New Year's Resolutions...

I am not inspired to set very many resolutions this year but there is something about a new year that makes turning over a new leaf desirable.

We have been "doing church" online every Sunday at www.lifechurch.tv for a while now. When we were in San Juan del Sur we tried attending a couple of local churches but the services were long and our comprehension short. The kids weren't enjoying it (and neither were we) and we didn't want them to have a bad taste about church or Nicaragua (especially so early in our trip) so we stopped trying. We moved from SJDS to stay with friends in Jinotega and had the privilege of joining them for church in their home two Sundays in a row. They had an English service in the morning and it was such a blessing to sing in English and to hear the message and understand it. They also had a Spanish small group in the evenings which we got to attend as well. We had some help translating and having the message given in Spanish by a native English speaker made it easier to understand. We had a chance to visit Granada and attend 7:00 AM Thursday Men's Bible Study which starts at 8:30 and includes women and children (I love Nicaragua!!). The Bible Study included worship, in Spanish, and a message given in English and translated to Spanish.

So when we settled into our house in Matagalpa we had had enough spiritual refilling to remember how much we missed it. Joe decided that we would watch church online every Sunday. I was less than enthusiastic because I thought we should try some local churches here, but I agreed. I was also afraid it would be hokey and there would be pressure to give financially each week (I believe wholeheartedly in tithes and offerings but I don't like manipulation). I was so pleased with the first message as it spoke right to me and where our family was (God's cool like that). The kids all sat through and listened. The message was clear and simple but deep as well. I figured we caught them on a "good week" but we watched again the next week and we all got a lot out of the message. Again, my kids were all attentive and demonstrated a true understanding of the message. And so it has gone, week after week. I have come to realize that it is a high quality, not manipulative, Christ-seeking "church" and I can stop waiting for a "bad message" and sit back relax and worship the Lord.

I never thought I would feel that way about church, where I can't wait till Sunday, when it's online, but I do. I was so excited to be able to see the "bonus" Christmas Eve service. Our family has been truly blessed and I can see continuing to watch every week, even when we are in a "real" church back home.

The beginning of a new year is a great time to start a "read the Bible in a year" plan. I know this because I have "started" one several times (always at the beginning of the year). Lifechurch.tv has their own Bible software called youversion and they have lots of different translations available online as well as numerous reading plans. There are read the Bible in a year, two years, read it twice in a year, a chronological plan, a cover to cover plan, the gospels, Psalms and Proverbs, even a weekend free plan. Every plan they have can be altered to the time frame you desire. They also have a "Catch Me Up" feature that will divide up the remainder of your reading over the remaining days. There really is no excuse to fail. So I decided to jump on the bandwagon, again, and attempt to read the Bible in a year. I chose a plan that gives a mix of old and new testament and keeps my weekends free (to catch up, if I need it). I am on day 5 today (I started a little early) and I love it! I didn't read at all yesterday but I decided to read 2 days worth today. It is really manageable. Now I have 2 days off for the weekend, but I don't think I will take them off, I don't want to.

So reading the Bible in a year, I said it, now I have to do it.

I don't really have any other "resolutions" for the year. I am looking forward to living out the remainder of our trip here in Nicaragua and experiencing all that God has for me. I would like to lose weight, but I am less obsessed with food since I have been here, so I am not too worried about that. I would like to get a regular exercise routine going. But for the most part I feel very blessed. God has taken a difficult trial in my life and turned it into an adventure. My kids are doing great. My husband is happy and healthy (and 20 lbs lighter, but I'm not bitter). I am learning more and more what it means to rely on God for everything and my heart is lighter for it.

I hope 2011 is a year of good things for you and your family. Happy New Year!!

P.S. If you are interested in a Bible reading plan go to http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/all

The Food We Eat...

Food. It's a pretty important part of our lives. Our family had some pretty strong opinions about food when we came to Nicaragua. Here's a rundown on our food idiosyncrasies.

Joe. He will eat pretty much anything. He turns his nose up at something not because of how it tastes but because of how unhealthy it is or how he feels after he eats it. He's pretty easy to please however a compliment on a meal doesn't mean much coming from him.

Joey. This kid has always had peculiar tastes. He has a love for white bread and sugar unrivaled by other 12 year old boys, however some of his favorite foods are balsamic vinegar, pico de gallo, a nice green salad, Brussels sprouts, bacon, seafood of all kinds and meat. For much of his early childhood he refused to eat tomatoes or tomato based foods (pizza, spaghetti, etc.) or melted cheese (mac n cheese, grilled cheese, etc.). He has been a tough kid to feed a regular kid menu as he never really liked most of those typical "kid friendly" foods. He'd rather go to a steakhouse (wonder where he gets that...read on).

Bridget. She is pretty adventurous in that she will try most things but unfortunately that doesn't translate to her liking most things. It does make her a relatively good dinner guest though, and for that I am thankful (especially after Joey). She does not like seafood at all (she gets that from me), but she will still try it (she does not get that from me. I don't care how good that salmon is, it still tastes like salmon, which I don't like, so don't waste it on me). She doesn't hate much but she is not fond of rice.

Gus. Oh where to begin with Gus? Gus is a boy who loves to eat! This is the kid who never outgrew the eating every 2-3 hours habit as a baby. He is constantly starving and always needs more. Does that translate into a kid who is easy to feed? No. Gus doesn't like textures. He doesn't like rice, oatmeal, or potatoes. I am sure there are numerous other similarly textured foods he won't eat but those are the big ones that we serve regularly at our house. He also doesn't like beans of any kind (guessing it's a texture thing too). So what does Gus eat? Fruit, and lots of it!! I had to buy a stacking fruit bowl and an overflow bowl to keep enough fruit to get us through between grocery store visits. This kid will plow through a 3 pound bag of satsumas in a sitting and ask "what's for lunch?". The first thing he learned to say in Spanish class was "Yo tengo hambre." (I am hungry). The second thing he learned in Spanish was "Yo necesito comer" (I need to eat.). He will eat 3 or 4 bananas in a sitting. He loves apples, oranges, pineapple, mango, kiwi, persimmons, peaches, pears, cherries, berries....if it's a fruit, he'll eat it. So even though he's a picky kid, I can't complain too much about his choice of indulgences. What he loves, he loves passionately and what he hates, he hates passionately.

