I am working...

As I sat in the kitchen today attempting to call my mom and needing an urgent answer to a baking question, my host mom was laughing at me as I explained that she is probably working. I said if I dont bake this afternoon, what will I do today? She replied, sleep?

But really, I am working, I promise. Every moment of every day (besides the time that I sleep). Though school has ended and life has calmed down, every time I sit outside of the neighbors house or go to a family party I am working. Last night I chatted with my host grandpa who told me about his life, sang songs and played guitar for me and taught me some cords. I even played a little tune on his childs size violin! And I was working.

It is hard for us so with a workaholic culture so ingrained in our lives to slow down and appreciate these moments and realize this is also part of what Peace Corps service is all about. These first few months are meant to spend integrating into the community, my host family, and Nicaraguan culture. Therefore, frying rice, receiving a washing lesson from my host mother, drinking beer with a bunch of women outside of someones house, and dancing even though I feel silly while everyone watches is all a part of the job description.

Current volunteers recently shared many pieces of advice with us for a successful service. One thing they all had in common was in telling us to accept every invitation. Youre invited to someones wedding though you dont know them? Just go. Your family goes across the street to chat though you just want to watch a movie and be alone? Just go. Your host grandpa invites you to milk a cow some day at 4am? Just say yes.

Saying yes to these invitations and enjoying these moments have allowed me to get to know my community and neighborhood even better. I am now excited to spend Christmas Eve eating and dancing with the extended family due to these experiences. Since I cant play in the snow and participate in Christmas traditions with my family back home, this is the next best thing. Happy Holidays to all!

Plastic Chairs

Oh the experiences of a Peace Corps volunteer...

After a few days of training in Managua, I boarded a bus with a couple of friends to head back to site. I bought my ticket and the woman said to me, there are only seats left in the "bancario." I of course had no idea what she was trying to tell me but did not want to wait another hour for a bus so I bought my ticket. After waiting for everyone else to get on, I was given a small plastic stool that I placed in the aisle of the bus for my ride. Nicaraguans sure do love their plastic...

I should not have been surprised considering each home has their share of plastic chairs that are used for every occasion. There are also stores dedicated entirely to plastic. Everything from chairs, to soap containers, to tupperware can be found in such stores. I guess that is one way to make an organized theme right?

The plastic chairs do come in handy for every party, though. And as I have found out, December is the month of parties. No, I never found out what La Purisima was because I was too busy attending birthday parties this weekend. A large family means you could be attending many birthdays within the span of a month. Add graduations, Christmas, and New Years and literally this will be one month of pure celebrations. I realized though, that I have definitely gotten to a point where I am comfortable in these settings, I know most of the family now and I have a lot of fun. After talking to other volunteers they basically say their advice is to accept every invitation for any occasion. So here´s to a month of celebrating!

As for Christmas, it is so far off my radar. School just ended, it is hot as heck outside, no one has decorations, and I have only heard Christmas music twice. I feel as if Christmas is as far away as I am! I do almost think that it is better this way because I can more easily ignore the fact that I will be missing all of the holiday traditions. And it sounds like I simply won´t have time to dwell on what I am missing back home which is another plus. I am just so thankful to have the host family that I do because they have truly welcomed me into the family. I hope to add to my list of skills making enchiladas and taquitos this month, among other things.

As I sit in my plastic chair at the Internet Cafe I am looking forward to a busy week of graduations and celebrations. Happy December everybody!

Piñata proof!

 Why yes indeed, I DO know how to make piñatas!

 Star

 Carrot

 Chicken!

 Four cakes to feed all the guests

 An adorable one year old in her new dress with her piñatas (I know three is a little excessive but I couldnt help myself...)

 But her smile quickly faded...

 Mom had to help her a bit

 After only a few photos she was unhappy! But its not a one year old party unless the birthday girl (or boy) cries right?

 Pork with yucca...yummy!

 Blow out your candles

In her new outfit!

