part of our daily life and realizing that we only have a few months left. Our porch is a good meeting place because it is an excellent height for sitting, we have a good shade tree, and it is in the middle of the street.

On our front porch . . .

there is friendship,

there is innocence,

there are babies,

there is music,

there are good times,

there is learning,

there is eating,

there is laughing,

there is mischief,

there is kissing (no picture of this, but there is plenty of it between the teenage couples hanging around on our porch),

there are paper airplanes,

there is relaxing,

there is excitement,

there is peace.

Changes

2010-08-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

As we think about re-entering the US in 4 months, we have been reflecting on all that has changed in the realm of technology since we´ve been away. When we left:

-Texting was an expensive and seldom-used form of communication

-No one we knew accessed the internet from the palm of their hand

-Books were made of paper

-No one we knew had Facebook

-Twitter did not exist

-Churches had websites, maybe . . . if they did, they were generally poorly-designed and seldom-accessed

-Starting a blog felt like something new and cutting-edge

Here in Nicaragua, things are different:

-Many people have cell phones, but few have minutes to use them. Very occasionally I receive text messages from my internet-savvy friends who can go to the cybercafe and send texts for free from the cell website.

-Most people who access the internet do so from community internet cafés (less than $1 for 2 hours of internet time) like this one next to our house that opened 1.5 years ago. Even if the owners were not also very good friends of ours, I would gladly advertise their business. They are friendly, efficient, helpful, and keep their machines well-maintained. I love that using the internet has natural boundaries and limits for us here: we have to know exactly what we want to do and how long we will take (which makes for good time management), we expect that whatever we do will be observed by other neighbors and kids (which keeps us honest), and the internet time is bracketed by real conversations with our neighbors as we enter and leave.

-Books? (see our other posts about books and education, like the one below)

-Some people have Facebook, and many have Hi-5

-No Twitter that I have ever seen.

-Church websites: Why would you need a website when you see each other every day and have services 8 times per week?

SO, what will happen to Beth, Alan, and Simon? Will they return in their shabby, out-of-style clothes renouncing technology and begging people to put down their phones and engage them in old-fashioned real conversation on their front porch while sipping juice and sitting in rocking chairs? Stay tuned to find out . . . (ironically, through facebook and our blog :)).

Education in Nicaragua

2010-08-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

I read a very thoughtful, well-written article the other day by a Nicaraguan educator giving an overview of the politics of education in Nicaragua. Some issues she points out are universal: politicians implementing flashy, short-term fixes--especially as election time draws near--at the expense of necessary, long-term policy change. Some issues are unique to Nicaragua, such as the success of the 1980s literacy campaign in contrast to the extreme lack of qualified teachers today (in 2010 no new students registered for the teacher education program). Some struggles are common to many countries trying to crawl out of poverty, although, at least in Latin America, Nicaragua is at the very bottom of the heap in terms of instructional hours, budget, and academic performance. This picture shows the new "policies" of the ministry of education to improve education. Translation: "New MINED policies: More better education, More quality education, Educating everyone, Other education."
Three of the issues she mentions I see very clearly in my work and neighborhood: 1) lack of access to reading materials, 2) the difficulty of student retention, and 3) the shortage of instructional time.

1) Reading and writing can be difficult to teach even if one has received a quality education with ample access to books, creative problem solving strategies, and practice understanding and forming opinions about what is read. For teachers who have never had access to books or opportunities for critical analysis and writing, it becomes nearly impossible to teach these skills. Going to a local bookstore might give you an idea of the dilemma: yesterday I had the choice between a series of cheaply-made fairy tale books with mostly words and a few drawings of white people for $10 and a bright, colorful, interactive book about Diego´s adventures for $30. Very few people have even $10 to spend on a book (and why would they want to?), and any book inspiring interest is way out of reach of all but the wealthiest Nicaraguans. Libraries are few and far between.

2) Student retention is another problem I have witnessed in our neighborhood. If families move, if children get behind or have difficulty with behavior, if they have to drop out to work (among other reasons), children and/or parents will choose to sit out the rest of the year and begin again the next year. Many children finish primary school late, and those who have significant learning differences do not finish at all (one stat said that only 37% of Nicaraguan children are finishing 6th grade). When classes have 60 students, it is difficult for teachers to follow up on these cases. While children sit out, their brains are passing through critical developmental stages for absorbing "building block" learning concepts--those which are much more difficult to retain later.

3) Quick note about instructional time: Nicaraguan students do not even get 700 hours per year. General international standards are around 1000 hours per year. Recesses are long, breaks are frequent, and classes let out early.

OK, so now we´re all a little depressed. BUT Nicaraguans are working in their characteristically hopeful way to improve this situation! On Saturday I witnessed a group of 40 kids excitedly reading and engaged in creative group learning at the library of the the Cultural Center in Batahola Norte, an MCC partner. I also have the privilege of working with a dynamic group of educators from Anabaptist churches who are forming a network of libraries to encourage kids to develop reading and critical thinking skills. We went together to visit another mobile library system, and witnessed kids and adults engaged in literacy.
I am hopeful when I think about the dynamic young Nicaraguans who are participating in exchanges. Consuelo (pictured below in the library at her former elementary school) will be working with students in an educational program in Bolivia, sharing and bringing home new ideas for improving education in her community. I was impressed with the way the librarian at this public school has worked to find local and international partnerships to bring books into their library. This room fills up each day with children coming to read and research.One of MCC´s partner organizations, the Christian School for the Deaf, works to provide quality academics to the Deaf of Nicaragua. I have seen creative, dynamic, committed Nicaraguan teachers each time I have visited.
As an educator myself, I am interested in all of these issues--both in my home and host cultures. There are always problems and areas for critique, but also signs of hope. (Beth)

"Firsts" for Simon

2010-08-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

We love watching Simon grow! He is repeating all kinds of words now, some in Spanish and some in English. He loves calling his friends ("Edy!" "Naza!"), asking for drinks ("agua" or "joos"), commenting on the animals ("wow wow" for dogs, "gato" for cats, and "pio pio" or "tweet" for birds), or pointing out airplanes ("eh-pain") or monsters ("montoos"). He likes to sing the World Cup song "Wave your Flag" and do the funky chicken. He picked out his own clothes for the first time.

He is starting to sit on his special chair (but hasn´t actually used it for its intended purpose yet).

He says "no" in the Nicaraguan style, accompanied by a finger shake.
He likes playing the guitar and piano with us (here he is playing with Uncle Peter).

He also has learned to do a fake smile for the camera. :)

Managua billboards

2010-07-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful blog followers. We have long been fascinated by the government-sponsored billboards all over Managua (and along the highways in the rest of the country). Here are a few of them with my (Beth's) explanations and/or commentary.

"We turned 30 fulfilling our promises! Country and freedom!"

Happy Birthday, Alan! He was born in 1979, just a few months after the Sandinista Revolution triumphed in Nicaragua. So last year was all about celebrating turning 30! But there are still several of these billboards around, so we are still celebrating. Sometime you should ask Alan to model for you his pink t-shirt that says the same thing (a gift from our neighbor, who is part of the Sandinista youth movement). The face on the billboard is President Daniel Ortega (also one of the military commanders in the revolution who became president for the first time in 1980).

"Nicaragua: Christian, Socialist, In Solidarity! 31 years of triumphs: The revolution lives on!"

Now we are completing 31 years since the revolution. Here we have Daniel Ortega alongside other Nicaraguan heroes--Sandino (in the hat) was a revolutionary in the 1920s/30s, struggling for national sovereignty and the expulsion of US troops. Rubén Darío (black suit) is a very famous poet from Nicaragua. On the left, a famous painting depicts a "Yanqui"--one of those occupying Nicaragua in the 1850s--disarmed by Nicaraguan legend Andres Castro throwing a rock.

According to this billboard, we're still Christian, socialist, and in solidarity. Rhetoric does not always match reality. Nicaragua does provide some semblance of healthcare and education to all its citizens, but the economic system is far from socialist. The wealthy of the country (including current and former political leaders from all parties) enjoy all the advantages of capitalism while trying to win the favor of the masses who live on less than $2/day.

ALBA is the inter-Latin American trade agreement designed as an alternative to CAFTA and other free trade agreements between the US and the rest of the Americas. The other day we drove past a new power plant under construction with ALBA funds. It is difficult to see very many other impacts from ALBA, either due to the lack of transparency about the spending of the funds or to the minimal impact of the agreement.

