Traveling Mercies

How to sum up the month of December? We welcomed four new volunteers to Nicaragua, two of whom now live with me, at the beginning of the month. As second year volunteers, we collaborated to plan an in-country orientation for them, including setting up different talks and arranging homestays. We also celebrated Purisima, which is a huge holiday here in Nica. Purisima is the celebration of the the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Here, people create elaborate altars in their homes dedicated to the Virgin Mary and open their houses to people to come sing songs about Mary. Then, the hosts give the singers gifts, ranging from candy to plastic bowls and cups to bags of rice. It is kind of like Halloween minus the costumes and add the Virgen and singing. Later on in the month, we sent off our community mates who completed their two years and headed back to the States. That was really hard because we had not only grown close as a community but also as friends.

On Christmas day, my entire family arrived! I was literally jumping up and down with excitement as I spotted them in the airport. Needless to say, it was the best Christmas gift I received this year. I spent the next few days showing them glimpses into my life here: my school, the market, packed bus rides, lots of Spanish interactions. We also went on an adventure that included hiking a volcano and swimming in a lagoon formed by a volcanic crater. While all of the “things” we did were very enjoyable, some of my favorite parts were just being together as the six of us. There is something special about the bond that exists between family and their willingness to come down here and see why I love being in Nicaragua, deepened our relationship and ability to relate to one another. (At least I think so... maybe I should ask them if they agree.) After a sad goodbye, I spent about a week at home hanging out with community mates. Then, the first week of January, I began my adventure to Belize.   

[I wrote part of this blog in my journal and am copying an excerpt directly from there.]

I write this as I am about to begin the final leg of my journey back to Nicaragua, to community, to friends, to our dog, Muneco, to a place I call home. I have been traveling for a little over a week now. I spent the majority of this time in Belize, visiting other Jesuit Volunteers that live and work there. The time I spent in Belize reconnecting with and meeting some new inspirational people, soaking in the sun, the sounds of the ocean, and the view of pelicans suddenly diving head-first into the water was all very life-giving and rejuvenating. I could recount many stories of going on an adventure to a waterfall, visiting some of the JV work sites, trying really hard to understand Belizean Creole and being utterly confused about where I was and thus trying to speak Spanish to some of the kids I met, who in turn just stared at me.

 

View from boat ride heading to Belize from Guatemala

Instead, I want to write about the trip itself: the car, buses, and boat rides that I took to get to and from that beautiful country. I was struck by this thought today as I was explaining to a driver of a “tourist” bus that I am a volunteer and couldn't afford his offer to go in one straight shot to the city I was going to stay in for the night. He was very respectful of what I said and as I was walking away to find the local bus, I found myself wanting to run back to this man and explain that the real reason I didn't want to take his direct bus, which would be so easy and less hassle, was because it's not about getting there quickly, it's about the journey. It's about seeing the Belizean border off in the distance and feelings of excitement swell up as I approach my destination. It's about the ride that I took on the micro-bus, squished in the back seat next to an elderly man, who kindly kept offering me a space to put my giant backpack so that I would be more comfortable. It's about the boat ride on the way from Belize to Guatemala where it started pouring down rain, and we all covered ourselves with tarps and when we finally reached the dock, I realized that I had stay pretty dry except for my bottom which was soaked! I just started laughing and became a source of entertainment for those around me. The journey is about waiting at customs at the Honduran/Nicaraguan border for two hours with the rest of my companions on the bus knowing we were so close to the end of a twelve hour bus ride and just wanted to arrive. It's about reading, sleeping, journaling, zoning out. It's about watching movies on a big charter bus with Spanish subtitles. It's about eating bananas and tortillas and chips and calling it a day. It's about walking in the door to our house in Ciudad Sandino and being greeted by cheers of, “She's back!” “It's Adrienne!” “Welcome home!” Nothing compares to the feeling of being exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally after a long journey and being wrapped up in the arms of community. I am home once again.

 Our new community on Christmas

(Tony, Jenn, me, Bianca, and Elspeth)

*I got the title for this entry from a book that I read during my trip called Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott.*

Gratitude

As December rapidly approaches and big transitions are imminent, I wanted to share some thoughts that I have been reflecting on in light of Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday!

I am thankful for the handful of students that approached me this past week with concerned looks on their faces, asking me whether or not I will still be around next year. After I reassured them that I will still be here another year, I could almost see their sense of relief as huge smiles stretched across their faces, and they walked away without saying another word.

