Merry Christmas!

Success

A successful trip, I am happy to say. Steve, Alma and I worked it hard and are satisfied with how far we got on the training development and vision trip work. We didn't completely finish so I still have my work cut out for me in the next 8 weeks before my next trip out. Lucky for me I have some solid direction now for what we want everything to look like.

And for anyone who wants to check out Kevin's guitar you can talk to him for a looksee and maybe a strum or two...the guitar was completed and I brought it home!!! A beautiful thing it is.

Now it is back to the cold world of mittens and sweaters. It's not so bad though, I get out to walk my dog, so I am forced to face the chill. I am already listening to my fave Christmas music and started decorating last night! I can't wait to chop down that tree this weekend! Kevin and my first tree! I don't know what's crazier to think of - all what Christ did for us during his life on earth and his death or what He is doing in this world today. When I sit and allow myself the peace to think on Jesus and all He has done, I am blown away by all His works, power, beauty and raw heart. I am really looking forward to this Christmas.

El Hombre de la Guitarra

The drive up to the Matagalpa region is just so beautiful. Especially just after the raining season with all the vegetation lush and green and the rain is still washing off all the dust. I was in awe the whole way there and back.

Plans had changed but Alma I still managed to find our way up there and do some different things. One man that we met with was Don Gregorio (aka Guitar Man). He doesn't just play guitars, he makes them. A year ago when Kevin and I were here I wanted to bring Kevin to this man as a surprise so that he could design his own guitar, but things didn't work out. This time I knew we were heading up that way anyway so I wanted to for sure meet up with this guy again and see what kind of beautiful guitar he could create. The whole guitar is created from specific materials, to which I chose certain colours, and as a finishing touch he paints a design on the face of the guitar.

Well, I want to make sure you have the right picture in your head of this man. He was a quiet and gentle man and came across as quite content. But doesn't he just look like a guitar man?!

When we showed up all these boys were running around and chattering away with excitement to see the gringita. I don't like being so obvious, but there is nothing I can do about my size or my colour so I try to make the most of it and have fun with the kids. When Alma and I walked into the Guitar Man's house/workshop the kids piled in after us and watched and giggled. Whenever I spoke the kids giggled and called out things. Alma asked the Guitar Man if he could play us some music so the kids were laughing more and started bugging each other. And then I hauled out the camera because I couldn't miss an opportunity like this. Kevin had to at least "meet" the Guitar Man who is creating the masterpiece. All these kids are Don Gregorio's grandsons...what beautiful faces!

I'm not sure if the guitar will be completed in time for my return this time around, but for sure the next time I will return home armed with a guitar for Kevin.

Round Two

Well, I suppose it's not really round two, but I am back in Nicaragua for 2 weeks to work alongside Steve and Alma with the Church Partnership program and with community trainings. I so enjoy this work!

Kevin dropped me off at the airport yesterday morning and I arrived in Managua by 8pm. I waited for about an hour and a half for my ride to show up not knowing that she was already there looking for me, but we just kept on missing each other in that small airport!! I was about to go grab a taxi when Alma walked by! Oh how happy I was to see her beautiful face!

After a restful sleep at Alma's place we headed into the Nehemiah Center for a full day of work...and of course talking and catching up and meeting new people since Kevin and I left. Right away Steve invited me into a meeting that would be discussing plans for the upcoming vision trips. Henry (healthy churches) and Hultner (youth at risk) and Steve shared with each other their different program initiatives and how they could come together for the specific purpose of the church parnterships. It was definitely a Spanish refresher for me, but very cool to hear of their programs and all the incredible work they do with communities.

Now Alma and I are working on a community training and are planning on facilitating it with a group a Nicaraguan woman at an organization called "Tesoros de Dios". This will be beneficial for both sides, as the women at Tesoros de Dios interact with a lot of North Americans and we need contstructive feedback on the training as well as a solid practice run. That training will be coming up on Friday morning.

We are now heading back to Alma's place for dinner and I am looking forward to a skype date with Kevin tonight!!

Settling In

It has almost been two months since our return from Nicaragua. We have been settling into our daily routines and reconnecting with our friends and family. Kevin is back at his job and really enjoying it. He loves the consistency and the people he works with, so that helps a tonne! We were both worried about a possible bumpy transition from one cultural extreme into another, but Kevin has handled it without any issues!Doesn't Kevin look so happy?! His boss took this picture even though he thought that I wanted it to sell Kevin on e-bay! Ja ja ja! Kevin is even wearing his Centro Nehemias shirt!