"Wanted: thieves. Would you vote for these thieves?" The presidential elections are coming up in 2011. Ortega is doing everything in his power to be re-elected (something that was not constitutionally permitted when we arrived in Nicaragua), including early campaigns against his two major opponents: Eduardo Montealegre (left) and Arnoldo Aleman (right).

"Giving Hope. Giving Happiness. Giving money to your national lottery." Look at how this nice, pink, Christian, socialist government is giving happiness to its people! Buying and selling lottery tickets can be seen everywhere in Managua, from our local street corner to the airport. Incidentally, the guy in the yellow shirt goes to our church.

"Keeping our promises to the people is keeping our promises to God!" I think I may have posted this one before, but as one who has always been fascinated by civil religion, I am interested in all the religious rhetoric by this government. As in many countries, invoking the name of God is very unifying for Nicaraguans. In everyday conversation it is also very common from the mouths of both Catholics and Protestants. "See you tomorrow if God wants it." "I am fine, thanks be to God."

Hope you enjoyed this brief Managua tour and are now sufficiently familiar with the contours of Daniel Ortega's face! See you next time, si Dios quiere.

Flies

2010-06-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

Following up on our mango post, we should note that with the mangoes come....flies. Humans aren't the only ones who feast on the sticky-sweet goodness of mangoes; the flies do, too. June and July, the tail end of mango season, are also the worst months for flies in Nicaragua. Sometimes we can hardly eat because we're busy shoo-ing flies from our table.

How do we survive these months? Fly Paper. We typically give the table a pass-over with fly paper before, during, and after a meal. They hop on and stay for a while; we eat our meal in (relative) peace. If anyone has any more ideas for keeping flies at bay, we'd be happy to hear your ideas.

Rain and a Tin Roof

2010-06-10T15:16:00.001-07:00

We're now in the rainy season in Nicaragua, which means that it is (slightly) cooler and at times we have torrential downpours. When the rains commence, we also think about our roof. Most of the time our roof is just something above our heads to keep the sun off of us. But during the rainy season we remember that our roof is tin (or zinc or whatever material roofs are made of these days). We remember because the roof suddenly becomes a noticeable part of life - it roars at us. Well, the roar comes from the downpour-on-metal. The noise loud enough to drown out anything - conversation, music, thinking, etc. There are times when we have to stop conversations completely because rain makes such a racket on our roof. Last night it woke me up in the middle of the night with its roaring.

The roof is something I usually take for granted, but I now recognize what a luxury it is to stay dry when it rains. There are plenty of people in Nicaragua who have only plastic tarps above them, or critter-infested thatched roofs. We are grateful for a solid roof over our heads; when the roof roars now, I give thanks.

(above, Simon and Beth watch the rivulets of water from our roof pour into our patio - the ridges on the roof channel water into individual cascades of rain about 2 inches apart).

Mangos, mangos, mangos

2010-06-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

'Tis mango season in Nicaragua. Well, let me qualify...'tis ripe mango season. There are always mangos around, it's just that now they're reddish-green on the outside, golden and sweet and juicy and messy on the inside. Mangos are so prolific in Nicaragua that people have to eat them year-round, even when they're green and hard (people add salt, vinegar, and chili sauce to the crunchy white flesh, or cook it down to make a juice that tastes deliciously almost like applesauce). If we didn't eat them year-round, the country would probably be up to its waist in uneaten mangos. And even with near-constant consumption, you can still walk the streets and smell the over-sweet smell of rotting mangos that have fallen to the ground because there are just too many to eat.

If you don't have a mango tree, chances are somebody who does is trying to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Or you can buy them for super-cheap - yesterday we bought a dozen good-sized mangos for 40 cents. And fortunately, our litte guy absolutely loves them. He can't get enough, whether he's sucking the juice directly from a mango, eating it in little cut-up bits, or drinking fresh mango juice. The photos are from the other day - Beth ordered a glass of mango juice w/ breakfast, and Simon drank pretty much the entire cup!

fresh fruit juice

2010-06-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

One thing we love about Nicaragua is the always-available fresh fruit juice. The types of juices change according to the fruits in season, of course. But there's always at least one tasty alternative to the also-always-available Coke or Pepsi. In addition to being yummy, the fruit juices brighten up a table with their vivid colors. The glasses in this photo contain (from left to right): pineapple, cantaloupe/orange, pitahaya (dragon fruit), and mango. Above, Simon enjoys the pitahaya.

money laundering

2010-06-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last year Nicaragua moved to plastic money for the C$10, 20, and 200 bills. The C$50, 100, and 500 bills were redesigned but are still a combo of paper material. We think that the Central Bank moved to plastic because it prevents damage from money laundering. When bills are inadvertantly left in a pants' pocket, then scrubbed vigorously on a concrete washboard, the results are still very usable bills. They also air-dry easily.

Papaya tree update

2010-06-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

A while back we wrote about the papaya tree that's growing in our little garden. The tree continues its upward climb - between 12 and 15 ft. - and has 3 growing papayas that look promising. The tree reminds us of something out of a Dr. Seuss book - a skinny trunk, a tuft of leaves at the top, and the oversided swelling green papayas hanging off in an odd clump. In honor of our current parenting stage (and the Dr. Seuss alphabet book that we read frequently), here's a verse that includes the papaya:

Big P, little p, what begins with P? pancakes, pie, papaya tree, P...p...P.

Peacemaking in the news

2010-05-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to an article about John Paul Lederach, a Mennonite peacemaking advocate and Notre Dame professor who has worked around the world in conflict situations. He spent some time in Nicaragua back in the 80s, negotiating between the Sandinista government and indigenous groups on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. He has written in both English and Spanish, and I use lots of his materials in my classes.

Colombia Learning Trip, Part 3

2010-04-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

There are 3 Anabaptist denominations in Colombia: the Mennonites, the Brethren in Christ, and the Mennonite Brethren. These groups are quite small when compared with the population in general - only about 4,000 members in a country of 40,000,000. Yet for their size, the churches are very well-organized with a clear sense of their calling as churches. We were impressed that in every church we visited, the mission and vision of the congregation was clearly displayed, and that church members consistently referenced these as they explained the various ministries of the congregation. The clarity of identity and purpose helps the Colombian Anabaptist churches to have a big impact - they are reaching out to their local communities and sharing the good news of hope with people in need.

Colombia Learning Trip, Part 2

2010-04-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

The main purpose for taking students to Colombia was to see what Colombian Anabaptist churches are doing in regards to conflict transformation and peacemaking work, and then to look for ways to cultivate similar work in Nicaraguan churches. Colombia and Nicaragua share a lot in common:

- war (Nica. in the 70s and 80s, in Col. it's ongoing)

- poverty (Nica. is the 2nd poorest country in the western hemisphere, in Col. nearly 65% of the population lives in extreme poverty)

- social violence (violent crime and drug-related violence are common in both countries, although moreso in Col.)

- trauma (people in both countries have been traumatized by violence, war, and natural disasters)

Transformative peacemaking work is thus very relevant in both countries. Colombian Anabaptist churches have identified this as central to God's calling for their congregations. I asked my students to think about whether Nicaraguan churches feel the same sense of urgent calling.

Here are a few things that the Colombian Anabaptist churches are doing to confront the violence in their communities:

- conscientious objection program - advocating for a legal alternative to the obligatory military service in Colombia for young men who object to military participation on religious grounds

- documentation of human rights abuse - people living in the middle of Colombian conflict zones often face intimidation to remain silent about the violence and human rights abuses they see on a regular basis. Justapaz (short for "justice & peace") is a multi-faceted organization, and among their many tasks is interviewing victims and/or their families and compiling a public record of the crimes. By way of an example, over the past 10-15 years, over 250 rural Colombian pastors have been killed by the military, the guerrilla fighters, or drug traffickers for confronting the injustices in their communities.

- emergency orientation for displaced people - a short-term support program designed to provide recently displaced families with a brief orientation to Bogotá and how they can survive there. Most displaced families come from the countryside and have no idea how to navigate a big city, find health and government resources, ride the buses, and provide for their families in an urban environment. This orientation program gives families enough food for about a month, and also shows them around the city and gives them the basic tools to find long-term help.

- One Mennonite church started a homework center in a neighborhood where lots of displaced families live. Kids typically just wander the streets b/c their parents are out looking for work. The homework center provides a hot meal and gives the kids a safe space to receive tutoring and participate in creative activities. The church also provides free music lessons to the kids from this center.

