Day 8: Learning the Ropes

This experience is amazing!  So much has happened in the past 5 days, I don't where to start.  So much has happened and it's starting to blend together.  Therefore, I will just write about some highlights over the past few days in no particular order.  I imagine that this may be the plan for future blogs.

So, one of the ministries at El Puente is called Pantanel.  Basically, El Puente bought a ton of beautiful land with the grand vision of building a Christian school.  Pantanel right now is kind of El Puente's baby and there are a ton of great projects at work there.  However, what we do is basically a sports and VBS with the kids there.  So far, I went with the Texan team and the Coloradan team to play with the kids and help them with VBS.  So far in general, I've played with lots and lots of kids and got schooled many times in soccer.  One morning, we played baseball for hours which was pretty fun.  I think the reason El Puente does so much with sports and kids is because they can utilize the teams for their energy.  I think it's pretty effective because the kids seem to want to come to play and then they learn about Jesus.

Another time, I went out with the team from Colorado to Francisco's "barrio" which is basically a neighborhood to prayerwalk and invite kids to come to the Bible study Francisco started.  It was inspiring to see the success of this Bible study started by Francisco simply seeing a need and deciding to go around and invite kids.  It's so simple-- it doesn't take money or a ridiculous amount of time, all it took was some initiative and it's making an impact in the community.  There we saw Francisco's house with 21 people living within which is probably why he is enjoying the peace and quiet of the intern house so much.

Sunday, we went to church which was pretty cool.  There were more gringos than Nicas due to the rain, but it's always fun to sing songs in Spanish and try something new.  After church, Leah, Lindsay, and I were invited by an older lady to her house.  As we are trying to go with the flow, we accepted this invitation and walked a ways to her barrio and eventually to her house.  The house was pretty cool with a back patio full of trees, fruit, dogs, a pig, and a couple parrots.  We hung out and I tried to follow the conversation in Spanish.  It was pretty cool-- she was full of so much laughter and energy.  On our way out, she gave us mangoes and some green, sour fruit.  The culture here is that if you have somebody over to your house, they often give food.  It is considered rude not to accept the food or drink.  It was a memorable experience for sure.

That night, we went to another ladies house for a small discipleship class led by Francisco and Don (who I haven't met, he's back in the states for now).  Because Don wasn't there, Francisco is leading and not translating.  What that meant for us is that we had to follow a 2 hour Bible study purely in Spanish.  It was hard, but worthwhile.

Last night, we had a party at our house with the whole team.  We were in way over our heads but in the midst of it, I learned to salsa.  That is definitely a highlight.

All in all, it is so cool to work with an organization that is so good at spreading light in the dark, drug and alcohol-filled city of Granada.  Although, reading this blog, it may seem like everything is peaches and roses, there are a lot of lost people here.  Drugs, alcohol, prostitution, gambling, etc.-- you name, there is a ton of it.  However, El Puente along with other organizations are a beacon of hope.  Everyone I am working with causes such a tremendous impact on others.  It's inspiring to see the impact of a well run organization along with the impact of individuals.

I have eaten a ton of Nica food which is basically variations of chicken, rice, and beans.  I keep getting lost in the city.  I am definitely still learning the ropes.

Day 3: Culture Shock

Well, I made it.  I am in the beautiful country of Nicaragua.  I had a long day of travelling that actually went pretty smoothly.  However, I did have one pretty emotional goodbye:

I didn't think saying goodbye to Dr. Pepper would be so hard

Anyways, once I finally got to Managua, I was greeted with such a warm welcome from Lindsay, Jordan, and Julio.

This was the awesome poster they made for me.

So, I should probably explain who everyone is: Lindsay is the lady in charge of the interns.  She was the one who I skype interviewed me, found where we are staying, figured out our transportation, etc. Jordan also works at El Puente with her husband Michael and her two daughters.  Julio is an awesome translator who I actually met on my last trip to Nicaragua.  There is also Leah, another intern who was on my same flight and we didn't even know it.  She is going to be a sophomore at UGA and she has a great heart for the Lord.  Leah and I are the first interns here-- there are six more coming in the upcoming weeks.

Leah and Reagan are to the left, Michael and Sydney are to the left

From the airport, we drove to where we are staying in Granada, which is about an hour away from Managua, the capital. There we were introduced to our houses and Francisco, another translator who is my roommate until another male intern comes.  My house is absolutely beautiful-- it has everything I could possibly need including a pool!

Yeah, it's awesome

Anyways, the next day, we dove right in and biked to a small church called Fortin.  This church is in a more rural area of town and was pretty humble with just a roof-- no walls, simply benches and a concrete podium. There, we met with a 6ish members of the K-Life team from Fort Worth Texas.  We played with kids and ran a VBS.  Then, the pastors wife and daughters fed us lunch which was rice and a orange stew made out of cornmeal (maybe), chicken, spices, (honestly, I have no idea what it was really).  I was, however, delicious.  It's cool to see them cook on a giant pot over a fire.  I spent the remainder of my time there doing dishes and trying to talk to the pastor and his family.  I quickly realized how rusty my Spanish is. 

Then, Francisco, Leah, and I went grocery shopping where I saw them sell raw cow testicles.  Then, I made us some pasta, and we played cards with everyone.

So, I am feeling culture shock here like never before.  Although, I'm not shocked by seeing 3rd world poverty, though, it is a very poor country.  I am shocked by the speed of life here. On every trip I've been on, people always talk about how things move slower outside America, but I have never really experienced it.  You see, when I went on other short mission trips, my days have always been jam-packed and exhausting.  I become very task-oriented and I get as much done as possible.  As an intern so far, it has been a different feel.  As an intern, I think I will be more relationship oriented, than task-oriented.  For example, while the team was playing with the kids, I was able to simply sit down with the pastor and his family and try to follow their conversation.  At night, I can just eat and play cards with my new friends for hours.  I'm beginning to realize how productive this seemingly unproductivity really is.  Life is about relationships, not jobs, not tasks, and certainly not money.  Nica culture embraces that.  Hopefully, this summer, I will embrace that as well. Unlike my previous trips, I don't want to remember this summer by the things I did but rather by the people I met and became close to. 

Day 0: Preparations

The extent of my packing so far at 9:08pm the night before I leave

How does one prepare for something as new and as unknown as this?  Honestly, I have no idea how prepared (or more likely unprepared) I am.  The practical stuff is easy-- throw all of my clothes in a bag late the night before I leave, make a blog, eat my last bacon cheeseburger, etc.  It's the emotional and spiritual preparation that's the unknown.  The last week has been focused on graduation and goodbyes-- many goodbyes are for life which is a very overwhelming to think about.  Many times I caught myself improperly saying "bye, see ya later," then having to double back and go "wait, will I?"  This is certainly the biggest transition of my life and I am emotionally and socially drained.  I am so freakin' sick and tired of goodbyes-- goodbyes to close friends, family, Dr. Pepper, etc.  I just hope I am ready for a whole lot of hellos.  Perhaps a hello to becoming a new man. 

Moses built an altar and called it the LORD is my banner  --Exodus 17:15