Nicaragua, dia seis

Monday, July 28, 2014

After I blogged last night, I went to Jessica's blog (http://jessieinnica.tumblr.com/) as she too is blogging her adventure while here. I was deeply moved by what she wrote, her insight. She may be young, but she has had some moments beyond her years. She summed up her feelings, as well as mine very well, and we all know that imitation is the best form of flattery so I stole a few of her words: I feel a fire, a passion, burning in me that I have not felt in a long time. I want to and will learn Spanish before I come back, hopefully, next year to reconnect with the people here. I love our sister church, La Iglesia de Comunidad. I love what God is doing in my heart. The only thing holding me back from really experiencing Nicaragua to its fullest is my inability to speak Spanish. 

Sadly, today is my last day in Leon, Nicaragua. I thought I had all day Monday, but I only have a few more hours left here as it is a long drive to Managua and we have to find a motel, etc., before a very early morning and long day, so we had breakfast before the group arrived and then off to the coffee shop for our usual morning caffeine and talk about what we have seen and experienced while here. Some of my thoughts and writings may be a bit unorganized, a jumble, it is kind of how I am feeling today. If my forgetfulness this trip has been any indication, here is just another example of it...I walked out of the coffee shop and left my camera sitting on the table. Gracias Dios, I was NOT the last person in our group to leave the coffee shop. I was so happy to see Pastor Jesse walk out with my camera in hand. Seriously, as soon as I get home, I have to go and get a new strap so I can wear that camera again.

Today is an emotional day, the feelings are overwhelming. "What am I/we doing here?" "What can I/we do?" As you have heard me say, "I cannot change Nicaragua, but God can change me!" The church in Nicaragua needs to be a light (just like at home). If Leon's church is successful, they will attract others in. "Will I experience church differently in Woodburn since I have been in Nicaragua? Will my worship be changed after this experience?"

Jesse spoke about dreaming, how important it is to dream and to dream big,  We talked about many tangible ways we could help the Nicaraguans; the specialized teams that could come in the future, the many different projects we could implement, etc. Jesse and Paul came to check out business opportunities as well as internship possibilities for the locals. Hannah came to teach English to the teachers. Juan came 2 years ago and had already established relationships with many in the community as well as church members and was able to pick right up with those upon his return. Lisa, Brianna, and Jessica came to serve others in several different ministries. Isaac came to photograph the experience and to make a website for the church. From the get go, I kind of felt like I had no purpose on this trip. I struggled to find "my place on the team." I felt like I did not fit in - this in no way was a reflection on the team, as they did not make me feel that way, but I knew since I was coming home after only 5 days there I felt I had no real purpose. I may not have been there to serve in a specific ministry, but I feel this was a good experience for me. I feel something stirring in me that I have not felt before.

Speaking of dreaming, La Iglesia de Comunidad has a wide variety of attendees; one of which is a doctor who has a dream. Reynaldo (the doctor) has a dream of a medical clinic first run out of the church and then taken into the smaller communities just out of reach of town, who have no means of transportation to get into town. There are many opportunities of serving, dreaming, and it all flows from the church. I suspect us at Mid Valley will be hearing about those opportunities as Jesse and the rest of the team reflect on what we all saw and and experienced in Central America, and we all want to be a global church. 

We then headed out for one last 'adventure.' Pedro and Jesse took us for a walk to the open market. Wow, that was an experience. It was in the 90s and 50% humidity and the market, while called an open market, is a ton of booths in a huge building that was so hot and not technically open at all. They cut up meat and fish in the booths, no refrigerators, no ice, just salt to preserve it. Yuck! There was a woman that was pacing through one area screaming loudly. Pedro said she had mental health issues, and they do not have any facilities there for people to go for help. Lisa and Brianna tried mamoncillos, a Spanish lime. The faces they made were...priceless. Some of the fruit was so ripe, I doubt anybody would buy it.

On our way back to the hotel, there was time for one more lesson. We saw some murals on the walls outside of El Sesteo. Augusto César Sandino was a leader of the resistance to the US military occupation of Nicaragua in the 1920s and 1930s.  He was assassinated in 1934 by the US-supported Guardia Nacional, the national police force of the Somoza dictatorship.The Sandinistas took his name in the 1960s. At that time, the US government was still backing the Somoza dictatorship and, later, the US supplied the Contras (the counter-revolutionary forces composed mostly of the Guardia Nacional).  In July 1979, the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza was overthrown through violent civil strife. The Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) had played a major rile in defeating oppression. Sandino’s image became a symbol of the Sandinista movement and, as such, was banned during the later Somoza years. In the first image, Sandino is stepping on Anastasio Somoza.  The mural was restored in 1993, and the banner currently reads “Sandino Vive” (Sandino lives). This mural was originally done in 1983 by a US muralist, Mike Alewitz.  He describes himself as a Marxist agitprop artist, and his work focuses primarily on labor issues.  I am surprised and totally fascinated that the Sandinista government commissioned a US artist to create this mural. 