- educational savings program - one local church decided to confront the cycle of poverty in its community by promoting education. Many poor families in the community didn't send their children to school because they lacked money for school supplies, uniforms, books, etc. So the church designed a program that encourages kids to save $2.50 per month and deposit it each month at the church. At the end of the year, right before the new school year starts, the church gives the saved money back to the child (about $30). And if the child has met his or her goal, the church gives a bonus of $30. This money is then used to buy the school supplies, etc., and makes sure that families don't have an excuse to not send their kids to school. Church families that don't have kids can also participate and create buffer accounts, so that if a family loses a job in the middle of the year, the kids have a savings buffer and can make their year-end goal.

The church also offers a modest $250 no-interest loan to university students so that they can pay their tuition and fees at the beginning of the semester. Student then work through the semester to pay back the loan; and if they get straight A's, then they receive a 25% discount on their loan.

Sour Milk

2010-04-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Every morning on our street several people walk by selling sour milk (leche ágria). Most vendors carry little coolers on their backs filled with cups of sour milk. But one vendor does it the old-fashioned way. He carts big milk jugs in the back of of his pickup and ladles out sour milk as people bring him containers.

How do people use sour milk? They usually pour it on gallo pinto (rice and beans) or mix a little sugar in and drink it.

Needless to say, we haven't been able to bring ourselves to purchase milk from the back of a truck. Sour milk is just one of those things that still makes our stomachs churn.

Dog Days of Summer - April edition

2010-04-21T13:09:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it's probably better not to know how hot it is. But today I looked. And weather.com confirmed the miserable temps outside (and inside, for that matter).

Colombia learning trip, part 1

2010-04-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

(a view of Bogotá from the eastern mountain)

I set out from Managua on March 12 with a group of 9 of my students from the theology program at the university. Our destination: Bogotá, Colombia. Our purpose: to learn about how the Colombian Anabaptist churches (Brethren in Christ, Mennonite, and Mennonite Brethren) do peacemaking and conflict transformation work, and that the students bring back ideas for their own ministry contexts here in Nicaragua.

Our challenge: 12 days, 5 cities, and an altitude of 8,660 ft. for the majority of the trip.

(loading up the bus for the airport in San José)

We set out by bus to San José, Costa Rica, where we spent one night. We then woke up early and flew from San José to Bogotá. We spent several days in Bogotá, and then we hopped on a bus, southwest for about 5 hours to the city of Ibagué. This was followed by another bus, about 3.5 hours west over the mountains to the city of Armenia. And then yet another bus, 4 hours south to Cali. Fortunately we didn't have to retrace our steps by bus; we flew from Cali back to Bogotá, which only takes 30 minutes by air.

(the group with a view of Cali)

We wrapped up our time with 2 more days in the capital before the students headed back to Managua. Beth and Simon then joined me for a retreat in Bogotá.

I'll be writing more installments in the days to come, but here are a few initial impressions:

- Bogotá is immense, compared to Managua. At least 8 million people call Bogotá home, whereas there are only about 5.5 million people in all of Nicaragua.

- government, guerrilla, and drug violence has forced 5 million Colombians from their homes, most being poor rural farmers and their families. That's nearly as many displaced people as live in all of Nicaragua.

- Colombians don't eat tortillas...they eat arepas. They're both made from corn meal, but arepas are smaller, thicker, and often include extras like cheese, meat, sugar, or butter. Nicaraguan tortillas are flat, often the size of a plate, and made of just plain corn meal mixed with a little water.

- Colombian coffee gets its reputation as good coffee for a reason...it was no joke!

- We tasted the best hot chocolate we've ever had while in Colombia!

Great work

2010-03-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to do a post about how I am very proud of the one year volunteers in SALT and YAMEN! They are building great relationships, working hard in their positions, having an impact, and allowing themselves to be impacted.

Amanda is using her mad occupational therapy skills with the kids at Hogar Belen. Helping them have appropriate technology, learn to eat independently, etc.

(Photo by Diana) Diana (bottom far right) está aprendiendo mucho sobre la comunicación. Se puede comunicarse en señas, español colombiana, y español nica. En su trabajo con las familias de los estudiantes (y con su familia Nica anfitriona) ella demuestra mucho amor . . . como dice aqui en la foto: "Te amo" en señas.
(Photo by Melissa) Abby is a strong campesina woman now. She has penetrating insight into life in the countryside and also into life "in-between"--in between city and country, in between wealth and poverty, in between North and South. She works hard in agriculture and in relationships.
(Photo by Melissa) Melissa is using her wonderful creative gifts to enrich the lives of the students at the Cultural Center. Here are her enthusiastic students who learned to express themselves and tell their stories through the lens of a camera.

Bird-sitting

2010-03-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

Meet Pancho. Our neighbors (who care for Simon once a week) know that Simon likes the chocoyo (parakeet) . . . in fact, one of his first words was "choyo." So they "gave" us the bird while they went on vacation. Instant entertainment for a curious 13 month old!

The Ins and Outs of Giving

2010-03-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

Part 1: Outside and Inside Giving

Remembering the Purisima (see blogs from December of 2009 and previous years) on our street in early December makes me think about the contrasts between December here and in the North. On our street in Managua, the majority of the lights, displays, and decorations are outside on the porches, with just a few inside. Gift-giving takes place outside on the street to anyone who comes. I watch as people who would not ordinarily have gifts for themselves or their children happily shoulder heavy bags full of food, kitchen utensils, games, and plastic toys—and visions of Santa Claus dance through my North American head. Gift-giving within families (even at Christmastime) is not emphasized—the greater emphasis is on eating together and exploding tons of firecrackers, which also happens outside with neighbors.

In the US, while many people have some lights outside, the majority of holiday decorations are inside. Similarly, most gifts in the US are given inside houses to family and close friends. Not that generosity is absent. This Christmas, while visiting the US, I witnessed many efforts by families and churches to think about “outside giving.” As they will tell you, doing this takes intentional effort and a fight against the cultural current.

Antony and Samira are two of our neighbors who often come by looking for food. Their attire includes dirty over-sized shorts tied up by an old computer cord that they snatched, along with their broken shoes, from a trash bin. If they had been born into an “inside giving” cultural system, they would have no chance of receiving gifts. But I saw their large smiles as they sucked on candy and toted their backpacks stuffed with toys down the street. They saw me and ran over, opening their bags. “Elizabeth! Tell Simon to pick whatever he wants from here!” I wonder, as the tears well up, whether I will ever find any better teachers for my little boy of generous love and giving.

In a juxtaposition that makes my head swim, just two weeks later, we are visiting a church in the US when I am introduced to the Amy Grant song “Give this Christmas Away” as a soundtrack to the Samaritan’s Purse shoebox campaign. With uncanny irony, this campaign allows North Americans to pack shoeboxes with food, kitchen utensils, games, and plastic toys to send to children in “poor” countries like Nicaragua to teach them about love and giving.

Part 2: More thoughts about giving

We posted our funny list about Simon’s birthday gifts, but I wanted to add one more reflection on our cultural lessons (maybe more appropriately entitled “How Beth and Alan Continue Messing Up and Experiencing Patience and Grace from their Neighbors”) about giving. Even though Nicaraguans are normally not into specific invitations (showing up and visiting are more common), birthday parties are an exception. Since I have received invitations to birthday parties in the past, I assumed we would need to send invitations for Simon’s birthday party. So I made and printed invitations and began handing them out like candy to everyone we knew or sort-of-knew or who came to ask for one once the word got around. For some reason, I assumed that most people would probably not bring gifts. A Nicaraguan friend quickly set me straight, explaining that the expectation behind an invitation is a gift, and that if someone can’t afford a gift, they will refuse the invitation rather than come empty-handed. “Oh no!” I thought. “The last thing this only-grandchild needs is more gifts! The economy is worse every day and I know that many people don’t even have enough to eat. I don’t want people to feel obligated and spend their money on unnecessary gifts.” I quickly tried to go around to neighbors and friends, back-peddling and explaining that I would prefer if people do not bring gifts. I received only confused expressions. Nonetheless, I hoped they would take it to heart and didn’t set up a gift table, wanting to save everyone hassle, embarrassment, and money.

The day of the party, I saw some of the first guests come in with gifts, and I tried to quickly shuffle them off to the back and not make a show of it. They would have none of that—they insisted on giving the gift directly to Simon. In some cases, they also insisted on telling him ahead of time what it was. This was a ritual and part of the fun of the party, and I was trying to smash it. Something clicked: This silly North American is still in the mindset that buying and giving gifts is an obligation instead of a special joy! The poorer the party guest, the more pride and joy I observed in offering their gifts to Simon.

