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After 8 days and 8 nights in Nicaragua, our Boeing Jet
touched down in Tampa.
We arrived about 10:30 p.m. 2.5 hrs. later than our
originally scheduled flight out of Managua, Nicaragua which had been
delayed making it necessary for the airlines to split up our group
of 10 mission team members in order to make connecting flights in
Miami and Atlanta. It
was good to be home and especially surprising to see Forest Hills
Presbyterian members Eulah McWilliams and her sister Janet Egolf
waiting to greet us as we came in on different planes.
It’s funny what you notice when you’ve lived in a
third world country for even only 8 days. Driving from the airport
up Dale Mabry, the streetlights and modern shop fronts, traffic
lights in all the right places and not a horse drawn cart in site
assured me this is the USA.
Arriving at my home the water pressure almost startled
me. A refrigerator full
of food reminded me of the scarcity of resources that people have in
Nicaragua. And
yet, for 8 days we were drawn into a culture and church family that
truly loved one another and quickly showed their love for us. People
who had very little in the way of possessions but who seemed to
possess joy for life together in a community of faith. Their spirits soared during
worship when the all girl choir sang songs of praise and
glorification to a God of hope and love. Hope that the world will not
forget them and will help them continue to share the love of Christ
with those in Esteli who know Him not and more ambitiously to start
other churches in Nicaragua.
It was truly a life enriching experience for me and I know
for the others on the team. We will never forget the smiles,
handshakes, hugs, kisses and the sparkle in the eyes of the children
who were so happy to be at the Vacation Bible School and hear
amazing stories such as Jonah and the whale. They were like children on
Christmas morning when the gifts are brought out and shared, even
though their gift bags contained only craft goods for pasting
together to make a whale or a windsock. They were excited and happy.
To recap some of our experiences, it all began on
Saturday, June 10th when we left Tampa for Nicaragua. We
stopped over in Miami.
Flight 969 out of Miami had a mechanical problem with the
system that controls stopping the plane on a short runway such as
the one in Managua, Nicaragua.
Although there was a short delay in changing planes, no one
complained. We arrived
in Managua at 5:00p.m. cst.
We were met at the airport by Emerson Wilson, the missionary
who, with his wife Martina, were the catalyst in getting the Shalom
church started. Emerson
started his work in Esteli in 1996. Before starting the 2 hour drive
north from Managua to Esteli, Emerson took us to the Esso service
station for lunch. Sounds unusual but they actually had a good
selection of foods. We ran into a number of young Nico’s as they are
called who held up one finger asking for Cordobas which is the local currency.
We had been advised not to give them money so we gave out chewing
gum and candy. The ride
to Esteli was scenic as the countryside is lush with coconut palms
and many other varieties of tropical trees and vegetation. Upon arriving at Esteli, we
were driven to the Hotel Nicaro where we would be staying throughout
the week.
The hotel was modest but clean and had a cozy court
yard onto which all our rooms opened. Our first challenge that
evening was to figure out the shower. Unlike what we are accustomed
to they don’t have a central hot water heating system. Instead, each
shower is equipped with its own small heater. That might sound fine
but when you realize that the heater is in fact on the end of the
water pipe and carries 110 volts of current we wondered how shocking
an experience it would be. Reg was unable to get any hot water the
first night and had to listen to Ricky describing how hot it was
when he got his shower.
Once you got the knack of it, it certainly beat the cold
showers in Belize. A 5
foot tube was used to sprinkle oneself.
Sunday morning began at 7 a.m. when we gathered in the
courtyard. The
courtyard was full of tropical plants and a couple of cockatiels,
which chirped loudly, but only after the cloak was removed from
their cages. At about
7:15 we had group devotions then breakfast. This was our schedule
for all our mornings till we left. The devotional time was
special. The courtyard
was similar to a garden and the quiet, even with an occasional
chirp, allowed us to think and talk about why we were there and how
God might be directing us. After breakfast we drove to the First
National Presbyterian Church of Shalom, which was only about 5
minutes from the hotel. During the week, some of us chose to walk it
rather than ride. The
church is a well built block building with white wrought iron bars
covering each window. The building originally began as a small home
which the owner builder decided not to complete and later sold it to
the church. The
inside floor was covered in 12” tiles and the walls contained
beautiful murals. On
one wall was a painting of the Last Supper. At one end of the church is
a built up area which served as the stage. Behind that was a wall
separating the kitchen and dining area. In the rear were two
restrooms, one with a shower like those in the hotel, a small
bedroom and a youth room. The church was a mission outreach from the
Shalom Presbytery in Mexico but they receive no funding from
them. The property was
acquired in 2003. Sunday School began about 10a.m. and included
wonderful singing from the church choir. Team member Dave Moore, who
also spoke fluent Spanish, led the Sunday school lesson. Following the service,
we loaded up the van and drove back to the hotel. From there we
walked to a local restaurant for lunch. The local custom is to have
a large meal for lunch and a light one for dinner. We all agreed to
that but it seemed that all our meals were bountiful. To my
knowledge, no one has reported their weight. Lunch consisted of either
fish, shrimp or chicken with rice. Today, Brooke decided on the soup
and proceeded to down the largest bowl (cauldron) of soup any of us
can remember seeing.