It was now time to say good-bye. I really was not ready to go, I wanted to see more, to experience more, to help more, but it was time to go. I am jealous that the others get to stay and I have to go, that they get to stay and serve others, get to experience a whole new level of Nicaragua. After hugs all around, Pedro drove Jesse, Paul, Isaac, and me to Managua. During our long drive, we talked with Pedro about ministry opportunities in the future. We also learned more history about Nicaragua. Outside of Managua is an absolutely massive fresh water lake; however, the whole thing is polluted and cannot be used at all. So sad, especially since there are many crops along the countryside that are dying because of drought. It has been almost a year since the area of Leon has had any significant rainfall. The hotel where Jesse wanted to stay did not have enough rooms, and I was bummed. There was a bird sanctuary out front that had HUGE parrots that I was looking forward to shooting and hopefully having my picture done with. Oh well, we went down the road a bit and stayed right across from the airport at the Best Western. 

I pray that the first, the passion I feel right now does not die. I understand after a trip like this many times there is a fire, a passion, and I suppose it is normal that those feelings would subside some in time, but I pray that I do not forget the feelings I am having right now. It can be truly amazing what God can do if we step out of His way and let Him lead us. I really had NO idea God would change my heart on this trip, but He did. I honestly believed I would just go and take in the culture and take pictures, many pictures, but I really had no idea that I would fall in love with Leon and the people and want to come back.

Nicaragua, dia cinco

Sunday, July 27, 2014

It was a very rough night for me...I blogged and uploaded photos until just after midnight, but that did not mean I would sleep :(  Once I settled in for the night, I started hearing very loud Spanish music coming from the plaza, which is a few blocks away. The last time I looked at the clock, it was 1:37 am. While it was still dark outside, 2:43 am, I was awoke by the stupid rooster that Jesse had so much trouble with that he asked to be moved to another room. It is my conclusion that el gallo (the rooster) should be taken to Tip Top (a restaurant that sells chicken dishes). It was after 3:30 am before I fell back to sleep and then woke yet again at 6:30 am so I figured it was time to get up. After getting ready for church, I went out to the courtyard and had breakfast before Pedro picked us up for church about 8:30.

They definitely are not as hung up here on time as we (specifically me) are at home. If it is stated that church starts at 9, it is my opinion that it should begin at 9. I am finding that is not the case here with anything concerning time. I think church finally began about 9:20-ish. The worship music was beautiful. Even though I did not know the words in Spanish, much of the music was the same songs we sing at home. However, I cannot explain why the exact same songs sound so much sweeter in Spanish than in English. Some of the songs were a bit more lively than we do but they were great...it was such a sweet spirit of worship, worshiping with brothers and sisters in Christ yet knowing that my brothers and sisters at home were worshiping the same God was an absolutely amazing feeling. 

Pedro had us come up as a group and tell our name, age, and what we were learning while here in Leon. It would have been nice to have a little more notice so that I could have given some thought to what I wanted to say; however, I had to make due with the few moments I had to prepare. I told them that through the lens of my camera, God was teaching me so much about the people of Nicaragua, that my world was becoming so much larger. Pedro's sermon/teaching was great. The church was very thoughtful in that they had a translator as Pedro did his teaching in Spanish. We may be young/old, serious/silly, Latino/American, but we need to be one church, a healthy church. The church is so much more than a building, a religion, even a relationship. We can all go to church in a building but church is Christians coming together for God's purpose to do His work, globally. 

After Pedro's teaching, we got to watch Pastor Jesse dedicate Pastor Pedro and Maria's sweet baby. It was wonderful watching this specific baby dedication in our sister church. I felt such a connectiveness to them, their family, and their church, our church. 

After church, the team, as well as Pedro Maria, Paola, Rachel, Laura, and PJ went to lunch. Can you guess where?  For those of you who have traveled to Nicaragua with Jesse, you know that he enjoys El Sesteo so we went back there for lunch today. I had the opportunity to sit with Pedro and Maria and talk about some of the ministries here and some ways for tangible help. My mind has been racing pretty much the whole time I have been here and is still going.

My time here is winding down so very quickly as we well be heading to Managua tomorrow because we have an early flight and it is a long drive, but I am glad that I was able to come. In many ways I sure wish I could stay longer. I am so thankful though that the days were spent the way they were - seeing the culture - getting a feel for the way of life. While my accommodations here are humble, they are tremendously better than how the majority of the people here live. While the poverty level has improved even in the last 5 years, it is still second in the nation. Only Haiti's poverty level is higher. I thought I had seen poverty at home in the states, but I really had no idea what poverty truly was until this trip. 

After lunch, it was once again siesta time. I like the down time in the afternoon to work on my blog, pictures, meditate on what I have learned that day. 