Part 3: One more reflection on giving

This time the lesson has come from church. Our church has been in the process of expanding the building for the last few years, working slowly as we can raise the money, taking great pride in the process. Finally, this week we needed to commit to putting on the new roof, the one part that weather and security will not allow us to do “poco a poco.” The pastor preached about Elijah and the widow—about the oil and flour didn’t run out even though they knew it should have long before. He encouraged us, many of whom are unemployed and find daily nourishment a struggle, to pray in faith and watch how God would provide miracles. The next night, the co-pastor preached on cheerful giving, and we took the final offering. Now, less than one week later, we are rejoicing in the miracle that we have a roof and a functioning new sanctuary. (Alan even helped a little with tearing down the old walls!) What most struck me was the slogan our pastor coined, “En medio de la pobreza, abundemos en riqueza.”

“In the midst of poverty, we have abundant riches.”

Feeling at Home

2010-03-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

One month ago, I woke up to a cold Kansas morning and went to Mother Goose time at the public library with my mom and Simon. This morning I woke up sweating, took a refreshing cold shower before our water ran out, and walked around visiting the neighbors with Simon. Home, sweet home. Both places, I mean. Also, South Central Pennsylvania and Southern California. We have many homes now, and have visited all of them during our last two months of “home leave.” Sometimes we feel spread thin as we try to keep fingers and toes in far-flung areas of the continent. Mostly, though, we enjoy the depth that comes in knowing that you are welcome in many different places.

On Sunday we went to a birthday party for one neighbor and a baptism of another. It was one of those afternoons in which everyone is outside on porches or in the street, accompanied by plenty of loud music and talking. We were sitting on our neighbors’ porch, eating chop suey, chatting, and trying to keep an eye on Simon, who was working the crowd, showing off his new talking and walking skills. A group of kids was playing Uno on our front porch, waiting for us to be done "visiting" so they could come in and read books and play with Simon. I was struck with how much I felt like a part of things. We know people here. Their kids come to our house every day, we share special foods and celebrations together, we rely on each other for a variety of needs. We will never exactly fit in like Nicaraguans, but we are still part of the fabric somehow.

There is something beautiful about going home to friends and family and participating in the rituals and traditions of those places and people. It is exciting and sometimes you don´t even want to sleep at night because you don´t want to miss anything. There is also something beautiful about coming home to the rituals and routines here. We all (especially Simon) have been sleeping more peacefully and enjoying the consistency of the life we have carved out as a family here.

Documentary on Nicaragua

2010-03-02T13:59:00.001-08:00

We recently ran across this documentary on youtube about the recent history of Nicaragua. We recommend watching this four-part series if you want to understand a little more of the social, political, and economic context that surround us. Each video is between 10 and 14 minutes long, so you can watch a little at a time. The documentary was aired by Al Jazeera in July of 2009.

Drought

2010-03-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

We wrote a post last year about el Niño and its effects on the climate in Nicaragua, in particular the lack of rain. Our teammates, Seth and Sarah Hays, are working in a region most gravely affected by the drought. Here's a post that gives more information about consequences of drought in rural Nicaragua.

Saturday outings

2010-03-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

The last 2 weekends we've taken some day trips, taking advantage of the few Saturdays a year when Alan doesn't have class. Last week we went to a private nature reserve with our friends Martin and Lily. Simon loved riding on our backs in the sling. He also enjoyed walking around in the dirt. We saw an owl, some monkeys, and a really great view from Managua to Masaya. This past weekend we went to Granada for the day, visiting with a young guy who will likely spend next year volunteering in the US. We met his family and ate a yummy lunch of chicken and rice. We then dropped by a few other friends' houses, as we don't get to Granada very often.

This next Saturday starts the academic year for Alan, which means that he's got class pretty much every weekend from now until the end of November. We're glad for a chance to have some Saturday getaways!

Simon's presents

2010-02-21T15:29:00.001-08:00

Things Simon received for his 1^st birthday:

-A puzzle whose packaging advertises (in English): “Surprised piece, stimulate, like to play, be full of your brain cell all the time and all!”

-A little plastic cement truck with another English promotional slogan: “Safety and Environmental: They are the most popular styles”

-A tank top reading “Soy el consentido de mi popito RIMD WONO Run Run!” ?????

-Another tank top, blue and white with silver glittery stars that says “Fashion”

-This isn’t a birthday gift, but these gifts go nicely with a washcloth we have for Simon that says, “Boo Boo Boy: Hubbaboo always gives. Boo Boo Boy a hard time but they are best friends.”

-At least a dozen bottles of some kind of baby shampoo or cologne (to add to our store of the dozen or so we received before he was born). Are people trying to tell us that he smells bad?

-A ceramic decorative bowl

-A couple things wrapped in gift bags that say: “Delta—fly with a snack”

-A purple iridescent wall hanging of the cross/crown of thorns with a sentimental Christian poem

Simon's Nicaraguan birthday bash

2010-02-17T11:38:00.001-08:00

We threw a big birthday bash for Simon's first birthday this past Sunday. It was pretty much expected of us - folks have been asking us if we would have a piñata for Simon since he was about 3 months old. There was pretty much no way around having a big celebration and inviting a bunch of kids. And we figured the sooner it was over, the better!

So we made a list of all the neighborhood kids, church kids, and MCC friend kids who would want/expect an invitation. The number approached 50, and we certainly hoped that not all 50 kids would show up. We then set to work planning. Nicaraguan birthday parties must include a piñata filled with candy - fortunately our neighbors volunteered to provide this. Then there's the food - people expect a good birthday food like pork rinds w/ yucca or a special rice/chicken combo, served with juice. And of course there's cake & soda to top it off. Oh, and don't forget the party games and favors. :-) The only thing we planned on skipping was the loud music. Nicaraguan parties are notorious for their bone-jarring music, something we thought we could go without.

Another neighbor drew us a poster for the pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game (see photo below). We hired a local restaurant to make the food, and we purchased 2 cakes at a local big box retailer (the best store-made cakes in town, in our opinion).

Then we set about having a party. A number of kids attended the pre-party party, coloring a big banner that read "Happy Birthday Simon!" They also drew special pictures for Simon to decorate the walls (see the first photo below). We rented chairs and decorated our garage with the kids' art and balloons. Oh, and our plans about a music-free party? Not a chance. Our neighbors felt sorry for us and set up their speakers in our garage. We ended up with some pretty inappropriate reaggaton dance music shaking the walls of the house.

Then the kids came. Some kids that we invited didn't show up, while some kids who didn't receive an invitation did. We estimate that about 40 kids attended, as well as about 40 adults. Yes, 80 people for Simon's birthday! We played Simon Says, Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, hot potato, and musical chairs. Before the piñata, we had a chance to share Simon's testimony - that we nearly lost the pregnancy but that we believe God heard our prayers for healing and protection. The name Simon means "God hears," and we shared with the kids that every time they say Simon's name, it's a reminder that God does hear us. After this we prayed a special blessing for Simon.

Then pandemonium with the piñata. Simon didn't want to touch it, but the other kids happily beat the bunny-shaped piñata into an unrecognizable mass of newspaper and streamers. Of course some kids cried because the didn't get any candy or got barreled over in the rush.

We had just enough food, juice, cake, and soda. Everyone went home feeling pretty good (we think) that the gringos didn't do too bad a job with the party after all. And perhaps the best thing - Beth had written and printed a little coloring book as a party favor for all the kids. It was a big hit. Simon had a relatively good time, although he slept through half the party. And we've decided that we're not throwing a birthday party for 80 people for a very long time. :-)

Back in Nicaragua

2010-02-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

To all of our blog-reading faithful, we wanted to let you know that we are back in Nicaragua and will start up our blog postings again. We spent 2 wonderful months in the US visiting friends and family and chose not to blog during those weeks. We returned last week for our fourth year of service with Mennonite Central Committee. Check back regularly for updates!

