A picture is worth... a lot

Today has been, to put it mildly, a rough day. I am so excited to be in Nicaragua and with Jorge that I can barely stand it. I was wondering how to make myself not so antsy during my 2.5 hour flight from Miami to Managua. Well...

As I'm buckling up for my first flight from Orlando to Miami, I get a call from American Airlines telling me my next flight is canceled. It was just a courtesy message in which they say, "Your flight has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience". That's it. Then if you want to know more, you have to call back. Who doesn't want to know more? So I called and got through to a lady right before my flight took off, and she basically just said I needed to re-book once I landed. (There was a big fire here in Miami yesterday in the place where they store fuel, so there is a huge shortage, and yea... they canceled several flights.)

When I landed, I went straight to the "re-booking center", where I was in line for 3.5 hours. During this time, I went over to the little kiosk and saw that they had already booked me for tomorrow morning's flight at 11:00am. I also called American Airlines and was told the same thing and that I was also on standby for a flight at 7:00pm tonight, but that I still needed to wait at the counter because they had the most "up to date" information. Meanwhile, the counter lady keeps going up and down the line giving their 1-800 number out, asking people to call because "it will expedite the process", but when we called the number, they told us to wait in line.... you can see how insanely frustrating this all was for everybody involved.

Once I finally made it to the counter, you can imagine how tired, distraught and over all this I was, and yet I mustered up every ounce of politeness I could for the counter airline agent guy. I felt bad for these people because this wasn't their fault at all, and you can just imagine the type of angry customer they dealt with one after another. Well, this guy had just come on the scene one customer ahead of me, and was just starting his shift, so he had no idea about the frustration we had all been going through up to that point. He was extremely rude to me and basically just barked sarcasm at me until I sulked away. He told me absolutely nothing new except that oh yea, nobody knows where my bag is, and as he said, "The party line is that it will eventually end up where your final destination is, but nobody knows when". Hmmm. Well. And of course they're not giving any meal/hotel vouchers, because this was "not AA's fault". You can bet people did not have nice reactions to that message every time it was relayed.

(Since no men read this I can also throw in there that about two hours into waiting in line, I got my period. And all my tampons except two are in my checked bag. Which is nowhere to be found. So I had to go buy 4 for $4. Ridiculous.)

So by this time I was pretty sad. Not only did I have to wait in a 3.5 hour line for basically nothing, but it was 1:30 when I got out of the line, which is the exact time my flight should have been landing and I should have been with Jorge. So I at least got to skype with him a little bit and explain what happened (luckily I had caught him this morning right as he was about to leave for the airport to come get me) and it was nice to have the distraction for a while. He suggested we play games to put me in a better mood, and so I beat him at Hangman a bunch and then we played checkers, where he was about to beat me for the 100th time, so he quickly closed the game and said "Let's stop playing this. This was supposed to put you in a better mood :)."

I then went to get some grub, as I hadn't eaten all day. I had a delicious caesar salad and a slice of stuffed pizza. Then I decided to try to sleep for a little bit. It is waaaay too cold in airports for me, so laying still on the floor made me feel like I was going to freeze to death. Then it was about time to head to the gate for the 7:00 flight. I passed by a blanket/pillow kiosk and made a mental note that I would definitely need to buy a blanket if I was going to be in this for the long haul, because I spent the night at the Atlanta airport one night, and I couldn't sleep the entire night because I was too cold.

Then I sat through the entire boarding of that flight only to not get on, which was not a surprise at all, as they had overbooked the flight by four people and had to ask for volunteers to wait until tomorrow to fly. All this time, I was desperately trying to find a TV to watch the Gator basketball game, the one could-be highlight of the day, and I couldn't find one! Every TV was on, but I couldn't locate one with basketball. That is, until the game went into overtime and I saw a couple of TSA workers doing nothing, of course, except watching TV and shouting at it. I realized the game was on over there and went over just in time to see that last horrible minute, where they lost because they played dumb. That's when I decided this was officially A BAD DAY. As Jorge said, it's one of those days I'll always remember, and when someone says, "What was the worst day you've ever had?" and lots of people say, "I can't really remember one", I will definitely be able to think of one. (Although I cant' say this is the WORST day of my life. It's not been fun, but it could definitely be much, much worse.)

Then I decided it was time to start "settling down" for the night, so I went and bought a blanket, two bags of m&ms (each one says it's a "sharing size", but I still bought two :)), some beef jerky for Jorge, and a smoothie. (Just to add more dramatic flair to my day, when I was at the cash register ready to order my smoothie at Haagendaz, the worker said, "Who's next?" and this lady [in a missionary t-shirt, might I add] stepped right around me and ordered what she wanted! This other girl and I just stared at her, and I think had I not been so beaten down/spit on/kicked in the ass by these American Airlines people, I would have said something to her.) I have already spent an unbelievable amount of money at the airport today, but I decided these were essentials. I then, like a homeless person searching for the best spot under a dumpy old bridge, found where I will be hunkering down for the night: close to an outlet, TV, bookstore, bathroom, and Starbucks. I've got everything I'll need for the night :)

And now I leave you with what's been getting me through this difficult day:

"What do you love so much about Nicaragua anyway?"

