Nicaraguan adventure

Wow. How do I even begin to describe the past 2 weeks of my life? I fell in love with Nicaragua after only 10 days. I fell in love with the history, the land, and most of all the people. Words do not give justice to everything I have seen, felt, experienced, but I will try.

I guess the adventure really begin about 3 weeks ago as we prepared for the trip and began learning the history of Nicaragua. US and Nicaragua have very intertwined relations, but I never learned any of these relations until this experience. We learned about Marine occupation in Nicaragua for a number of years, trying to bring peace, but in reality they brought more murder, rape, poverty, and destruction. Nicaragua's national hero is a man named Sandino who fought against US enforcement in Nicaragua. He started a guerilla movement that eventually removed Marine presence from Nicaragua. The Marines left the National Guard, a US trained military, with its commander, Somoza in charge. Feeling threatened despite peace treaties, Somoza had Sandino executed along with many of his followers. Thus began the long reign of the Somoza family, 3 men in about 50 years, full of corruption and tyranny. Ironically enough, the US supported Somoza. One example of an attrocity that he did was steal 80% of the earthquake relief funds that poured into Nicaragua after the earthquake of 1972. A group inspired by Sandino began uprisings calling themselves Sandinistas and took power in the 1980s. They brought ideals of socialism including giving land back to the farmers, programs to feed the poor, increased levels of literacy, but this of course looked like communism to the US who began training a military (the Contras) in Honduras and Costa Rica and enforced a trade embargo on Nicaragua. The Contras began invading and fighting, weakening Sandinista power and eventually the Sandinista president agreed to a peaceful election and turned the presidency over. Elections now peacefully take place with the latest in 2007 once again electing Sandinista president Daniel Ortega who was in power in the 80s. This history of war and earthquakes and hurricanes have left Nicaraguans in a struggle of poverty, political corruption, unemployment, and a deep gap between rich and poor.

The real adventure begin Monday, October 8, at 6 a.m. as our group departed San Jose en route to Managua, Nicaragua. After a long bus ride, we arrived to our little hotel type living arrangement at 4 p.m. We got dinner at a typical Nicaraguan restaurant which is at the home of a Nicaraguan woman. Very tasty gallo pinto (rice and beans), fried platanos, fried chicken, and even a little spaghetti. That night we had a special speaker who was a missionary kid. He grew up in such places as the Bronx, Nicaragua, and Honduras, so you can imagine the shock he felt when he attended a small Christian university in the States for 4 years. He definitely gave us a shock an awe speech that challenged the way we thought about our faith and how we live it out. It was a good predecessor for our upcoming experiences.

Tuesday, October 9, we got to go to the National Assembly in Nicaragua and hear a congressman and even sit in on an assembly. That afternoon we went to a local church that had murals depicting the Nicaraguan history on the walls. It told the tales of local heros from the neighborhood who fought for justice and often died as martyrs. They are beautiful works of art, but are currently controversial and are being debated as whether to paint over them or not. They would be a lost treasure. We went again for a traditional Nicaraguan dinner and returned to pass the night at the hotel playing games, having some pretty deep conversations, etc.

Wednesday, October 10, we took a bus to a city trash dump in Managua. 2000 people, including children and families, call this place home, working to collect recicables to turn in for money. We drove in on our bus and immediately were swamped with a rank smell that is normal for a trash dump, but more rank was the reality we saw of men searching through the trash for plastic and such, women cooking or washing or doing chores in their shacks, and children running around playing, chasing each other, because even though it was a dump, it was their home as well. We stayed on the bus and drove around a little bit, very uncomfortable starring into the lives of people, us with our comfortable lives and endless matieral possessions. We invited a man onto the bus to talk with us. He told us his story of moving to Managua in search of better work than he had in a poor mountain village. What he found was this dump where he did make more money than he had in his previous home. The thing that struct me the most was how happy and content he seemed despite his circumstances. There was a school and church here and a rich community of people. I was amazed when he said they all shared what they had and didn't fight over the collectibles. These people are struggling to survive and make a living, but there isn't competition between them. Only love. We rode away in the quietest bus I have ever ridden that held 50 students. To make the experience even more impactful, we drove to the big mall for the rich people next. We split up into groups to get a snack and spend an hour in discussing what we had experienced. We were disgusted to be hit so hard with the extreme instances of money and power versus poverty. What a day.

That night we had a brief orientation about our home stays for the next 6 days. The plan was to leave the next morning in groups of 4 or 5 to different communities throughout Nicaragua to live with families for the next 6 days. We had no idea what to expect and were all anxious about our accomodations and the upcoming days that we had no control over.