Thanks for reading,

Alan, Beth, and Simon

La Purisima

2009-12-11T11:08:00.001-08:00

Once again our street was alive with celebration on the night of Dec. 7. La Purisima is the celebration of Mary's mother's conception of Mary, which according to Catholic doctrine was also by the Holy Spirit. Some people set up altars to Mary and invite people to come and sing. They then give away gifts such as oranges, rice, cups, bowls, sugar, toys, etc. to the singers. Other people go from street to street carrying sacks and little song books, collecting as much free stuff as they can. Fireworks add sporadic excitement, with particular pyrotechnic displays at 6 p.m. and again at midnight. The following videos show our neighbors' altar and the festivities, as well as part of the midnight fireworks. Simon slept through the whole thing...we're not quite sure how.

pre-dawn parade

2009-12-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

We wrote last year about the Purisima, the biggest holiday celebration in Nicaragua. The Purisima celebrates Mary's conception (when her mother conceived her). The Purisima is on Dec. 7-8, but the nine days leading up to it are filled with pre-dawn celebrations that involve statues of the Virgin parading through neighborhoods, accompanied by crowds, brass bands, fireworks, and other assundry loud things. Sleep is impossible, so you might as well get up and see what all the racket is about.

Yesterday the Virgin passed by our house. The music started at 4:45 a.m., and our neighbors mingled and lit a few fireworks for about 45 minutes before the real action started. Around 5:30 several kids ran down the street shouting, "The Virgin is coming! The Virgin is coming!" Sure enough, several hundred people rounded the corner escorting a statue of the Virgin on a litter. Our next door neighbors brought out a huge painting of Mary so that the parading Mary could stop in and say hello. The videos capture a little bit of the fun on our street yesterday morning.

update on the marches

2009-11-25T14:34:00.001-08:00

Two large marches took place this past Saturday here in Managua. One march was by opponents of President Daniel Ortega and his Sandinista party, particularly protesting an October decision by the Nicaraguan Supreme Court overturning the ban on reelection. The second march was by the Sandinistas, celebrating the fact that the Supreme Court overturned the ban. There was much talk about violence, as the two marches were going to happen at the same time and be only blocks apart on their respective routes. Also, the police announced that they would not ban homemade mortars. Most inter-city transportation shut down on Saturday as close to 250,000 people showed up for the 2 marches. University classes, including Alan's, were cancelled.

Fortunately, there was little violence in spite of the tensions. The police made sure the marchers avoided contact, and the atmosphere ended up being more festive than divisive. We are thankful that a spirit of peace was on Managua. Thanks for your prayers.

Praying for peaceful marches

2009-11-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow (Saturday, November 21) there will be 2 marches in Managua--one of Sandinista government supporters and one of opposition leaders. Unfortunately for the economy and the security of the country, almost everything is shutting down due to the fear of violence in these marches, including Alan´s classes on Conflict Transformation (ironic).

To give a very brief background: about one month ago, the Supreme Court changed the Constitution to allow for re-election. The parties not currently in office are very upset about this change, which happened rather suddenly and by means that some have called undemocratic. This is one of the reasons that several citizen groups and opposition parties have been planning a march to protest the lack of transparency of the current administration. The government decided to plan a march for the same day. Nicaragua is a country that still has very fresh wounds from living through a recent revolution and war, so people take very seriously these kinds of threats of violence.

View from a bus window

2009-11-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

We spend a lot of our time riding buses (and taxis) in Managua. Some days we carry books to pass the time, but sometimes we put the books down to take in the daily bustle of Nicaragua's largest city. Here are some things we see:

- small, green parrots for sale, offered to you on small sticks

- iguanas for sale (to make into soup), usually held up by their tales

- bags of green mango slices, usually sold with salt and chili sauce (chile sauce always poured from old soda bottles)

- clown jugglers who toss a few balls or bowling pins at stop lights and then pass their hats to waiting cars

- old school buses from places like Harrisburg, PA, Mojave, CA, or Albuquerque, NM

- new Russian buses that were recently "donated" to the Nicaraguan government and then "sold" to the Managua bus cooperatives

- countless pickup games of baseball and soccer

- scrawny horses pulling carts laden with tree trimmings, empty plastic bottles, or discarded metal appliances

- a horse cart with a Washington State license plate (pretty sure the horse and cart had never been to Washington)

- pickup trucks whose beds are so full of avacados, oranges, or green plantains that the bumpers are practically dragging on the ground

- flatbed trucks carrying huge canvas sacks filled with plastic bottles that lean precariously to one side

- families of five or six traveling together on one motorcycle

- a woman breastfeeding on the back of a motorcycle

- a man on a motorcycle answering his cellphone and removing his helmet at the same time (see previous post)

- signs for Coca Cola, Pepsi, and a Nicaraguan soda called Kola Shaler

- pink and yellow billboards announcing government programs or displaying huge photos of President Daniel Ortega

-signs insisting "6 squares of toilet paper are enough"

-volcanoes rising up out of Lake Managua

Working

2009-11-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

I (Beth) have disappeared from the blog for a number of months, and it may appear to you readers that our lives consist primarily of Simon and going to fun events like baseball games and circuses. What I want to tell you is that we also are still working! :) I will now answer some frequently asked questions:

Q: Who cares for Simon while you are working?
A: We take turns. We have divided our work so that we are each doing some of our tasks from home. Also, Yolanda Cruz, a wonderful woman who has worked for MCC for years, joyfully cares for Simon in our home 1 day per week. We are so thankful for this time to share equally in parenting responsibilities!

Q: Have you had any visitors or exchanges happening lately?
A: In September we received a group of North Americans for a Learning Tour about Global Family in Nicaragua. Nicaraguan university students who receive scholarships through Global Family accompanied the group, and we traveled through Nicaragua. My favorite part was seeing the students' encouragement at the positive changes that Nicaraguans are promoting all over the country.

We are in the selection process for IVEP and YAMEN!, two programs in which Nicaraguan young people spend a year serving and learning in another part of the world.

I have also been helping to orient and support the SALT, YAMEN!, and short-term volunteers.

Q: Alan, are you still teaching? What are you teaching?
A: I'm wrapping up my 3rd year of teaching in the Bachelor's in Theology program through the UPOLI and the Baptist Seminary. This trimester I've taught 2 classes - the final of a 3-part research methods class, and an intro class on conflict transformation. Students from the research class have been doing community research projects to identify areas in their communities and churches where there is a need for peace. Topics range from addiction problems in local neighborhoods to marital satisfaction (both inside and outside the church) to domestic violence to gang participation. I've been impressed with how the students have courageously confronted some very dicey issues.

Q: When does the school year end?

A: Saturday, Nov. 28 is the last day of classes; Graduation is on Saturday, Dec. 5.

More about baseball

2009-11-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

After a month and a half of blog-o-sphere silence, we're back in the game with more baseball action, this time Nica-style.

Last night we finally made it to a Nicaraguan baseball game after 3 years in Central America's baseball capital. Managua's team (Bóer) took on León (los Leones). Tropical storm Ida dampened the diamond, but not the spirits of the several hundred fans that showed up in spite of the rain. We bought our $3 tickets and had dry seats under the roof, and we watched five innings of action before the game was eventually postponed. Managua -Bóer was up 3-0 on a 3-run homerun in the bottom of the 4th.

It was Simon's first trip to the ballpark - he loved the attention from the vendors and fellow fans. And he gripped his little Dodgers cap tightly the whole time. One girl who sold fried pork rinds with yucca asked if Simon was for Bóer or for León; we said that he's nine months old and really doesn't care who wins. "Oh, well, we'll just say he's for Bóer (boerista)," she replied.

Baseball is the biggest sport in Nicaragua. It was introduced by US Marines back in the 1920s and 1930s after they were "invited" by the government and then decided to stick around, which seemed suspiciously like an "occupation" for most Nicaraguans. But one lasting benefit has been a love for baseball. The season starts in late October as the rains subside, even as the US World Series heats up the chilly northern fall. Typically Managua and León field the powerhouse teams, and every once in a while Granada or Estelí or Matagalpa put together good teams. Nicaragua's best players get sucked up in the US baseball system, and fans here follow them closely (see our last post about baseball from Sept.). The remaining players take the field mostly for the love of the game, hoping that perhaps a stand-out season will catch the eye of an MLB scout and earn them a professional contract. Otherwise, their meager salaries cover only the basics.

Our trip to the ballpark (named after Dennis Martinez, Nicaragua's most successful son in the majors) reminded me of a minor-league game in the US - cozy atmosphere, families with little kids enjoying the game, hotdogs and soda. The atmosphere was decidedly Nicaraguan, however. Also for sale were fried pork rinds or pork strips with yucca, pizza with ketchup, and french fries with grated white cheese, all served on flimsy paper plates. Vendors walked right in front of our seats every 3-4 minutes selling everything from food to beer to individual cigarettes to little noisemakers to bags of plantain chips with chili sauce. Women vendors all wore the frilly white aprons, the 'uniform' of nearly every Nicaraguan woman who sells something. Several women took time from their selling to hold Simon; the fans across the aisle whipped out their cameras to snap photos of him. They were all free with their opinions about how we should dress Simon on a rainy night, the care we should take with him leaving the stadium, whether or not we shave his head (we don't...he's naturally that way). There were also plenty of opinions about the play on the field, although we still have a lot to learn about the nuances of baseball vocabulary - heckling is our next phase of language learning.