I hear this from a lot of people. a lot. I usually respond with a sort of blank look and I say something generic and stale like, "The people are just so great, and the culture is amazing".
That's crap, just to be honest, because as I'm spouting out this by-now formulaic nonsense, behind my glazed-over look I'm seeing all the things I can't put into words. What do I love about Nicaragua? In Nicaragua, people LIVE. Nicaraguan people don't care about buying nice things for their house, about what they will wear the next day, or about how much money their friend makes. It's not considered lazy or unproductive if they spend their entire day washing clothes, cooking and enjoying their families. Nicaraguans are insanely hospitable, and family has a much broader meaning there than it does here. Nicaraguans will stop on the street to help a complete stranger, they will give their last bit of food to someone who has less, and they will walk miles to go pray with a sick friend. They will do all this while daily overcoming obstacles that would stop any of us in our tracks, and they'll do it all with a smile on their face.

Here are things that people say (or seem to want to say, but feel rude) when I talk to them about Nicaragua:
1. "They're probably only like that because they are so poor and have nothing else to do all day."/"They're only happy with so little because that's all they know."
2. "But they could get so much more done if they would learn how to be more like us."
3. "There's no hot water, they don't have fridges in their homes, they don't throw toilet paper in the toilet, and you STILL want to live there?"
4. "Are there even real roads in Nicaragua?'
5. "How could you live without air conditioning?"

Here's how I respond...
1. and?
2. Is "getting more done" better? Are we really doing so great?
3. YES!
4. Um... yes. Maybe broaden your horizons/vacation destinations a little.
5. Easy- I do it about 11 months out of the year anyway.

Sometimes I actually try to provide a heartfelt response that tries to convince them of the beauty of this overlooked country.

Sometimes I just smile and tell them that I am not like them, that I thank God that he opened my heart and allowed this love to grow in me, and that I think it is all beautiful. Every last bit of it.

Obviously, Nicaragua is "behind" the US. They take longer to do everything, they do most things in (what seems to us) bizarre, wacky ways, they are much poorer, they aren't as technologically savvy, they are "simpler", and they don't plan things out very far ahead of time. From practically the moment I stepped off a plane in July 2005, I fell in love with all of these things.

But riddle me this: If Nicaraguans are so "behind" us, why are their people so much more able to love each other purely and completely than we are? Why are they able to live every day in faith in ways we only dream about and talk about? Why do they seem so much happier than we, as a country, do? Why are they so much more full of joy living with so little than we are living in a world of plenty?

P.S. I practically wore out my delete key with this one. I've never had such a hard time putting thoughts into words. I suppose it because it's incredibly difficult to take seven years' worth of thoughts and to compile them into a few neat and tidy paragraphs. I so badly wish I could just let you in to catch a small glimpse of what I see when I close my eyes, because it.is.breathtaking.

P.P.S. I know there are MANY other places in the world where you can find this kind of love, hospitality and joy in every day life. I just haven't been to them. That's why God had me go to Nicaragua. I could have fallen in love with many other places, I'm sure, but my heart belongs in Nica, so there it shall be.

P.P.P.S. I also know that our country is absolutely beautiful and I am extremely proud to be an American (cue Lee Greenwood now). I never, ever forget that I was blessed by being born in a country full of opportunity and freedom that produces amazing individuals every day. I am the person I am because of how and where I grew up. Please don't take away from this that I am one of those, "Screw the USA; I've been so spoiled by my upbringing that I now refuse to even recognize the merit of living in this country". Not at all. I just want people to open their eyes and see the world around them. There is so, so much more to this world than us and our ways of life. And it's not all bad.

The Story of Us

For those of you who are like "Who is Jorge and when did all this happen anyway?", here is a lengthy recap. (Seriously, lengthy - I won't mind at all if you just stop reading now. Hey, I warned you.) I didn't mention anything about Jorge when I came back in the summer, because I didn't want to take away at all from the beautiful trip and the amazing things God did through all of us there, and because I wasn't sure where this would all take me... and now I feel like many important people in my life need to hear this story, because I'm not sure when they will get to meet him in person.

In summer of 2010, I spent about four weeks in Nica, which is normal for me. I was working with the same group I always go with, Sharon Baptist Church, from a rural area about an hour south of Atlanta. We work with the Iglesia Bautista Bethel down in Chinandega, and have now for about 5 years. The first day I was there was a Thursday, which means church day. I went with Liza and Karla, and at that service I noticed a guy that I had never seen before. It's not strange for there to be new people I don't know, but usually they are elderly. Jorge was sitting on a bench on the side of the church near the front, where Freddy usually sits when he translates the services when the gringo group is down. I still remember that he was wearing a white and blue checkered long-sleeved shirt and jeans, and what drew my attention is the way he looked when his eyes were closed and he was singing. It was beautiful, and I think it would have drawn anyone's attention - that look of devotion and happiness. Anyway, over the next week I saw him here and there, and then the group came down, and we started working on bible schools, eyeglass clinics, medical clinics, Sunday school, etc. and he was around a lot helping out. We were introduced and always around each other, but we didn't really talk up to this point. I didn't know what it was that had me so drawn to him, but I always wanted to be around him. I found myself gravitating towards him all the time, yet we barely spoke. I kept asking God why this was, as it seemed ridiculous to think that I was going to "meet somebody" in Nicaragua. I had joked about it lots of times, but it wasn't practical to think of it actually happening!

On Friday, the 9th of July, a group from Indiana was coming in, and I was elected as the gringo to go on the bus to welcome them. About 15 of the Nicaraguans came as well, to help with luggage and to be the welcoming party. About halfway through the ride I decided it was time to talk to this guy and get some stuff figured out, like why I didn't stop thinking about him. I was already sitting behind him and Moises, and I just struck up a conversation with him by asking if it was true that he had a daughter. I had heard this somewhere and wasn't sure. He told me yes, that he has two, and then in my head I immediately asked what in the world I was doing wasting time thinking about this guy. I never imagined myself with somebody that had two kids already! We went on to talk for a while and he explained the situation to me, and I was drawn in once again. I just felt like God was telling me not to write anything off, just to wait and see.... but I was skeptical, to say the least.