My experience took a quick turn for the worse during the night. I woke up at 3 a.m. feeling horrible and began having diarrhea and throwing up. I had done it 8-10 times by 9 when we were supposed to depart with our groups to our communities. I wanted to tough it out and go, but right before the groups left, I got sick again and knew I couldn't make it. So everyone left, and I stayed at the hotel, spending the next 5 hours either in the bed or in the bathroom. I took medicine and drank water but couln't keep anything down. I started having simultaneous out both ends experience which was no fun at all. My legs started cramping up due to lack of electrolytes. Finally around 3 Trevor and Laura, group leaders of LASP, returned from dropping students off at their destinations and made the decision to take me to the emergency room. Here in Latin America it's easiest to just go to the ER because it is much cheaper than the states and there is a bigger risk of bacteria, parasites, and amoebes.

So I made it to the super nice private hospital and went right in to my own room. I think there might have been one other patient there at the time. It was very clean and quiet and the doctors and nurses took very good care of me. They needed a stool sample but go figure after spending the day having dierrhea, nothing came out. So they took blood tests and hooked up the IV and I fell asleep for a couple of hours. Laura patiently sat at the side the whole time, my little guardian angel. I still can't believe how great she is to spend that time with me even though she didn't have to. It meant a lot. So finally I tried and got a stool sample. With the blood tests they thought it was bacteria, but luckily I gave the stool sample because it showed not only bacteria, but parasites and amoebes also. I hit the jackpot. Apparently the parasites and amoebes were from Costa Rica and had been encrusted on the intestine lying dormant until the bacteria from Nicaragua flared up all 3. So they began to give some antibiotics through the IV, and it hurt really bad. My veins felt like they were about to explode. When the doctor left, I noticed my arm was red, told Laura, she got the doctor, and sure enough I was having an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. So they stopped it and took it out and the rash cleared up in minutes. The doctor gave a prescription for 3 medicines so we went and got them and headed back to the hotel around 9. I feel asleep after one last round in the bathroom.

The next morning I slept in and felt so much better, just very weak. I was able to eat crackers and drink water and hold it down. Trevor and Laura had business to take care of so I rested more until 2 when we headed out to my homestay in El Eden. El Eden is probably only like 15 miles outside the city but it took 45 minutes to get there. When we got off the main road, it took us 30 minutes to get to El Eden on a dirt road, but not like dirt roads in the states. These roads are a little bigger than one car and have lots of holes and hills and the dirt is darker than the dry dust we think of as dirt roads. So 15 miles outside the city lies a whole different world. The houses are shacks in our minds, the land stretches for miles without any sign of development, and people either walk or ride horses. Trevor and Laura dropped me off at my home for the next 5 days. I met my family, a dad of 40 years, mom of 26 years, sister of 10 years, and 2 year old brother. The house reminded me a lot of the houses we build in Baja, Mexico. It was the size of a normal living room in the States. A large corner was divided with a curtain that contained the bedroom, or 2 beds. The other section was where we sat during the day and talked, ate dinner, had guests, everything. It consisted of a cot, 2 rocking chairs, and a side table that was usually used as another chair. They did have a TV and DVD player. The kitchen consisted of a hallway and they only had a stove and a shelf for their few dishes. Outside was the outhouse (I had to bring my own role of toliet paper) and a sink to wash clothes, dishes, and my brother, and a enclosed area to take showers. The water came from a spicket in the front yard.

So this would be my home for the next 5 days. My family took me to the church down the road where I met other church members and the 3 other students from my group who were also staying with families in El Eden. There were tons of kids and the girls had taught them some hand games and the kids taught us some Spanish ones. I returned with my family and the pastor and passed the evening talking with them and getting to know them. Dinner was the typical meal for the next few days: gallo pinto (rice mixed with beans), fried platanos, and the nastiest cheese I've even had in my life. Luckily I didn't have my appetite back fully so I ate what I could and gave the rest to my dad. He gladly took it and told me he eats anything now because when we was fighting the war against the Contras, they only ate once a day and had scarce portions. They had told us Nicaraguans might be more closed and harder to get to know, so I was surprised that so quickly he was sharing personal information. He had lived for 2 and a half years in the mountains fighting. He told me some stories and showed his battle scar that looked more like a machete wound than a bullet wound. I found out my mom was married when she was only 15 years old, which is pretty common in Nicaragua. I couldn't believe it and tried to imagine my life had that happened to me. The contrasts in our lives were evident but they were so interested to get to know me and show me their life that it was obvious that the differences didn't matter.