Piñatas, fiestas, and newly acquired skills

As I have said many times to various people, this experience is an exchange. Last week I had the opportunity to show my family how to make piñatas and we made three of them for the one year old's birthday party. It was a lot of work (I had forgotten how long of a process it was) but so fun to share in the birthday preparation. I made a chicken, a star, and a carrot for the party, though the chicken was clearly the favorite. We laughed so much during the process that I think part of my exhaustion came from all the laughing and excitement of making the piñatas. So many people continually asked "YOU know how to make piñatas!?" and were surprised when I responded with, "why yes, I do!"

There were over fifty people at the party and that was just family... I was so overwhelmed! After breaking three piñatas, eating a delicious dish of pork with yucca, cake, and candy, we cleaned up and rested only for a bit. After, it was off to another birthday party of a fifteen year old in the family. Nicaraguans sure do know how to party! Needless to say, I was wiped out after this weekend, but so happy to be a part of the festivities.

As another part of the exchange, I have also acquired some very important skills while in my town:
-Folding cloth diapers
-Tying baggies full of fresco (Fresco is a very common juice drink made of fruit juice, water, and sugar, and yes, there is a technique to tying the baggies).
-Laundry is a four part process starting with soaking clothes in detergent, scrubbing them with soap, then soaking them in fabric softener, finally followed by hanging to dry. I finally figured out why it takes hours!
-Do not say no to food, but instead carry a bag with you at all times (because you literally never know when you will be offered food) to save it for later.

These are only a few of the more interesting talents I have acquired, but you can imagine how talented I will be after two years!

Note: In my attempt to upload photos, the computer shut down and I lost everything, so it will have to wait for another day.

Why is there poverty?

This week I faced an interesting question as I was attempting to explain the education system in the U.S. I began by describing the school day, stating that we pay for school lunch and those who can´t pay receive help so that all kids get lunch. I was stopped in my tracks when the teacher with whom I was talking said to me ¨There is poverty in the U.S.? WHY?¨ As Peace Corps volunteers we are prepared to answer many questions about our country and this one seems no different. But I was caught so off guard because I was not expecting such a question.

So how do you tell someone in a developing country the reasons that a country so rich as the U.S. has poverty, inequality, and problems of our own?  I attempted to explain a few of the variables that can affect people´s socioeconomic status, but mostly tried to explain that poverty is everywhere. I don´t even know if I myself understand the reasons that a country with so many resources has such profound inequalities. But part of our job here is to represent the U.S. to Nicaraguans and when we return to represent Nicaraguans to the U.S.

We as PC volunteers are often faced with uncomfortable questions of how much things cost, how much money we make, are our parents supporting us financially to be here, etc... We try to explain that because we make dollars things cost more in our country. Mostly, we try to avoid such questions as best as possible. I don´t want anyone to look at me as only a dollar sign any more than I want to look at someone else and only see how much money they appear to have. But I can´t deny that I have been raised in privilege either.

More than anything, I dedicate my time to telling the truth about the U.S. Many here have a picturesque view of what it must be like to live there, to move there and leave behind such poverty. But I had to interrupt at a teacher´s training when the facilitator described classrooms in the U.S. as having 8 to 10 students. I have never seen such a class in any primary or secondary school. I again had to correct him when he stated that every child has a computer in the classroom. These are the images Nicaraguans see about the U.S., but that is the only thing they see. I am completely honest about how technologically advanced we are and how the classroom is changing through the world of technology. But I cannot lie and agree that every student has a computer at their fingertips, nor that it is completely necessary for each student to have his or her own computer in order to receive a quality education. It has also been an interesting reality for me to know that they strive to model our education system, when I believe that there are so many reforms that need to be made. Perspective is everything.