I was supposed to leave that next Wednesday, July 14th, but had extended my ticket to stay until the 19th. However, that Tuesday night at church, many people still thought I was leaving the next day, including Jorge. He came up to me and asked me for my email address, which I gave to him. Then he asked if I was leaving the next day, and I told him that I had actually changed my ticket and was staying. He just smiled and walked away, as we had just about reached our quota of what seemed to be the allowable words per day between the two of us.

That Friday, the gringo group took a huge group of Nicaraguans to the beach and out to a nice dinner to thank them for all of their help throughout our many activities, and for always treating us like brothers and sisters. We spent the day swimming, playing soccer (not me, of course), and eating delicious food. At the end of the night, the bus ride home was pretty quiet because everybody was exhausted. Liza, my usual bus-mate, was up in the front sitting with Freddy, so I was alone. Jorge asked if he could come sit next to me to look at the pictures on my camera. I showed them to him, and then he (finally) started a conversation about us. He told me that he had basically been feeling the same things I had been (he just didn't know it at the time), and he couldn't make sense of it either, since it seemed so impractical for him to fall for me or for me to fall for him. Then he just looked at me, waiting for a response. It was actually a beautiful conversation and the first of many where we spoke very frankly and openly, laying it all out there.

Our conversation was cut short when we reached my hotel for me to be dropped off, and I told him I would see him the next day and we'd pick back up where we left off. That day the group went to Leon and I didn't end up seeing him until the end of the day, when some of the men from the group wanted to play basketball with the Nicaraguans, and Hannah, Liza and I went to watch them. Jorge didn't say two words to me and I thought that maybe I had imagined all the stuff we said the day before. When they finished playing basketball, we all got back on the bus and it dropped us off at the gringo's hotel. I got out and decided to walk the four or so blocks back to my hotel. It was decided that Jorge would walk me back to my hotel, and then we were able to continue the conversation from the night before. It was my turn to talk and I told him all the things I was thinking, and how I am a very practical and serious person, and I wasn't looking for some boyfriend or for any sort of fun Nicaraguan fling (I didn't know this at the time, but he had been talking to Liza about me and she had already told him this). We reached my hotel and decided that that night after church we would hang out. That night he came with me to the other group's hotel to hear Lito and Freddy give their testimonies and to hang out with them, as it was their last night and the big group was leaving the next morning (I still had one more day). It was a great time, but I felt my time quickly running out, and we hadn't had a chance to talk any more about us. Afterward, Jorge walked me back to my hotel and it was decided that I would go watch him play baseball the next morning. I remember that I spent a lot of time in prayer that night asking God what in the world he wanted with us, and why I felt this pull towards Jorge. I felt a comfort with him that I don't normally feel with people; I felt like I needed him in my life.

That morning we went to church at 7:00 (yes, early!) and it started to rain, so the baseball game was canceled, which probably worked to our benefit. Instead we went to the park and sat at a table for a while, and Jorge poured out his whole life story to me. He is proof that God truly changes people from the inside out. Jorge was basically a hoodlum before, and was into drugs and drinking at a very young age. He had a rough lifestyle and was basically a kid hanging out on the streets, stirring up trouble at every turn. He was with a woman for several years and has two little girls from this relationship, as I mentioned earlier. He got invited to a retreat and went just to be able to get away, although he had no interest in God. He was raised Catholic, like most Nicaraguans, and regularly attended mass, but he had no concept of a God that wanted a personal relationship with him. He met Jesus at that retreat, and his life changed. He says he felt loved for the first time in his life, and he finally knew what all those people meant when they talked about a loving father God. He cleaned up his act and eventually ended up leaving his girlfriend, and moved back into his house with his family.

That was about three years ago. He started attending a church that is pretty far from his house (it's actually near Villa Catalina, for those of you who get the reference). Then about a year ago, he was invited to Bethel Baptist Church (the church we work with) and tried it out, as his house is about five houses down the street from it, and the rest is history. (More on this later.)

I had to go then, and spend some time with Liza and Freddy, since it was my last day there. We agreed to hang out that night. He came over to my hotel and we talked more about ourselves and our life stories, and somewhere in the mix we forgot to ever talk about what was going to happen when I left (which was about 5 hours away, at this point). We said goodbye and I was left feeling more confused than ever, but I had no time to dwell on it because I was being picked up in about an hour to head to Managua and hadn't packed my stuff yet.

The whole way to Managua I wondered what in the world God had in store for me. (The whole decision of wanting to move down there had happened pretty much in the first week I was there, but the two concepts were not at all connected for me). I had a long day of traveling, and I spent it quietly pondering what was supposed to happen with me.

That night, Jorge texted me to see how my flight was, and then he called me, and we figured it was time to have a real talk about what was going to happen with us now that I was gone (about 24 hours too late). We decided that we believed God had something in mind for us and that we were going to 'be together', if only in spirit, and see this through. And now I can very honestly say, 8 months later, that we had no idea what was in store for us, or how much we'd grow to love each other.

My school year was about to start, but all I could think about was my life in Nicaragua, and these huge decisions I had been making for my life, and how my heart was just not here anymore. And then when I thought about Jorge, I decided I needed to go back down there so we could have more time together and figure some stuff out. So I booked my ticket for September 3rd. I had never taken more than two days in a row off work, and this was going to be 5 school days! That scared me, but I believed this was really important.