After lunch, we took a 20 minute hike around downtown
Esteli. The people are
friendly and I don’t think any of us ever felt threatened. Tourism is their number one
industry so it’s important to welcome the gringos. Back to the hotel around
2:45p.m and time for a
short siesta. Later, we
were greeted by Emerson and Martina’s daughter Xochil (So-chee) and
her friend Heyssell. We
also met our point man from the hotel whose name was Valentino. He
did a marvelous job making sure everything went well for us during
our stay. At around
4:30 p.m. we left for the church and the Sunday worship
service. The service
was spirit filled and again featured the beautiful voices of the all
girls choir. David
Moore gave the sermon in both Spanish and English. The offering was taken
using two long poles with felt bags on
the end. Ushers would walk down the center aisle and reach out to
each member. Because of
the economic conditions and unemployment rates only about $20 per
week is raised from its members. Following the service, we
headed out for dinner then back to the hotel for the
evening.
Monday morning, June 12th, burst upon us not with the
rising sun but with the blast of the town siren which went off every
morning promptly at 6a.m. except on Saturdays and then it was
6:30a.m. Reg had
brought his travel alarm clock and Ricky tried to convince everyone
that was what they had heard. After devotions, breakfast of either
corn flakes, omelets,
eggs with sauce or pancakes with honey was served. Most
mornings we also were blessed with fresh fruits such as cantaloupe,
mango, or pineapple. At
the church, we started
out painting the white wrought iron bars covering the jalousie
windows on one side of the church. Each window had about 20
panes and each had to be carefully removed to prevent them from
getting splattered with paint.
Everybody got involved. If they weren’t painting they were
helping prepare lunch in the kitchen. We stopped long enough for a
taco lunch then back to painting. This was our first
opportunity to begin to bond with the church members. Many were
between 16 and 24 years of age. They could speak very little
English and we spoke very little Spanish. It probably
wasn’t exactly like the Tower of Babel but it did have its
similarities. Most of the paint found its target. Of course, their
was Bekah, Brooke and
Xochil who took painting to a higher level and got
creative. Following
that first day of painting, God probably thought “it is good but you
could have been more careful not to spill it on the walls”. After clean up, a quick trip
to the hotel to change clothes, we returned for the evening program.
At 5:00p.m. those of us who were Spanish challenged became students
in a one hour class that was held just for us during those first
three days. We all benefited and some have even talked about
continuing to learn Spanish after returning to the states. At
6:00p.m. each evening, in addition to the singing, one of our team
members would speak giving a testimony of his/her faith and walk
with God and how God has helped get them over some rough spots in
life. Tonight, Bill and Becky Lewis both gave us a heart warming
story of how God can lift us out of any misery . Tonight, we had dinner in
the hotel amongst the tropical plants and cockatiels who by now were
sleeping peacefully under their blankets. Shortly, 10 tired gringos
with paint on their elbows were sleeping soundly and some snoring.
Tuesday, June 13th began with devotions. We
all shared a favorite verse and its meaning to us. We closed with a reading in
unison of the 23rd Psalm. Following breakfast,
it was off to the church and, you guessed it, more painting. I began to feel more empathy
with Michelangelo than ever before. Of course, we were painting
from a standing position but some of us did have the urge to lay
down and paint if we could have made it work. Today was painting inside
the church and the youth room.
The youth room was the laboratory of Bekah, Brooke and
Xochil. They had fun
and we have pictures to prove it. Lunch was a welcome site and
Pollo (chicken) was the featured entre. The seating arrangement was
set up so that the Nicos and the Gringos sat amongst each
other. We had already
started doing some of that but this way we all had a chance to
communicate with each other. 2:00 o’clock we began the
VBS vacation bible school.
We had expected more kids than the 40 who showed up but we
later were told that school exams were being given and that was why attendance was
down. Nevertheless, the
outcome was a great success. There was joyous singing, with guitar
accompaniment and Ava, the music director also told the kids the story of Jonah
and the whale. Following the story the kids
all gathered round tables to work on the day’s craft of putting
together a mobile of the whale with Jonah riding along in its
mouth. There were
many smiles as the children showed off there handiwork. Following VBS, we went to
our 5:00p.m. Spanish class then at 6:00p.m. attended the evening’s
Academy of Christian growth session. There is always singing at
any gathering or worship so we began with a few choice songs. Reg
later talked about his own walk of faith and Rev. Juan Carlos spoke
of his desire to go to seminary. In Nicaragua, the church
pastor is often someone with no formal training but who feels God is
calling then to be a pastor.