My goal is to live here in honesty, sharing my experiences and my insight about a country that I appreciate more when I do not live there. I think often times it is easier to get caught up in the negative, in what we would like to change about the laws, the culture, or society in general in our own country. I do see the benefits of life in the U.S. as well as the positive aspects of our country easier now that I do not live there. On the other hand, it is much harder for me to remember the harsh negative realities. But it is no dreamland full of riches and free of worries, that I will have to share with people here along with many other very real stories.

Pig on the Loose!

This week was full of new experiences, new faces, and new routines. I spent everyday from 7 in the morning until roughly 5pm at the school getting to know kids and teachers. I observed many hours of class, had to explain many times that I was only there to observe and to the dismay of many kids would not be teaching. I was fed more delicious food and gifted with juice and chips. And the girls who had visited me during my previous stay wasted no time in running over to greet me when I arrived at my new home. It was really a great feeling to be so well received by everyone and helped me to feel that I have actually started to weave myself into this community for the next two years.

After only a few short days of being in town, I gradually started to hear Hola Profe! and Buenos días Profe morgan! in the streets. This was definitely a highlight of the week! Though I still get catcalls and stares depending on where I am and who Im with, people are starting to remember that Im not just the strange gringa in town, but the new profe at the school down the road.

I have also had many Oh my gosh, Im in Nicaragua moments (as I like to call them) this week. On Wednesday I went shopping in the next town with my host mom, sister, and the baby. What an experience! I can just say that buying food for an entire month (including rice and beans) makes for a very heavy load. I can say that I now better appreciate a grocery store in the same town as well as a car in order to easily transport everything. On our way home the sun was setting over the mountains in the distance as we drove through the rice fields in the valley. In that moment the sky was pink, I had spent the afternoon with my host family, and nothing could have been more perfect. Here I am in Nicaragua.

The mountains are so calming and so beautiful. As I sat with a couple of teachers one morning waiting for more to arrive, the teachers commented on how sad the school was because there were no kids. It seemed too quiet to them. But I sat staring at the mountains in the distance with a few clouds peaking over them and fruit trees growing not far off. This was a tranquil feeling, not one of desolation or loneliness.

Another moment happened when I was going to shower and realized as I crossed the patio that the pig had gotten loose at night and had made a mess of everything! She followed me so I scurried into the bathroom to shower. When I came out, she came back up to me and was trying to smell (or eat) my feet. Needless to say I ran back inside to tell someone that her rope was no longer tied to the pole. I have never before been afraid of pigs, but I think the fact that she was smelly, dirty, and not tied up made me feel that I needed to preserve my clean body!

For breakfast one morning I sat eating my beans and cheese with a fresh warm tortilla and watched the cows pass by on their way to the pasture. I couldn’t help but think that this life is not for everyone, but that I love it. A fresh tortilla hot off the grill…I would argue there are few things in life that are better, at least for me right now!

Life here is certainly not perfect, but each and every day I find the good things to look forward to, the ah moments that make everything worthwhile. While I do miss home at times, I know that this is where my heart is right now and that feeling simply cannot be described.

(October 28) What does it mean to leave a place behind?

It was a week of final presentations, wrapping up our work at the school, and preparing for the big move to our new site. After visiting, I am energized to begin doing the work we have been preparing for during these past three months. But oh yes, there are the goodbyes.

Nothing could have been as hard as the goodbyes I had to endure in order to move to Nicaragua, but it continues to amaze me what it means to have a sense of community. Here we are in a big city where it took a long while to integrate and feel like we really understood its culture, the setup of its streets, and the neighbors that surrounded us. In fact, I would say that it took me almost two whole months to get to know the city fully and make it my home.

However, until this week I did not realized that I had fully adopted this city as my temporary home, even with its moto-taxis that nearly run you over and the horse poop smelling up the streets. My group began our presentation on our community integration by dressing in traditional costumes worn during Diriamba’s annual celebration. We like to call it the center of culture because it is the birthplace of various traditional dances and a play that makes fun of the Spanish conquerors. We not only impressed the staff and language facilitators, but also our fellow volunteers and even ourselves. In a matter of a few minutes we realized all that we had taken away from the city of Diriamba.