There were still about 7 weeks between the two trips, though. We had to learn how to have a relationship over the phone (We hadn't discovered the wonderfulness of Skype yet), and it was definitely difficult. Neither of us has ever really loved talking on the phone, but as this was our only mode of communication, we spent hours every day learning more about each other and figuring out how to be together, apart.

The trip in September confirmed everything for me, that this was for real. We spent a wonderful week together, with some more very frank conversations, and decided we should try to get him a visitor's visa to come meet my friends and family. However, as time went on, we knew that his chances of being accepted were slim and probably worse right before major holiday time, so we decided that I would go down again in December, and spend Christmas and the new year with him. It was really hard to tell my mom that I was going to miss Christmas with my family for the first time, and things were already really strained with us ever since I got back in the summer and told her I felt God wanted me to move to Nicaragua.

The rest is well, history. We have spent countless hours on the phone and on Skype (we figured out how to use it while I was there in September and it has been a huge blessing ever since), and have cherished every moment we've been able to have together, in September, December and January.

I have been amazed at how beautiful this whole thing really is, this "us" thing. We have both had to make sacrifices in order to put the time and effort necessary into making this work, we have had to learn how to communicate well, how to sense each others' needs through words and through intonation; we have learned how to be together, apart. We have learned how to overcome language and cultural barriers at times. We have learned how two very independent people can come together and need each other.... and we have learned that there are crazier things in this world than two people from different countries falling in love with each other. And trust me, it has not been easy and it definitely has not been without effort. We have worked extremely hard to make this relationship work, all the while trying to make sure it is God focused. We both so badly want to remain in God's will, and have honestly and earnestly sought God's guidance in making decisions about 'us'.

This week, Jorge's request for a visa was turned down. We were hoping he would be able to come visit for a good length of time and meet my family and friends, not to mention, spend time with me! However, God obviously has different plans for us. We spent the days before the interview talking about how we would react either way, good or bad, and how we truthfully believe that God has a wonderful plan for our benefit, and that we have to trust in Him. We read Philippians 4:6-7, which talks about not worrying, but rather presenting our requests to God in prayer, with thanksgiving, and that we did. We knew the rest was in His hands. Although I would have LOVED a more favorable (for us) response, I believe the beauty of this situation comes in praising God and saying how good he is, and actually believing that he is so good, despite a big disappointment.
I am headed back down to my favorite place on March 26th for ten days for my spring break (I will also get to spend his birthday with him, which is neat). It will have been 76 days since we have seen each other. (Last time it was exactly 100.) We will do our best to appreciate every second we'll have together in those ten days, (I've gotten really good at "cherishing the moment") and we'll talk about what will happen next. It is always about that 'next time', and hopefully soon there won't have to be a next time.

I don't ever claim to know what God is thinking (or even doing, really), but sometimes it's so interesting to sit back and look at how the different areas and times in your life weave together to create a masterpiece so intricate that only God could have orchestrated it all. For instance, lots of people have said something to the effect of, "Wow, it's so weird that you didn't meet Jorge until your 8th trip down there, especially when he lives just a few houses down from the church!". My response is always to share with them that there are several reasons it would not have worked out beneficially for us to meet back then, including the following: My Spanish was horrible until a few years ago and I would never have been able to maintain a relationship in my second language; Jorge was a very different person for some of those years and was not walking with God and definitely not someone I would have been interested in; I spent most of 2003 until 2008 really becoming comfortable with myself and learning to know myself very well. I needed that time alone. Also, in that time of my life, I never would have been able to maintain a relationship with this distance. I see now why I never met him before, although he lives just five houses down from the church where I have spent so much time over the past five years...

I don't honestly know what is next. That is scary, but that's also life. God has a plan though, of that I'm certain, and it's one that is beneficial for me and so much better than anything I could think of or imagine. And about 1,150 miles away in Chinandega, Nicaragua, there is a dude who believes the same thing. (There are probably several, actually, but you know...). So I will go down there in 20 days, and I will spend as much time as possible with the man that I believe God picked out for me long ago. I'll be grateful for those ten precious days, and I'll trust God that someday I'll have much more than ten days at a time.

Christmas 2010 in Nica Part II

So, I have heard people are reading this although nobody´s left a comment (ahem!), so here´s a little update on the last few days...

Monday night we ended up getting food from one of the local ¨fritgangas¨- basically where people set up food stands right outside their house. They have some of the best food I´ve had here. We both got gallo pinto (rice and beans), maduro (fried sweet plantain), cheese (fried, which sounds gross and maybe is, but it´s amazing), a tortilla and a meatball. I´d never had a meatball here before, but man they are delish. We went to the hotel to eat and then walked around the park for a while and took in the sights. The park has been absolutely packed at night lately, and we like to people watch. Then, just as we were leaving, I ran into my friend Karla and we made plans to hang out the next day.

Tuesday we went to the house in the morning where Jorge washed all my dirty clothes for me (minus underwear, that´s weird). He also made me breakfast again - scrambled eggs and little pieces of fried plantain. Again, delicious. While Jorge washed, I sat and visited with his sister-in-law some more, and then later his brother came home and we sat and spoke in English for about an hour. His brother has been learning English for a few years now and is pretty good. It was really nice for me to have it so easy for a little while, although I have to say I haven´t noticed myself feeling tired from constantly having to think in Spanish.

Then Jorge went off to the stadium to run again and I went over to Karla´s house to pick her up. From there we headed to Liza´s mom´s house, which is sort of a common meeting ground, because we always know Liza will be there. Soon after, Freddy showed up and the four of us just sat and visited for a while.

