Always listening

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.