Of course, in the PCUSA church a person can only become a
Minister of Word and Sacrament after successfully attending an
approved seminary. In
the case of Juan Carlos,
he has been unsuccessful in gaining entrance to the seminary
in Mexico. The prevailing opinion is that Mexico prefers applicants
who they believe will stay in Mexico to work and not go to the USA
or another country like Nicaragua. Prayers are needed for Juan
Carlos that he may have an opportunity to study for the
ministry. Donna
Miller closed our time together with a moving prayer from the heart.
Wed, June 14th began with….you guessed it,
the 6:00 a.m. siren alarm.
Did I mention it also goes off at 12 noon and 6:00p.m. Meal time is important in
Esteli like it is most everywhere there are appetites. Bill Lewis led our
devotions and spoke of God’s call for us to spread His gospel. For
this morning’s painting, we reorganized ourselves and established
teams with both Nicos and Gringos on each team with a specific task
to be completed. It seemed to help our efficiency. After our morning painting,
we held the 2nd and final day of VBS. I think we had a few more
children and it also was very successful. Back to the church at
6:00p.m. and Dave Moore talked about his own spiritual experiences
and how God had helped him through a difficult time in his life.
Thursday, June 15th , it was siren, devotions and
breakfast. Darla led the devotions. Today, we will drive to the
prison. The plan was to only meet with the women. In the prison, there were
about 700 male and 40 female inmates. The only thing of beauty
about the prison was the view of the surrounding mountains. Of
course, even that view is different when you’re looking through
bars. The drive from the church took only about 20 minutes. Before
we were allowed through the gate, we had to turn in our cameras and
produce a photo ID.
Having done that, we were literally given a “get out of jail”
card. I guess we could
have talked our way out if any one of us would have lost their card
but no one took that chance and the card was well placed into our
deepest and most secure pocket. Today also was family
visitation day. The
area where families and prisoners were to gather was a fairly
large open area with a
roof about 5 or 6 times the size of the recreation pavilion at
Cedarkirk. We were
guided past the pavilion into a much smaller enclosed room
about 1.5 times the
size of our music room.
It was decorated with balloons
etc. as there had been a wedding earlier. Even though we were to
worship with the women, there were some men who came to the service.
Not all of the prisoners had visitors on
family day. Emerson
Wilson gave a very strong sermon on the price Christ paid at the
cross for the salvation of all. Of course, the Shalom church
women’s choir were there and lifted the spirits with songs of joy
and hope. Following the worship service
around noon, we gave
each man a lunch as they filed out of the room. The women prisoners
remained and we were able to spend some quality time sharing with
them in small groups of 3-5. Each group had a translator. I really can’t do justice as
to what was accomplished during the time of sharing but the photos
and the smiles said a lot about what this time meant to the women
prisoners. We were allowed one camera so we were able to get some
pictures of our time at the prison. We learned that some
never receive visitors and others only infrequently. We heard stories about how
entire families were put into prison because of one family member
dealing in drugs. We
also were told that the justice system in Nicaragua is not blind and
that if you are among the wealthy few you can buy you way out of
most any situation. You
may be thinking that’s no different than in the USA but at least in
our country even the poor can receive fair representation. It was common to learn that
even first time offenders caught with a small amount of drugs were
sentenced to 10 years in prison. As we were walking toward
the main gate with our “get out of jail” cards clutched tightly in
our hand, I heard someone from the men’s prison yell out “hello
Emerson”. I knew
our trip had made a difference and isn’t that what we should be all
about? We had
helped make one day a little more memorable for about 40 prisoners and they had
shared their lives with us in ways we will never forget. Oh yes, following this
prison experience we went back to the church and did
time…..painting.
Please don’t ask any of us to paint anything for at least a
year.
Friday, June 17th . God is good. Today is our last day of
painting. We
teamed up with our Nico friends and finished all areas we started.
The only thing left for the next team would be inside the church
where we were unable to reach the highest point of one wall and also
where we ran into a small problem with shades of color as new
batches of paint were mixed together. Imagine the FHPC lawn being
about 2 feet in height and mostly weeds. Well, imagine the 2 feet
anyway. Several on out
team noticed a couple of guys using powerful weed eaters across from
the church and asked them if they would come over and cut down the
weeds. A deal was
struck and the weeds fell.