I am not usually an irresponsible person, but I think my brain is a little on overload with all of my surroundings. There is a lot to take in here. Today, I lost two things, one of my cooling cloths and unfortunately, my camera strap/sling. I love that sling and when I get home I will have to replace it. I do not like the traditional strap that hangs around the neck as it hurts my neck so I invested in the sling, I love that sling.

I have learned that time is truly a relative term here. As I have stated, Jesse does not like having a firm 'plan,' but sometimes having a plan can be a good thing. Somehow, we believed Pedro was bringing the team in for some afternoon time together as well as dinner and debriefing. After waiting until 6:15 pm and Pedro and the team were still not there, we decided to walk to the square for some dinner. We were just enjoying walking around the plaza observing the people and low and behold the rest of the team showed up about 7:30. There were some vendors out in the square so we went to make a few bargains for souvenirs. I did find a few things, a few treasures. It is kind of hard to try and find bargains when you do not speak the language but gracious a Dios (thank goodness) for Hannah as she got us some bargains. After some discussion, Jesse, Paul, and Pedro decided to have dinner at El Sesteo. After 4 meals there already, I was ready for something different. When the team chose pizza I thought that sounded pretty good so I opted to go with them. The place was packed, no tables available, so we opted to get the pizzas to go and took them back to the hotel to eat them. After the men came back and Pedro and the team left, Jesse, Paul, and I called it a night...it was time for post yesterday's adventure. 

Nicaragua, dia quatro

Saturday, July 26, 2014

The group arrived around 8:30 am and it is already 84. I do believe it is going to be a hot one today. We all headed out to the local coffee shop for our daily caffeine fix and to formulate a "plan." I use quotations marks with plan because Jesse keeps reminding us not to get hung up on the plan as that is usually tied to expectations, and if you have been reading my blog, you already have heard about expectations. We need to be flexible, to be open to what God has for each of us while here. We also had to make a pit stop at the drug store as Jessica was sick, had been up most of the night, and did not make the trip in with the group. Apparently, the combination of hot sun, hard work, sweating, dehydration, and chugging a bottle of sugary soda made for one sick young lady. I guess I should explain why she chugged the soda. Friday night at youth group, there was a challenge. They wanted one Nicaraguan girl and one Oregonian girl to have a chugging contest. Jess won but ultimately it sounds to me like she lost since she spent the whole day at the house.

At the coffee shop, Jesse did a little teaching about Mark 10 and the rich, young ruler. This ruler believed he had it all together and that he was ready for Heaven. He even goes as far as getting confirmation from those around him. He goes to Jesus for final confirmation, but rather Jesus loves him and then tells him the truth. Instead of looking to man or to religion, he (we) need to look to Jesus. Jesus looks at us and knows us, knows if we have it all together or if we still need some work. We need to be sensitive to that and listen when he speaks to us, even if painful. We need to remember Ecclesiastes 5:2 - Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

The vast majority of the world lives like what we are seeing here in Nicaragua, not how we live back in Oregon. We change. We soften. We make assumptions. Pedro's church is called "The American Church" here. We need to be a connected people. We need to be a global people. If I am constantly tethering my soul to my expectations, I am going to be disappointed. Again, we cannot fix it, but we have to be open to doing what we feel The Lord telling us and act. Do not overthink it, act. We may not understand the how and why, but we need to accept that His ways are not our ways, which makes me think of Deuteronomy 29:29 - The secret things belong to The Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.

As we headed out for a day of touring and more culture, we had to stop and drop off the medicines for Jessica, and I got to see Pedro's home that they have built. It is a lovely house, very nice and beautiful. A large home, very roomy, and yet a humble place. The view is amazing, surrounded by volcanoes.

We went to Telica where Pedro grew up and where Felix, Pedro's older brother, has a home church, and where he lives with their mother while he is building his home as money and time permits. The church has some walls up and a roof of sorts. It is truly mind blowing to see what the people do here with so very little in comparison to what we have. After seeing the church we then went to see where Felix is building his home. Much of the outer part is done as he has been working on it for 3 years, and he said it would probably be another 2 years before it is completed as it is totally built as he has the money. We then went to Pedro's mother's home where many generations of family live together, Pedro's mom, Felix and his family, another brother and his family, and I believe there is a distant relative there as well. These people were amazingly gracious allowing us to invade their home, ask as many questions as we wanted, and take pictures. Here, we met Felix's son who is learning the same trade as his father, a shoe repairman. He takes old worn out shoes and repairs them so that people can get just a bit ore wear out of them.