Me. I like food. I guess I could be called a picky eater. When I was little and went to my cousin's house to play, my aunt would frequently have me play through dinner. Since I never liked what she made, she gave up offering. I was not the welcome house guest sort of eater. My favorite foods as a kid were teriyaki steak (this was in the late 70's before teriyaki was on every corner) and marinated sautéed mushrooms. My mom didn't love to cook and as we got older we ate out a lot or fended for ourselves. The result of eating what you order (instead of what your mom puts on your plate), isn't a tolerance for mediocre food. I like my food to taste good. I don't particularly like to cook, but I do like to eat good food and since eating out every night isn't feasible, I had to learn to cook food I like. Over the past 15 years of having my own kitchen, I have come to like my own cooking..

Our family came to Nicaragua open to eating new foods. We ate mostly vegetarian at home as I didn't cook meat so having meat was a treat for our kids (and Joe). We used that as a "carrot" for the kids encouraging them to look forward to our travels. Joey made the comment before we left, "I would like to have more meat in my diet". I cringe a bit thinking that my kids' reintroduction to meat is occurring in a developing country, but it's worked out well enough.

The kids have taken to eating with gusto things they would have turned their noses up at home. Joey's favorite thing I make here is "Survivor Soup", named so because we ate it while watching Survivor in San Juan del Sur. Everyone is enjoying my Nicaraguan "mac and cheese" (made with cujada, which is similar to goat cheese, and shells, white wine, tomatoes and basil). We have homemade "dedos de pollo" with garlic mashed potatoes about once a week. I have also figured out a pretty good tortilla soup. What is interesting to me is that even though we are eating meat again, the amount of meat we are eating is so much less than we would have eaten at home. For our family of 5 I make 2 chicken breasts for our "dedos de pollo". At home I would have cooked at least 5 chicken breasts. The soups that I make usually include 1 chicken thigh and leg for the whole pot. I guess that it is close to the way the Nicaraguans eat meat and even less than the "pack of cards" recommended for a healthy heart. While I would love to go back to eating vegetarian at home when we return, I am pretty sure this trip has changed how my kids will eat. I will have to make "Survivor Soup" and "dedos de pollo" but I am pretty sure I am going to add some pinto beans to the tortilla soup and dial back the chicken even more. The "mac and cheese" is pretty good as it is.

I am grateful that my kids' palates are being stretched here and they are rising to the occasion. Last night I made lentil soup for the first time in Nicaragua and while the kids made their opinions about the soup known while it was cooking, once it was served they ate the small portion I gave them (with a big portion of salad) without a single complaint, even from Gus!

Joey LOVES soup nights and raves about my cooking. Bridget keeps plugging away not raving about my cooking but not complaining either. And even though I put potatoes in the "Survivor Soup" Gus doesn't complain about them anymore and actually eats them. So we are eating differently, with less variety and the funny thing is that my kids are complaining less and enjoying food more.

I am a runner...

I have been running for over 6 years. Prior to running, I dabbled in exercise by going to Curves about 3 times a week, but I didn't feel like I was getting much out of it, other than creating a habit. While I was working out at Curves I met one of the trainers who had run a marathon with a charity organization and as a mentor she was seeking other runners or potential runners. It wasn't long before I went to an informational meeting and signed up to raise money for the American Stroke Association and train for my first half marathon run.

I started running long runs with the team. Our first "long" run was 1 mile, then 2 miles, then 3 miles. We increased our mileage by 1 mile each week and once I hit 4 miles every run was my "longest run ever". I wasn't fast, but I felt such a sense of accomplishment when I reported my mileage to my husband every Saturday. He was genuinely amazed, especially when I got to 7 miles and beyond, as those distances were unthinkable. I was training for the 2005 PF Chang's Half Marathon in Arizona but I decided to run the Seattle Half Marathon about a month before the Arizona race. I needed to know I could do it before I got on a plane and flew to Arizona. So I signed up. I ran the Seattle Half Marathon in 2004. I teared up as I heard the Chariots of Fire theme song playing and then I saw the finish line and I knew I was going to make it. Then I saw Joe and the kids cheering for me and it was almost too much. I left for Arizona knowing that I could do it.

After 2 successful races, I was hooked. This half marathon thing is pretty fun. As much as I liked the charity group I was running with, year round fundraising is more than I wanted to commit to. So I started my own Saturday morning long run group. Over the past 5 years runners have come and gone but every Saturday you will find me there. I think of a long run like I would a leisurely trip to a coffee shop with friends. You can get a lot of life figured out in 8-20 miles. You can talk about anything on a run. I've talked with friends about medical issues, relationship struggles and parenting dilemmas. Every topic is fair game on a run. I have shared some of my darkest times and some of my highest highs on the trails with my friends. It's not hard to get together with friends, when you are training for a race, if you do it on the trail. Every Saturday morning you could find me running long with friends until...

We moved to Nicaragua. Eleven days before we moved to Nicaragua, I completed a Half Ironman distance triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run). I gave myself permission to take it easy, recover from the race and the move. It was a good thing too because it was averaging about 90 degrees when we got here and 95% humidity. I didn't run the first week. The second week I ran once, then I got bronchitis. I felt zapped and decided to take it easy (not run through it like I would at home) and try to get better. It was 4 weeks before I felt well enough to run again. I ran 3 times that week. Then I got a urinary tract infection and was out for a week. Then I ran 1 or 2 times a week for a few weeks, then we visited friends in Jinotega (no running for 2 weeks) then we moved to Matagalpa. I ran twice the first 6 days we were here. Then the next week we went on vacation back to San Juan del Sur and Granada for a week (no running) and then back to Matagalpa. So my running has been less consistent than it ever has been. It's not ideal, but it's OK.

