My Big Adventure!

It is December 13, and I am standing in my kitchen having just finished making a recipe in my new slow cooker. As I start to pull ingredients together for cookies for our prayer group this evening, I think about my previous desire to listen to American Christmas music. Earlier today I heard “Little Drummer Boy” in Spanish over the loud speaker in La Colonia, the grocery store. It primed the pump of my need for the familiar in the midst of “becoming familiar”.

After a quick Google search of “Christmas Music”, the song “I’ll be home for Christmas” was coming in loud and clear on my computer; “I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams…”. I started to cry. It will only be in my dreams this year, and here I am standing in my kitchen sweating, and listening to the midday piercing boom of fireworks. At this point, Stephen comes into the room, and I try to say in a normal voice,” I am not sure if this Christmas music is such a good idea.”

He makes the logical statement, “Why do you listen to it if it makes you cry?”  Half of you are in agreement, and the other half are women. I am not sure why I have to listen, but I have to. I need that connection with home, familiar. I have my ficus tree with ornaments from home, and lights from Lugo Ferreteria in the open air part of our house. I have my wooden German Nativity Scene from my friend Gail with the reindeer owned by the Jewish owners of the house. We had our picture taken this morning by the grocery clerk between the Christmas tree and the palm tree.

I need the process of my two worlds coming together, so that I can truly be here. It is happy and sad. It is joyfulness in getting to know our neighbors, seeing the most amazing sun rises over the 500 year old church and seeing the sun set over the new 90 year old church, greeting Mario the fruit and vegetable man each day as we pass by, stopping at Maria Elena for the closest thing to Starbucks in this city, learning some of the language, and getting better at communicating.

I miss the usual- the parties, the school and church concerts, carols, the winter weather, the excitement in the air because of the holidays, my family, my friends- all the outward things that I have come to connect with Christmas.

Now as I type, I hear what sounds like a car with a loud speaker playing “Jingle Bells” in English. I am not sure if this is God’s sense of humor, but I have to laugh because the two cultures have been tied together-the American Christmas song being aired in the Nicaraguan way! J

I remember what we are celebrating in both worlds; the story of God sending His son to earth, allowing Him to be fully man and understand the hard stuff of life on earth. That is the reminder I need!

Love, Natalie

I am going to make some generalizations here; I want to just make it clear that my life is different than yours in a few ways. I have been watching the news, reading Facebook posts, and have even talked with a few of you.

YOU	ME
Around town you are seeing Santa and maybe reindeer and elves.	I see statues of Mary in churches, houses, and on floats for the seven day parade called La Purisima.
The weather is keeping most of you indoors	I see my neighbors sitting outside of their houses in the evening, enjoying conversation and elaborate Christmas lights and decorations.
You awake to an alarm sometime between 5-7 AM.	The fireworks start going off at 4 AM to wake us up for the La Purisima celebration. They go most of the day, with the most intensity in the early morning and evening.
Celebrations include warm drinks and Christmas cookies	We followed the sound of fireworks this evening and came across a La Purisima celebration (A lighted statue of Mary and angels). I was graciously given a bright pink fruit drink in a sandwich bag (very common)
You see cars with antlers and wreaths on them.	We saw a 4 foot Papa Smurf piñata being carried on the front of a bike (must be headed to a First Communion celebration today.)
Your Christmas tree is cone shaped; either real or fake.	We swiped a tree from our “garden” and hung our ornaments!
The temperature is somewhere between 10-40 degrees Fahrenheit.	The temperature falls to the upper 70s at night and gets to around 90 during the day. We do have a nice breeze and occasional rain.
Very few of your neighbors chose December to paint their house.	Many of our neighbors paint inside or outside of their house to get it ready for Mary.

 

You are listening to Christmas music.

Small bands playing brass and drums go throughout the town playing Mariachi type music.

 

It is so interesting to be a part of a different culture. Every day Stephen and I wish we had our cameras at the ready. A few days ago it was a rickety cart pulled by an old bony horse, with a man sitting in a large leather recliner “driving” the horse. Today it was a young man riding his bike with his girlfriend sitting on the cross bar holding a large bag of beans and rice, and he was holding a beautiful decorated cake. The ingenuity of the people amaze me!