Jesse and Pedro had some meetings they needed to attend so after dropping them off at La Posada, the group headed out with the driver, Wilfredo. He took us to the neighborhood, or bario, where his church is. He is a pastor of another of the 12 Churches. His church runs a feeding program Monday through Friday, feeding 50 to 60 kids a day between the ages of 2 and 14ish. For some, this very well may be the only meal they get. As we walked through the bario there, I was blown away. The poverty is unlike anything I have ever seen in the states. The streets are all dirt, no pavement, no sidewalks, just dirt. On both sides of the street were small channels of water, it was the dirty water from the homes, dirty washing water, dirty toilet water, etc. They have many squatters in these areas. The government owns the land, and the people just come in and squat to claim it. It is a dangerous situation because most of these places are no more than a lean-to with cardboard walls and metal roofs. The electrical wires run directly overhead and if one were to fall, they would die. Actually, Jesse said many have died hacking into the electrical wires for power as they try to patch into existing electrical lines. As we walked, Isaac and I were snapping so many pictures. We wanted to be sensitive to not invading their privacy or getting into their personal space, but there were so inviting. The children actually would pose for you and to see their faces light up when we would show them their picture, it made me smile. There were even some that would yell, "foto, foto!"

After finishing there, our last stop of culture seeing was the Dump. Yes, the city dump. Jesse and Pedro both explained that this would be difficult to see, but I personally wanted to see it because it is a huge part of the culture here, and I thought it would give me perspective. Perspective on what I am not sure of. Pedro explained that these people live up along the road to the dump. I thought the lean-tos we had seen in the city were as bad as it gets, but I was mistaken, it got worse. Any of our homes in Oregon would be mansions in comparison. Most of these were no more than what we would see the homeless in downtown Portland using. As we were driving in I was trying to prepare myself mentally for what we were about to see. As I was sitting there I happened to glance to my left and I saw 2 little boys no more than 5 and 7 walking out carrying garbage bags of stuff. Pedro said they rummage in the garbage for stuff to use in their homes as well as food to eat. This broke my heart when I saw these 2 boys. We got to the top and Pedro got out to ask about things but soon came back and explained that they were done digging in the dump for the day. I think God was good because as hard as it was for me to see these 2 little boys with garbage bags, I have no doubt what I could have seen would have been so much worse. We also got to see some of the wells that Living Water did. There were people at them, pumping water for their families. Pedro even got out and showed us how it was done.

As we walked and saw the true poverty of Nicaragua, I have NO words to describe the sadness I felt and my heart that was broken as I looked at these people and saw their way of life. Some of the children's faces to me seemed so very sad and yet others were smiling and seemed unaffected by it. I understand that you cannot miss what you do not know, but I do know and saw the inequality, the poverty, the despair. I hope that I never forget that feeling. Not to be sad but that I will be forever changed by what I have experienced while here in Nicaragua.

Our touring was over for the day thankfully...I was hot, tired, and emotionally exhausted. Jesse and Pedro had more meetings so everybody else went to their respective abodes for an afternoon siesta. Soon it was dinner time, one of my favorite times of the day; hence, why I look the way I do. (I believe I have lost weight though between the walking, the sweating, and the not eating near what I usually do.) Paul, Jesse, and I ventured out to walk somewhere to eat and low and behold we ended up at El Sesteo. Jesse says that the same people who own La Posada del Doctor own El Sesteo, and they are Christians. The food there is very good, and you know it is safe to eat as not all the food here is. As we were walking back after dinner we decided to hit the Internet/phone cafe and make some calls home. I decided to call Rebecca. I thought I would practice some of my Spanish so I say, buenas noches mi Amiga (good evening my friend) and she YELLS back "who is this and where are you calling me from?" Since the connection does not seem to be too good, I yell buenas noches mi amiga again. This back and forth went on for a bit and then I hear Jesse "I can hear you, Tina." He could hear me but Rebecca could not. It was comical, probably more comical had you been there. Of course, then it was time for gelato. Tonight we just a single though, no double, I was too stuffed from dinner.

As we returned, we three decided to sit outside in the courtyard and decompress the day and what a day it was, exhausting, exhilarating, and emotional. It was time to turn in so Jesse could read, Paul could watch television, and I could blog. 

Nicaragua, dia tres

Friday, July 25, 2014

Thankfully, I slept a tiny bit better than the first night. I love a firm bed, but even this one is a bit firmer than I am used to. Plus, I sleep in a queen sized bed and now am in a twin. There is not much room for rolling over without rolling right onto the floor if you know what I mean? I chose to sleep in rather than eat breakfast so my alarm did not go off until 8 am. I thought I had until 9 to get ready so was surprised by a knock on my door before 8:30, and so the adventure continues.

The group, minus Paul and Jesse, went to the church to work, well, they worked, I took pictures, and boy did I take pictures. If I may say so myself, I am getting some fabulous shots. That being said though, for every great shot I got, I must have taken at least 25 that were only average or not so great.