But I am supposed to be training for a race. Before we left for Nicaragua, one of the things that I was really having a hard time saying goodbye to was the Seattle Half Marathon. It's the Sunday after Thanksgiving and a great time of year to be a runner in Seattle (IMHO, I know I have friends who don't agree that running in the wet cold is fun). I did it that first year in 2004 and I have done it every year since. I have run it in the pouring rain, the snow (which turned into pouring rain), and in the most beautiful fall Seattle weather you can imagine. I love that it's hilly and I can run it in long sleeves and a hat. I just love that race! I was really having a hard time "breaking my streak". I can easily see doing this race every year for as long as my legs will go. I remembered that the Seattle Marathon has offered a race for active military serving in Iraq and they run the same day and they get a special shirt and medal. So I picked up the phone and called the Seattle Marathon office. I asked if I paid for the race, if they would let me participate by running in Nicaragua and still getting my shirt and medal. They readily agreed and even offered to mail my medal and shirt to Nicaragua. So I am registered for a half marathon next weekend. My longest "training run" prior to Saturday was 6 miles (and I only ran that far once). This Saturday Joe and I ran 8 miles here in Matagalpa checking out 2/3rd of our race course for next weekend. Man it hurt. I even fell when I tried to run on the "shoulder" and started to twist my ankle and had to crash land. I bloodied my knees a bit too. Fortunately I was upright when we caught site of 3 vultures on the side of the road about a mile later! But there is nothing like the day after a long run and a fall to make you feel old. But next Sunday I will get up early, pack my race food and drink, remember the possible bathroom stops I scoped out this week, and run 13.1 miles. Why?

Because I am a runner! I only truly realized this when I stopped running. Running is part of who I am. I now know that I can take a break from running and still be a runner. I can get injured and take care of myself and still be a runner. I don't need to fear "getting out of the habit". I can take each day in Nicaragua as it comes and still be a runner. I don't really know what the next 6 months will hold for me but I do know that when I get back home, I have friends who are waiting to run with me and they will be patient with me if I am not as fast as I used to be. We will have a lot of catching up to do...

A Vacation from our Adventure...???

So we left for San Juan del Sur last Thursday to celebrate the 9th anniversary of San Juan del Sur Biblioteca Movil with our friend Jane and others. So we hopped in the van with 7 of our newest friends for the 4 hour ride to SJDS. We got in Thursday afternoon and met up with Jane and 50 6th and 7th graders from Colorado who have been preparing for this trip to Nicaragua for a year. They did fundraising and planning and learned some Spanish and prepared activities that they would run for 500 kids during the library celebration. They were a cool group of 7th and 8th graders. We also enjoyed getting to chat with the teachers and principals that agreed to take 50 middle schoolers to Nicaragua for a week. We got to break bread with them and hear what they thought of Nicaragua.

On Friday afternoon Jane was preparing spaghetti and meatballs with our friend Heather and a couple of hotel staff members. They were preparing to make meatballs out of 20 lbs of ground beef. The gas oven was lit but apparently the element didn't fully ignite and when someone opened the oven door the gas that had been collecting in the stove ignited from the stove and exploded blowing people into cabinets and walls and blowing out 2 ceiling tiles above. It was only and explosion and not fire so the damage was only bumps and bruising and serious anxiety. We brought all the meat and ingredients for dinner up to Jane's house where we continued to prepare the rest of the meat, make spaghetti sauce (Jane's special recipe: one of each kind of sauce available in the store in town plus one can of crushed tomatoes), make garlic butter without a garlic press (my first time ever peeling and mincing 4 heads of garlic all in one sitting), make garlic bread and stuff 9 piñatas with candy for the celebration the next day. Then we got to eat spaghetti with the middle schoolers for dinner.

Saturday was the library celebration. There were 9 piñatas, one for every year of the library's operation, one each hour. There was traditional Nicaraguan folk dancing, about 20 different free activities for the kids (brought by the middle school students) do and take home. There was music, games and general fun. There were so many kids there who have been impacted by the library. It is such a great part of the community. They have English classes available for adults in the evening and they host numerous activities for kids before, during, and after school. I am so thankful that Jane had the vision to make a difference. The celebration was an opportunity to recognize kids and adults who are reading the most. In most houses in America kids have more books than immediate family. In Nicaragua kids have more immediate family members than books. The library gives them the opportunity to read a variety of books.

Then we went to a special dinner after all the Saturday festivities. We were tired on Saturday night. On Sunday morning we rested, it just felt right. We let the kids play at the beach as we watched them from our hotel balcony. When we called them back they came. We had dinner with our old neighbors at the local pizza joint. We went to bed early on Sunday night after packing our bags in preparation for our Costa Rican border crossing on Monday morning.

On Monday morning we went to drove down to the Costa Rican border (about 35 miles from SJDS) with someone we met in Jinotega. She is a nurse and has been down in Central American for over 20 years. She took Gus' stitches out for me, so I didn't have to. We did as much research as possible on how to get from Nicaragua to Costa Rica and Costa Rica back to Nicaragua but nothing ever goes quite as planned. We need to leave the country every 90 days. There is a lot of misinformation about how the process works and if you ask people, it doesn't always go the same. We ended up making it down and back in about 5 hours. It was stressful and I am so glad we aren't going to have to do it again before we leave as we will get a 3 month extension in Managua the next time (in February).