What we do have in common: Celebrating the birth of Jesus!

Love, Natalie

I really enjoy sharing the interesting events of my day with you. Sometimes I come across things that I just shake my head and think, “Wait until I share this with my friends”.
Today was “Tipica” meaning typical here in Granada. After staying up past midnight, I was awoken at 6 AM to the sound of explosions. This really should not surprise me, but these seemed to be closer than the local Catholic church calling people to Mass. This was followed by a message over a loud speaker (in Spanish of course). I did not understand the words, but I understood the message. Someone had died and this is the way they let people know of the death and impending funeral. They don’t embalm here, so bodies need to be in the ground within 48 hours. More firecrackers were set off as the message was shared throughout town.
At 9 AM I had a hair appointment. I arrived at 9 as a timely American would. I was asked to come back at 3 PM, so change of plans. I am glad I grabbed the shopping list before I left home. Hailing a taxi, I headed to La Colonia ( the nice grocery store); I needed to buy things for our Thanksgiving celebration.
Bacon (English Pea Salad): I found some with the brand name of Fud. This reminded me of a Far Side cartoon where a cat was enticing a dog into a trap by writing “Fud” and arrows pointing in the direction of the trap. I was wondering if I was falling into a trap by bying this product… I found out this afternoon that I was!
Chicken Bar: When I buy chicken here I tell Stephen to look away. He can’t quite handle that raw chicken is in an open freezer case, and you can take out whatever parts you want. This meat looks better than most of the other meat wrapped up or in the butcher case. So far so good and other ex-pats do this, too!
Cranberry Sauce: I was asked if I would bring a “congealed salad” to the celebration tomorrow. It took me a minute, but I realized that was Jello with stuff in it. Of course for the Thanksgiving table this usually entails cranberries. I came across a can of whole cranberries in sauce. I was very excited! It was over $3 for a small can, but hey this is Thanksgiving!
Tomorrow we will be together with about 35 other missionaries to celebrate Thanksgiving. We are so thankful just for this opportunity to get together. It means a lot to celebrate American holidays with other Americans.
We are thankful that Stephen’s surgery is behind us, that we have a nice place to live, that God is revealing some ministry options to us, and that He has graciously sacrificed Himself for us so that we can go out and care for others.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Natalie

The last few days, Stephen and I have had the freedom of driving (we rented a car)! Wow, I loved the freedom. I was a little freaked out at first; let’s just say that the rules of the road are a little different when you are contending with cars, motorcycles, bicycles, horses, carts, herds of cows, busses, large holes in the road, goats, dogs, etc.

 This was my birthday gift from Stephen- I loved it! We went to San Juan del Sur (a coastal tourist town), saw the volcano island of Ometepe, went part way up our local volcano, Mombacho, saw the town of Catarina which overlooks a volcanic lake and Lake Nicaragua, and also drove into Managua. We were so thankful for answered prayers to not be stopped by the police (It is time for the Christmas time bribes) and for safe travels!

Our time in Managua had two purposes. We met with Dr. Montelagre (the surgeon), and surgery is planned for this Monday (November 25). We check in at 10 AM. Please pray for Stephen’s health between now and then, and for the surgery.

The second purpose for our time in Managua was to renew our visa. $120, a very helpful woman that we met, and a very long line later, we have our visas that will be good for 90 more days. We also got to go to the mall (AKA food court) and had Subway. It might not excite you, but it was a great treat for us to have some “American” food.

We were reminded yesterday morning to be thankful for what is before us- driving, an American passport (it means freedom, really), Subway sandwiches, the amazing views in this country, money for our visa, and Stephen’s upcoming surgery. What a blessing!