Baseball in the papers

2009-09-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

Baseball is a big deal in Nicaragua. It's bigger than soccer, and about on par with boxing, in terms of national popularity. Every day the front page of the newspapers' B section is covered with something baseball-related. As a baseball fan, I'm usually quite pleased to keep up with the baseball scores from the US. But I've had to adjust my expectations of what gets covered. When Vicente Padilla, a Nicaraguan pitcher, was picked up by the Dodgers last month, I thought, "Oh, great! I'll be able to read more about LA's team in the papers now!" But I was wrong. Individuals - Nicaraguans playing in the big leagues - always take precedent over teams, unless it's the Yankees or the Red Sox. Take yesterday's paper, for instance (photo above). Half the page is taken up with an article about how Vicente Padilla is fitting in on the Dodger's club, but it mentions nothing about whether they won or lost (they won...I had to look it up later online). The right column is about Everth Cabrera, an infielder for the Padres, who are at the bottom of the NL West...note the length of story about him. In the bottom right corner are three paragraphs about the rest of North American baseball that's interesting for most fans here, namely, the Yankees and the Red Sox. In spite of all the current government's anti-imperialist and anti-yankee rhetoric, the ball club from New York has a large fan base, as do the Red Sox. No matter what else happens in baseball, I'll always get to read something about these two teams.

El Niño in our garden

2009-09-18T13:33:00.000-07:00

When Simon was born on Feb. 3, we happened to have a bunch of new papaya shoots popping up in our garden. It was a good time to experiment with papayas, as they need a relatively hot and dry climate for maximum growth. February is smack in the middle of the dry season, so we thought the little plants would get off to a good start. We were doubtful about ever getting a harvest, however. Papayas are apparently quite finicky with water - too much and they'll die. Since we normally get lots of rain between May and October, we thought it unlikely that our plants would survive.

Our one surviving papaya plant is actually doing quite well, in large part thanks to El Niño. No, it's not thanks to Simon, but rather the weather pattern. 2009 is another El Niño year, where warmer ocean currents in the Pacific cause changes in rainfall patterns. I (Alan) remember the El Niño year 1997-1998, when Los Angeles got an inordinate amount of rain. For Nicaragua in 2009, El Niño means the opposite: hotter, drier weather, and significantly less rain.

This is good for our papaya plant - it's shot up to about 7 feet tall (above) and is already showing some tiny papayas (below). But in general it's bad for Nicaragua's agriculture sector. Lots of small farmers are preparing for drought and wondering if the corn and bean harvests will provide enough for their families.

Church News

2009-09-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago our Brethren in Christ congregation here in Managua welcomed 12 new people into church membership. We celebrated their commitment to the local church community with a special worship service that included communion. Several of the new members were baptized the week before in Lake Nicaragua. Unfortunately, we were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts. Check out our blog post from last August, however, for a view of what a baptism is like.

In other news, Alan has preached twice in the last month, and Beth is set for preaching next Thursday, Sept. 24. We are glad to be more involved in the life our congregation.

New MCC team members

2009-09-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

The last month has been a blur of activity for our MCC Nicaragua team. In July we welcomed Vanessa, a Goshen College senior doing a practicum with the MCC Peace & Justice commission. A few weeks later, we welcomed 1 YAMEN and 3 new SALT workers for 11 months of service. Melissa, Amanda, and Diana are working in and around Managua; Abby is working in the countryside of Matagalpa, helping out the Forry family on their MCC project - check it out...they're doing really cool work. They've all adapted very quickly to Nicaragua and are doing a great job. Here are a few pictures: the first is from our visit to Abby's host family outside of Matagalpa (Colleen and Amanda enjoy a soup lunch). The others are from our visit to Diana's host family on the southwest side of Managua.

Institute for Gender Studies

2009-08-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

The university where Alan works is home to the Institute for Gender Studies. The Institute was founded 5 years ago to promote gender studies and gender issues in Nicaraguan higher education. The first five years have witnessed the development and implementation of a sexual harrassement policy at the university, something rather uncommon for Nicaraguan institutions. The institute also promotes a healthy view of masculinity and femininity among students, staff, faculty, and administration.

Two weeks ago the Institute celebrated its fifth anniversary with a special celebration that included a student drama and a brief concert by a group from the national choir. Dr. Jerjes Ruiz, Alan's boss and director of the Institute for Humanistic Development gave the meditation. Here are some photos from the event.

Circus

2009-08-13T10:45:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we took Simon to the circus! Actually, mommy and daddy were probably more excited than Simon, but we all had a good time in the end. Here are a few photos from our time.

You had to see it...

2009-08-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

The other day I was running an errand here in Managua and saw something that was almost too hard to believe. I saw a guy riding a motorcycle and also wearing a helmet. That in itself is rare. But then I noticed the guy take off his helmet as he drove. With his helmet occupying his left hand, he reached with his right hand into his pocket, pulled out a cell phone, and answered it. Now both his hands were full, leaving no hands to hold the handle-bar. He even went over a speed-bump like this! He wrapped up his phone call, put his cell back in his pocket, put his helmet back on, and continued on his way as if nothing had happened. Amazing.

Homecomings and Goodbyes

2009-07-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

We've had lots of comings and goings here at MCC in the last three weeks. Three weeks ago, we said goodbye to Maritza, a 1-year volunteer from Bolivia. She returned home a few weeks early so that she could participate in the Mennonite World Conference in Paraguay. Maritza served in Nicaragua through MCC's YAMEN program.

Then two weeks ago we welcomed home two Nicaraguan young adults who spent the last year in the US & Canada as part of the IVEP program. Sugey is a university student from Estelí who spent the year working near Ontario, Canada. Violeta is a univeristy graduate who worked as a Spanish tutor at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. Both girls are from Brethren in Christ churches here in Nicaragua.

We went to the airport and welcomed them back; their families also came, and there was much cheering when they came out from baggage claim. We then traveled to Estelí for a special welcome-home service at Sugey's church (the photo shows Sugey sharing a bit of her experience at church).

The next week we said goodbye to our SALTers from this year - Rachelle, Matt, and Kayon. While the homecomings were heart-warming, the goodbyes were bittersweet. We will miss these SALTers greatly. The outgoing SALTers pose for a photo with Cecibel, an IVEP participant from last year.

YAMEN is a program designed to give young adults from globally 'south' countries a 1-year service opportunity in other globally 'south' countries. Nicaragua received one YAMEN participant, sent another to Mexico, and will receive a young adult from Colombia in August.

The IVEP program allows young adults from around the world to spend a year of service in the US or Canada. Nicaragua has now sent 4 young people, with another young man headed to EMU in August.

The other side of the program is SALT, which allows young adults from the US and Canada to spend a year of service in other countries. We have received 7 SALTers in the last few years, and we will receive 3 more in August.

For more information on all these programs, visit MCC's website.

Farm Show

2009-07-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we decided to take a family outing to the Managua Expica, or Farm Show. The fairgrounds are about 12 blocks from our house, so we enjoyed a pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll for Simon's first up-close look at farm animals. We enjoyed seeing the cattle and part of the horse show. Simon squealed with delight, but we couldn't tell if the excitement was about the horses or about the attention he received from other spectators. Here are a few photos from our outing.

a trip to the pulpería

2009-07-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

One mainstay of Nicaraguan life is the local pulpería - or a general store. Sometimes it's called 'la venta' - simply 'the store'. Most of them are small, perhaps the front room of someone's house, where you can buy lots of little 'general' things. And they are everywhere. At latest count there are no less than 7 pulperías in a 1-block radius of our house. And so we can conveniently get everything from milk to gum to soda to fresh fruit juice to cooked beans to raw meat (we avoid the meat).
On Tuesday Simon and Alan went to the pulpería on the corner and came home with the following:
- 12 limes
- 6 oranges
- 6 tomatos
- 6 bananas
- 3 medium onions
- 2 lbs. of potatos
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 carrot
- 1 bunch of mint
- 1 cantaloupe
- 1 medium avacado
- 1 tube of medium Colgate toothpaste
Total: $8.50
(photos forthcoming)

More Information on Honduras

2009-07-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Our MCC friends in Honduras have written more describing the situation in Honduras - check out their blog here. We also recommend the link to the article that our friend, Andrew, coauthored for Christianity Today's website.