The week continued at a rapid pace as the workload did not weaken. On Thursday we made our last visit to the school in the morning to give away trees we had planted in bags to be transplanted in the ground as a part of Nicaraguas reforestation efforts. As we arrived they announced that the kids had a small program planned in our honor. Each class we had worked with had a different activity planned, some being songs and others danced. We were nearly in tears because it was so beautiful and sweet of them to prepare for us. We had not realized the impact we had made upon them until we arrived that day.

I rushed home to gather my lesson plans and return to the school to give my last science lesson. After I had completed the lesson, my teacher presented me with a lovely card and a ceramic wall ornament from the class. In addition, each student gave me kind parting words about what they had learned from my lessons and their wishes for me to have a safe journey. Again I was nearly in tears! One of the moms prepared a typical Nicaraguan dish and there was yet another program to follow. This one consisted of mostly dancing and lasted for over an hour. (The students either attend school in the morning OR the afternoon, so the students were different hence the reason for two different programs.)

Now it is time for me to say goodbye to the family that welcomed me with open arms in those first few days when I was nervous and intimidated by the two years ahead of me. This is yet another instance of how I hadn’t realized quite how much I had bonded with them until it has come time to part ways. I will miss the baseball games with my host dad, watching Brazilian soap operas with my host mom while talking about education in Nicaragua, and even the way Luis Jesús calls me Amorgan instead of Morgan. This was my home for almost three months and I will miss certain aspects, most of which I was unaware that I had appreciated so much until I was packing my bags.

And yet I cannot help but feel anticipation as I head to my new site. As my dad pointed out, I am done with around 10% of my service and even though it is an important start, I have not even begun my work. I feel motivated and prepared for the most part, as prepared as three months of training can make a person. In the Peace Corps, learning as you go is an important aspect. I learn more and more each and every day about myself, the U.S., and this beautiful country in which I currently live.

The secret to happiness, you see, is not in seeking more but in developing the capacity to enjoy less. –Socrates
This quote truly embodies the Peace Corps. I am finding a new sense of peace and accomplishment throughout every individual day. The journey has already begun, but it is about to get a lot more interesting.

What it Means to be New

After arriving safely in my new site, it is hard to describe the mixture of feelings of nervousness, sadness at leaving my friends, excitement for the days to come, and shock that this day had actually arrived. I had visited, which almost made things even more weird because I knew people and instead of a welcome from the neighbors I got more of a "oh, youre back" reaction. (Very genuine just the same).

Everyone is so kind and inviting, literally telling myself to make myself at home as I enter each house. After the fourth home I had to say, wow! I have so many houses here! Everyone wants to show me around, chat with me, and get to know me better. Its almost like being a local celebrity. Today I observed classes at the school next door. A girl in third grade made me a little note that had a heart on it and a sweet message about me being the outsider. She said that even though I felt like the strange one, we all feel strange at some point and soon enough I would get to know them all. It was the sweetest thing, especially coming from an 8 year old! Moments like that outweigh any statistics on the number of students we teach or teachers we train. It is those interactions that lie at the core of our work.

There are still moments when I walk alone that I realize I am still the weird one, the redhead in a sea of dark hair. I receive the looks and the occassional catcall when I leave my three block radius, but I am happy to find much less harrassment here than in my training town. I have yet to walk alone a lot though (having only been here for a few days on top of the fact that people are interested in showing me around.)

I apologize for the delay in posting and the short nature of this post, but I promise more updates will come soon. I have to figure out this transition and how to best use my resources here.

And the Real Adventure Begins

So much to say, where do I even begin? On Monday we all headed to Managua to meet our counterparts, the principals we would be working with over the next two years. Nerves were flying, for most volunteers it was important to make a good impression and make as few mistakes as possible in Spanish. This was our first real test as professionals in the country, as training has felt like everything is already done and set up for us.