I am thankful for having a wonderful community to come home to everyday after work. These are the people that know me best here in Nicaragua and continue to love me and share themselves with me. I will not be able to express in words how much they have taught and continue to teach me about what it means to be fully present and to accompany others.

I am thankful for love that surpasses physical distance, for all of my family and friends who have showered prayers and encouraging words on me and who truly listen to my stories even if they don't fully grasp what I'm saying. I am thankful for unexpected emails or letters. I am also thankful for good conversations that challenge me to go deeper.

I am thankful for things becoming familiar and the fact that I now recognize people along the way to school and the way home, too.

I am thankful for feeling safe in our house and that I can share myself openly and honestly.

I am thankful for the elderly woman that lives around the corner and reminds me of my Gram Hillman. When I ask her how she is doing, she usually tells me about her latest illness and then tells me a little more about what is going on in her life. The best part of our short interactions is our despedida, she calls me her amor and asks God to bless me. I like to think that it is my Gram's spirit that is shining through this woman.

I am thankful for our yard, for our dog, for walking to the bus, for people out on the streets talking and kids playing soccer, for dancing, for delicious beans, for time to practice the guitar, for laughing, and for so many of the little things that fill my day.

I am thankful for feeling at home in this beautiful country, Nicaragua.

Time is Flying

I realize that I didn´t get a post up for September but that does not by any means imply that it was a month lacking in stories and activities. In fact, it was quite the opposite which is why I am just now getting around to writing this. Here´s a quick snapshot of a few of the highlights.

At the end of August, we had an English music festival where a representative from each class in secondary, selected by the teacher, sang a song of his/her choice in English. They were judged by a couple of my housemates and our principal. I wasn't allowed to judge since I had been helping a couple girls work on their song and hence I got assigned to being the MC. I was so nervous getting up in front of everyone, students and coworkers, although I'm pretty sure only a handful of people actually understood what I was saying since I was speaking only in English, like I was asked to do. The girls I had been helping won the competition with their song by none other than Justin Beiber. It was a really fun event!

In the beginning of September, we celebrated my community mate, Bianca's birthday. For her party, she decided that she wanted to have a “Holi” party, an idea inspired by the Indian Holi Festival. We got each other wet with buckets of water and then began throwing colored powder at one another. It reminded me a lot of messy games from the camp where I used to work and I loved the carefree and childlike atmosphere that was created and shared inter-culturally with some of our Nicaraguan friends. The picture is my community mate Lauren and I right after I threw some more colored powder at her.

The nine of us Jesuit Volunteers here in Nicaragua went on a little retreat at the beach. We spent a lot of quality time together, hanging out, playing the guitar around the campfire, and swimming in the Pacific. The picture is the view from the house where we stayed.

September in Nicaragua is a time of great national pride and celebrations. September 14 and 15 are days of independence here and were filled with parades and marching bands. I somehow found myself leading a group of preschool girls in a couple different parades. I made up dance moves to the beat of the band and they imitated what I did. Although they were really long, hot days, the little girls were so cute and excited to be dancing and marching.

I was able to get away for a couple days of vacation. I decided to head way out into the campo to visit a family that I stayed with during language school back in January. I went solita and I was really proud of myself for making it there and back without problems. Being out in this little community was very inspirational. The lifestyle in the campo is much more tranquilo and I appreciated the time that I spent reading, journaling, and reflecting. The food was also delicious - lots of beans, tortillas, and a type of cheese called cuajada, oh, and coffee for both breakfast and lunch! Beyond relishing in the physical surroundings which were very green due to the rain, I was very inspired by the family I stayed with. I stayed with a single mother and her 17 or 18 year old son and we talked about speaking out against injustices and working towards true liberation. The son is a very talented guitar player and he played everything from Guadabarranco, a Nicaraguan group, to the Beatles, to his own songs he made up on the fly. I felt so at ease and at home in the company of that family and in the community as well. I know I am not doing the best job of expressing myself, but I left the community rejuvenated and inspired to dream big. The picture is my host brother and I planting beans.

At the end of September, two of our Jesuit Volunteer Corps staff members from the DC office came to visit. One came to visit me at work to see how things were going and it was a very positive and reaffirming experience for me. She observed one of my classes and it went amazingly well! She expressed that she was impressed and I had to admit that I was too because my students are usually never that well behaved! Then, we went on Re-Orientation/Dis-Orientation retreat with all 9 of us Jesuit volunteers here in Nica. The staff created a beautiful space for us to reflect, share, and discuss our experiences as a JV thus far and we also began to consider the rapidly approaching time of transition. We will be welcoming the new volunteers at the beginning of December and saying see you later to our current second year volunteers towards the end of December. 