After our less than pleasant border crossing we had lunch in SJDS and then headed to Rivas to catch the "Chicken Bus" (apparently so named because they are likely to have passengers with live chickens riding them). The "Chicken Bus" is an old US school bus that is colorfully painted and lovingly cared for by the owner. They are very affordable. The ride from Rivas to Granada (about 1.5 hours) is 25 cordobas (about $1.25). But they pack the bus! We got on early and sat in the hot bus but that meant we had a seat. People get on the bus while it is parked selling water (in a bag, Joe bought one) juice (in a bag), chicken, tortillas and coleslaw (in a bag) and various other Nicaraguan food items. Also for sale on the bus were underwear (men's, women's and children's) socks, remote controls and bandanas. The bus left Rivas with several people standing. For about 45 minutes my shoulder was in a man's groin (I was uncomfortable but he didn't seem to notice). Bags and packages are stored on top of the bus. We saw aluminum roofing being loaded on to a bus next to us and 50 lb bags of rice or beans are normal as well as costco sized packs of toilet paper. We had a large luggage that would have cost 10 cordobas (about $.50) to store on top but Joe wanted it with us on the bus but the baggage handler told us it would be "expensive". How much? 20 cordobas. Our bag rode with us not with the rice, beans and toilet paper. So the full bus left Rivas and picked people up along the way. Needless to say we survived but I am very glad Joe has made the trip a few times solo so he knows the ins and outs of the Chicken Buses.

In Granada we met with the friends who let us stay with them for 3 nights. I finally got to meet the family that I emailed with during our fact finding stage. They have an 11 year old daughter and a 12 year old son. We went to "7:30 Men's Bible Study" which includes women and children and starts at 8:00, only in Nicaragua. It was wonderful though. All the singing was in Spanish and the Bible Study time was done in Spanish and English. I definitely felt the Holy Spirit in that place!! I wish we had something like that in Matagalpa!

Today we visited an old fort that was built in 1748. We walked about 20 minutes to get there only to find that it was closed. There was a maintenance guy working and he told us he would let us in for 5 minutes as long as we didn't climb the towers. It was really cool to see something that was built 250 years ago that is still standing. The middle structure of the fort had walls that were breaking away and you could see the original straw and mud that the bricks were made with. After the fort, we headed to the Granada cemetery which is huge and amazing. We took some cool pictures but I can't upload them yet. I hope to add them to this post.

After that we came back to the house and then went out for lunch with our friends. After lunch Joe took the kids back to the house while I went to the grocery store with our friends. As we were walking back to the house with groceries, Joe called to say that when he and the kids arrived at the house, there were 3 guys standing out front and when he was unlocking the door to the house he heard banging on the roof. When he went into the house he saw a guys foot coming down into the atrium. He yelled at him and the guy took off (along with the 3 guys in front of the house). Very scary! The kids were with him too.

So tomorrow morning we get on a bus (should be nicer than a chicken bus) to Managua. Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua and everyone we have talked to about Managua says it's not a good place to live, it's dangerous, it's scary, stay away from the bus terminals (and that's just the Nicaraguans). So I am hoping all goes well. We are going from Managua to Matagalpa.

After flying rocks, exploding ovens, stressful border crossings and attempted break ins I am hoping this last leg of our "vacation" is smooth and I look forward to sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night!!

Later that day...

I didn't think I would be posting again so quickly but the adventure continues...

I spent the early afternoon blogging my thoughts on living in Matagalpa (on Notepad in the house as we still don't have Internet). As I was working, the boys played outside. I noticed it was alarmingly quiet so I went out to check on them. They were playing nicely outside and I told them that such quiet play was usually indicative of something wrong but all seemed good. I went back inside knowing all was well.

About 45 minutes later I heard crying, and more alarming, Joey yelling for me. Then I saw a site no mother ever wants to see. Gus crying hysterically with his right hand covering his right eye and a generous amount of blood coming from under his hand. I ran! Joey was apologizing profusely that it was all his fault and that Gus had been hit in the face by a rock attached to a rope (the full story was not necessary to assess that this was not good). I took him inside to clean off the blood so that I could see where it was coming from. I went to turn on the water...no water. I used a clean cloth and purified water (probably a better choice anyway) and was able to determine that he had a gash about 1.5 inches long right next to his eye. Then Bridget came in and screamed and said "oh my God, he's bleeding!!!" which was not really helpful. I sent her to her room. Oh, did I mention that Joe was gone at a cafe (not certain which one) using the Internet and was scheduled to be back between 30-90 minutes later? I wasn't sure if he needed stitches but I was quite sure that my Spanish wasn't good enough to take him there, in his current state, with Joey and Bridget. So I sat him on my lap and rocked him in the rocking chair to try to get him calmed down. He was in pain, and it was genuine but he was also scared because a large rock had crashed into his face. I was able to get him calmed down by singing to him (I am pretty sure that my voice is only soothing to my offspring). Then I decided that I needed to try to track down Joe. The neighbors were not home but I had the plan of explaining that I needed to call Joe and asking our neighbor to call the 2 cafes that I thought he might be using and see if he was there. That didn't work. Then I decided to look up the number for the cafes and I would attempt to ask if he was there. I grabbed a phonebook and started looking up the first cafe, Cafe Latino. I found 7 listings but none of them listed a city. There was a truck parked outside and I took the phone book to the man sitting in the truck and told him in Spanish that I needed the number for Cafe Latino in Matagalpa. He was able to look in a completely different section of the phone book but it wasn't there. Back to square one.

So we had to wait. I put some Neosporin on it with pain reliever and kept singing to him. I told Joey and Bridget that they needed to not scream and freak dad out when they saw him but just tell him that mom needs you and Gus got hurt. Bridget kept a constant watch on the street. I kept singing. If it had been in San Juan del Sur I would have sent Joey and Bridget out together to check the few places he might have been but we don't know Matagalpa enough and I didn't need my 2 kids lost in a new city to add to my adrenaline levels. So we waited.

Eventually, about 45 minutes after the incident, Joe came home. He was pleased that I didn't freak out but told him that I needed his opinion. He decided rather quickly that he wanted to take him to the emergency clinic, which was only 3 blocks away. It was 10 minutes after 5:00 when he arrived so we got to pay the "after hours" fee.