Oddly enough, I kept meeting other people’s directors and was unable to find my own for the first hour or so. I have to admit, playing matchmaker was pretty fun, but I was eager to meet the directors of my schools. Finally as we were in a large group setting, a woman stood up to answer a question, stating that she was from San Isidro, Matagalpa. I found out that she was the director of the smaller school and the director of the larger school could not attend the training day so she sent a gym teacher from the school. He was very nice and helpful as well. I got more excited as the day went on and we planned our week of visiting the schools and introducing me around town.

On Tuesday we headed north to the town of San Isidro, Matagalpa. By express bus it takes about an hour and a half to get there from Managua, but we were on a ruteado which stops in smaller towns along the way so it takes about two and a half hours. Our first stop was the police station where I introduced myself and they took down my information. Check that off the list. Then we went to my host family’s home. All week I had felt nervous and a nagging feeling at having to start the host family process all over again. A new family means new explanations of my life, my job, and getting used to each other all over again. It is a bit exhausting.

I can see many days in the future spent in this hammock. I already had a nice nap! Luckily Blanca, the parrot, is not too loud most of the day. 

A look down the street toward the school. The neighborhood is called La Villa because it is made up of one straight street.

This is the view toward town. I will be located in a valley where rice is the main crop and the hillsides surrounding make for a beautiful landscape.

But within the first hour of being at my new family’s home I could tell that I would like it there. They are very relaxed, laid back, and open in conversation. My new host mom, Doña Yessenia has two children, Claudia who is 18 and Magdiel who is 11. Claudia is already married with an 11-month old daughter named Elizabeth. Her husband is in Costa Rica working. I was amazed as I kept meeting people in the community how many women had husbands, sons, and uncles in some part of the U.S. This is the reality of unemployment in this country and though I had heard about it, I am about to live in the midst of it.

As I had previously stayed with families who had much experience with exchange students or volunteers, I was caught off guard by the questions I was asked about the process and the program. The concept, rightfully so, is so foreign for many of the families that we live with in various parts of Nicaragua. I explained why I had referred to my host parents in Diriamba as my Nicaraguan mom or as my host mom, though I am unsure if this was really understood. We had so many great conversations about the U.S., cultural norms, what I liked to do, what my job was in Nicaragua, and so much more. The lifestyle in general in San Isidro is very slow, enjoying chats on the porch with neighbors and family members and many days lots of women don’t even leave the house because they are attending to all of the house work. (And let me tell you, there is LOTS.)

The smaller school in which I will be working is right next door to my house and many of the kids live in the surrounding neighborhood. As I was introduced to the classes most of them wanted to know if I would be working with their classroom and if I would teach them English. Some kids asked if I knew their relatives in the U.S. and others questioned if I actually knew English and where I had learned it.

On Wednesday I headed to the larger school that is made up of 600 students. It is on the other side of town from me but I hope to have a bicycle to move around town. I was introduced to many staff and teachers as well as the classrooms during the morning. Everyone was very welcoming and the teachers seemed very enthusiastic. Mid-morning there was to be an open house to celebrate International Nutrition Day. I did not know however, that this would mean that I would be required to eat so much food I could explode. There were many different types of traditional Nica foods, such as Indio Viejo, Enchiladas, Viveron, and Gallo Pinto. Although I tried to choose which foods to try, many teachers kept bringing me plates of food and refusing was just not an option. That day I went home and although my host mom tried to give me lunch, I refused to eat until dinner. We have been told in training that we will be fed in our towns as a Nica custom, but I never knew it would be that much food! At least I can say that I felt very welcomed into the school environment and excited to work with the teachers.