Managua in the news

2009-07-01T08:47:00.001-07:00

News broke this morning about the death of Managua's mayor, Alexis Argüello. The former boxing champion was found dead in his home; officials suspect suicide, but no conclusion has yet been reached. Argüello won the mayorial election in Managua amidst rumors of voter fraud. Here's an article from the LA Times.

Central American update

2009-06-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Many of you have likely heard about the delicate political situation developing in Honduras. Today Nicaragua is hosting a meeting of Central and South American leaders, including the ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.

For an informed perspective on the Honduran political crisis, check out our friends' blog (Andrew and Amanda, MCCers in Honduras).

Fresh Fruit

2009-06-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

One thing we love about Nicaragua is the fresh fruit that's readily available. Some sort of yummy, healthy fruit is available during every season of the year. Granted, the Nicaraguan climate means that some of our favorite fruits don't grow here (like peaches, strawberries, and blueberries). But there's more than enough other flavors to make up for it.

One of our favorite fruit creations is a papaya fruit smoothie. We put papaya, bananas, the juice from 2 or 3 oranges, and plain yogurt into a blender and enjoy a delicious and healthy snack for only about $0.35 a serving. Sure beats the $4.00 smoothies that you can buy in the US!

Money, Money, Money

2009-06-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

Nicaragua has new money! About a month ago the Central Bank released new bills into circulation that are supposed to resist wear and tear longer than the old ones. Old bills were your typical paper money...the new ones are plastic in nifty colors and sizes. They've also changed the amounts a little, too. We used to see old bills of 10, 20, 50, 100, and 500 Cordobas (examples are on the left in the photo). Now, there are bills of 10, 20, 100, and 200 (examples are on the right...we have yet to see new bills of 50 or 500). The current exchange rate is about C$20 to the dollar. Here's a list of common things we buy and the prices in Cordobas, to give you an idea of how we use these bills:

- 1 liter of milk: C$16

- 1 bus fare anywhere within Managua: C$2.50

- 1 taxi ride from our house to the airport: C$80

- 1 dozen bananas: C$12

- 1 newspaper: C$7

- 1 Big Mac Combo at McDonald's: C$84

- 1 plate of food at a local cafeteria that Alan buys for lunch: C$40

- 1 papaya that weighs about 8 lbs.: C$35

- 1 large avacado: C$8

Garden

2009-06-10T10:06:00.001-07:00

We were amazed at how quickly our garden sprung up during our 3 weeks away. The rains and intense sunshine apparently are working wonders for our papaya tree, basil plant, and two cantaloupe plants. We're still waiting to see if we'll actually get any cantaloupes...there are flowers but no little melons yet. We've also had bad luck with papayas, so we'll see. At least we are enjoying the basil leaves. :-)

Wedding, Graduation, and Family Time

2009-06-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

From mid-May through June 5 we were with the Claassens and the Thrushes in KS and CA. We attended Peter's graduation from Greenville College in Greenville, IL. We also celebrated the wedding of Andrew and Brie in McPherson, KS. A short trip to Chino, CA, gave us time with family and friends from SoCal, including a baby shower at Gateway. The trip was fast and fun...we ate good food, stayed up late with family, and enjoyed passing Simon around. :-) Here are some photos from the wedding and our time in general.

A Common Place - Nicaragua feature

2009-05-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

For a glimpse of some of the great work of one of our partner organizations.

http://mcc.org/gallery/09_05/

Team Meeting and Volcano Fun Day

2009-04-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

On Monday we had MCC Nicaragua team meetings in Managua. Thirteen of us plus Simon gathered at the MCC office for a toasty day of sharing about our work, as well as hearing updates on budgets and various MCC projects. Simon enjoyed the meetings, provided he was held by someone.

On Tuesday we had a team fun day. We traveled about 60 kilometers south of Managua to the Mombacho volcano where we enjoyed a day of hiking, spectacular views, and cooler temperatures. Simon tagged along in his sling and was most interested in napping.

Here are some pictures from our two days.

Simon's Dedication

2009-04-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday (Palm Sunday) we dedicated Simon to God. From the moment of his birth we recognized that he was a gift from God for us to love and nurture. We wanted to make our commitment public, however, and we wanted to do it while some of our family (Mom and Dad Thrush) were present. Last week we had a chance to share the testimony of Simon's pregnancy/birth. Our pastor led us and the congregation in statements of affirmation, we prayed for Simon, and then we shared a verse and poem that we selected for Simon. The verse comes from 1 John 5.14 - "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."

The poem was a translation of the text "Like a mother who has borne us." Here are the words:

Like a mother who has borne us, held us close in her delight,
fed us freely from her body, God has called us into life.
Like a father who has taught us, grasped our hand and been our guide,
lifted us and healed our sorrows, God has walked with us in life.
Though as children we have wandered, placed our trust in power and might,
left behind our brothers, sisters, God still calls us into life.
When we offer food and comfort, grasp our neighbor’s hand in love,
tread the path of peace and justice, God still walks with us in life.

By Daniel Bechtel, 1986

Afterwards we shared cake with our friends from church and enjoyed taking pictures of Simon.

Water management, part 3

2009-04-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

We've received some comments about our water situation, so we thought it time for an update. Fortunately, the situation was improved a little bit. About two weeks ago the water would turn off around 8 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. We still have no water for most of the day (until about 6 p.m.), but it makes a huge difference to have water during those two extra hours each morning.
Also, we should note that while we have the capacity to store 110 gallons of water, we only use about 40-50 gallons per day.
And in spite of the fact that our water situation is a little better, there are still many communities in Nicaragua that have water one day a week or less.

Simon's travels

2009-04-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Beth has been directing a work & learn team of high school students from Canada this past week. The students joined up with several young adults from Honduras and Nicaragua for a cross-cultural learning experience about life in Nicaragua. But this group has been different because it also included a newborn. Simon tagged along with the group, visiting the market and tourist sites and MCC projects. He has sweated in the Managua heat and enjoyed the shade of big trees. And he has enjoyed chilling in the arms of more people than we can count. Here are a some photos from Simon's travels: visiting a pottery project that receives support through MCC, on the bus at the Masaya volcano, and in the group photo in front of the Laguna de Apoyo (he's in Beth's arms but behind a girl's head).

Simon Photos

2009-03-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

Simon is growing quickly...just passed the 7-week mark yesterday and is somewhere around 13 lbs. these days. Here are a few photos from the past few weeks.

One More Year

2009-03-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

We're almost at the 2.5 year point of our 3-year term of service with MCC. So we've had to make some decisions...end our term in Dec. of this year (2009) or extend until Dec. of next year (2010). Right before Simon was born we decided that we'd like a little more time here in Nicaragua. We've learned a lot over the past 2.5 years and we feel that God will be able to use our gifts for continuing service in an extra year. Also, we like our jobs, we love our neighborhood, and we think Nicaragua is a good fit for us at this stage of our lives.
We'll have a 60-day home leave in the US sometime in Dec./Jan./Feb. of this coming year. After that, we'll return to Managua for our fourth year of service. We appreciate your continued prayers and support! - Alan & Beth & Simon

What's in a nombre?

2009-03-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

We wanted to share some of our inter-cultural experience of trying to get all of Simon’s paperwork. A few days after he was born, Alan went to the city offices of Managua to register him and get his birth certificate. In Nicaragua (as well as most of Latin America), naming children generally works in the following way: Maria del Carmen Martinez Hernandez and Jose Guillermo Medrano Lopez have a child and want to name him Jose David. Little Jose gets the dad’s first last name and the mom’s first last name (no one changes names when they get married . . . if they get married). Jose David Medrano Martinez. Easy!

We strange North Americans show up in the office with passports showing the following names: Elizabeth Jill Claassen Thrush and Alan Geoffrey Claassen Thrush. Alan explains that we would like him to have only one last name (Thrush), with Claassen as a middle name. They write “First name: Simon” “Middle name: Claassen.” Then they come to the last names. According to the law, he has to have the first last name of the father followed by the first last name of the mother. Simon Claassen Claassen Claassen. Alan shows both our birth certificates and our marriage license to explain what our family names are, what we did, and what we would like to do. Unfortunately, the law cannot budge.