Love, Natalie

Did we mention to anyone how much we are loving living in town and are thoroughly enjoying having a home?  We have so many more cultural experiences… the security guard who rides his bike up and down our street all evening blowing his whistle every 50 feet, a parade, a man riding his horse at full speed down the street with another horse tied to him, and of course the fritanga.
Even before we moved in here, when we would tell people where we were moving, and they would get a smile on their face and say, “That is right next to a fritanga. It is soooooo good!” We did not really know what that meant. We do now.
Thursday through Sunday evenings starting at 4 through about 10 PM, the most amazing smell of roasted meat fills our house. We resisted for about a week (fearing that with our various ailments that this experience might bring on some other ailments, if you know what I mean). But when I did not want to cook on Saturday, I ventured out!
Let me set the scene. Normal people sell stuff out of their homes- food, kids toys, candies, Christmas ornaments, etc. You just set up a table out in front of your home, put out your wares and wait for people to arrive- kind of like having a garage sell all the time! With our neighbors’ fritanga it is two large tables covered with tacos, taquitos, salad, rice and beans, and fried plantains and two large grills of meat- chicken, beef and pork.
With money in hand I joined the throngs of people- about 20 people, some arriving in taxis, motorcycles, bikes, on foot, with babies, in vans and cars. As we have become aware over the past week, this is a very popular place. I enjoy the cultural experience and feel a little awkward being about six inches taller than everyone there and with light hair. The Sesame Street song goes through my head, “Which one of these is not like the other, which one does not belong…”. I am thankful that I introduced myself to the neighbor the day before.
I tell her what I would like. She gets two banana leaves, wraps up meat and salad in the leaves and asks for 80 cordoba ($3). It is some of the best meat we have had here. Adios and I am on my way to make a “home cooked” meal for my husband. 
The sights, the smells, the sound, the tastes, the touch make this country amazing and overwhelming at times! How we just have to decide what we want to sell out in front of our house. Any ideas

Carnivore

Facing Fears

In theory this is a good thing. I think most of us feel pretty good when we find ourselves having overcome a fear, but the process is not something enjoyed. Living in Nicaragua has put several fears right in my face. I would like to say that I have embraced these changes with joy, but it would be a lie.

Spiders

I have never thought anything but “It must die” when it comes to spiders. In the past few weeks between Stephen and I we have killed at least a dozen  half- dollar sized spiders.  Each time my heart stops a bit, but with a shoe I can usually take care of the issue.

Claustrophobia

This makes no sense to those who do not deal with claustrophobia, but for those who do, you can understand the overwhelming fear that comes up when you find yourself in closed in space. For me, the greatest difficulty comes in the busses here. The busses here are packed with people, bikes, food to be sold in the market, you name it. This is a fear that I have to call on God for. I usually arm myself with headphones, good music or a sermon to listen to as a distractor. I still find myself with an urgent prayer, “God keep me calm”, often throughout the trips. Each time this prayer has been answered.

Misrepresentation/Taken Advantage Of

To be viewed as something I am not. As a gringo, we are often looked at as wealthy; consequently we are often charged more and appealed to for money. The street vendors see us as targets for their wares. When I am in a good mood, I can shrug this off, but when the world seems to be caving in, I cave into annoyance and frustration. Maybe this is not a fear, but rather something that comes with being in a developing country. Technically I am rich. Rich enough to know that if I needed to I could get out of the country. This is not the case for most people here. Just having an American passport gives me that freedom to come and go. I am rich- in love, friends, and a Savior who cares about the details of my life.

Being Ineffective

At the heart of me, I want to serve God; to be used by Him to glorify Him. I fear being complacent, being busy, but not really influencing other people; although honestly speaking,   most of the time I want the easy way out. While we have been inundated with areas that we can give and serve, we have meet many challenges; our own personal physical shortcomings and difficulties, people who misrepresent themselves, greed, etc… The challenge has been to keep a soft, teachable heart that can be effective in the midst of it all. I am not doing so well with this right now, but I know that in order to overcome this fear and my other fears, I have to be close to God- depend on Him daily, minutely,  surrendering to His will.  Wow, I have much to learn!

