Misioneros, Part 1

OK, we're enjoying sharing pictures and little pithy sayings with you all here on our blog, but we have been having so many other thoughts and questions that we want to share with you! So we are going to start being more loquacious--beginning with this series of blog posts with some of our thoughts and reflections on "missions." Feel free to comment away or send us emails to engage in this conversation with us.

We are often referred to as "missionaries" (by people in North America) or "misioneros" (by people here). Let me (Beth) preface all my questions by saying that I have deep respect for so many people who have devoted their lives to cross-cultural understanding and ministry as "missionaries." They are very humble, and while I won't name names here, you adventurous, self-sacrificing people know who you are.

So here are some questions . . . Am I a missionary? What is a missionary? What is the mission? As I was growing up, here was my general understanding of "missions": "God loves the world, but there are some people who don't know Jesus, and they are going to hell if we don't tell them. How committed are you to God? Because there are several ways Christians can be involved . . . people who send, people who give, people who pray, and people who go to tell the lost about Jesus." Now which of those options do you think my oldest-child, overachieving, looking-for-adventure kind of personality is going to choose?! Of course I want to be a missionary. But then I learn about "missions" in history and I go to college and start learning about Western imperialism and I go to Egypt and see how much I have to learn from other cultures (and even religions!) and I work in LA and learn about racism and cultural superiority and I start to get really gun-shy of this term "missionary." And now I have more questions, like: What does it mean to "know Jesus"? Who are "the lost"? I know that I want to follow Jesus, and I firmly believe that means (at least in part) embodying the Kingdom and mutually demonstrating love and empowering others to follow Jesus (as they empower me too). Plus, I believe that my specific vocation may have something to do with inter-cultural communication. So there's a little background on me personally. . . there's much more to come--more of my thoughts, comments from Nicaraguans, fellow MCC team members, academic missiological journals, Henri Nouwen, etc.--in parts 2-? :)

(Photos: Can you find the missionaries in these pictures? The top one is from a worship service/anniversary celebration of a Mennonite church in Managua, the bottom one is from our recent work and learn team here from North America)

Some favorite pictures

Here are some of our favorite pictures from the last couple weeks!






Pigs are just as common as dogs and chickens in rural communities.











Nicaragua has really breathtaking views--this area still has forests and rain.





This little friend got the leg of the Winnie the Pooh piñata while visiting (with a group from Canada) an educational project of the Brethren in Christ social commission, sponsored by MCC.

Mujeres Fuertes, Part 3

Through various avenues, I continue to be drawn into the struggle of women here. I have heard startling and heart-wrenching statistics about prostitution/sexual abuse here. Women continue to be objectified at every age and every level, from demeaning cat calls on the street to little girls being given into sexual service to support their families (and everything in between). I have also heard from some very compassionate and hopeful responses to these tragedies. For example, a couple weeks ago I heard a great presentation by a woman here who is working with women to give them options outside of prostitution--see this website for more info: http://www.houseofhopenicaragua.com/aboutus.html

I also had the opportunity to meet a very young, savvy Nicaraguan businesswoman and to see the workshop that she runs with the other women in her rural community.

In Asiento Viejo, we met women who are working with a community garden project that MCC is helping to accompany. It was great to see the way they felt pround and empowered as they are able to care for the garden and sell the vegetables. And last week, while meeting with a group of women, I even preached my first sermon in Spanish!

-Elizabet

Check out the newsletter!

Our winter newsletter has finally arrived! You can find it on the right-hand side of this blog (you might need to scroll down just a little) under the "Newsletters" section. Depending on your internet connection, you may need to wait a little while it downloads. Enjoy!
--Alan & Elizabet

Learning from a Mentor

Before we arrived in Nicaragua, several people recommended Henri Nouwen's ¡Gracias! A Latin American Journal. It documents Nouwen's thoughts and reflections from the 6 months he spent in Latin America back in the 80s. We've been following his entries day by day since we arrived, and it's been a rich blessing. Nouwen articulates many of the thoughts and feelings that we've had, but with more wisdom and experience. He's served as our mentor during these first 4 months.

He writes frequently about being a 'presence' with people, making time for conversations and relationships. This is over and against the temptation to spend lots of time 'working' to make a difference in a place like Nicaragua. He suggests that when we simply be present with people, we create space for the Holy Spirit to speak to both us and 'them,' the people with whom we're present. We're working at it.

If you get a chance, we highly recommend you read it. We might be posting more reflections from this book here as well.

--Alan

Beans, Beans, Beans

This is one pound of beans. These red beans of Nicaragua can last us for a week. That's 1/2 pound of beans for each of us per week. Usually Nicaraguans buy one pound per week for each person in the house, but we're not quite at this level of bean consumption.

We buy the beans dry, and then we have to sort them to get rid of rocks, bugs, & beans with holes (here Beth sorts the beans). Unsorted beans can make for quite a surprise when you eat them and chomp on a rock!

We then soak the beans for a few hours and then boil them for another hour or more. When they're soft, we put them in the fridge and they're good for a week.

The staple food of Nicaragua is red beans & rice (called gallo pinto), which is normally eaten for breakfast and dinner. It's quite good, and we've enjoyed experimenting with different variations on a theme.

Connecting in León

I have now started full-time into my work here as the "Connecting Peoples Coordinator." So far, it has involved meeting a lot of Nicaraguan people and organizations who have wonderful projects and vision to work for justice and empowering others--embodying God's Kingdom. (I know, you should all be jealous of what a great job I have). As one Nicaraguan woman in León told me yesterday--"God's mercy is reflected on each face--how beautiful are God's people!"

Yesterday, Alan and I went together to meet up with Marshall Poe and a Canadian Brethren in Christ work team who is staying and working in León. A cool city (though not in temperature) and a life-giving opportunity to connect with 2 congregations from different parts of the world.