Month: December 2014

We are always learning. Here was my lesson today.

About three weeks ago we moved to a new house. This house it about a ¼ mile off the main road. This road starts out smoothish and then turns into a road with more potholes than road. There were three large holes right near our house that have particularly bothered me because I felt like we would bottom out each time we passed over them. My wish for Christmas was to have the road graded.

My wish did not come true, but I did notice a large pile of sand, gravel and pieces of cement around the corner from the potholes, and I figured that it I filled up 5-10 small pails a day then in a few days the holes would be filled it. It seemed manageable in the heat and good for my Christmas waistline.

This morning, as Stephen headed out to pick up the mechanic (a different issue), I headed out to start the job. I filled up 5 pails and dumped them in the holes, making a small mountain in the pothole. On one of my return trips to the pile I was shoveling from, a crippled man and a woman with a baby approached. He picked up the shovel and insisted on filling a few pails. I thanked him and returned to my task.

On pail ten, the woman returned on her bicycle and picked up the shovel. She kept filling the pails as I went and dumped them. At times, she would fill both and dump one while I only dumped one. About five minutes later, her cousin came up and started helping. We were forming a road improvement team!

Between the three of us we filled the holes and a little more.

Stephen and I are still in the place of interpreting many of the situations we are in because of our minimal Spanish. My interpretation from this experience was this: people want to help, they do not always have the tools, but they have a heart to serve when given the tools and the opportunity.

We were told by a friend that Nicaraguans do not want foreigners to come in and take a job from them. They want to be given the tools to do it and encouraged in the process. What I know is that I am very thankful for the help I was given, that we worked together for the betterment of our community, and I made some new friends.

I guess that I really want what they want, too; someone to work alongside and the tools and encouragement to do it. I was feeling thankful to be standing in the dust and sweat and heat working alongside these individuals!

I feel like I have a full brain load of blogs to try to catch you up to date on the last few weeks; Moving, Christmas, Customs, a friend’s wedding, another friend’s graduation, shopping in the market, etc… I will start with some of the basics.

Stephen and I moved from our house in town to living two kilometers outside of town. We went from heard, “El pan”, and fireworks at 4 AM to hearing roosters, the wind in the trees, and the sound of a saw.

Here is what is new:

• In the afternoon when I look out my kitchen window, I see cows; the neighbors have two black cows that munch through the field from 2 PM until dark.
• Stephen has a front porch where he can make sawdust; many of you saw his great creations posted on Facebook this week. We are getting organized in our new house that is less than half of what moved from.
• We have cats! I must say, I have cats, because Stephen is not really interested in having cats. We are visited daily by two orange tabby kittens, Cheddar and Queso, who are very curious about their new neighbors.
• We have plants to water, a driveway to park in, and screens on our windows; we are thankful for these small things for beauty, convenience, and fewer bugs.
• Fewer small bugs I might add. In the first three days we found three three inch scorpions in the house. I am weary of dark places now, the rumor is that they are as scared of me and I am of them. I remember something like that as a kid when my parents would spank me- “This hurts me more that it will hurt you”- I did not believe it then!
• We are a little closer to Managua which has been very helpful with our frequent trips of sorting out residency, customs, supplies for the new house, and visiting friends. I use the words loosely “sorting out”, because it is really us who are being sorted out; our attitudes have been severely challenged as we work in the bureaucracy of the country.
• We got the title “Best Tenents” Award from our landlord, because Stephen and put in a water filter as well as replaced the hot water heater. We plan to do what we can to continue to get that award!
• Stephen and I had a competition to see who could get the old lady in the neighborhood to smile first. I won, because I gave her a ride to the top of the street. I do use the term “street” loosely also because it is more like a washed out creek bed. My Christmas wish is for someone to fill in the holes.
• And finally, we still have a guest room, so whenever you want to book it, just contact me!
• This is our new address; actually, it is more like directions to our house, but the bills are able to find their way here, so I assume mail will, too!
  • Stephen and Natalie GoffGranada, Granada, Nicaragua 43000
  • De la UDO, 10 vrs Sur, 10 vrs Ese Carretera Granada-Masaya

Merry Christmas to you all!

The event for today for us is moving day; we have been packing up our things for the past few days. A group of about 15 men made sure we were up early, ready to get a good start on the day.

At 3:30 AM they started with the skyrockets, and brass and drum band. It is now 4:32 AM and so far I have counted 64 explosions! (Thank you, Dad, for that skill )…make that 67. As long as I do not let myself get frustrated by the early call, it is kind of interesting to see the fervor that people have for this holiday, not celebrating our moving day, but actually La Purisima.

The whole country gets the day off, and what started this morning in our neighborhood with band and fireworks, will culminate back in our neighborhood today with a life-size figure of Mary being carried in from the main church to a stage where she is honored with ceremony, singing, lots of people, singing, street food, of course music and more fireworks.

I wish I could drop you into the celebration tonight…72. It would be one of those things that is a trademark of the country- God and his name are invited into so many things. The Holy Spirit pharmacy, the Baby Jesus clinic, the Thank you, God taxi, 76, the King of Kings bus; and while often these are used more as good luck charms, God has been invited in.

One of the phrases that I hear often is Gracias a Dios (Thank you, God), after a statement of good health, or family going well, or the blessing of a job. It rolls off their tongue to be thankful. What a blessing to be reminded to be thankful for everything. I need that reminder on a daily basis as life often takes over thankfulness.

It is now 4:46, and I think we wrapped up the morning with 76 explosions- not bad for a mornings work!