Around 8 when I was really tired as I was still getting energy back, they asked if I wanted to go to bed and I immediately said yes. So we went to bed. I got the nice bed with the mosquito net to share with my sister, my mom and brother slept in the other bed that was basically wood covered with a few blankets, and my dad slept on the cot in the other room. That experience I think will always stay with me because it perfectly portrays the simplicity of life there. Going to bed is usually for me a 20 minute process of changing clothes, brushing teeth, washing my face, going to the bathroom, saying goodnight, etc. There when we went to bed, we went straight to bed, laid down, turned off the light, and slept. I slept in the same clothes I was wearing with dirty feet and dirty teeth and praying that I wouldn't need to use the outhouse in the middle of the night. I smiled at the simplicity of the situation and slept with excited for the rest of my adventure here.

The day began around 5 for my brother and parents, but my sister and I usually slept till 6 or 7. I had fresh pineapple for breakfast because my dad works in a pineapple field. We prepared for our adventure of the day: going with the other families to a nearby nature reserve to see the waterfall that provides the town with water. We met at the church at 9 and piled into the bed of the truck that had benches and iron railings around the edge. 30 people fit back there, some sitting, some standing, some kids being held. That would be unheard of in the States but here it was normal. No one had a car or any type of transportation other than a bike. Personal space wasn't an issue as people live in close contact all day, every day. So we headed down the bumpy dirt roads laughing, talking, and singing. We finally arrived at the park as it began to rain and we began our hike to the waterfall. My sister held my hand and stuck to my side. She was only 10 but she was my protector and saved me several times from falling. We played around the waterfall, took pictures, ate fruit, and a couple of hours later headed back to town again stuffed into the bed of the truck, but all very happily bumping along.

When we got back, the kids went to play soccer with the ball I brought as a gift for my family. This is when I knew I felt better because I was able to play and it felt great. I love playing soccer in Central America because everyone knows how to play. I played in my skirt since all the girls and women wear skirts every day. That night we went to church. They go to church 5 nights a week, not on Friday and Monday. We sang several songs and the pastor gave a talk. I love the singing because it's the kind where everyone belts it out at the top of their lungs and pitch or tone do not matter. It lasted about an hour and a half and everyone headed home for dinner. More gallo pinto, platanos, cheese, and good conversation. Then it was off to bed for another busy day.

Sunday, we spent the whole day at the church. The men and us Americans worked on digging a ramp and putting down cement blocks and concrete. The women brought food and drinks and snacks and sat around talking and the kids played games. We didn't have an offical church service because the whole day was spent working. So that night we all went to the home where Steven, one of the students, stayed. The home was built on a finca, or farm, and it was absolutely beautiful. The family didn't own the farm, but the owner gave them free reign to all the guayaba (a fruit here) they wanted. We sat around outside, talking and laughing, with the kids running around playing for the whole night. They cooked beef for us along with gallo pinto and platanos. The meat was really, really good but it was really hard to take a bite of because the type of meat it was. So we sat around like gnawing on our food and laughing that this would never happen in the states. But that was life there. Life revolved around people, doing everything together, and sharing the little they had. It was beautiful. Time seemed to stand still because it didn't matter. We left a few hours later to walk home under an endless stretch of stars without light to hide their beauty.

I found out Sunday that my younger brother had been sick for a week with dierrhea. I offered to take him to the doctor and pay for the medicine so on Monday morning the whole family set of for Burgoña, the next town, to go to the clinic. It was about a 20 minute walk on a footpath that wound through cornfields, farmland, with the mountains in the background. It was beautiful because it was natural. There weren't telephone poles or electricity rods or hotels or big houses or anything. Just land and land in every direction. I think it was the most beautiful place I've been, and this was just their home, their backyard. Amazing. It didn't take long at the clinic. They tested my brother and I bought the medicine and we went to Managua in search of one kind that they didn't have. We took a bus into the city and it was weird because I felt like the Beverly Hillbillies going to California. El Eden seems so far removed from city life and the rest of the world, but in reality they are just a 30 minute bus ride away. They didn't stick out either because they are typical Nicaraguans. We went to the market and bought all kinds of vegetables and fruit and got the other medicine.

We headed back to El Eden around 2 for a late lunch at Steven's house. They had prepared a special lunch of fried chicken and one of the girls had made a piñata. They even hired a photographer to take pictures of us. This is just one example of how we were treated like royalty while we were there. They didn't have much but they gave us so much hospitality, the best of everything. Their love was absolutely incredible. I had never felt so much love in my life and by people who I only knew for a few days. I realized a lot about contentment. These people have so little but are probably more happy than the richest people in the world. They give importance to the things that really matter in life, like people, friendships, God. Work is not the most important. Time is not the most important. Money is definitely not the most important. Work and money bring the few things they need like food and water. Life was beautiful. So we passed the afternoon and evening there and returned home. In Nicaragua power is turned off in every town for a few hours every day. The times rotate every week and this week the hours were 7 to 10 p.m. So we returned before the power went off and then ate and talked by candlelight when it did go out.