 

In the past week in postings have been on Facebook rather than blog- access to Facebook has been easier with our comings and goings.
A week ago today, I had made a doctor’s appointment from Stephen due to stomach pain that had been going on for a week. Getting an appointment is an interesting process, which requires having someone else call since my Spanish is enough to get me in trouble.
The plan was that we would stop by the doctor on the way home, and see what we would need to pick up at the pharmacy afterwards. The doctor (English speaking) that everyone goes to was out of the country, so we got to me a man who was filling in for him. The hope was that he might know enough English to communicate- he didn’t. When it was our turn, we went into his office; a room about 8X10 with a desk and an examination table. Doing our best to mime the situation, we finally had to resort to calling someone to be our translator over the phone. The only person we could get a hold of was our taxi driver, who kindly dropped everything and came to our rescue (Blessing #1). The doctor said, “Go to the hospital immediately, you have appendicitis” (in Spanish of course!) A developing country hospital was not on the top of our list of places to go. One of our friends down here shared a story of his last experience in the local Granada hospital. He had cut himself, and while he was being sewn up, there was a cat licking up the blood off the floor.
We left the office wondering “Was this doctor right? Was he even a doctor? What do we do now?” We called our new friends, sharing the information with them. They said, “Stay where you are, we will be there in 20 minutes to pick you up and take you to a hospital in Managua.”( Blessing #2)
When we arrived at the hospital Emergency room we were greeted by an English speaking nurse (Our landlord had called ahead to a friend at the hospital. – Blessing #3) Stephen was taken back, I filled out paperwork and within a short amount of time the doctor was there with a diagnosis and how it would be treated (Blessing #4).
That evening we found ourselves in the maternity ward (no other beds in the hospital) with Stephen on high level antibiotic, an air conditioned room, and hospital food that was not too bad. (Blessing #5) The nursing staff was very good, Stephen’s translation program on his phone was extremely helpful, and Stephen became affectionately known as “Baby Stephen”. He was feeling much better with the antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and pain medicine.
Because of his strong immune system and antibiotics (for something else) that he was taking earlier in the week, Stephen’s body had encapsulated the appendix to keep it from infecting the rest of him (Blessing #6). After IV antibiotics for about 36 hours, he was sent home with four other prescriptions to continue to fight off infection as the encapsulated appendix shrinks and is safe to remove- this will happen in one more week most likely. It is not quite how they would do it in the US, but we are impressed with the doctor’s knowledge and reaction.

During this time, we have heard from so many of you. It was a tremendous encouragement to know that you were praying for us (Blessing #7)! I felt strong and able to handle things, like God was carrying us through every step of the process! (He was)  We so appreciate the prayers from around the world!

A few Things About Leon

Last Sunday, Stephen and I left our casita in Granada and hopped on an express bus for Managua with the final destination of Leon. After several stops, I began to question the definition of “express”. The bus from Managua to Leon was equally interesting. We went out of Managua on the road past the Villa Esperanza, where I was last summer. It was great to see the familiar sights. The next twenty-five miles were similar to driving in a dry river bed with a driver who had too much coffee. My thoughts were that if the road is this difficult to Leon, why do people go there? After looking at a map on arrival in Leon, I found that we were on the old highway. It is still a mystery to me why anyone would take the old highway. 🙂

This week of training has been great! Our classmates were from Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Haiti. We thought that we were just going to be just in learn-mode. What we found out was that we were living out the motto, “Watch one, do one, teach one”. For the first few days we learned the Biblical stories, and then the last two days we had about 50 people come from the community, and it was our opportunity to teach them. This is a great way to learn. My head is spinning now with the stories, as well as all of the Spanish we have heard. We are slowly learning!

It was precious to get to know the Nicaraguans in Leon, and hear their hearts for God. I wish I could pick each of you up and plop you down into a church service in Nicaragua! It is hard to describe the fun, worshipful atmosphere- clapping, moving, singing! In heaven we will likely get some lessons in praising God from the Latinos. Rhythm is not needed, but a genuine love to Jesus is encouraged!