Joey went with him, feeling responsible for what he did. About 10 minutes later Joey came home to tell me that they were going to give him 4 stitches. I asked if dad sent him home. "No". "Does dad know you came home?" "Yes". I later found out that the cleaning and numbing of the wound proved more than Joey could handle and he left. I also found out that Joe had to ask them to wait as he was getting queasy watching, and Gus was having a really hard time. But when all was said and done, it was $36 for doctor fee, emergency visit, stitches, and eye drops.

Once we saw what his face looked like in the evening, I have no doubt we would have ended up at the clinic that night. The cut was just a small section but his face was hit with a rock. I am very grateful that I went to bed knowing that his vision was fine and his cheek and bone weren't broken. So now we wait again, for the swelling to go down and then the bruising to go away.

I had plans of having the kids' pictures taking this weekend for our Christmas cards, but I think I am going to hold off until we can see both his eyes...

I will let Gus explain for himself how the incident happened. (see video)

And feel free to read Joe's take on the situation at www.joehafner.com

Gus would love to hear your comments.

Matagalpa Musings...

This entry does not have much direction or cohesiveness but I haven't blogged for a while so put away your red pen, sit back and ejoy (or endure) the ride...

We just moved into a house in Matagalpa. Matagalpa is a large city in the mountains, not far from Jinotega where we stayed for 2 weeks with our friends who are missionaries there. We are renting their old house here in Matagalpa.

We have a business right next door that sells some produce and it varies. Today it includes yuka, bananas, plantains, jamaica tea, cuajada seco (a dry parmesan like cheese), guyaba jelly, coffee, dry red beans, honey and oranges. They also sell goat meat (refrigerated), chicken and beef, cuajada (soft cheese), cream (not for coffee, more like sour cream), milk, an unpasturized butter product (which I haven't bought yet but I am thinking of buying for recipes that are cooked, like macaroni and cheese). I am hoping that they will have other options over the next few weeks. I really wish I could get an avocado! I think they must be out of season right now because I haven't seen one since I left San Juan del Sur. I am also eagerly awaiting mango season which, I think, starts in January.

There is a little "soda" on the property as well and they sell 2 or 3 things a day and when they run out, that's it. We have eaten there a few times. We got 6 meals and 6 glasses of juice (we bring our own plates and pitcher) for about $8. It was a chicken dish with a souplike sauce and we all ate it for lunch but there was enough sauce and 1 piece of chicken left so I cooked up some pasta and pulled the chicken off the bone and the kids and I ate pasta with sauce and chicken for dinner. It was a pretty economical meal. Unfortunately they don't serve dinner and if you want all the lunch options you need to get there early. It's a pretty cool thing to have next door.

We have 4 major grocery stores here in Matagalpa. My favorite is La Colonia. It is big and air conditioned (although it's not particularly hot in Matagalpa) and, most important to me, it's well lit! I haven't actually shopped there yet because I have been doing my shopping at La Matagalpa, the locally owned grocery store. It's a good size, not very well lit, but I can find most everything I am looking for there and I like supporting the local business. I was not able to find potatoes there today though. Also I wanted to buy "refried beans" (smashed red beans sold in a bag) but they didn't have any for sale. They did have a "free" bag of refried beans with the purchase of a bottle of ketchup, but none sold individually. The Nicaraguans really like their ketchup too. When Bridget and I went to a cooking class in San Juan del Sur, we made "Tacos Nica" (which may or may not be called that in all of Nicaragua but that's what I was told we were making). We made what we would call in the US "taquitos" with chicken, bell peppers, onion, and carrot. We topped the tacos with Nicaraguan coleslaw (cabbage, carrots and vinegar) and then they put "crema" (like soupy sour cream) and KETCHUP on top!! Uh, no thanks on the ketchup for me. Don't get me wrong, I like my ketchup...on FRENCH FRIES and even hash browns but please stay away from my tacos. I am all for cultural immersion but I don't think I need to put ketchup on my tacos for the full experience!

Now back to the free refried beans when you buy a bottle of ketchup. This is something that intrigues me about Nicaragua. There are no weekly mailers with the sale prices here and no coupons. There is, however, someone in grocery stores who has yellow "GRATIS" tape and he tapes with reckless abandon. I purchased a bottle of vegetable oil last week and it had a packet taped to it with about 1/8 cup of oil. Now maybe that's for when you go on a trip and need to pack oil? I don't know. But I am all about getting the most for my money so I used it to keep my pasta from sticking together after it was cooked...but I didn't need all of it so I left it open propped against the full bottle and the kids ended up oiling the countertop...live and learn. I also bought blackberry (yes blackberry!) jelly with 2 small packets of more blackberry jelly taped to the top (those remain in the fridge). But my absolute favorite tape job was the Raid insecticide with a package of baby laundry detergent taped to it! They must really be pushing the Raid though because they had bar soap taped to some bottles and shampoo. If I had to get a Nicaraguan job, I think I would want to be the person who gets to tape!

OK, back to the house. The house we are renting belongs to our friends in Jinotega. They lived here for 10 years before they moved to Jinotega. There was another missionary family who lived in it for a couple of months. Their stuff is stored in the 4th bedroom. We get to use 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Just about right if you ask me. The house has plenty of room and a big yard and the house comes with a "rental dog". We don't have to feed him but we do need to watch where we step in the big yard. The kids love to play with him and I think anyone who tried to break in with him here would have to be an idiot. He's a black lab mix and is as strong as an ox with a bark that can be heard for blocks.

The boys room has 2 bunk beds and Bridget's room has a full sized bed. Which is nice because if anyone wants to visit us, we can put Bridget in the boys room (she's actually been sleeping in there anyway, but that's a differnt story) and our guests can sleep in her room. The master bedroom has a king sized bed and a bathroom. We have never had a king sized bed so it's quite spacious.