Something sort of fun is that we got to Skype with Leah and Mauricio (her Brazilian boyfriend, for those of you who don´t know), so we got to ¨meet¨each other´s significant other. It was a little frustrating because we were using a headset and so we couldn´t both really hear or participate in the conversation at the same time. But it was so fun to get to talk, and Mauricio´s Spanish is great. Leah was too wimpy to speak but promised that next time she would. I so enjoyed getting to have Jorge meet my friends!

Then Jorge and I went and got ready for church. It was actually cold in church because of the crazy wind and I had no need for the fans to be turned on, which is very strange for me. After church we grabbed food at the same fritanga and then headed over to the basketball courts to watch Anthony play. His team is in the finals and they won (not sure what the score was since there´s no scoreboard, just a man that keeps score). If they win tonight´s game, they win it all. We drank milkshakes and then just walked around the park for a little while.

Today we got up sort of early and went over to the house for breakfast again - he made me scrambled eggs with cheese, and a repocheta, which is a fried tortilla with this sour cheese inside. It´s really good, but that cheese definitely is an acquired taste. I sat and visited with the girls of the family a bit while Jorge went to his little cousin´s house and played video games. Then we headed back to the hotel, took a nap, and played cards. I need to go look up the rules of War because I´m pretty sure I was forgetting something really basic. Even though there are like three rules total. Anyway, now I´m here writing this and he´s taking a shower and getting ready at the hotel. We´re headed to one more baseball game at the stadium tonight (Chinandega versus Granada again). I thought the last one was the last one, but apparently this one is.

We just found out yesterday (Jorge heard it on the radio) that his last baseball game on Sunday will be at 6:00 at night and will be in the stadium where we´re going tonight, so that is really neat. It will feel like a real game! and there will only need to be one, since they´re tied 3-3.

In the next few days we´re hoping to visit some people we haven´t seen yet, to go to the beach, and to get out to Jiquilillo to visit Toney, who I may end up working for next year down here.

There´s the update as promised! Hope all is well with all of you. Hope you have a Happy New Year!

Christmas in Nica Part I

So, being that I´ve been here in Nica almost a week, I figured it was time to update this old thing. The week has flown by, of course, and I love knowing that this trip is so much longer than the last, and I still have 12 days! Here´s a recap, as quick as I can make it, with some pictures (hopefully they work).

* Getting here was relatively uneventful. It was good I got to the Ft. Lauderdale airport so early because I had to wait at the ticket desk for a little over an hour, and there were still about 100 people behind me... it was a HUGE flight coming out, even at 11:30pm! When you walk out of customs and into baggage claim, there is a huge glass window-wall where the people coming to pick people up and stand and look at you. I had a small fear that something had gone wrong and Jorge would be running late or something and not be able to tell me since I didn´t have a phone, but after looking around for two or so minutes, I saw him waving at me. Well, actually I saw his giant brother´s head and then saw Jorge right next to him, waving at me. It was one of those super sweet moments because all we could do was just wave at each other after 100 days of not seeing each other (besides on Skype, of course). My bag was about the third one out, which was awesome, but then I had to pass it through another security point which took a while, so I was just plain exhausted by the time I actually got to leave the airport (at about 2:30am eastern time).

* Day 1: Wednesday, 12.22 - We basically slept all day because of the exhaustion from the night before. Then we went to the Chinandega versus Granada baseball game in the stadium, which was lots of fun. It was pretty similar to a baseball game at home. Chinandega won, so it was a good time! Then we went by Jorge´s house to say hi to his family. I then met another few family members I hadn´t met before... some aunts, his godmother, some cousins, etc.

I also couldn´t wait and I made Jorge open his Christmas gifts. He already knew about the baseball bag and Gator hat, but the surprise was a Yankees t-shirt with Robinson Cano´s name and number (his favorite player and also the number he wears when he plays). He loved it all and he has worn the hat everywhere we´ve gone. He says my present is coming on New Year´s Eve, for whatever reason.

* Day 2: Thursday, 12.23 - I spent a while in the afternoon visiting with Liza over at her mom´s house. We were just catching up, eating lunch and the like. Then we went over to Jorge´s house again for a little bit to visit with family, and then back to the hotel. Jorge´s mom ended up stopping by the hotel and we just visited for a while. Then we went and ate delicious tacos and rode on the ¨bus pelon¨, the ¨bald bus¨, which is like a little touristy open-topped bus that drives around the city. He said only kids go on it, but Jessica and I definitely went on it with Freddy and Liza back in March and I thought it was fun, so I made him. There were definitely not many kids, and it was fun.

* Day 3: Friday, 12.24 - I honestly can´t remember what we did most of this day, but I do remember that we went to church that night - an almost three-hour service. It was a beautiful service and each of the different ministries (men, women, children, youth, etc.) had a ¨special performance - a song, dance or a puppet show (the men had way too much fun with that). We then went over to the house again to visit with family. Most people open their doors and basically the whole street just hangs out and visits. It was really pretty. We also ate some really delicious chicken with vegetables and rice. Yes, I have been eating amazingly delicious food.

* Day 4: Saturday, 12.25 - In the morning we went to visit Jorge´s grandma (his dad´s mom) who he hadn´t seen in about a year. There´s no real reason he hasn´t been to see her, because she lives in town, but he just hasn´t. His brother and his family were already over, and some cousins came over too. It was nice to meet even more of his family. They all knew about me and were anxiously awaiting to meet me, so that was nice. We spent a few hours there just visiting and getting to know each other. I´ve been really surprised with how comfortable I´ve felt with his family, although I am pretty quiet because I´m usually just taking a lot in.