That almost sounds biblical. Anyway, it looked good and
too bad we didn’t do it before VBS. But then, those folks who
have so little didn’t really care if a few weeds separated them from
the fun of VBS. After lunch, some of us started out walking back to
the hotel Nicaro but the threat of rain and a few strategic rain
drops convinced us to ride.
That afternoon most of the group walked around Esteli
checking out the shops.
Dave and Reg decided to check out a local hang out and museum
of the Sandinista party. You remember the late ‘70’s and 80’s when
the US supported the Contra’s against the Sandinista party. Other than some funny looks
initially, the people were cordial to us. The walls were plastered
with pictures of both live and dead Sandinista soldiers and
editorials about the US president Ronald Reagan who they didn’t
particularly like.
The only time I felt a little awkward was when we were
sitting at a table enjoying a coke, Dave decided to wander into an
adjacent room and take some
pictures. So that left
me alone with my Spanish vocabulary of about 12 words and that is if I
had my little note pad in front of me. I managed to tell
them we were from the Shalom church and I
didn’t vote for Reagan anyway.
Naaa….I didn’t say that last part. I was glad when Dave
returned and we exited the building.
Saturday, June 18th would be out last day
in Nicaragua. It was also the day that I came down with some stomach
problems. I really couldn’t complain much as the little Nicaraguan
parasite had already hit Ricky twice during the week. Val was also afflicted but
in good American form we all jumped on the bus and drove the 2.5
hours to Masaya and spent about 2-3 hours in their shopping
market. We were able to
bring about 20 of the Nicaraguan kids from the church and we all had
a good time. I was miserable. After
lunch, we again piled on the bus and went to see the local Mt. St.
Helens or a Volcano Masaya.
Since most of the kids had already been there, it was just
the mission team that Emerson drove up to the rim of the
volcano. We were
informed we had to back into the parking space so we could make a
quick getaway in the event of a sudden eruption. These people are very safety
conscience as the last volcanic activity was back around 1660. Having never seen a volcano
up close and personal it was a first for most of us. Because I still felt lousy,
it was mainly just a big hole in the ground with a wisp of smoke
coming from the bottom.
I was hoping for an eruption so I could get some good
pictures. Saturday
night was a welcome to us all.
We had accommodations in the Best Western Motel with real
showers and an air-conditioning system that would keep meat fresh
for days. We enjoyed a good meal in their dining room and later
gathered in a conference room where we had a chance to exchange
gifts and reflect on our experiences of the past week. Emerson,
Martina and Xochil were with us and shared there thoughts as well.
It was a good time together.
Later, Dave,
Ricky and I shared a room. I was so tired not even Ricky’s snoring
could not keep me awake.
Sunday, June 19th and homeward bound! The airport was just across
the street from the motel so after breakfast we loaded up the van
and headed for the place that by now we were all looking forward
to. But we were in for
a few last minutes surprises.
After unloading the van with our luggage and moving into the
line at the airport, Ricky and I noticed we were both missing one of
our suitcases. Mine was full of dirty laundry so I wasn’t
particularly worried but Ricky’s had his camera in it. We took off
just about running back across the four lanes of highway that
separated the airport from the motel. When we walked in the lobby,
there they were sitting where all the luggage had been clustered
about 30 minutes before.
Now, surprise number two. After all the luggage had
been checked in we were told that our plane was running two hours
late and that this would cause us to miss our connecting flight in
Miami. Oh my. After some tense moments
with an airline supervisor we were given some options which involved
splitting up the team into three groups. As it turned out flights
arrived in Tampa within about one hour of each. We were tired but we
had lived a great adventure for 8 days. We had met some wonderful
Christian people from the First National Presbyterian Church Shalom
Nicaragua who showered us with smiles, hugs and good food which I
must say we worked hard for……the food not the love. We heard some beautiful
music sung with joy and praise from
people whose annual income probably averages about $2,000 if that
much. We learned a
little Spanish but learned even more that communication is often
best when words don’t get in the way of
smiles, hugs, gestures and laughter. I know I left with a feeling
of what next. How can
we help the good people in their efforts to build their church in a
community where 60% of the people are unemployed and only about 60%
of the church budget is covered by its members. Outside donors are
badly needed to cover unsupported personnel costs of about $400 per
month. With hopes
and dreams of starting some more churches in Nicaragua, Emerson and
wife Martina are pretty amazing people. Often times, the money to
fund a particular program comes out of their own pockets. We have so much and these
folks have so little but what they have they shared with us from
their hearts for 8 glorious days of working together to paint a
building where people can come and worship a God who is faithful and
true. They didn’t say
it in those words but I think that is what helps keep them going
forward. I hope we can
continue to be of support for this mission and do even more to help
them realize their dreams of more churches to serve more of their
citizens.
Me llamo Reg
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