The first night we moved in here it was just me and the kids (Joe was in Esteli). I got the kids to sleep and sat on the giant bed to read. Then I heard a noise. Then I saw the ceiling tiles bowing as "something" ran across the space between the ceiling and the roof. I knew there were rats here that the owners have been dealing with so I wasn't surprised. It was disturbing but I am tough, I can deal. Then about 30 seconds later I heard it again and the ceiling tiles were bowing right over my head. That was when I decided to bunk with Bridget. When Joe came home we attempted to sleep in our bedroom the first night but the rats were too noisy. We tried again the next night but they were too noisy again. Then we found a dead rat on the stairs and that night we were able to sleep in our bedroom without rat noises. Bridget didn't like being displaced so she is very happy to have her own room again. We talked to a contractor today about closing up some gaps to keep the rats out and while we showed him what we wanted done we found 2 more dead rats. Hopefully the dead rat finding will continue until we are rat free. I also found a mouse in a blanket I was carrying but mice are not as disturbing as rats (wow, this trip has given me perspective). Oh and a dead cockroach here and there is not a bad thing. The really good news is that not only have we not been biten by mosquitoes since we got here, all our SJDS mosquito bites have healed and our legs look good, but....

On Thursday we leave for San Juan del Sur to visit our friends there and celebrate the 9th anniversary of Biblioteca Movil. We are riding down with our friends from Jinotega and their 5 kids (in their 16 passenger van). We are staying Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. On Monday morning (early) we are taking a taxi into Rivas (16 miles inland from SJDS) and catching a ride with a friend we met in Jinotega who is going to Costa Rica to satisfy her requirement to leave the country every 90 days. We also need to do that so we are going to drive across the Costa Rican border with her, only about 20 miles from Rivas. From Costa Rica we will cross into Nicaragua and get a ride into Granada to stay at a friend's house (he will be in Costa Rica) and meet a family (that has kids Joey and Bridget's ages) that I have been corresponding with but haven't met (Joe has on one of his trips to Granada). We are planning on staying Monday and Tuesday night in Granada and coming back on Wednesday. We will take a bus from Granada to Managua on Wednesday and hook up with our friend who lives in Managua and he will give us a ride to Matagalpa as he has business to do up here. So it's a pretty simple trip we have planned, what could possibly go wrong?

So that's about all that's going on here. I like the tempurature in Matagalpa a lot. It's sunny and nice but the mornings are nice and cool like spring. I went for my first run this morning and loved the tempurature but now I have to deal with mountains. From what I can tell, in Matagalpa, you are either running up a hill or running down a hill. Even if you try to run sideways, you end up going up or down hills. I am going to ask around and see if there are places in the city where one might run that might include rolling hills. I "ran" 2.5 miles today at a 16:06 pace and my legs are tired! Only 19 days till my Nicaraguan "Seattle Half Marathon"!

Adios...until I post again...

The Adventure Continues....

Well it's never boring with the Hafners adventure in Nicaragua! We left the US with one night's accommodations in place in Costa Rica and a plan to go to San Juan del Sur for Spanish school (but the exact date not set). We ended up finding a house to rent in San Juan del Sur, which wasn't part of our original plan, we were going to live in Granada after Spanish classes were over. But we are being flexible and letting the Lord lead us on this adventure so we don't know the plan. We thought we would stay in SJDS and find a bigger house but based on the housing possibilities there, it was not to be. So Friday morning we left SJDS for the mountains of Jinotega to visit with a family we met while they were in SJDS. We packed 3 days worth of clothes to take to Jinotega and we packed everything else up and left it with our friend Jane in SJDS.

So here we are in Jinotega on day 4. We still don't know what the plan is. The family we are staying with has a house in Matagalpa (about 45 minutes away by bus) that is currently vacant. Vacant houses aren't a good thing in Nicaragua because they are targets for theft. The house is furnished and it has some of their belongings stored there. The house is available till January, when another family is coming to stay there. We are planning to go up there and check it out this week. We are still open to what God has for us.

So the area of Jinotega (and Matagalpa) is cool and foggy and green. As we drove up the mountains to the house we saw pine trees growing. We also saw lots of cattle and horses as well as coffee growing. We also got to see our first vultures (sopilotes) in real life. It seems like a great climate for running and perhaps this is where I will run my "Seattle Half Marathon" on November 28th. I did not bring my running gear though so I can't run till we get all our stuff moved up here.

I never would have imagined dropping in on another family with our 3 kids before we undertook this adventure but then I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get to know another family so quickly.

The family we are staying with are missionaries here and they have lived in Nicaragua for 17 years. They are starting up a small house church in Jinotega and they have an English service on Sunday mornings and a Spanish service on Sunday nights. Yesterday we had the chance to have fellowship and worship in English for the second time in 2+ months. Then we got to listen in to the Spanish service and follow along, thanks to some quick translation.

We are drinking coffee every morning that is grown in the mountains right around where we are staying and it's delicious.

So just a quick update to say that nothing has been decided and we are OK with that. Enjoy a few pictures of Jinotega and the drive here.

So

I am richly blessed...

Bridget and I were invited to visit Los Quinchos today by our friend Jane. Los Quinchos operates two homes in San Marcos (about 1 1/2 hours from SJDS) for boys and girls who have been abandoned or mistreated. They keep children, whose homes are more dangerous than the streets, off the streets. The children (boys and girls on different properties) are given a safe place to live, food, shelter, the opportunity to go to school and the love of their caretakers and each other. We went to the girls home first and had time to play, help them serve lunch, and spent time with them reading and drawing pictures and writing letters. Our visit to the boys home was shorter and we served a snack and visited with them for about 45 minutes. I was richly blessed today by these amazing kids.

There wasn't room in the truck for Joe and the boys on this trip so they will go next time (in November). Edwin, who works for Jane, drove Jane, Bridget, Heather (who is also volunteering with Jane) and I to the residences of Los Quinchos. Edwin and Jane make regular visits but it was a first time for Heather, Bridget and I.