I learned a LOT today. I learned there are no street names in Leon. I am not kidding, seriously, no street names. Everything, and I mean everything direction-wise is in relation to a church; 3 blocks North of de Cathedral de Leon and 2 blocks East, etc. I learned it is normal for  "police officers" to pull up on a street, hop off their Moped, and flag cars down to check papers or give tickets. (I put police offers in quotations because corruption is still alive and well in Leon, Nicaragua, and what the police are doing is not all necessarily legal.) I learned that there are only 2 street lights in Leon, and that the lights are red and green, no yellow. Apparently, when the green is about ready to change, it blinks, and you better stop because if not, you will be in an accident. I learned that there are many unwanted, hungry, scrawny dogs begging for food and attention. I learned the people at Pedro's church love The Lord and show it by showing up and working/cleaning/helping at the church, many times without even being asked. However, the most important thing I learned today, DO NOT put my camera bag down unattended (not really the most important thing I learned of course, but it was  a valuable lesson). I was warned not to put it down in the sanctuary, but I was told this one certain place was okay so I left it there because the others were in that area and went about taking pictures. After Jesse, Pedro, and Paul finished their meetings, they invited me to go with them. When I went to get my bag where I left it, I was panic stricken when it was not where I left it. After a few terror filled moments and fretting I decided to ask and thankfully somebody had moved it to a safer place as the rest of the group have moved into another area to work and it was unattended.

Jesse, Pedro, Paul, and I went to check out the leading cabinet shop in Leon, Nicaragua. Not that I know anything about wood shops or woodworking, but according to the guys, the shop was nice, had some very good equipment, and did quality work. The next stop was to go into a housing development and check out the finished work. That was quite amazing. They houses are beautiful with their concrete everywhere, gorgeous tile floors and granite counter tops, and custom built wood closets. Apparently, you can buy a 1400 sq foot, 3 bedroom with 3 full bathrooms, a powder room, and maid's quarters for $85,000. Anybody want to buy a vacation home/real estate investment with me?

Okay, I know this is not all about the food but come one, I would be lying if I said it was not at least a little about the food, right? I am having a great time trying the local food here. Every time we eat out, I try something different. Today, Pedro took us to somewhere the locals go so you know the food has to be good. It would be the equivalent of Luis' in Woodburn. I had a different version of jalapeño chicken, rice and beans, green salad, and fried plantains. I probably only ate half of it. Here, they eat breakfast, a HUGE lunch, and a much lighter dinner. While most here cannot afford to eat out because the prices are too high for them, it seemed reasonable to us...for all four of us to eat, it was $20. Oy vey, I now understand why everybody takes a siesta in the afternoon.

The guys dropped me off at La Posada del Doctor. While they went out to do some more exploring for cabinet shops, etc., I decided to do a little exploring of my own. Pedro assured me it was totally safe for me to go out on my own but he did strongly suggest I not take my big camera out with me. He said it could prove to be a big temptation. As much as I hated not to take it, I decided I should heed his advice. As most of you know, I truly have no sense of direction and since there are no street names, I decided if I wanted to make my way back to the hotel I better be direct in my path. I pretty much kept in a straight line. I was so afraid that I would get lost and while I know the name of my hotel, probably anybody I would ask for directions would give them in Spanish and I was not sure that would help much. I only stayed gone about an hour, and even with my iPhone I got some great shots of a couple of churches.

Since the youth group at Iglesia Comunidad Cristiana ranges from young to old, I thought I would go to youth group with the rest of them so I could take pictures. It was very interesting. Eric is a great youth pastor; he really knows how to get the kids involved. You cannot miss his passion for The Lord and the youth of the church. To describe youth group...I would have to say it reminded me of a Friday Night Worship.

Youth group did not end until about 8:30 so then off to El Sesteo for dinner (I guess the owner of El Sesteo also owns La Posada del Doctor and are Christians so that is great to support) we went. They make a juice there with fresh fruit that is wonderful. This was my second try at the juice so I tried the mango limonada, yummy! Dinner was amazing of course, Chicken El Sesteo (all of the food has been very good). After paying the bill, Ronaldo dropped me off at the hotel and took the others home for the evening. A few minutes later, Jesse rapped on my door to make sure I got in safe so we chatted for a few minutes. After that I went to get some money out of my bag and realized I had lost a large sum of money...I was sick about it. I decided I would try and call the restaurant; however, my cell phone will not call here and there are no phones in our rooms. I asked the desk clerk, he who spoke NO English and me who speaks poco espanol, to call the restaurant to see if I had left it there (I knew I had had it there but did not have it when I returned). He told me no that they were closed for the evening and I would have to wait until tomorrow. I tearfully returned to my room and tore my stuff part one more time just to make sure I did not have it. I was just sick to my stomach by this time so I decided to go out and beg him to at least try and call since it was Friday night and I had just returned so there should at least be people there cleaning up. So with Google Translate I headed down to the front desk armed to begin begging and begging is just what I did. He finally relented and called. I was able to speak with the manager and explained my dilemma. He told me yes they had found it and that somebody would drop it off at the hotel when they finished closing. About 11:15 somebody from the restaurant did show up and gave me the money. I was so thankful, first for their honestly and second that God is good!

It is almost 11 here and I still have to move pictures to Facebook of our adventures today so it is time for me to say tengo sueno, hasta manana.

