JUMBLE!

My head is jumbling with thoughts, words and memories right meow. Today is the first day without a team. It was so good to have the Woodinville group here. I'm constantly impressed with Kim's leadership and heart. All in all, it was a successful trip for them. We ended their time here with a trip to San Juan Del Sur, a BEAUTIFUL beach a few hours from our casa. We had a great time body surfing in the ocean, playing in the pool and drinking reallllly yummy coffee. I pray that the trip was meaningful for everyone, and that they continue to grow in who they are and their relationship with Christ when they go home. It was fun to be on the other side of things for once; taking the team to the airport and saying goodbye, staying on the outside of the glass doors, not catching a plane home. Our next group comes in on Saturday. In the meantime, I've been enjoying quality time with Kathy and Halle. :)

Today I went with Halle and Jennifer to a market in Managua. Our original goal was to look around and find some cacao to sip on while we explored. We asked around a bit, and were told that the BEST cacao in Managua was just a mile or so away. We stayed at the market for about an hour, I wish I would have brought my camera in to show you pictures. The most interesting, and gnarliest, part of the market was the meat section. Jenny turned her head in the opposite direction towards pirated DVD's as we passed by piles and piles of dead fish. We're talking allll kinds. Fish covered in blood, fish with no heads, just heads, big ones, small ones, red ones, blue ones! There were live crabs crawling on the counters, chunks of beef/pork hanging and finally, the saddest of them all, were live iguanas. (Stop reading if you love animals). The iguana's hands and legs were tied up, and their mouths sewn shut. Halle said they leave them alive because iguana meat doesn't last long after it's killed. Needless to say, it was a bit depressing. We delved further into the market. There was anything and everything there, it's not a market for tourists, but for Nicaraguan shoppers. I felt legit. I also felt the minority. Interesting.

My plan for today was to finish trimming the hedges, but just as I got my work clothes on to go outside, Halle pulled away. Maybe by the end of the summer I can start the darn thing on my own.

Also, I ate the most amazing food yesterday. Quesillos and Cacao. Mmmm Mmmm good. :)

What rhymes with Ream Schmoller??? apisonadora! (That's for you, Tay Yost!)

Much love.

Ants in my pants. Seriously.

This week is flying by, folks. I'm soaking in every moment, and trying as hard as I can to remember what has been going on in terms of all the various projects and relationships, and practicing all the Spanish I can get my hands on.

Supposedly, I'm supposed to be following Halle around with a clipboard, and writing down the tasks we need to finish and start including...

-bury a dead bird

-trim hedges

-replace stolen toilet paper holder

-trim the trees at El Farito

-replace drain in baseball stadium (Halle... you did that, right?!)

-paint 20908098340234 different things around El Solero (the Sport's Center)

-mow the soccer field

-change the oil in the van

aaaaaand the list goes on

I'm not claiming to be a handy(wo)man, but I sure am learning. It's been a bit herky-jerky at times, a few sore arms and machete cuts, but I am enjoying all the labor that comes with this crazy internship. I'm starting to comprehend the physical labor, the program planning, hospitality, cultural differences and mission that all combine and form a really great program down here.

Today we took the team to the Mercado, in Managua. It's FULL of vendors selling Nica knick-knacks sure to please any traveling tourist. As soon as we pulled up, a man (who was very adamant about me joining him to dance meringue at a club) greeted us with a cart full of sunglasses. Everything from Chanel to "Bay Bands" were there. As we approached the entrance to the market, the anticipation of the group heightened as everything became brighter, louder and more confusing. I led a girl around the market, helping her barter and buy gifts for her family, learning new words along the way. I got a pretty good idea of fun things I want to bring back in a few months for friends and for my house in Bellingham. (Callie... birds). I love the market because of it's rush-hour feel. Although I wouldn't want to go every day, it's such a cultural experience full of color, voices and Cacao, my favorite drink here. It's amazing that people's livelihood is found in the market, because they have so many things to sell. It seems like the labor vs the payoff is not equal, but if they get to the right gringo, they could make their year's worth. :)

Tomorrow, we're taking the group to a Nicaraguan church! I'm curious to see if I will understand any of what is happening.

hasta luego.

Boo ya, made it!

I arrived in Managua yesterday at 12pm to a very bald and Hawaiian shirt wearing Halle August and the lovely Kathy August, a great couple I have known since I was a kiddo. I took 3 flights, BUT got upgraded to first class! That was just neat. I felt pretty pompous as they asked me if I wanted a "Hot towel please?" and gave me luxurious meals and free dranks. Needless to say, it did make travel better. The one thing I missed about good ol' coach is that the people you sit by ACTUALLY talk to you. They don't pretend you're invisible. Blaise-blah.

We drove to my new home and I conked out for 4 hours. (I think this will turn into a play-by-play if I don't be careful...) Anyways, after my nap, I really hit the ground running. I was dubbed with a second name, "Intern," and know it will be a never-ending joke throughout the summer. Boy. We picked up our first team at 8:30pm yesterday. Already one of my favorite things is watching people's reactions as we drive through the streets for the first time. "Oh my gosh, there's a baby on that motorcycle! It's a sandwich!," "There's like, 12 people in that Cab!," "um... 3 people just ran a red light.... is that legal??". I completely understand, it certainly is a different world down here. Rules are, to follow the Pirates of the Caribbean example Kathy said earlier, more like guidelines in Nicaragua. They don't have the authorities here that will reprehend people's law breaking. So, you see many people run red lights (I stopped counting after 13 today), hold your breath as you suddenly merge into the left lane because a car is parked illegally on the side of the street, and grow to understand that the people know how to walk in and out of traffic without getting hit.

Oy vey. This is great.

Today we took the team to Old Managua and talked about the history of the Earthquake in '72 and the Sandinista takeover in '79 and all the affects (good and not so good) it's had in Nicaragua. Since history can be taxing, we took the group to a lookout where you can see Lake Nicaragua and ziplined! It was really neat to see a lot of fears conquered today, and I am beginning to see the reason and necessity behind the order of events and activities when planning for a team. This kind of thing bonds a group together fast, and provides a shared experience that builds trust. Hey... we talk about this in my major! Real life application! Cool!

We ended the day with some projects around the Sports Center. (That's where I'm staying, by the way.) One group did some work on a wall in the baseball stadium and the other did some touch-up painting on the murals outside of the stadium. Kathy made us a Nicaraguan dinner and the team did some group debriefing.

That's what happened today!

I'm loving it here wieth all my heart. I feel assured that this is where God wants me, and I know He will show me an astounding amount of new things. It already feels like home. Keep up the prayers, or thoughts, please.

You rule. Email me if you want!