Students singing the National Anthem at the big school 

A second grade girl dancing for the program

Vuñuelos (Fried dough with cheese)

Arroz con leche

Viveron: Yucca, pork, and cole slaw layered on top of one another and eaten with your hands

Arroz a la valenciana: chicken, sausage, carrots, and rice

The entrance to the smaller school I will work at

In the afternoon the director from the other school accompanied me to the mayors office where I met with the mayor and asked about the town and projects regarding the environment. The director is a friend of his and he is a very nice man who seemed eager to support the work I would be doing, not to mention the fact that he has a son at one of the elementary schools. It also happened to be the birthday of someone in the office and they shared a piece of cake with us (yes, more food!). Afterward we went to the Public Health Center in town where everyone receives free services to meet with the director. Walking through the center of town, the park is very large with two basketball and soccer courts. There is also a stadium where there are baseball and soccer leagues, only for young men from what I can tell. There is one fairly large public high school also pretty near to the center of town. I even found a restaurant with pizza and two ice cream shops! This means that it is a booming metropolis compared to lots of sites so I am quite lucky.

Thursday was a repeat of the open house because each school was celebrating the same international holiday. The smaller school is made up of 200 students with third through sixth grade attending classes in the afternoon only. The teachers seemed very close to one another and many live in the neighborhood so it will be easy to become connected to them. In the afternoon a group of girls sought me out at my house, making me feel like the newest town celebrity (which is probably true). The neighborhood is largely set apart from the town, although it is only about a ten-minute walk from town. Along the street many of the neighbors are also family members, so it is definitely a safe atmosphere that will be easy enough to get to know people.

Another convenience of my site is a town about 15 minutes away that has a large fruit and vegetable market, a grocery store, and cheap shopping. I visited with my host mom and she told me that they shop for food about once or twice every month. It is quite an intense trip when you buy lots of food at once and carry it in plastic bags from one location to the next. It is nice to have the convenience of a shopping hub nearby. I am also only 45 minutes by bus to the nearest large city and the trip is fairly cheap.

Friday was spent at a teachers meeting in the morning, an interesting experience to see how the ministry of Education functions with local schools. There is clearly much to learn about the ins and outs of the education system here. I truly do enjoy spending time with my host mom getting to know her and the relatives who live nearby. There are many children to play with, and yet our house is relatively calm for most of the day, which is a positive characteristic.

It is weird to think that this little town will be my new home, my new job, and yet I already feel pretty comfortable and welcomed into the community. I do look forward to jumping into our real work here and having the opportunity to truly integrate into the community. Our training experience has been good, but most of us feel that it is time to jump right in and put into practice all the tools we have been learning for the past few months.

It is also interesting how perspectives change. My friend was commenting one day on how many Nicaraguans look at us and only see money that they assume we have. The same can be said for many people from developed countries who travel the world only seeing poverty. It is not right to come from privilege and tell people that they should not want more than they already have. At the same time, what do we see when we visit somewhere else? Entering my community I saw an Internet café, two shops nearby for quick access to simple foods and toiletries, running water and a bathroom, a nice bed, and close proximity to the school and its students. These are all positive aspects of the community and my home, as it is possible to have much less than these available. Is there poverty? Yes, and yet I see people who are happy to converse and get to know the new member of the neighborhood. I see families who take care of each other and children who are eager to learn. I cannot come from the privileged background that I do and tell people here that they should not want luxuries. But I can see happiness and positivity in a close knit neighborhood where life seems to be pretty good on a day-to-day basis. I am definitely excited to be a part of this community. 

Anticipation

What does it mean to anticipate? We think we know, it’s like a kid waiting for Christmas in order to open presents or the wait for college acceptance letters. But this anticipation was anxiousness, excitement, fear, nervousness, and an unshakable need to move around. The next two years of my life were decided for me. I had the date of when I would find out, but no other information. I left home without knowing where I would even spend the first three months of training. This anticipation is definitely real anticipation. Heart thumping, sleep-interrupting anticipation. But it is all worth it.

