Still No Truck

The guys at the garage have now told us that we will be truckless until at least Monday morning. The strike ended this afternoon, so busses and taxis should be on the road again Monday.

I went out for the afternoon with Juan Diego and some of his friends and their families out above Telica for a barbeque. We stayed out there until dark and then came back to see Larry off.

Larry flies out tomorrow, but wants to go ahead and get to Managua tonight just to be sure there are no traffic issues.

Friday Stuck in Leon

The truck is still being looked at and they say we might get it back tomorrow. For today we are confined to Leon because the strike is still on. Hoping for better news on the truck and the strike soon.

Thursday Short Trip Out

Larry and Scarleth got a truck full of plantain bulbs and stems, in Leon for planting around the dental clinic and garden in Candelaria. Oscar and I worked from the Gables until we left for Candelaria around 1. Roger came with us to talk with garden people about planting the plantains and oversee other things at the garden. Leo had plans for baseball practice and Scarleth and Larry had plans to meet a lady in Chinadega about the water tank for the dental clinic.

As we got to the entrance of Chichigapla the truck started making some high pitched awful noise. We continued to the church and unloaded the plantains. We then turned around and traveled back to Leon. We needed to get the truck in to the shop before 5, and the sooner the better.

They will check it tonight and in the morning, and we will try and plan our day tomorrow once we know the truck status.

Traffic Stike Article

Rising Fuel Costs Provoke Transportation Strike in Nicaragua

Within minutes of rescuing us from the blazing sun of downtown, Jose Briceño Perez, a driver in a Nicaraguan taxi cooperative in the capital of Managua, made it clear that he was less than content with current government policies concerning fuel prices. "The money we pay for gas, it just goes to corruption."

May 5th marked the beginning of an intended thirty day strike, with more than 1.5 million public transport workers and truckers in Nicaragua protesting rising fuel costs and the lack of government impetus to do anything about it. With road blockades in several places in Managua and almost no public intercity transport allowed whatsoever, Nicaragua is at an effective standstill. Containers full of goods sit stalled on the sides of highways, and even sports teams have cancelled weekend matches. When baseball is put on hold in Nicaragua, you know it is serious.

The focus of the strike centers on three unions’ demands for government subsidization at the fuel pump. The Federation of Taxi Drivers, National Transportation Coordinator and the Interurban Transportation Directorate demand that gas prices, currently at about US$4.70 per gallon, be reduced by more than US$2.00 per gallon and frozen. However, the government remains firm that such a policy would bankrupt them, and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has offered to reduce the price of gasoline by only US$0.30 cents a gallon.

In Managua, some urban buses continue to run – those that already receive heavy fuel subsidies from the government. However, travel in the city is both risky and tense, and taxis refuse to drive in neighborhoods where there are known blockades. This week informal reports told of several strike-breaking taxis which were stopped by strikers at blockades. Strikers dragged passengers out and then stoned the vehicle. On Wednesday, more than 100 people were arrested in the city of León over the strike, and at least 15 police officers have been injured in interactions with the strikers. Reports trickle in of violent scuffles in most major cities throughout the country.

While many hope an agreement will be reached between the government and the transport workers prior to the planned month-long strike, several Nicaraguans we spoke to say that the situation has to get worse before it gets better. A 1999 transportation strike left two people dead and 48 wounded before a resolution was reached.

Wednesday Candelaria

We worked around Leon at the office in the morning and then Larry drove Oscar, Scarleth, and I out for baseball practice.

Leo had a good number of kids there especially the age 5-10 team. They had a good practice for about 2 hours. Scarleth shared a couple Bible stories with them before they started practice and then she met with goat ladies near the end of practice.

Larry visited with some of the kids, sharing balloons and hugs. Alfredo, Ariel, and I rearraged things in the bodega. After adding a lot of beans and 5 gallon buckets of oil, it had become too crowded to walk through again. We sorted some of the black trunks with dental supplies, clothes, and toys/games and stacked them better. I also spent some time biking around to visit some of the young kids at home after morning school.

10 days now of traffic strike and 2 men have been reported dead. Leon seems to be safe, but we are taking precautions and only traveling in the day where we know there are not any road blocks. Reports say things will get worse before better and there is more violence to come, mostly in the capital, Managua.

A Tuesday Off, Mostly

This morning Scarleth went with me to buy time, it was $35 to stay here another 90 days, so I am thankful that is taken care of. After that Scarleth and I handled some calls and emails from the Gables house. Larry and I grabbed lunch and shared some more family stories. After lunch, he and I went to pickup the truck that he had left to have a custom tarp made for the bed for traveling in the upcoming rain season. They did a great job at a low price and then we took the truck to have an antenna put on it.

We then had the full afternoon off. I took a long nap and have spent the night organizing my room and catching up some of my personal emails and contacts back home.

We will be out in Candelaria in the afternoon tomorrow for baseball and some small project reports.

Hope all is well in with you and yours...and to everyone in Boone I hope some spring weather comes soon!

LOVE...Jim Bob Norman "DIEGO" John 15:13

Monday in Leon

We all worked from the Gables house/NewSong office today getting more things setup to complete in Larry's last week with us. We picked what things on our to-do list are possible with the current traffic and transportation strike. Today marks a full week and nothing seems to be changing soon.

Larry and I also drove out to look at cars in Chichigalpa and Chinadega just to get an idea of something I might try and get in the future. Both cars I saw today were too old, and I will be looking more around Leon and Managua in weeks to come.

I also went to buy time today, so that I can stay another 90 days here without leaving the country since I am not a resident. I actually have to come back tomorrow to finish the process, but they todl me what things to bring with me in the morning.

Global Day of Prayer Service

We recognized the Global Day of prayer with a service involving Candelaria, La Isla, and Santa Matilde. Larry preached on the importance of prayer with supporitng scripture in Pslams and James. We then spent about 45 mintues with pastors and church leaders praying for specific things.

Pastors Jose, Walter, Pablo, and a pastor from the corner church in Candelaria all prayed for world peace. Then there was prayer for healing the sick by all of the pastors. Then each pastor prayed for different needs including: safe travel for the Gables in the states, NewSong Mission Nicaragua, traffic problems, small business and other funding, medical dental clinic, all the people of the surrounding communities, the future teams that are coming to help, and then a paryer over all the church pastors, sunday shcool leaders, elders, deacons, and leaders.

The rest of the day we worked from Leon to catchup emails and other office duties. I hope every mother had a great mothers day! I got to call my mom and each grandmother this afternoon. I will celebrate mothers day with my mom when she comes here for the last week of May because "La dia de la madre" is May 30, 2008 in Nicaragua!