Soon we sadly leave our air conditioned hotel room and return to Granada (hopefully on the new highway). I will miss the youthful and historical city of Leon (the restaurant next door to our hotel is the site of the beginning of the revolution, the murder of seventeen students protesting Somoza), but look forward to returning to Granada to get started in moving forward in many acts of service. I find myself overwhelmed with the poverty of this country right now, but I was reminded in my Perspectives reading that missions had to come out of a joy for Jesus, not the sadness of humanity. Please pray for us in this- it is one thing to say, but another thing to live!

We are at the three month mark from our wedding. It is hard to believe! Someone here said that Nicaraguan years are like dog years…In Nicaragua, one year feels like seven years. 🙂

 

I am titling this blog “Have You Wondered…” Hopefully this gives you some insight into us and the country we live.

 

• Have you wondered about the price of items in Nicaragua? Yesterday we bought a table for $16, we pay $5 for a box of cereal, $.20 for a bus ride into town or $2.50 for a taxi ride, we can get an iced Americano for a little over a dollar, and with a gulp I paid $5 for a can of small shaving cream and $12 for a very basic doormat.

 

• Have you wondered how people get water in the barrio? First let me say that many of the improvements in this country have been completed by others countries. I have yet to hear what the motivation is, but an example of this would be that Japan has redone the water system in Granada, therefore water from the tap is drinkable. In the barrio, there are spigots on most blocks where people can bring buckets and take water back to their homes. The water goes out periodically (It has been out in the whole town all day today.), so people will keep open troughs of water on their property. You can see the need for water purification.

 

• Have you wondered how church services are conducted in Nicaragua? We are by no means the experts in this area, but these words come from our experience at three different churches. The services are held either outside or often in rough cinderblock buildings. The music is very lively and usually involves clapping and sometimes dancing. The great thing is that you don’t all have to clap together; for those who can’t keep a rhythm, it doesn’t matter. We have not found the song words to be posted, so not everyone sings along-especially not us, since we are not adept with Spanish yet. The speakers tend to be more boisterous and last longer than American services. Every service we have attended has included a time for extensive greeting. At the last serve we attended, a young girl ran into my arms and gave me a big hug. I had smiled at her earlier in the service. Any guess on what the “Quadangular” denomination is?

 

• Have you wondered where the clothes from the Goodwill go if they are not purchased in the US? I can safely say that Nicaragua is one of the countries that gets these shipments. There are many second hand clothing stores, and I have seem the well-known Goodwill tags. Items cost less here than at the Goodwill- come on down for an unforgettable shopping trip! 🙂

 

• Have you wondered about the medical system here? Everyone can go to the hospital if they need to go, the draw back is that you are on their schedule. We have heard stories of common things needing many visits. Additionally, there are multi-levels of medical care for those who can pay for more. We have been told that there is a very good hospital in Managua that we should go to if needed. For smaller things, you can get in and visit a doctor. The costs are in the $20-25 per a visit. The first line of defense though is the pharmacy. Both Stephen and I have tested this. We have gone in to tell the pharmacy what is wrong and they make the judgment of what it could be, and then they sell you some remedy. Instead of a box the medicine, they sell it by the pill or dosage. I bought five fiber capsules are about 10 cordoba ($.30)- I am feeling better!

 

Until next time, look for the blessings before you! Natalie

Geckos: Cute, when they speak with an Australian accent and sell insurance, a little startling when they come to from under a picture on the wall when you go to move it

Millipedes: Fun, catch one for a bug collection, not so fun to find 30 of them on the living room floor and walls

Frogs: Amazing, hear them as background sounds in the night, laughable (usually) when it sounds like you live in a video game of sounds when they all get going after a storm

Humidity: Heavy, a constant throughout the day, building to an amazing instant deluge every night

Spanish: Learning, one to five and buenos dias, now our personal connection with the people “Spanglish”

Cordobas: Currency, 25 to $1.00, now $1.00 to 25

Nicas: Vida (life), did not know them before, now kind, helpful, humble people

Hangout: Relaxing, it was Starbucks, now it is Eurocafe

Speakers: Loud, once just used in the house or the car, now strapped to cars and trucks promoting politics and radio stations VERY LOUDLY

Mosquitos: Annoying, they bit me in America and they bite me here, too! 🙂