Alvaro took Mom and I out today to visit as many villages other than Candelaria with only 2 days left in my mom's trip. I knew we would be back to Candelaria for Sunday services so I wanted her to see as many other places Saturday would allow.
I took her by the goat ladies place, and then out to Bethel. She had fun visiting with Yahaira's and Daniel's family. Rosa and Yorlene's mom was out visiting in Bethel and had her 17-day old daughter, Veronica, with her.
We went on to visit with Pastor Pablo and his family in Guanacastal. Mom was happy to see he had been using the bike that First Baptist Church of Boone bought him. They lost a lot of fruit trees and their TV antenna in the storm, but the house held up pretty well.
From here we went to Santa Matilde. Mom got to meet 3 of the youth group girls and some other kids from the village. A few small trees were down, but we didn't see any really bad aftermath of the storm here. Victoria Zapata's yard had a big limb down but it missed her house and her chickens were enjoying it.
Mom got to reunite with Laura for dinner. Laura served as my mom's translator in January and they have kept up through email since. Her friend, and a translator for us with some larger groups, David, joined Mom and I for dinner. We stayed out til around 10 pm fellowshipping in the park infront of the big cathedral.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Happy Nica Mother's Day
May 30th is Mother's Day here every year, regardless of the day of the week. Mom and I woke up after the power returned at 3:30 am and once the sun came up went to grab breakfast. Leon had no water or cable/internet/phone across the whole city. Our house had power, but it was in one of the only areas that did get power back Friday morning.
We watched Amazing Grace at my place and then caught a ride out to the entrance of Chichigalpa with my neighbors. Mike, Mike, and Maria were taking out a lot of tarp to fix some houses in Chinadega. Mom and I wanted to go and visit some people in the villages and see how bad the storm had left the area.
Along the road on the way out, we saw many large trees and powerline poles laying on the ground, but by the time we got into Chichigalpa things looked better. Nothing larger than wrist width limbs were down and the dirt roads were badly washed. We got to La Isla and crossed the river by foot.
We spent time visiting with Rosa and her family. They were still without power, but did not suffer any real damage to their house or yard. We caught the bus home and I took mom out for dinner at Solera.
We watched Amazing Grace at my place and then caught a ride out to the entrance of Chichigalpa with my neighbors. Mike, Mike, and Maria were taking out a lot of tarp to fix some houses in Chinadega. Mom and I wanted to go and visit some people in the villages and see how bad the storm had left the area.
Along the road on the way out, we saw many large trees and powerline poles laying on the ground, but by the time we got into Chichigalpa things looked better. Nothing larger than wrist width limbs were down and the dirt roads were badly washed. We got to La Isla and crossed the river by foot.
We spent time visiting with Rosa and her family. They were still without power, but did not suffer any real damage to their house or yard. We caught the bus home and I took mom out for dinner at Solera.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tropical Storm/Hurricane Alma
Well, the Marins were right about a lot of rain coming to Leon, but they didn't tell us it was because of a tropical storm. Alma was a tropical storm until about 1 pm when it hit land just west of Leon, at which time winds picked up enough to be the first hurricane of the year. Alma is the first hurricane in history to originate in the Pacific and move north up Central America.
The power went out around 2:30 pm while all of us were getting work done at the office, at the Gable's house. Rain let up just long enough for all of us to get home and then we sat in our rooms in the eye of the storm for the rest of the afternoon. Two trees feel onto the roof at my place, all members got some entertainment watching them machete the limbs off of it until the storm got too bad to stay outside.
Mom and I spent time reading and playing cards in her room. By 5:30 it was too dark to see anything so we decided we would just head to bed and hope things improved by morning. Power came back on at 3:30 am and we woke up and started our Thursday.
The power went out around 2:30 pm while all of us were getting work done at the office, at the Gable's house. Rain let up just long enough for all of us to get home and then we sat in our rooms in the eye of the storm for the rest of the afternoon. Two trees feel onto the roof at my place, all members got some entertainment watching them machete the limbs off of it until the storm got too bad to stay outside.
Mom and I spent time reading and playing cards in her room. By 5:30 it was too dark to see anything so we decided we would just head to bed and hope things improved by morning. Power came back on at 3:30 am and we woke up and started our Thursday.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Mom & Daughter Scarleth Reunited
As we were heading down to the office to meet up with the rest of the team, I was letting my mom see Preston and Sandra's place when a guy from ASU recognized me. Chandler, about 5 other appropriate technology students, and 2 teachers we visiting in Leon on a day off from there weeks work in the coffee fields of Nicaragua.
We went down for breakfast at Viky's and Mom enjoyed getting to meet the whole family, Oneada and Evenling were there with the rest she had already met.
Alvaro took us out at 1 and a lot of kids were on the land at Candelaria because there out of school the rest of the week. Friday is mother's day here, and there is no school W-F. Leo ran baseball practice and mom got time to play and visit with other kids around the church. Scarleth, who my parents adopted under NSMN Adopt-a-Family was there and wearing the dress that my mom paid to have Lucia make her. They were excited to get to visit and play all afternoon.