Then I spent a good bit of time in the afternoon at Liza´s mom´s house visiting with Liza, Freddy and Adela, Liza´s mom. Then Jorge and I went to a ¨fancy¨Christmas dinner - the Rostipollo of course! He ate pizza and I had my delicious taco suizo - a grilled chicken breast with melted mozzarella cheese and a tortilla on the bottom, with delicious refried beans. yum! I also helped him out with the pizza a bit... Then again, we went by the house to visit with family. It has been really nice to get to know his family so much better.

* Day 5: Sunday, 12.26 - Yesterday was baseball day. We were at the field from about 9:00 until almost 3:00. Jorge´s team is in the finals now, and they play 7 games, just like baseball in the States. They play two games each Sunday, and going into yesterday they were tied 2-2. They lost the first game 3-2, which was especially rough because Jorge had a chance to tie it and wasn´t able to, but they won the second game 11-1! Jorge hit a ¨double¨and he scored two runs. It was so fun to see him play, especially because he played really well. Everyone was really into the game too, which got me into the game, even though I don´t really care about baseball.

Afterwards we went over to the house and hung out for a while and then went to the park. There are a bunch of fair-type rides set up at the park and a bunch of booths to buy stuff because of all the holidays (not only Christmas and New Year´s but they had a big Catholic holiday on the 7th). We went on a ferris-wheel type ride that is different though because it goes super fast and you almost flip upside down. Jorge was sort of scared, which I thought was really funny and I have pretty much not stopped making fun of him since. We then got some smoothes to go (mine cacao, his banana) and went back to the hotel and just sat outside talking and drinking our smoothies.

* Day 6: Monday, 12.27 - This morning was a special treat - Jorge took me to his house and made me breakfast and coffee. We have been eating at really weird times because my appetite is just so different here, and his has been a little off too, so I haven´t eaten breakfast this entire time. Well, this morning I woke up starving and said I needed food stat, and coffee, which I also hadn´t drank since I got here - can you believe it!?!

While he was cooking, I sat and visited with his mom, sister and sister-in-law. I have really grown to love his family. They are so super sweet and welcoming to me. They love to sit and tell me about how much Jorge talks about me and what he says, and how he was so excited those last few days before I came, etc. I have really treasured the things they´ve told me. It´s cute to see, too, how embarrassed he gets when he walks in the room and knows we´re talking about him.

After hanging out at the house for a while, we went back to the hotel where he read the newspaper and I read my book, and then went back to the house to eat, and then parted ways. He is at the stadium running (in about 90 degree sunshine heat) and I´m here writing all this. I knew I had to come to the internet cafe alone to update this, because he definitely does not have the patience to sit here and wait for me to type this novel! I wanted to have it all down though, so I could remember what I´ve done. I´m mad that I can´t remember what we did on Friday, but I´m sure it´ll come to me later.

Overall the trip has been AMAZING so far. We have had some really good future-type talks, and we have shared some hilarious moments, some sweet moments and definitely some good family moments. I feel so welcomed into his family´s house, and they don´t necessarily treat me like a gringo all the time. I think his sister-in-law and I are really becoming friends, and I could see us being good friends in the future. I have learned so much more about Jorge by meeting more of his family, and I have loved every moment.

P.S. As far as the weather - I was warned it has been ¨so cold¨at nights here... I will say that until today I have not actually felt hot. Today is super sunny though, and I was melting when we were walking. Most days though, have had a cool breeze, and when I sit outside but under the shade of a tree, I have felt great. We walk everywhere and I have been completely fine. I´ve even worn jeans three days so far! I do get a little chilly at night every once in a while, but these Nicas are hilarious because they walk outside and they´re like ¨Man, it´s freezing!¨and it will be about 74 degrees, ha! I sat outside for about 6 hours at the baseball game on Sunday though, and I didn´t feel hot at all! and I was in jeans! I hear it´s been freezing in Florida... yikes!

I will try not to wait another week before updating again. If you feel like spending money to communicate with me, my cell phone number here is 505.8866.0778. You have to have a phone card or use Skype though, and you have to dial ¨011¨first. Or if you are interested in Skyping, let me know! I miss everybody and hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your families. I can´t wait to see what the new year brings!

I'll Be Back

So, I've officially been back for a week now, and I decided it's about time for a debrief.

By now everyone knows that I changed my flight to be able to stay an extra five days. The decision was a no-brainer, since I hadn't prepared myself to leave and the group that was here really needed my help. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made!

During that last week, the Indiana group had a lot of stuff planned, and although everything didn't go exactly as planned (since nothing in Nicaragua does), God was definitely glorified and we were able to minister in lots of different ways throughout the city.

I can't remember on exactly which day we did each thing, because I'm horrible at journaling and it all sort of blends together, but I'm going to try to sum up what we did during the last week:

- The Indiana group came prepared with three different bible school stories, which we did at the church, at La Grassa (where they are building the new church), and at La Resistencia. La Resistencia is a barrio where Marlon (otherwise known as Lito) is from. Lito used to be in a gang and was an all-around real rough guy, which is hard to believe given his gentle spirit. He found God and has since started a gang outreach program and comes back to the same area he used to live to minister to the people there. He has helped win hearts over for God and continues to do amazing things in that area.

- Two nurses came with the Indiana group, so we were able to hold two medical clinics. It is so neat to see how someone's career so directly enables them to serve God in different areas of the world. The first day we started a clinic (just for kids, except for vitamins and parasite meds for adults) in the area where we do the feeding line. The nurses had gone the day before with Freddy to the pharmacy to buy tons of medicine - mostly vitamins, parasite meds, antibiotics, rash cream, etc. We set up the clinic without any real notion of how to best go about doing it, and boy did we learn from that - the line (or lack thereof) was insane, and there was just no order to the day. After a little less than two hours and only having seen a couple patients, we called it a day. I could feel the sense of discouragement among the group, as the nurses sort of felt overwhelmed and we didn't know how to organize things to make everything go more smoothly. It's always hard when you have something in mind and it doesn't pan out. However, the pastor announced that we would be holding the clinic again the next day, but at the church. This way, the people that really needed to see someone would travel, and the ones who just wanted "free meds" wouldn't make the trip. I believe they also gave money to some people who seemed like they really wanted to come but couldn't afford the trip.