While Kevin is anchored down with a permanent, full-time job, I am working from home, yet still working in Nicaragua at the Nehemiah Center. I am officially working for Christian Reformed World Missions at the Nehemiah Center and do that about 10 – 16 hours per week. My title is Program & Training Developer. In a nutshell, I am working to further develop the Church Partnership Program to help bring it to a point where it is healthy and doesn’t need to be coddled but Steve and Alma can just run with it. Meanwhile, the second piece of my job description is to develop various trainings with Alma, Steve and Mark to use with Nicaraguan communities. The goal is for me to travel to Nicaragua three times in the coming year to put into practice the various pieces I have developed - to evaluate and then revise them. Hopefully, by my last time there most of it has been `perfected` and Alma can fully enjoy running with the program and trainings and not have to worry about all the development and implementation!

Along with working with the Nehemiah Center I need to continue to raise funds and encouragement to support me in my work. That means from this past July until July 2010 I will need to raise all the funds to cover my flights and expenses while I`m in Nicaragua and for my time while in Canada. When I am in Canada I will be working from home...so feel free to pop me an email, give me a call or stop by to give me that extra boost of encouragement and energy.

We are ever so thankful to God for all the people who have made a point to chat with us, call us or email us in the past couple months of transition. The transition is still not over, though, so we ask you for your prayers as we settle and find new moves to groove to.

People mentioned in this blog, in case you forget who they are:

Alma – Alma Hernandez works at the Nehemiah Center with CRWRC, CRWM, PWW. She is an incredibly gifted woman who is amazing at the work that she does, and a very good friend of mine.

Steve – Steve Holtrop is the missionary guy with CRWM and also the sub-director of the Nehemiah Center. A great guy, who is a blast to work with and is very good at what he does in connecting with the various community leaders.

Mark – Mark VanderWees is the missionary guy with CRWRC and is the guy that keeps everyone super busy! He is uber-connected with the communities and walks alongside them as they grow.

If you would like to support my work financially you can follow this link and donate online. Whether you are American or Canadian there is a online form for you to use. If you would like me to send you the information so you can mail it in please email me.

Coffee Table Photobook

I have created a photobook of our time in Nicaragua. Kevin and I have a copy of it if you would like to to peruse through our adventures and here some cool stories. Or you can go ahead and order your own copy of the book online. Don't worry, there isn't any personal content in the book so it really can be on anyones coffee table for enjoyment. It's 120 pages long and the link below brings you to the website I am selling it from and allows you to have a sneek peek at the fun fotos in it! Enjoy!

Nicaragua

Life Captured

By April Voorberg

Book Preview

Canadian Land

Canada is that way!

After almost missing our connecting flight in Houston we landed on Canadian land on Monday afternoon and received a warm welcome from Annetta and Paul at the aiport and later from Kevin's family.

Our time in Nicaragua came quickly to an end. We spent most of the weekend packing and closing up stuff with our rental and vehicle and other stuff. Saturday night we were able to hit up a little concert of the Nicaraguan band "Duo Guardabarranco" for some amazing music and relaxing with good friends.

After moving our furniture on Sunday Mark and Nancy VanderWees invited us to sleep the night at their place so we could get a bit of rest before the early start Monday morning. It was so nice to be able to spend our last night with them, as short as it was. Monday morning came around way too quick and we headed to the Nehemiah Center with all our stuff to meet our friends.

Mark kept saying what good friends we have to meet us at 5 AM to bring us to the airport, and it`s true. We are so blessed for the friendships we have in Alma, Andrea and Dave! They brought us to the airport and even waited with us until we had to move out of sight through security...then we were on our own for the quick travel home.

The "A-Team"...Alma, April, Andrea.

Oh, we miss our friends dearly and miss everyone at the Nehemiah Center. But with a bit of time, we know we will settle in just fine here in Burlington and find where God wants to place us.


We are thankful to everyone for your prayers and encouragement!

Air Conditioning

I feel like I need to apologize to all our friends who voted that we wouldn't even turn the air conditioning on in our house...I know you believed in my stubborness. But, I hit a breaking point. The heat was unbearable. I couldn't handle it anymore and neither could Kevin.

You see, it went like this: We came home, Wednesday, from a long HOT day at the Nehemiah Center and our home, which is usually a refreshing retreat, did not give any relief. Kevin with remote in hand said, "I really think that we should put the a/c on!"...to which I only mumbled "maybe." That was it. That was all it took. And the a/c was on and the heat was being beat out of our house. It's amazing how 28 degrees celcius feels!

To take advantage of the new, refreshing, cool air we rearranged our dining/living area and moved our table and chairs so that they were situated right under the a/c unit. It was like a new life!

So, I deeply apologize to those of you who believed in us and that we wouldn't cave. But I figure, now that it was on once, it will probably be even more hot this weekend while we're packing...