The dental clinic is really coming along, the floor is almost completely tiled. I know that Linda will love to see the progress when she returns next week. Scarleth, Oscar, and I led a meeting about the bodega, storage area, with Pastor Jose, sewing ladies, garden workers, and others that use it.
Mom got to meet Alex, Marcela, and Juan Diego Marin tonight down at their house and we visited for about an hour. They told us that it was going to rain pretty much all of the next 2 days, but we are hoping that it misses so my mom gets more time out in the villages.
We went down for breakfast at Viky's and Mom enjoyed getting to meet the whole family, Oneada and Evenling were there with the rest she had already met.
Alvaro took us out at 1 and a lot of kids were on the land at Candelaria because there out of school the rest of the week. Friday is mother's day here, and there is no school W-F. Leo ran baseball practice and mom got time to play and visit with other kids around the church. Scarleth, who my parents adopted under NSMN Adopt-a-Family was there and wearing the dress that my mom paid to have Lucia make her. They were excited to get to visit and play all afternoon.
The dental clinic is really coming along, the floor is almost completely tiled. I know that Linda will love to see the progress when she returns next week. Scarleth, Oscar, and I led a meeting about the bodega, storage area, with Pastor Jose, sewing ladies, garden workers, and others that use it.
Mom got to meet Alex, Marcela, and Juan Diego Marin tonight down at their house and we visited for about an hour. They told us that it was going to rain pretty much all of the next 2 days, but we are hoping that it misses so my mom gets more time out in the villages.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tuesday with Mama
Mom and I spent the day unpacking and getting situated in Leon. We went to lunch a Viky's and mom got to meet Alejahndra. Scarleth and I honored our day off by taking my mom to Playa Roca at Poneloya Beach for the afternoon and sunset. Mom and I grabbed dinner and Pizza Hot and she got to meet some of my friends that work there and I visit a few times a week for dinner. On our walk back up towards my place, we stopped at La Posada del Doctor to see if William was working. We were in luck and we all visited for 20 minutes or so. He was very happy to see my mom and was asking when my dad and grandad would be back.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Managua Monday & MOM
Oscar's brother, Alvaro, drove Scarleth, Leo, and I to Managua to do some errands and grab my mom from the airport. We went to the mall and grabbed lunch in the food court. Then we traveled into Masaya and Catarina looking for some trees that Linda needs for the garden, but no one had the ones we were looking for. My mom did enjoy seeing a few parts of the country she did not see during our January trip, so trip was not completely fruitless. We traveled back to Leon, and hit some heavy rain during the trip. I got mom setup in a room above me in the house I stay at and we got some stuff unpacked she had brought for me personally and to use in villages. We grabbed dinner at my favorite spot and she got to meet Viky and Reyna.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Sunday with Pedro and Family
Today was cool with dark skies all day, looking like it was going to rain, but never started...of course until 4 when we were meeting to drive out for Sunday night service. It started raining just as we got in the truck and picked up to pouring the whole drive out.
Pastor Pedro brought his wife and 3 daughters along, so we had a full truck with Scarleth, Leo, and I across the backseat, a 10-year old in my lap, and a 5-year old in Leo's. Pedro's wife, Maria had her 16-month daughter in her lap up front. It was a fun trip and all of his girls speak very good Spanish and English. There names are Paola, Rachael, and Laura.
We had a decent number of church members there with the weather like it was, about 40. Pastor Pedro made up for his not being able to come out Friday when Daniel called and told us that he had to be at a wedding, and could not come do worship for us in Candelaria. Pedro and his wife did a great job leading worship.
After worship I took about 15 kids into the pastors house to watch the DVD of David and Goliath. The pastor's girls joined us. Pedro spoke and Pastor Jose closed. Scarleth and I then ended the service letting everyone know how much we appreciated their hard work this week, and that we had reported it back to the Gables, and how proud it made us to see them working for the church. Pastor Jose told us they finished the land and fence down near the river, but we did not walk across the field/lake to see it.
Pastor Pedro brought his wife and 3 daughters along, so we had a full truck with Scarleth, Leo, and I across the backseat, a 10-year old in my lap, and a 5-year old in Leo's. Pedro's wife, Maria had her 16-month daughter in her lap up front. It was a fun trip and all of his girls speak very good Spanish and English. There names are Paola, Rachael, and Laura.
We had a decent number of church members there with the weather like it was, about 40. Pastor Pedro made up for his not being able to come out Friday when Daniel called and told us that he had to be at a wedding, and could not come do worship for us in Candelaria. Pedro and his wife did a great job leading worship.
After worship I took about 15 kids into the pastors house to watch the DVD of David and Goliath. The pastor's girls joined us. Pedro spoke and Pastor Jose closed. Scarleth and I then ended the service letting everyone know how much we appreciated their hard work this week, and that we had reported it back to the Gables, and how proud it made us to see them working for the church. Pastor Jose told us they finished the land and fence down near the river, but we did not walk across the field/lake to see it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)