As soon as we drove up to the girls home Jane said "Get out your cameras, quick!" As soon as Jane got out of the car the girls swarmed her with hugs! As we got out of the truck we were the recipients of many hugs as well because any friend of Jane was a friend of these girls. The girls range in age from 6-16 years old. The older girls help care for the younger girls and while we were visiting we saw no signs of discord among them. I am sure they were on their best behavior but I think of how my kids behave "on their best behavior" and they still have squabbles. I did my best to capture the love these kids have for Jane but the pictures do not fully capture the experience. After we all received at least on hug from each girl they introduced themselves to us and asked our names and showed off one of the new kittens which Bridget immediately fell in love with and hardly put down the whole time. They shared cookies with us shortly after we arrived. These kids get one decent meal a day and cookies are a very special treat and even though they have almost nothing, they wanted to share with us. I was not a fan of the cookies but I took it and took a bite and thanked them and then passed it off to Bridget when they weren't looking. It is very insulting to a Nicaraguan to turn down a gift and we have been told that we must accept gifts that are given even when it is difficult to take something from people who have so little. I am so glad I was told that or I am sure I would have said "No gracias" to the cookie today.

We helped them get lunch on the table. Today's lunch was special; chicken with vegetables and a larger portion of rice because it was one of the girls' birthday. We brought chocolate milk and stuff for ham and cheese sandwiches and cookies but they will save that food for tomorrow. After lunch Edwin read a story to the kids and they had the opportunity to color pictures and write a story. A couple of children were copying from the books Jane brought but most of the children wrote letters of gratitude to Jane and the rest of us (blessed by association) and made pictures, many of which Bridget got.

These kids all seem very happy and well adjusted and loved. It is hard for me to comprehend what I saw today. I was the one who was blessed today. I did not sacrifice anything today. I gave my time but I received so much. As we were leaving the girls were asking "when will you come again?" and I wanted to yell "tomorrow!". We didn't bring them gifts or stuff. Jane left some clothes for the girls to be sorted out by the caregivers and we did bring food which will be eaten tomorrow, but the real gift to these girls was spending time with them, sharing books and giving them the opportunity to color and write out their feelings of gratitude. When Jane arrives in her truck she is not Santa Claus to these girls but friend. She shares her heart and her time. Jane was also there to get size information and a wish (AKA need) list for Christmas as her church in Colorado will be giving each child a backpack for Christmas with some clothes and other items. Jane does give materially to these kids but, from what I saw today, it's her heart that matters most.

After all that, we weren't done. We all hopped back into the truck and headed over to the boys home. Jane told us to get out our cameras as we were greeted with many hugs from the boys as well. They are a very energetic bunch of guys. These are boys who do not have a safe home to go to and would otherwise live on the streets. Jane told us that one of the little boys there had a relative in his home who tried to kill him with an ax and because of the injury he had headaches for a couple of years. How can I even fathom what life in his short life has been like?

Bridget and Jane passed out a snack of chocolate milk, a banana and 2 Oreo cookies for each boy. The boys were all fascinated with having their pictures taken and taking pictures with the camera. The one picture of me was taken by one of the boys. The boys also wanted to have their picture taken with Bridget, who was very accommodating. They showed us around the property to see the new kitchen (with tile and running water), the old outdoor kitchen (which they still use) the library building, and the salon which is a big room with a TV and chairs. We enjoyed our time with the boys and left with lots of hugs and questions about when we were coming back again.

We then drove to Granada where Jane was picking up her dog from the dog sitter, who has been caring for her while Jane has been traveling and helping volunteer groups. Granada is much bigger than San Juan del Sur and has lots of expats living there. It also has a large population of street kids. Some sell their wares to foreigners in the Central Park but sadly most of the street boys from about 12 and up are begging for money to buy glue to sniff. This is what the boys we just visited are being saved from. When we arrived in Granada, Jane's dog sitter wasn't home so we went to eat a delicious dinner at El Zaguan (one of the best restaurants in Granada) before getting the dog. We had planned to eat lunch with the girls but because it was a special birthday lunch, and not the sandwiches we brought, we didn't want to eat their food. So we had been out all day with only cookies and milk so we were starving! After dinner we headed over to the dog sitter's house. She is a single Dutch woman living in Granada who doesn't like to give the street boys money but she feeds them. As we were collecting Jane's dog, they were calling to her from outside the door telling her they wanted food. It was very different from any experience we have had in San Juan del Sur. When Jane was walking her dog to the car, the boys wanted to say goodbye to her dog as well as they had gotten to know her during her time in Granada and one of the boys had been scared of dogs but Negra had cured him of that. We were all standing as the boys said their goodbyes...each holding their jar of glue up to their noses as they were talking with us. Looking into their vacant eyes was so sad and really made our time at the boys home that much more meaningful. There were a couple of boys who were new to Los Quinchos and they were less social but almost all the boys we visited with were engaging in conversation, making eye contact and smiling. The boys on glue in the streets of Granada were vacant and slow with no emotion.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet the kids I did today and feel truly blessed. Now my body is exhausted and must rest...

Another great day...

Sorry photos are out of order. I don't know enough about blogger to do it right. Lo siento.

I was sidelined this week with a UTI and the side effects of medication so I didn't run this week but I am feeling better and was able to go for a run this morning. I took pictures which you can see in my previous post ("Settling in...") about my new running route. It is beautiful and today was a particularly beautiful day. Everything was brighter and crisper today and I couldn't get over the beauty of God's creation around me. See the pictures for yourself. I did a lot of walking on my run but it felt good to be out and I look forward getting out and running consistently this week and from now on.