Lizard Friend

Working in a tropical climate country adds a unique flavor to each work day. There are many different factors we Canadians have had to adapt to while down here at the Nehemiah Centre Offices. Sitting in blistering hot offices, dust storms clogging up our computers, and constant power outages. However, there is one aspect of this tropical climate / open office concept that is rather interesting and fun. We constantly have new friends and visitors crawling and slithering all around. One day we might have a snake in the eaves trough, the other it might be cows crossing the parking lot, and there are always beautiful birds making homes all over the building. This past Monday we had a new visitor to the offices...a bright green Lizard. Just a baby Iguana, but a beautiful little guy came in to say hello shortly after our mother's day mariachi band concert! (You really never know what is going to happen here!)

Sunday Morning Worship

Sunday mornings we wake up about 8am ish and head to Iglesia Verbo for a 9:30am worship service. We had come here a couple times on previous visits with Faith Church and our close friend Alma attends this church and leads worship some mornings. She encouraged us to be a part if this fellowship, although it didn't take much! We have grown to love this church over the past 8 months.

We enjoy the time singing and praising God with the many people we have come to know and recognize. The following videos were shot on May 3. Enjoy!

The first song is called "Eres Fiel" and will move autimatically into the second and third videos; songs called "Abre Mis Ojos" y "Agnus Dei".

Guatemala - Part 2

We left you off just after our time in la Ciudad de (the city of) Antigua. For the most part Guatemala Part 1 covered a large portion of our time spent in Guatemala, however, the next three days that would follow would hold some of the most meaningful and thought provoking time in this country.

It was time for Sunday morning church. (Our original plans were to go and celebrate a special family day at one of the cities maximum security prisons, but due to some unforeseen circumstances we were sadly unable to do this). So it was time to do the flexible thing and change plans on the fly. Joel, being the master of improv and flexibility, directed us to a service at Casa de Dios (House of God) a mega-church in Guatemala City. Its four Sunday church services bring in a staggering 10,000 people each week. Without saying too much it was an interesting and discussion provoking service for the team. The praise team was all color coordinated, there was a smoke machine and even the drummer was all decked out in a suit. The message was more reminiscent of a prosperity gospel type and we weren’t sure why we went to this church on Sunday morning, but we were soon to find out.

In the afternoon Joel led the Kuyper group in another teaching module comparing “Theology of Glory vs. Theology of the Cross”. For this module we met in a church (Nueva Jerusalem) located in a barrio of Guatemala City. Joel shared inspiring stories of how this church has been living and working with the surrounding community. We heard how its foundations built on Theology and thinking centered around the Cross. Here we came to further understand the need to integrate and embrace the reality of the world around us rather than retreat and build barriers to ward off the world. The church in which we discussed this was a inspirational example of such a community of believers. Nueva Jerusalem church exemplifies what it means to live with and love the community around you in the area a church serves. We spent time with a specific family getting to know them and worshipped with this church in the evening. That mariachi band was good!

On Monday finally we had a day to sleep in. We spent the morning socializing and complaining about the lack of running water...oh ya, I forgot to tell you that from Saturday (May 16th) to Tuesday night (May 19th) there was no running water at the seminary where we were staying. I pity the rental company that gets the van back after transporting 14 unshowered sweaty people around for 4 days.

Joel took us to visit one of the families which live on the edge of the dump.

After trying to search out other sources of water Joel came by to pick us up for our afternoon reflection. That afternoon he brought us over to the cities cemetery. It is a staggering place enclosed by 12 foot high concrete walls. Inside are rows and rows of crypts and above ground tombs. We made our way to the back of the cemetery to a place that looked out over into the city dump. It was here that our next missional lesson would come. Joel, with the use of the scene around us, talked about how we can and need to rethink the way in which we are reaching those like the 11,000 people working in the city landfill. He based his talk on Judges 19, yes that’s right, Judges 19. Go and read it and email me if you wish to hear more. Needless to say it was a sobering experience, one we will never forget.

Our last day in Guatemala was spent in the squatter community of La Limonada. There we visited two schools to sit in on the classes, help the teachers and play with the kids. In addition to this we were able to visit with a couple families in their homes to pray with them for their families. This was also the day that we finally had water back at the Seminary, its crazy what a shower will do for the moral of a group.

As part of the school curriculum there is scheduled play time one day week.

View of La Limonada from the gravel soccer field.

Although the group of students from Kuyper College were not finished their time in Guatemala, our time came to an end. Wednesday morning at 6:50 am our plane took off and we were back in Managua just over an hour later. Now we sit here in a coffee shop checking the emails that were building up in our inbox, and enjoying a cup of Nica coffee (a little taste of home for us!). I wish I could write more of a reflection but my mind still has not properly and thoroughly processed all that we experienced in Guatemala. What I can say is that we thank God for this opportunity as it felt in part like a debriefing and a new beginning all in one. It brought together some loose ends and helped clarify the context of Central America as a whole. It gave background to a where Nicaragua stems from. We also feel like it has equipped us to return to Canada and properly serve in the ways God has called us to. There are some really exciting things we feel that is being stirred up in us and are really looking forward to sharing them with you!