Tuesday was a special day. All the families and kids again loaded up in the back of the truck and went to the zoo for the day. It was a small zoo, but lots of fun looking at the different animals with all the kids. We were able to buy ice cream and snacks for the kids and adults, a special treat. We had picnic lunches and my mom had made spaghetti because I told her it was one of my favorites. I felt so special because they eat spaghetti but not very often. When we returned we went to the house of one of the ladies from church. She and her husband look older than they are and have 5 kids in a house the size of my family's. They are very poor, but they opened up their home and she cooked cornbread for us. That night was a special service at the church for our departure. We sang and the pastor talked. Me and the 2 other girl students (Steven was sick) sang a song in English and a couple in Spanish. Several of the girls prepared a lyrical dance type thing for us to a Christian song. They gave us gifts, prayed over us, and each came by to tell us bye. A couple of the girls were sobbing, weeping over us. It was very moving as it showed their deep love for us after such a short amount of time. The next day we packed up and headed out around 10.

My time there now seems like years ago. Their lifestyle stood in stark contrast to my life. I must admit it was hard at times because they were so interested in knowing about my life in the states. They asked if I had my own car, what my house looked like, and were amazed at all the material blessings. I cringed on the inside as I talked about my life. I felt embarrassed of all my wealth, and even more for all the times I have wanted more. More clothes. Better stuff. More, more, more. I was scared that they would ask for money as they saw me as a walking dollar sign. The more time I spent with them, I realized they were simply curious about my lifestyle, like I was about them, and they wanted to know about the states because to them it is a dream world. I tried to explain to them how special what they have is. That was the beautiful thing: they weren't envious of what I had. Sure, they would enjoy having the opportunity for better education or more clothes, but they were perfectly content. They understood how blessed they were spiritually, and that was what mattered. They were poor in wealth,but rich in spirit and in relationships with each other.

Our group returned together to talk about our experiences. We spent a couple of more days in Nicaragua, going to the market and such. We returned to San Jose last night around 7. It is hard to be back in my normal atmosphere because I realize like never before how spoiled I am. While in El Eden I took 2 baths, consisting of filling up buckets of water, my mom heating them up for me, and using the buckets to pour water on myself. I brushed my teeth once a day and wore the same outfit 3 days in a row. I ate the same food every meal of rice, beans, platanos, and cheese. I must admit that I was excited to return to a hot shower, variety in food (and Lucky Charms for breakfast this morning!), clean clothes, a comfortable house and bed without roosters crowing or walking through the house. But I now struggle as I live this life. I now struggle to make sense of my normal routines and things I'm used to. Is it okay that I buy new clothes and souvenirs as my family in Nicaragua wears the same ratty clothes every day? Is it okay to worry about how I look and what I wear after spending 5 days never looking in the mirror or caring if my clothes matched? How do I help them? Do they need more? Do I need less? What do I do with this?

Obviously I don't know the answers to these questions. All I know is that my experience in Nicaragua is going to stay with me forever and hopefully will impact the way I live. I can't even express all the emotions and thoughts swimming around my brain. Let's just put it this way: I have a very different world view. One of the weirdest things I struggle with is our idea of short term missions or missions in general. In the states we see ourselves as the ones who have everything and set out to give others what they need. This is an upside down world. The people I lived with are the people that we see as in need. World Vision is stationed there and works a lot with the school. World Vision is one of those organizations that sends out pictures of little kids and asks you to support them. My sister, the little kids at church, they are the faces on those pictures. My sister has someone in the states who supports her. So yes there are needs like this to be met. But these people who have so little, also are rich in so many areas. I am more convinced that they have more than we do, and we should be the ones learning from them, instead of simply trying to dump our materialism and standard of living on other people. I realize how blessed I am and how many opportunities I have that other people simply do not have. I also realize how much I lack in love, in relationships, in living with people instead of by the clock or by the schedule. I realize that my life has been a crazy busy mess but I have little to show in contrast with the community of El Eden who have a beautiful example of love and community despite their poverty.

So this has been an attempt to describe my Nicaraguan experience. Get used to hearing about it, because I have a feeling that it is going to stay with me for a long time. I will continue to struggle with this contrast in life for a long time. And hopefully I will be changed forever in a good way, once I figure out what to do with this.