Nicaragua, dia dos

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Let the adventure begin...while technically it is day two, the real adventure begins today.

I have to preface today's blog post with please do not judge me for any mistakes you may find. It has been a VERY long day (you will hear more about this in tomorrow's post), and I am pretty tired. Right now, it is 11:45 pm but I know if I do not blog, I will get behind and then will be really off.

This quaint little hotel, La Posada del Doctor, serves breakfast with your stay. It was a lovely breakfast of an egg, two slices of toast, fresh watermelon, and some wonderful fresh squeezed juice. Jesse, Paul, and I had a quiet breakfast before the days activities began and then headed to our cool rooms until the rest of the group arrived and we began a HOT day of walking and touring the downtown area of Leon. After Ronaldo arrived with the group, we walked to a very nice little coffee shop for our morning caffeine. I did not have the coffee and grew to regret that decision later in the day with a caffeine withdrawal headache.

We went to the Cathedral de Leon. It was constructed between 1747 and 1814 and was consecrated by the pope in 1860. The Cathedral has maintained the status of being the largest cathedral in Central Americas and one of the best known in the Americas due to its distinct architecture and special cultural importance. The Cathedral has a nave and four aisles, ten arched bays and two towers in the facade, flanking a central round pediment marking the position of the nave. Due to the robustness of its walls, the Cathedral has survived tremors, volcanic eruptions of the volcano Black Hill and wars. In 1824 several cannons were mounted on the roof during the siege of the city by conservative forces, and in the insurrection of June and July 1979 against dictator Anastasio. The guerrilla fighters of the Sandinista National Liberation Front also used it for military purposes. Seven tunnels start under the church and lead to the other churches in the city. Three of those tunnels are partly opened to tourists. Beneath the Cathedral, in crypts designed to survive earthquakes, the mortal remains of 27 people rest, among them 10 bishops, 5 priests, an eminent leader of the independence movement, 3 poets, a musician, 6 notables and a slave. While in this building we saw many people coming and going, praying and lighting candles. As we were in there, Jesse had a short teaching and we discussed that Religion runs deep in our souls--there is a God-shaped void in our lives that nothing else can fill. Seeing all of the icons made me realize how people are reaching for God. As we gazed at many icons, artwork, and decorations you realize just how far off Jesus is to these people. By that I mean that they do not feel that connection, that relationship, that we have with Him. Knowing that we can go directly to him, we do not have to go through anybody else just straight to him. It is very sad to me that many believe they do not have direct access but have to go through Mary or even the saints. They do not believe that Jesus is in their grasp. I saw though the love that these people have for God. It was so very evident in how they worship...so referent. After spending some time in the church, we bought tickets so we could go up top the church. The tickets were $3, and the view was worth every cent of it. You have to go up some pretty steep narrow stairwells to reach the top. The moment you step outside of the dark concrete staircase you totally are blinded by the light. I am NOT joking. It was so white, it was hard to keep my eyes open. As I spent some time up there it get easier.

As we left there we really just walked around the downtown or plaza of Leon and Jesse played tour guide. He hates it when you say that so do not tell him I said so. Jesse wanted to keep it low key because he knew most of us had not been there before, and he must have seen the looks on our faces as we were all trying to take in every ounce of what we were seeing. I am a little jealous of the rest of the group, those who are staying longer, as Jesse, Paul, Isaac, and I will be leaving on Monday night and heading back to Managua to spend the night. It is an hour and a half to two hour drive (apparently depending on who is driving), and we have a 7 am flight out. We went to El Sesteo for lunch, a great lunch. I had a plate of three different types of tacos. The tacos were very yummy, but the best thing there by far is a fresh squeezed juice they make, a-m-a-z-i-n-g! The heat by this time was approaching 100 so Jesse suggested we all go back to our respective quarters and rest/cool down before meeting up again at 5 to tour a little more after the sun goes down (here, the sun sets about 5:30ish) and having dinner as a group.

I spent my free time writing day one's blog. I feel blessed to have AC so to lay on my bed and blog was a wonderfully relaxing way to spend my siesta time. We walked around some more just taking in the local culture. Here in Leon, they seriously do not have street names anyway. Apparently, directions are given in this city by the location of your destination in relation to the churches. There are churches everywhere. Some are huge, some are just big, some are plain, some are bright, but there certainly are a LOT of them.

We walked to YaVoy for dinner and man, the jalapeño chicken was amazing. We had gathered a couple of extra people, Ronaldo and Larry. Ronaldo is driving the team in and out of town from Pedro's and Larry had met us at the airport and helped load us up, etc. Larry really speaks no English but that does not stop him from communicating with us.  Hannah and Juan speak great Spanish, Brianna can definitely communicate well in Spanish, but the rest of us, yea, not so much. Larry sat by Paul, Jesse, Hannah and I and had inquired about Paul's testimony so Paul shared. After Paul had finished, he asked about Larry's so Larry shared (via Hannah), Let me just say, I have been thrown a few 'curve balls' in my life, but it does not even begin to compare to Larry's story. He has had a hard life, but because Pedro cared enough to keep coming back to Larry, to keep bring him the good news, Larry is now saved. As we were making our way back to our hotel, Jesse said we had to have ice cream so gelato it was. A double scoop of gelato is only a buck here. I had never had gelato before and it probably was a good thing there is not any close to my hotel.