Alan continues to try to push. What if the mother doesn’t know who the father is? In that case, the child can have the 2 last names of the mother. Good! We could do that. But, you're the father, they say, perplexed by this gringo who can't decide what he wants--first he takes his wife's name (strange!) and then he wants his name recognized. They insist that, for the baby to have the last name Thrush, he cannot appear as the father.

So, little Simon has a birth certificate identifying him as Simon Claassen Claassen Thrush. He is the child of a single mother, with a married boyfriend.

(We got it worked out OK on all his official paperwork for the US government :)).

Simon's first birthday party

2009-03-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

On Sunday one of our neighbors turned 2. She threw a party (well, her parents did) for all the kids of the block, including Simon. Not only was it his first invitation received, but it was also his first round of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, his first party hat, and his first piñata. Going to the party was just too much, however, and he slept through all these events, waking up only at the end. Here are a few pictures, including the birthday girl hitting her Barney piñata and playing musical chairs.

diapers and laundry, nica style

2009-02-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

Simon has added a new dimension to our morning routine - mainly a huge increase in the volume of laundry we have to do. We use cloth diapers for Simon during the day, disposibles at night; he's averaging 7-9 cloth diapers a day thus far. We have a combination of Nicaraguan diapers (usually very thin and not absorbant) and diapers we bought in the US (tri-fold standards and motherease snaps, all w/ nifty diaper covers). And in spite of our best efforts, Simon still has managed to pee on quite a number of our clothes and his own.
Since we wash all our clothes by hand, we've had to create some systems for efficient work, especially given the water shortages. Here's a look at our morning routine.
- prepare yesterday's diapers by putting them in hot, soapy water (heated on the stove)
- scrub them on the new lavandero - a concrete washboard w/ an attached concrete basin that holds about 10 gallons of water
- rinse them in the lavandero, making sure that the bucket that's collecting the water doesn't overflow
- empty the bucket into the toilets as necessary
- wring out the diapers and hang them in the sun
Here's Beth scrubbing away, and the finished results on the line (motherease in front, nica diaper on the front right, tri-folds in the back).
We wash all our other clothes at the old, non-diaper lavandero. We actually actually bought a new one (the one for diapers) shortly before Simon was born, so that we wouldn't have to wash dishes and poopy diapers in the same place. The water from the old one drains directly to the sewer, so we don't have to empty any buckets. Here, Mom Claassen gets into the action. She arrived the day after Simon was born, and her support has been invaluable.

Even Uncle Peter, who came up from Costa Rica for the weekend on a break from his semester abroad, gets into the laundry action.
And the finished results. The best time for hanging clothes is between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., as the sun comes directly into our patio. This works great during the dry season (Nov. through May) as things dry quickly. We'll have to figure out a whole new system during the rainy season (June through Oct.), as it takes clothes a lot longer to dry.
While mommy and grandma are busy washing clothes and diapers, daddy is busy sweeping and mopping the floors, emptying buckets (mommy can't lift heavy things after the birth), and preparing breakfast. It's a good team effort.

Before Simon was born, we could get all our chores done in about an hour; now we need a lot longer. :-)

Water Management, Part 2

2009-02-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

A month or two ago we did a post about our water situation - water cuts and our attempts at storage. The situation is now a bit worse. We now lose our water every morning around 6 or 6:30 a.m. Most days it doesn't come back on until 6 p.m. This means that all the water we use for the day - laundry, cleaning, flushing toilets, bathing, and washing dishes - has to be stored somehow. Between our barrel, basins, and buckets, we now have the capacity to store about 110 gallons. This lasts us only for a day, and then we have to refill everything once the water comes on in the evenings. We're much more conscious of our water usage these days, and we try to conserve as much as possible. For instance, the water that we use to mop the floors can water our garden. The water that we use for washing diapers can be saved and then used to flush the toilets.
Here's a picture of our patio as we get started with our chores in the morning.

Simon's Friends

2009-02-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of all the people who have visited Simon in his first week of life.

Baby Simon

2009-02-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

We are very happy to announce the birth of our son, Simon Claassen Thrush! Simon was born on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 11:28 p.m. He weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and was 20 inches long. We're all back home now, resting and getting used to each other. Here are a few pics; click here to see a larger album through facebook.

piano

2009-02-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, music has always been a big part of our lives. We both love playing the piano, and we were worried that our service w/ MCC would mean several years of fasting from music. We were delighted to find, however, that the university where Alan teaches has a music conservatory located right next door to the seminary. So for the last year or so, we've gone once a week to play one of the pianos in the practice rooms.

With the coming arrival of our baby, however, we realized that our practice times are likely over. So we started investigating the possibility of buying a keyboard to have in our house. It just so happened that one of the piano teachers at the conservatory was selling her keyboard. Selecting a Christmas present was never so easy. It's the first time we've had a piano in the house since we've been married; we're also excited that we'll be able to play the piano for our little baby when he arrives.

Watching History

2009-01-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

News outlets around the US reported the international interest in President Obama's inauguration on Tuesday. We were part of that international audience, watching the events unfold on CNN International from the MCC office here in Managua. While our sister, Emily, shivered and snapped photos of the crowds from right in front of the Washington Monument, we sipped fresh-squeezed orange juice and snapped photos of the televsion screen. Just in case you were wondering, "Where were we when...?"

Eyes and hearts on the world

2009-01-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

We regularly give updates on MCC's work here in Nicaragua, but MCC volunteers are also working in about 50 other countries around the world. Some countries are at peace right now; others live in a state of war. MCC currently has volunteers working in Palestine, and they have a very helpful blog that gives us a window to the suffering and violence that many people face. We encourage you to check it out.

Baby Shower

2009-01-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had a baby shower at the MCC office (in Nicaragua, a baby shower is called a "baby chower" - borrowed from English but with a Spanish accent). The MCC team, neighbors, and friends from various parts of our lives here in Nicaragua helped us to celebrate. It was the first baby shower either of us had attended, so all the games were new. One game required that two women put diapers on two men.

Another game required the guests to work in teams to determine the "ingredients" of four dirty diapers (the pictures look gross, but the diapers contained things like chocolate, peanut butter, honey, etc.). Yet another game helped Alan to know what sucking from a bottle was like - he had to drink Coke from a baby bottle faster than another guy.

We also got some very cool baby gifts: lots of onesies, a mosquito net for the crib, a discovery quilt, baby towels, blankets, bottles, and bibs. We've got most of the basics now...just a few more things to buy before Baby Claassen Thrush arrives. The due date is Feb. 8, but we're now at 37 weeks, so he could come at any time! Below are a few more pictures of friends and MCC colleagues who celebrated with us.

MCC Mesoamerica Retreat

2009-01-10T10:24:00.000-08:00

Since Tuesday we've participated in the MCC Mesoamerica retreat, hosted here in Managua. MCC workers from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica all converged on a hotel here in town for three days of reflection. Our theme was "nurturing our spirits in a cross-cultural setting." We enjoyed the interaction w/ MCC friends, the moments of personal reflection, the hymn sing, and air conditioned rooms. The annual talent show was also a hit - our Nicaragua team performed some traditional Nicaraguan dances, the Guatemala team wrote a song about MCC life, and several kids from Mexico sang Christmas songs. Here are some photos from our week:

The altar around which we gathered for our sessions.

MCCers who work in rural developement chat about their work.

The MCC kids enjoy a puppet show during devotions.

Beth participates in an skit about riding public transportation in Central America.

The MCC Guatemala team preparing their song - "MCC will set you free...MCC is where you wanna be!"

Winter 2009 Newsletter

2009-01-01T19:20:00.000-08:00

We now have a new newsletter available to download with more articles and pictures, especially about Alan's work and his students. Click the link on the right labeled 'Winter 2009' and follow the download instructions. Also, if you are interested in seeing more pictures from December of 2008, click here.

Out with the old, in with the new - Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T11:52:00.001-08:00

We welcomed in 2009 with our neighbors. Actually, we spent the minutes between 11:55 p.m. and 12:10 a.m. ducking for cover as our neighbors lit firecrackers of all shapes and sizes. Not only were the explosions deafening, but they also forced us indoors right when the evening spectacular took place. It's a Nicaraguan tradition to make a dummy stuffed with newspaper and fireworks who represents the old year. At midnight on New Years, the old year is blown to smithereens, thus welcoming in the new. The following photos are the before-and-after: the pyrotechnic-filled old guy, and his flaming remains.

27 dresses

2008-12-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

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)

2008-12-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

"¿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

2008-11-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-03T07:16:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-01T16:05:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-19T17:12:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

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.