One reason I felt the clinic was going to go so well was that we had randomly met a Nicaraguan family at the hotel the group was staying at. They are Nicaraguan but have lived in Texas and are currently in Costa Rica. The family was there on the dad's business trip, and the mom and three kids were pretty bored during the day while he was at work. They met the group and talked with them a bunch and when they found out what we were doing, got really excited and said they'd love to come help instead of sitting around the hotel all day. What a blessing! They are all perfectly fluent in both Spanish and English, which was a HUGE help. Two of the kids also want to be doctors, so it was right up their alley. They helped out a TON that first day. However, we found out the second day that they weren't going to be able to come, as they are actually relocating to Chinandega and it was the only day their realtor could show them houses (and they wanted to check out the schools for the kids).

The next morning we went into the clinic not knowing what to expect, since we wouldn't have the help of the family, and since the day before had been so chaotic. However, God went ahead and set everything up for us. The pastor and church leaders had already set up a system, so when we got there we were pretty much good to go. As people came in the church, they signed in with Karla, the pastor's daughter. They then were called in order to go to a table to meet with two or so of the church leaders, who asked them their name, age and symptoms, and wrote it all on a piece of paper. They also took that opportunity to ask them about their faith and to give them copies of the book of John and other "literature". Then the patients came to us in order with their little paper with all their info, and we were able to quickly tell the nurses what was up and figure out what they needed. I was on duty as the main translator, which scared me, since I knew about zero medical terms before this day. However, Chris (the leader of the Indiana group) had his trusty dictionary, and boy did I use it. I often wondered if it scared people to see me looking up words in a dictionary when we're talking health here... Anyway, I learned how to say things like rash, bumps, itchy, and other much grosser words I don't want to share. Also Talia, who has been studying English for a while, was a HUGE help. Between the two of us and Sara, whose English is much better than she claims, we were able to see about 100 kids (and treat most of their parents for parasites), as well as give everyone that came through vitamins to last a few weeks. We certainly felt day two went extremely well, and I was so proud of the nurses, because it had to be very intimidating to walk into this knowing that they were in charge, and yet there was a huge language barrier there.

- We had promised the girls at the orphanage that we'd be back on Wednesday to play with them and have ice cream, and after a long day at the clinic (and most of the guys doing construction all morning), many people were exhausted and, I think, not too excited about going straight to the orphanage and acting like they had energy. However, when we got there, everyone's spirits were immediately lifted and they were so stoked, because these girls were SO happy to see us, and were expecting us. They had each made a handmade card to welcome us, and went around handing them out. We played outside on the basketball courts for a while, writing with sidewalk chalk, playing with a plastic bowling set, and eating popsicles. Then we headed inside to where the TV is, and the girls jammed out to random music videos. Current favs in Nica right now are Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, not unlike in the US, I suppose. It was hilarious to watch them all singing along to JB, even though they had no idea what the words meant, and also to see the guys from our group dancing and singing with them, screaming like little girls. It's so fun to see these girls so easygoing and carefree, because their lives are not easy. The ladies who work there take great care of them though, and they love on them a whole lot. It's just hard when the ratio is about 3 ladies to 35 girls. You can imagine how little individual attention each girl gets on a daily basis.

- At the last regular church service while we were there, the gringos pretty much took over. Brittany, who is my age, sang a solo (in Spanish, which was awesome), a boy Shane, who's about 21, gave his testimony, and Daniel, another man, preached. It was really interesting to see this group loving the Nicaraguans and showing them how they worship their God. Neat stuff.

- On Friday morning, the group headed to the handicapped children's orphanage. This is always the toughest thing (I think, anyway) that the groups do down there because it is so hard to see these kids. Most of them can't walk or talk, and some of them can't move at all on their own. Their families just couldn't handle raising a kid "like them" so they leave them here. The children are in GREAT hands, though. One of the nurses with our group said she had never seen kids taken care of so well anywhere in the States. I always bring bubbles, because many of the kids that lay on mats on the floor love when you blow bubbles over them, and just talk to them, brush their hair off their face, etc. They just love attention, and they eat it up like crazy. Lots of kids were sitting up in wheelchairs, and they love just racing around the building. It is a very tough emotional experience, and I'd dare say nobody ever walks out of their with dry eyes, including me with my cold, cold heart that has been numb to many of these things for the past several years.

- Friday afternoon's plans were that the group wanted to thank all the Nicaraguans who had helped us so much over the course of their trip, so we loaded up the bus and went to Paso Caballo, a local beach. We swam for what seemed like hours, and then we all sat (about 53 I think) at a long table and had a nice dinner together! The food was great (I had curry chicken) and the conversation even greater. You could tell the Nicaraguans really enjoyed themselves and of course, we all loved being treated to a great meal! It was a long day, and the ride home was very quiet. Swimming in those rough Pacific waves sure takes it out of you...