I think tonight is going to be an early night since mi espanol is muy malo so there will no television watching tonight.

Buenas noches mis amigos.

Nicaragua, dia uno

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Before I tell you the highlights of our trip, my perceptions, my perspective...first I feel I must give a little background. Shortly before we left for Nicaragua, we had a short meeting. One of the things that was discussed was expectations. Expectations are key to happiness. We should NEVER get too attached to ideas, because attachments lead to expectations and expectations lead to disappointments. When we put down ideas of what things should be like, we are free to wholeheartedly say yes to what God has for us, and I am already seeing this in my own life. We as Americans have come to have certain expectations, and traveling internationally one comes to be reminded how small we truly are.

A couple of verses we were asked to ponder were:

James 1:19 - My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. This truly should be our entry posture into our relationship with others. Hearing without truly listening causes pain.

Philippians 2:5-8 - In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death -- even death on a cross! We are NOT equal to God, even Jesus did not consider himself equal and if anybody had a right, he did. He (Jesus) became a servant, and he humbled himself by becoming obedient. Certainly, if he could do those things for me, how can I not do what I know he is calling me to.

Day 1 was a LONG and tiring day that began at 2:30 am since I had to be at the airport at 4 am for a 5:50 am flight. (I have to give a shout out to the Wolfers for driving me to the airport at O dark thirty.) The "group" as I will refer to us/them as, is an eclectic mix of folks and includes Pastor Jesse; his friend Paul who is going to investigate bringing somebody back to do an externship in his cabinet shop in the States, possibly opening a cabinet shop here in Nicaragua, or maybe both, the possibilities are endless; Pastor Pedro, his wife Maria, and baby Pedro Junior, or PJ; Isaac, Juan, Lisa, Brianna, and Jessica.

Unlike my last 2 flights, my flight into Houston as well as the one into Managua went off without  hitch. We had a 6 hour layover in Houston so while Pedro and Maria graciously offered to watch all our carry-on luggage, the rest of us divided into 2 groups and caught taxis to Deerbrook Mall. When the driver asked us where we were going, somebody said "the mall," and we was like which mall, so I told him to follow that taxi in front of us. I have always wanted to say that. You see it in the movies all the time. We thought that we would catch a movie and our last chance at coolness for a week. As soon as we got out of the taxi we knew we were not in Oregon anymore...the first clue...the 50% humidity and the 100 degree heat...yikes! Jesse laughingly told us that that was only a precursor of what was yet to come, and truer words have not been spoken. Okayn , those of you who truly know me, know I am not one for heat. In Tinaland, the perfect temperature would be 70 degrees, and if I have to be outside, even cooler. God knows this about me, and we are good with it :) I decided though when I committed to this trip that no matter how miserable the heat/humidity were for me, I was not going to complain, I was just going to sweat and boy do I mean sweat. That ugly, hot, miserable, sticky sweat that runs down your front, your back, your face, your neck...you cannot escape it, and I had not even arrived at my final destination. Sorry, I guess I got a bit sidetracked...There was not a movie that we all could agree on or had not already been seen so we decided to brace the hot/humid weather and walk across the highway and find some Texan BBQ; hence, the pulled pork baked potato, It was yummy but oh so big, I did not even eat half of it. After lunch, we headed back to the mall for a bit and then eventually back to the airport.

Another side note, not sure I was "TSA checked," but I never had to take my shoes off, empty a suitcase, or stand in line, I was ushered right past all that...awesome! When we boarded for Managua, I was told as I was boarding the plane that I had to leave it just outside the plane and somebody would take it and load it underneath as it was too large. I tried to explain that they let me carry it on from Portland to Houston and never questioned it, but all he kept saying was "es muy grande." I had fears of my carryon not making it to Managua with me. In it was everything I thought I would need for a week away from home except the important stuff, like my camera. I am pretty sure I would part with my clothes though before my camera. I felt a sense of relief as I saw the bag make its way up the conveyor belt. I have not traveled out of the country much, but I feel customs is always a challenge. With as many in our group as there were, we did pretty well. Well, that is until the end of the line...Pastor Jesse and Pastor Pedro got called out to have bags searched, the two pastors...too funny! Their bags were searched, and they found flipflops and purses.  The flipflops were confiscated, but they were allowed to keep the purses.