For anyone doubting these methods and especially for those thinking of applying to the Peace Corps I will tell you that flexibility is the key and I cannot emphasize that enough. The organization is open throughout the process about the amount of information they will share from the get go. Many months ago before departure it was repeated to us that no news was good news. And it all has its purpose. For training we are placed in towns of 4 trainees. The placement us based upon our language levels after two interviews so that we can take classes with a group that is roughly at the same stage as us. While it was definitely unnerving to set off for a country without a specific destination, this does seem like the most effective way to create productive training groups.

Waiting for our site assignments is an even harder and more intense process. It is hard to describe our feelings during this process, though there was definitely anxiety, nervousness, and excitement floating around for a few weeks. During this process, our project managers interviewed us twice, asking of our skills and spending six weeks getting to know us before placing us. They receive applications for new sites and interview host families and counterparts before our arrival to get to know the needs of the communities. Essentially they are trying to be match-makers between volunteer and site within a short amount of time. They know you better than you think they do, other volunteers kept telling us. I also trust that after many years in this job they know how trainees operate, what our preconceptions are, and what is really a valuable asset to a site that we should seek out. I truly do think there is value to this process. Though it is long and arduous, there are few aspects that I would change. The anticipation was enough to put us all on edge, and yet there is no perfect process that would eliminate that sentiment from the process.

From this experience, I have learned to wait even better than I had before. I have learned patience even while emotions are high and that focusing all the energy that I have into my job and tasks ahead of me is the best way to cope. What will be will be and the day will eventually arrive when everything is revealed. I was a patient person before this process, but now I know the true meaning of patience.

So after I have built up everyone’s anticipation, it is time to reveal where I will spend the next two years. I will be moving to San Isidro, Matagalpa in November. It is a town of around 16,000, though nearly half of the population lives on farms surrounding the city. It is a major rice producer in the country but does not have any other major economic activities (that I know of yet). It is very accessible to two cities and there is an Internet café in town. I leave on Monday for Managua to meet the principals of the two schools in which I will be working and then we head for San Isidro together on Tuesday. more details to come after my visit!!

Everyone is so happy about our site placements, many of us are close-ish so we will be able to visit each other every once in a while. There will be more details to come after my visit!!

Lake Time, But We Are Not Just Tourists...

As Trainees, life is largely determined for us. We have requirements to fill and schedules that allow us little free time. I am sure I have already exhausted that topic... 

But it makes our days out of town even better! We went on Saturday night to a neighboring town not too far to watch folkloric dances. It was so fun to see what seemed like the entire small community show up to the event. The dances were beautiful, and having talked about them with various community members it was fun to see them live. Some were funny, others beautiful, but it definitely got me excited to be at a small site. 

On Sunday we went to a lagoon that is a crater from a volcano with warm, clear water. It was so nice to be able to swim after being so hot all the time even though the water was lukewarm. For the first time in a while, we forgot everything and soaked in the fact that we were in beautiful Nicaragua. It is always interesting to go to a touristy place and tell them that no, we will not pay $20 for a ride that should be $5. And on top of that we will not pay in dollars because we make money in cordobas (aka even though you look at us as a pure money making opportunity we don’t have as much as you think we do.) One of my favorite things is when we go out and they try to rip us off and then become surprised when we not only can speak Spanish but we also know the proper price for something.

After our day on the beach, we went to the small town nearby where they make beautiful hand-crafted pots of all different shapes and sizes. I probably wont be taking my chances on sending anything home in the mail, but for anyone who wants to visit and loves pottery (eh em, mom!) I will gladly take you there when you come! To end a peaceful day I came ho me to a happy Jesús who wanted to play with me and greeted me by running down the sidewalk screaming my name as I walked up. He even sat on my lap! And the cherry on top is that I got to rock a cheery three month old to sleep. I felt rejuvenated as I started the week.

So, we find out our sites in two days! I am definitely trying not to think about it a lot so I don’t lose my concentration on our other tasks. They are about to determine the next two years of our lives. No big deal.