Month: August 2015

Neighbor

Behind our house is a little pink “house” that Andre, Dona(Mrs) Laura, Laura, Zinada, and Kenia live in. Right outside is a big woodpile that Laura (pronounced Loud-a) and Dona Laura replenish everyday as the scavenge through the neighborhood for wood that is big enough to burn but small enough to carry in a bundle on their heads.

Dona Laura turned 80 this year, and I am guessing that Laura is in her mid-forties. Laura and Andre are two of twelve children of Dona Laura, and Sinada and Kenia are Laura’s daughter. Are you confused yet? This gives you a brief glimpse into this family that has about 100 interconnecting relationships and most of them in our neighborhood. We are still learning new things.

Andre has three cows that graze behind our house, and is the overseer (cuidador) for our property. He provides safety and security for us, sweeps out driveway, delivers our electric bill, and recently has given us soil so we can plant a few plants.

Laura makes food and sells it to the students at the University across the street from us (think very old California grade school with bars instead of windows). She and he daughters have attended our Bible study since it started, she has a great smile, and will laugh easily. She is the kind of person you feel comfortable with even when you can’t really communicate.

I would show you a picture, but she and Stephen have a little game, where he tries to take a picture, and she just laughs and hides from him. She is a magnet in the neighborhood for the youth because she seems like the type who understands when parents don’t understand.

I want you to know these people because they are our friends, and they care for us in a way that we probably don’t even know as we live in a Nicaraguan community that we do not completely understand. So when I share the rest of the story, I hope you see that we were just giving back for what they have already given us.

Last Tuesday night when we were inviting neighbors to the movie, we stopped at the little pink house and talked with Laura. To make conversation I asked her what was for dinner. She told me that they did not have dinner tonight because they did not have any food. I know this happens all the time in Granada, in Nicaragua, in the world, but it is one of those things that when you know it personally it has a different effect.

I told Stephen and the first thing he said was “Let’s order a pizza for them”. We have a small ministry fund and it is for “such a time as this”. He got on the phone and ordered it. When it was delivered, and he handed it over to Andre, there were not enough “gracias” in the world! He was hugely thankful, and we were still taken back that right under our noses hunger abounds.

The next day we bought them a big bag of beans and rice. We have received the silence of people having pride of not wanting to be takers, but Andre came to the movie night, sat through the whole thing, and happily said that he really enjoyed it. Laura is even more of her friendly self, and a few days later we received a bag of milk from their cows, Paloma and Sinata.

We were blessed to be able to give to them and to hear of their need!

I have not had experience with exporting agricultural good. The only kind of agricultural goods that I have been guilty of bringing across a border is forgetting that I had an apple in my backpack when I was crossing the Oregon border into California. At the time I wondered if they found me, would they make me eat it really fast or arrest me.

As many of you know, we have been trying to export 3 kilograms of Neem and Moringa seed to be analyzed in the United States. Those long lines at the US post office during the Christmas season have NOTHING on the Nicaragua export system.

This all started in the spring when an organization we might be working with asked if we could send the seeds to be evaluated. At the time we had our tax ID, and we were told that we just needed to get the import and export licenses then we could send the seeds. This should not be a problem!

Our friend and president of the business just needed to go in to Managua, fill out the paperwork, sign for us because he had Power of Attorney, pay a little money and we would have the licenses. At the office they inquired about us, and since we were out of Nicaragua (in Portland), they made it mandatory that we had to be there to sign.

So six weeks later…we arrive from the US, Stephen and Roger started the process again. This time it included multiple trips to the lawyer for more legalese, a visit to our home to see that we had a home, multiple trips to other offices in Granada, and finally a trip into Managua to make it legal.

Every trip to Managua is a full day experience complete with $15 worth of gas, translation needs and other fees.

When they got to the office they were told that they needed more paperwork. They did what they could in town going office to office, but really the man behind the desk only wanted what they did not have in their possession. They returned home, made the correct copies, and returned the next day.

The best sign you can see when you arrive somewhere with paperwork is the stamp coming out. Without looking at any of the additional paperwork that he asked to have brought in, he stamped the paper, and we now have our Import and Export Licenses. Now we can send the seeds…

We contacted UPS (You know, the reliable, safe, quick delivery system in the US) and he told us what additional paperwork we would need to send the seeds, promising to send us the complete list via email. A few days went by, we called, a few more days went by, we called again, we started calling every day. Finally we drove the hour into Managua to talk with him face-to-face, and we were able to get the list. It took another day for Roger and Stephen in Managua and Granada to get all of the things done. One thing was a professional invoice that need exact information and needed to be printed at a specific print shop.

The printing took about three days to process, and in the midst of it, the UPS guy, knowing it was already being printed, sent us another list of what needed to be on the invoice; each invoice costs $60.

Hassle, yes, frustrating, yes, surprising to our Nicaraguan friend, no.

So now we had all the paperwork and were ready to send of the seeds and needed paperwork. The man at UPS sent through his estimate and it was $800 to send 3 kilos (6.5 lbs) of seed! This was not even in our realm of possibility. Stephen asked if there was any other way, and surprisingly he said sure, we have a courier that could do it for less…I wonder why this was just coming out now?:) This process would require a stop at two more places- an agricultural place to certify what was being sent, and another verification and place for us to pay a little bit of money.

So yesterday, Stephen and Roger spent the day in Managua with three or four different back and forth trips to different locations in our overheating car, but the part that we rejoice in is that the seeds are on their way to the US! This is the link that can really move things forward here as far as the business as well as planting options!

Please rejoice with us on this and pray for our patience in this bureaucratic place!