October has flown by and I have found myself staying very busy, really investing myself here. We had a Halloween party the other night and we are going to dress up again tonight in our house, just for fun! 

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Sending you all love from Nica. 

Nica-isms

As I was trying to decide what to write about, I realized that it might be fun to share some of the things I come in contact with/experience in daily life here.

Here's a brief description of things that you might not know about life in Nicaragua:

-Saludos/Greetings are very important. When you enter a room, it is common to go around to each person, introduce yourself and give everyone a kiss on the cheek.  

--One of the many aspects of life here that I love is that everyday people sit outside their houses and visit with their neighbors or watch the kids playing soccer in front of their house. Whenever I pass someone as I'm walking we usually greet each other with an”Adios” (Goodbye) instead of “Hola” (Hello). Another common phrase to hear is “Que le vaya bien” (That you go well). Even people that I have never met before will say this to me, wishing me a safe journey to wherever I am going.

-Beadazzled jeans and high heels are worn by the majority of women here. I'm talking rhinestones on back pockets of teenagers all the way to middle aged women, and sometimes, I'll see guys wearing them, too. It continues to amaze me to see women walking around in high heels. Not only do I have trouble walking down some of the unpaved streets here in my flats or sandals, but these women walk up and down the steps of the bus in these huge heels! When people leave their houses, they dress to impress.  

-Frescos naturales/Natural fruit juices are so delicious. There is everything from calala (passion fruit) to pitaya (dragon fruit) to melón (cantaloupe) to cacao (a corn based drink that tastes almost like chocolate milk). Typically, these drinks are made with a lot of sugar and are served in a plastic bag with a straw.

-Trash in the streets, burning trash – It is not uncommon to observe someone throwing their food wrappers or other trash onto the street. There is unfortunately a big problem with this. Trash accumulates along the sides of the roads and sometimes people will sweep it altogether and burn it.

-Fritanga/Street food is a staple food in our diet here. Almost every Friday evening, we go buy fritanga for dinner. Women cook, well, usually fry, food and sell it out of their houses. You can find everything from a huge shishkabob of meat, to gallo pinto (a national dish of rice and beans), to enchiladas (a tortilla filled with rice and meat, folded in half and deep fried). Mmm, fried food...

-Busses – The vast majority of Nicaraguans use public transportation to get from place to place. The most common mode of transportation is the bus system. Every day, I walk to the bus stop and wait with a myriad of people for the bus that passes through the neighborhood where I work. Each bus has a number and a specific route. Certain busses only travel within the city and others go to other cities farther away. Bus fare is very affordable, 4 cordobas (about 5 cents) to get from Ciudad Sandino, where I live, to Managua, the capital city, which is about a 45 minute to an hour trip. Riding the bus can be an adventure, finding a place to sit or stand, keeping your balance and making sure you make it to the door in time to get off at your stop. I think busses are one of the most direct ways that I feel in solidarity with people here. Sometimes when the busses are really full and people are pushing past me to get off, I make eye contact with someone and we connect in the fact that we are both uncomfortable but in it together. Often, we exchange sympathetic smiles that speak of understanding.

-Musica/Music is played all the time. Houses are close together and there is almost no sound barrier in the walls, so in the mornings, I am often greeted with our neighbor's radio belting out “Las mañanitas” (the birthday song sung here). There's also music that comes from trucks that drive by and music on the radio on the busses. 

-Chinelas/Rubber house shoes are more or less just like flip flops or rubber sandals. No one walks around barefoot in their homes and when we get home we slip out of our dusty or muddy shoes and slide into chinelas.

-Relaxed sense of punctuality – I like to call this “Nica time.” One of the best examples I have of this characteristic is one day at school, we were supposed to have a meeting with all of the teachers to do an evaluation of the first semester. The principal requested that we all arrive on time so we could begin at 7 o'clock on the dot. What time did we finally start? 8:30! I find myself switching back and forth between being frustrated with tardiness to being guilty myself of arriving a little late. Oops...

-Refrigerios/Snacks are one of the best parts of having workshops or teacher training. Halfway through the meeting we get a half an hour break and a snack. It has been everything from a tortilla and cheese to an enchilada and a fresco. I love snack time.

-Wet hair – Most Nicaraguans shower right before leaving the house and therefore usually arrive to work or school with wet hair. I'm surprised more people haven't commented on the fact that I rarely come to school with my hair wet. It's because my hair dries so fast, obviously not because I don't shower – at least that's what I tell myself.