After my run we all went out for breakfast and had pancakes at a restaurant right on the beach (see photos). There is nothing quite like having breakfast as a family right on the beach. Even Gus couldn't finish his one pancake! Then we decided to walk around to check out potential neighborhoods for a new rental house. We are looking for something a little less expensive and with a little more room (and probably less of a view). We ended up stopping to see our new friend Jane at her house. Jane has been the most amazing connection we have made in San Juan del Sur. She is a gringa from Colorado who has commuted here for the past 12 years. She owns a hotel here but she is also responsible for starting the local lending library. She works with numerous organizations to bring about positive change here in Nicaragua. I couldn't even begin to scratch the surface of what she does here. She has a huge heart and is incredibly generous with everyone. Just stopping by to say hi to Jane turned into a couple of hours of talking and then heading to lunch with Jane but not before we got to see a local marching band here for a celebration for cleaning the beaches, Bridget got her own library card, and we paid for our laundry (not a direct route to lunch). "Lunch" was at about 3:30. Jane continued to share more about life in SJDS over lunch and ended up offering us tongs, ice cube trays and a popcorn maker; all things missing from our furnished home. We watched an amazing sunset from her patio (again it was a spectacularly beautiful day and sunset did not disappoint) and at around 6 we heading to Eskimo for our "dinner" (ice cream).

We planned to go home and watch a movie (from Jane's personal collection) but on our way home we ran into our neighborhood friends, Yosseline, David and Israel. We stopped to chat and met David and Isreal's mother, Maria as well as their little sister Iliana. It was a great opportunity to practice my Spanish. Joe has been taking Spanish classes for 5 weeks and he understands (and speaks) much better than I do. I believe Joe invited them to our house for dinner on Monday. What do I feed the Nicaraguan neighbors? They are such a nice family and the kids are so great. We feel very blessed that they are friends to our children (and us). They live up the street from us so after chatting on the beach for about half an hour we walked home together. They came up to our house for a drink of water (after walking up 95 stairs, most people need water and a chair).

Then the woman who works at the Lavanderia, came by to drop off our laundry. Joe has worked out pick up and delivery as toting 1 week's worth of laundry for 5 people is hard. Now she picks it up and drops it off in her truck. We give her and her son a drink of water and a seat after coming up our stairs too. We chatted with her while she recovered from our stairs and she asked me how cooking was going. I am sure that Joe told her that I am struggling with cooking in Nicaragua with a small kitchen, limited pots, pans and utensils, and drastically reduced food options. She told us that she could teach me to cook in our kitchen for a day. I showed her our limited resources. She said it could be done. I asked her "Cuanto cuestra?" she replied "Nada." She likes to cook and she would be happy to do it for free. I told her no, but she insisted. It is such a blessing to be here for this extended time because it is only after almost 7 weeks that we are really getting to know people.

Tomorrow Bridget and I will be going to Los Quinchos to help Jane serve. Los Quinchos are 2 houses for abandoned and mistreated children. There is a home for girls and a home for boys. The organization keeps children off the streets. They give them shelter and food. Jane is going tomorrow to get measurements for the kids for Christmas gifts and to bring lunch and snacks. We are both looking forward to meeting some new kids and practicing our limited Spanish. There isn't room in the truck for the whole family (we have to drive on the busy street and Jane only allows people in the back of the truck for slow trips to the local beaches) so Joey and the boys will go with Jane another time to visit and serve.

So it shaped up to be a pretty nice Saturday. We are very blessed. Enjoy the pictures and I hope to post pictures after our trip tomorrow.

P.S. I'm throwing in a picture of a monkey. We learned there is a lady in town with one as a pet. It bites.

Nicaraguan Beach and River Clean Up Day

Last Saturday was scheduled to be Nicaragua's national beach clean up day. Unfortunately it had to be cancelled do to Tropical Storm Mateo. Today we participated with Barrio Planta Project (BPP) in cleaning up the beach in San Juan del Sur.

All the students and teachers met at the beach at 7 AM this morning for instructions (don't pick up needles, dead animals, or glass). The event was supposed to go till 12. But it turns out that picking up garbage on the beach is really hard work and carrying a garbage filled bag up and down the beach is no picnic either. We lasted from 7-10:30.

Lots of kids from BPP showed up to help and clean. They are hard workers. The attitude about littering in Nicaragua (or at least SJDS) is pretty lax. People regularly just throw their garbage on the ground in the neighborhoods. Part of the problem is that when it rains, and it's been doing that a lot lately, the rain washes everything from the streets into the beach. There are also people who go to the beach and leave all their garbage.

Here are some of the things we cleaned up: Plastic baggies (used with a straw for drinks), straws, bottle caps, beer bottles, water bottles, a needle (specifically told not to pick them up but one kid did) candy wrappers, matches, grocery bags, cigarette butts, a tire, shirts, shoes, and tons of small pieces of plastic. We saw several dead fish; we were told not to pick up any dead animal, which was good information to have when we came across a dead puppy. We all filled up big rice bags with our trash and returned it to the truck that would carry it away. Our group was a bit slower and we ended up picking up mostly tiny garbage as others ran by with bags filled with plastic water bottles (one girl had 72 water bottles).

The organization running it (not BPP) supplied the bags and water. The water was in plastic, like a juice box but a sealed plastic bag. You just bite the tip off and drink (see photo of Bridget drinking). A couple of the local restaurants donated sandwiches and drinks and the use of their tables for the event (see photo of kids in restaurant). The organization running the clean up is tracking what they have cleaned up. Each of the team leaders (adults overseeing 3 or 4 kids) was given a form to fill out with no less than 30 catagories for garbage which we were supposed to tally. This is where it gets a bit senseless. These kids spent their Saturday morning working hard cleaning up garbage on the beach (most of which is from adults) and they wanted us to dump out the bags of garbage and count and categorize what we picked up. We just couldn't do it. We left early. We picked up so many tiny (dime sized) pieces of garbage that I wasn't about to pick them up again, let alone count them. I don't really understand why they need the kids to do that. I wish they had taken the garbage away and had other volunteers count it or even just weigh the garbage and call it a success. It just seems wrong to ask the kids to undo what they did, count it and put it back in the bag. Maybe that's just me.

All in all it was a good day of hard work. And that's how we spent our Saturday...