- Saturday was the group's last day, and in the morning we decided to take them to Leon, which is a very historical city (used to be the capital of Nicaragua) about an hour away. We stopped first, though, at the hot springs - Hervideros de San Jacinto. Because of the nearby volcanoes, these hot springs formed, and man are they cool. I long ago gave up on putting pictures into these posts, mainly because I'm super lazy, but I believe I put some up in my facebook album. There are lots of little kids who live in the area or whose parents work there, and they act as little tour guides. Two girls quickly took me by the hand and started showing me around, all the while explaining what each thing was and where the volcanoes were, etc. Too adorable. The kids also make pots and little trinkets out of all the fresh clay in the area, and they "give" them to you, meaning you are of course expected to give them a donation. It was a really neat experience, especially because at this point, I've seen almost everything else touristy in the area!

We then headed to Leon, which usually is full of cute little shops and people in the park. There is a beautiful ancient cathedral, and it's just a really pretty little area. This day, however, was very rainy, which brought most people inside. It is still always neat to see the church though, and a few people from the group were able to get some great souvenirs nearby. I didn't buy a souvenir, but instead a delicious cacao drink. Man, I miss that stuff!!!

On the way back from Leon, everybody was really excited because we were off to give a bed to a family that we had met over the course of the trip. This story is just one of many examples of how God works in mysterious ways and how we never know one-one-millionth (not sure if that makes sense) of his plan... During the first week the Atlanta group was in Nica, we ate at a local restaurant a lot, and kept seeing these two little girls who were hanging around outside. Jim kept playing with them and making them laugh, and one day we gave them a big plate of leftovers. Then they talked to the girls and found out they were out selling plastic all day for their mom (no, I don't know who buys plastic). We invited them to our bible school at the church. Turns out they didn't show because they were out selling plastic, but they did show up to church the next day. That night, Steve and Freddy took them home because it was late and dark out, and they met the girls' mother and talked and prayed with her. Turns out there are 5 kids all together, one being a tiny baby, with no father, all living in a tiny shack. The kids were all sleeping on cardboard on the mud floor. Just imagine. By this time the Indiana group was in town and Steve shared this with the group. God placed on the group's heart to buy this family a bed, a bunk bed, in fact, so that all the kids would have somewhere to sleep. The group purchased the bed and that afternoon we all went over to deliver it. They were surprised, but the crazy thing is, the day before at the feeding line, the oldest girl handed a note that she had written to Hannah, who asked me to translate it for her. In the note, she was basically asking for Hannah's help to get them a bed. I know that you might read that and say, "wow, I can't believe they would ask for that," and that is how I used to think, but when you are that down and out, and you see an opportunity to get something you need, any sort of politeness or courtesy go out the window. And I don't blame them one bit. So the neat thing is, the group had already decided to get them a bed and were actually already in the process of getting it, when this girl wrote Hannah the letter. God is so good!

It was a great time watching the guys set up the bed and seeing the glowing smiles on the kids' faces, as well as how grateful their mom was for it all.

Saturday evening the church had a little surprise for us. We showed up and they had a whole table of fresh fruit ready for us, and they had gifts for everyone. The women all got a wood bracelet and little purse/backpacks that have the name of the church on them, and the men got bracelets that say the name of the church. They are so sweet to think of giving us gifts like that. They said they wanted to show us appreciation, but in reality I think we all realize how much more they always do for us. We ate the fruit and said our goodbyes (even though some of us still had one more day), and I could really tell how much the Indiana group fell in love with these people. There were lots of tears and lots of "next year"s... I know they'll be back; in fact, I think they'll be back soon and with a lot more people!

That night Freddy and Lito came over to the group's hotel to share their testimonies. I have seen Lito speak before, and his story is ALWAYS so inspiring and such a great testimony to God's goodness and faithfulness, and I had never heard Freddy speak before. He is always just translating what other people say. Freddy is a really strong man of God that has endured a lot, and it was very interesting to sit and listen to my good friend share his heart. Definitely a great night.

I woke up Sunday with a heavy heart, knowing it was my last day in this city that has completely taken over my heart. It was a busy day spent with people I desperately wanted to see as much as possible before I left. It wasn't enough, but I knew in my heart it was a great trip filled with wonderful people and the knowledge that God was glorified, and that, of course, I'd be back.

This trip was definitely the most inspiring, the most life-changing, the most attitude-changing, the most amazing time of my life. This trip has made me question where and how I'll live, what I'll do, and what my life will look like. Most of all, it has made it very clear to me who I am and whose I am.

Five More Days!

So, I have been extremely blessed by being able to stay five more days here, which means I´ll be coming back on the 19th. With everything being so busy with the group here, I hadn´t prepared myself mentally to leave, so two days ago I practically had a melt down at the thought. Also, the group from Indiana REALLY needs my help. I have had very little rest time for sure, except at night when they all go to sleep. My brain hurts from all the translating, but I recognize that this is what I have to offer to God as my service here, so I enjoy it. My Spanish is also getting a LOT better. I´ve learned a lot of medical terms too, as we did a medical clinic from about 8:00 - 2:00 today. Things are going great. These five days will buy me lots of time, and I´ll be able to visit Emilio and his family again.

I´m off to take care of a few logistical items, like buying essentials for things I ran out of right on time - IF I were leaving today as planned. We´re off to the girls´ orphanage to have ice cream and play with them at 4:30, so I´ve got an hour to shop, go to the hotel, shower, change, etc. We´ll see! More to come.

I´ll leave you with the words to one of my new favorite Spanish praise songs.

Tu amor por mi es mas dulce que la miel Your love for me is sweeter than honey
Tu misericordia es nueva cada dia Your mercies are new every day
es por eso que te alabo It´s because of this I worship you
es por eso que te sigo It´s because of this I follow you
es por eso que te doy todo mi amor It´s because of this I give you all my love

It sounds much prettier in Spanish than it translates into English. Trust me.