-TV - “You don't have a TV in your house?! What do you do? Don´t you get bored?” I can't tell you how many times people have asked me this. I think that every single Nicaraguan house I've been in has had a TV in it. All the way out in some of the remote parts of the campo (rural area) people have televisions. They love their soap operas and watching soccer games.

-Answering cell phone during meetings and class – Just like people in the States, people here are connected to their cell phones. It continues to amaze me that teachers will not only leave their phones on during school hours, but that they will answer a call in the middle of class. The same thing happens during meetings. Even the person who is leading the meeting will pause in the midst of their presentation for a quick phone call.

-Baile folklorico/Traditional Nicaraguan dance is a big part of the culture here. The women wear long , beautiful skirts and the men usually wear straw hats. It is a beautiful, graceful style of dance, but it is a lot harder than it looks! For el dia de los estudiantes (students' day), a few of my coworkers and I performed a dance with a mix of music, including baile folklorico. It was a lot of fun and I think my students enjoyed it. The picture is of the group of us that danced after our debut. It´s a shame you can´t really see how much eye makeup I have on, but you´ll just have to trust me that it´s a lot!
 

Know you are all loved and thought of often.

Until next time.

When it Rains, It Pours

We are in the midst of rainy season which means that it rains everyday. Most of the time, it pours for anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour. Yesterday afternoon, it rained for a few hours! There was just so much rain! The rain brings cooler weather, although increased humidity, and new life. Things are turning green and little plants are pushing their way up towards the sky.

Rain nourishes, purifies, and cleanses. It gives life, heals, and soothes.

As I sit here reflecting on the rain, I find many parallels between its characteristics and where I find myself currently - admist a process of healing and cleansing and soaking in life-giving words and experiences. Grieving is an unique process that everyone experiences in her own way. I have been very blessed to be surrounded by the love and support of my community here and friends and family, as well. Some days are still hard and I find myself missing Gram a lot. Other days I am so busy that I don´t take time to reflect on how I´m feeling. On the whole, journaling and reading have helped me quite a bit.

I am feeling more at ease speaking Spanish at the same time recognizing I have so much to learn! I have had some good conversations with coworkers and students and I feel more and more connected to my school. While it continues to be a process of learning and growing, I am more comfortable in my surroundings and with the people around me who make me smile and laugh.  

Rain can also be gloomy and overwhelming, especially thunderstorms here. When the thunder cracks, it sounds like a tree just split right outside my window and the lightning illuminates the whole room. The ground reaches a point where it cannot soak in any more water and turns the streets into rivers. Walking to the bus in the rain becomes an adventure, trying to avoid puddles and taking cautious steps so as to not slide in the mud.

Lately, I have been overwhelmed by hearing stories of suffering or challenges from coworkers, family members, and other volunteers. The other day, I was at a coworkers house talking to her and her husband about the financial struggles our school is facing. Her husband turned to me and asked if it was difficult to listen to these disheartening possibilities of people losing jobs or families not being able to pay for their children’s tuition. I honestly replied that I do want to hear about these realities because I don’t want to be oblivious to what the people around me are experiencing, but it is also really hard to hear these things. I wonder what my role is here, especially when I feel so helpless when confronted with stories of lack of resources or physical illness. At the very least, my eyes continue to be opened and my perspectives are broadened. There are definitely times when I feel like the moisture rich earth that just can’t take in anymore. I am so blessed in so many ways and I know that I am here to share those blessings and myself, with humility, sincerity, and honesty. Each day I am able to spend in Nicaragua is an opportunity to learn and grow and accompany. So, while at times I feel overwhelmed by all the suffering and challenges, I am grateful for this time to go deeper and attempt to understand the reality of life here for many Nicaraguans. 

I just got back from a trip out to the campo (rural area) where I was able to get to know, laugh, and play with a wonderful family. There are 16 people in this family!! They are filled with such admirable strength, determination, and happiness and I certainly learned a lesson or two about hardwork, generosity, and hospitality. We had lots of fun playing many games, going for walk, wading in the river by their house, and just spending time together in the kitchen. The campo is such a beautiful and peaceful place, especially this time of year since everything is green. Although it was a pretty short trip, it was worth the long bus rides to get away from the busyness and noises of the city. I am quickly approaching the end of this week and a half of vacation from work and I think I will be ready to get back into the swing of things, well maybe not the waking up early part! 

I think I might just go take a nap and fall asleep listening to the afternoon rain on the tin roof...