We met up with Hannah and some men from Pastor Pedro's church, who came to take us to Leon. They had a very large passenger van and another smaller vehicle to get 18 of us in, including those who came to greet and pick us up. Most of our luggage was tied atop the big van so it was pretty funny because several times in the near 2 hour drive to Leon, we had to pull over and Larry (from Pastor Pedro's church) would climb up and make sure everything was attached. We finally arrived at our hotel, La Posada del Doctor, at about midnight. The hotel is very quaint. Its accommodations are humble but meet your needs. I was thankful for a bed and AC as it truly was a hot, LONG and tiring day.

Hike #7 - Triple Falls

As with many of us, there are many competing demands on my time. However, one of the great things about living in and around the Portland area is its proximity to stunning natural wonders. One of those is the magnificent gorge. Joined by Katrena this past Saturday, we went hiking to Triple Falls, just 45 minutes outside of the city.   

We met in Portland at 8:30 so as we could get an early start on it because we heard it was going to be warm.  Little did we know what we were about to embark on. I have gone on a few challenging hikes: Cascade Head, Mary's Peak, Tamolitch Falls, but this one by far was the most challenging for me.

I research each hike before I go to make sure I can handle the hike. On many of the hiking blogs, this particular hike was classified as an "easy" hike. Either we didn't go on the same hike, or I'm in a lot worse shape than I thought I was. This intermediate hike to Triple Falls, a distance of 4 to 5 miles roundtrip, provides stunning views and waterfalls from the get-go. The trail begins at Horsetail Falls off of the old highway in the Gorge, continuing on past Ponytail Falls, and then on up to Triple Falls. Along the way, you get some of the most breathtaking views of the Gorge.

The hike to Triple Falls can't make up its mind if it wants to be steep or flat. It keeps going back and forth. Starting from the Oneonta Tailhead, it parallels the old highway, then suddenly switches back and gains a couple of hundred feet all at once. Then it's flat, even downhill a bit, passing the junction where the Horsetail Falls Trail heads downhill to the Middle Oneonta Falls and the first Oneonta Creek Bridge. From here, the trail climbs to a pair of switchbacks as it traverses high above Oneonta Falls, also known as Upper Oneonta Falls. A short, sometimes sketchy scramble path angles down to the falls from the main trail, just below the switchbacks. The main trail meanders along the side of a ridge, staying well above the creek. You come around the corner and Triple Falls is in full view.

Hiking in was not easy, but we did it, bit the view was oh so worth it; however, for this hike, hiking out was much more difficult for me than the hike in was. I had several problems...hunger, dehydration, nausea, ear issues, etc. By the time we were done, I was sweating profusely. Those who know me, know I do not perspire, I sweat...a LOT, and my shirt was soaked, so wet I could have wrung it out. Thankfully, this time I remembered to bring an extra shirt and boy, was I glad I did...I changed it right in the open parking lot and I did NOT care.


Thanks SO much Katrena for indulging me and putting up with me...I promise the next hike will be an "easy" hike.   

Powell Butte

This park is perfect for a spring picnic or a quick winter walk, this convenient loop explores Powell Butte's broad summit meadow – with views across East Portland to three snowpeaks – and then winds through a quiet woodland glen. The route described here is for hikers only, but maps at the trailhead describe alternate, similar tours for mountain bikers and equestrians. Today, miles of trails accommodate hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. Abundant wildlife populates the park, including rabbits, pheasants, ground squirrels, raccoons, gray foxes, skunks, bats, chipmunks, coyotes, and black-tailed mule deer. The park is home to many birds of prey with its open meadows, groves of wild hawthorn trees, forested slopes of Western red cedar, and wetlands near Johnson Creek.

Powell Butte is a volcanic cone less than 10 million years old. The butte earned its name when three pioneers by the name of J. Powell, all of them unrelated, took up homesteads near its base in 1852-53. The orchard of walnut, apple, and pear trees on the butte's top was planted in the late 1800s. Before the turn of the century, the large meadow area was cleared and an orchard planted. In 1925 the City of Portland purchased the land from George Wilson for future water reservoirs, but continued to lease the northeast portion of the property to Henry Anderegg, a farmer and owner of Meadowland Crest Dairy, until 1948 when the farming was discontinued. However, dairy cattle were permitted to graze on the acreage to preserve the pastures. In the mid-1970s the Water Bureau prepared a development plan for Powell Butte that called for the construction of four 50-million gallon underground reservoirs to be located at the north end of the butte, and in 1981 the first, and only, reservoir was built and still serves as the hub of the Water Bureau's distribution system. The unseen tank is the hub of Portland's water supply, receiving 152,000 gallons a minute from the Bull Run Watershed. Construction on a second giant reservoir began in 2009. In 1987 the City officially established Powell Butte as a nature park and the park was opened to the public in 1990.

To reach the park, take exit 19 off of I-5, follow SE Powell Blvd eastward 3.5 miles, turn right at 162^nd Ave, and drive up to the main parking area.

I just loved this picture of Karen hiking up to the summit with her niece...precious!