Guatemala - Part 1

Yes, we are in Guatemala for about 10 days taking a ride with Joel Van Dyke, CRWM of Guatemala, as he carries out a Vision Trip with students from Kuyper College. We were asked to observe and learn how he runs this trip and we jumped at the opportunity to see more of tag along on one of Joel's well-known trips and to hear more of his day to day work.

Guatemala is pretty amazing...we joined the group at Lake Atitlan, said to be the most beautiful lake in Central America and is located in the middle of three volcanoes. While there in the village of Panajachel we visited a catholic church and heard the story of an American Priest who humbly served and witnessed to the Mayan people there during the midst of the war. He was murdered one night inside his own office by two masked men, the empty bullet shells and blood stained wall still found in his quarters are a testament to this. The man who took his spot asked his friend (and renowned author/speaker) Henri Nouwen to join him...this was at the time that Nouwen was living in Toronto. We encourage you to research this and read his book Love in a Fearful Land: A Guatemalan Story. (google it...it is an inspiring story of a man serving as we are all called to do.)

We then we went to visit a place where some of the Mayan people still worship and burn incense to the carved god maximon. This idol changes homes once per year and it is voted upon which home it will go to next. Everyday of the year the home which has maximon will have people praying and burning incense to it. This experience shook many of us up to the realities of idols and we reflected on what kind of "maximons" are prevalent in our culture and lives.

Yesterday, in the morning, the group visited a forensics lab where anthropologists work to identify the bones of thousands of people who died in the massacre of the 35 year civil war. It was sad and yet it was really cool how these people give of themselves to bring dignity and justice back to the families who had lost loved ones. Once these bodies are legally identified the lab assists in giving the families a proper burial of their loved ones. This work has been going on for almost 20 years and the lab has identified over 5000 bodies. This is a amazing feat but dwarfed by the number of people who were killed or kidnapped during the war, almost 200,000.

Later in the afternoon, they went to the International Justice Mission which is a human rights agency which advocates for the rights of those who are exploited, and victims of violence and/or sexual abuse. (It is also located in Nicaragua.) http://www.ijm.org/.

Therehas been a lot of rain here so some activities haven't turned out as hoped, but we are enjoying the welcome climate change that Guatemala offers. We have been wearing jeans and long sleeves pretty much all the time! Today we spent the day in Antigua seeing more of the ruins and hearing more of the history of the culture. (Antigua was the first capital for all of central america when it was considered one country by the Spaniards and is also a World Heritage site - named by the United Nations.)

So many events in the history of Guatemala overlaps with events in the history of Nicaragua, so it has been an extremely informative and heart/mind moving experience so far. We are so thankful for this time here as we are really starting to understand the history of Central America and this in turn helps us understand some of the reasons and events that have mapped out Nicaragua's history not only as a country but as a civilization and culture. As Joel often says - "unless you map out and see the pain of a city (where it is bleeding), the hope for a city, and God's heart for a city" ...we will never be able to serve the way God has called us to serve - "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you..."

Please call me Mr. V

Mr. V. That is how the students of the Science Olympiad class addressed me. For a week and a half following Semana Santa I switched my Nehemiah Center hat in for a Nicaraguan Christian Academy one where I taught a workshop on bridges and bridge construction. It was an “out of my comfort zone” experience, yet one that I have really enjoyed and am grateful to have done.

A little background 411 first...Nicaraguan Christian Academy is a Christian elementary and high school here in Managua. It is a fully accredited U.S. School and therefore all classes are in English – hence I was able to teach. Check out their website http://www.nca.edu.ni/ for some more information. Science Olympiad is a course offered to the high school students (it is very popular in the United States). It uses experiments and projects as a method to teach the students about science. You should google it sometime as there is quite the following and sites on this stuff!

Okay, so that gets you a little familiar with the background setting. The upfront (does that word work?) setting is that there are 13 students in the class, an official real life teacher watching – to make sure I don't screw up - and to boot the classroom feels like a sauna in this Nicaragua heat. The object of the workshop was to grasp the concept of bridge design and efficiency by building and testing a popsicle stick bridge. The class would be divided up into groups and then worked to design and produce the lightest popsicle stick bridge (Truss Style) able to carry a load of 15 kilograms.

First up, one must become one with bridges, to think like a bridge. This requires thorough studies in engineering in addition to a complete comprehension of Sir Newton's laws of physics. I feel I was able to easily condense all that into one 50 minute class, even with a river of sweat falling from my brow – you know all in a days work really. I was a teaching machine filling the students mind with so much information that they needed naps during the class just keep from overloading, or maybe it was the fact the class was right after lunch?! In all seriousness though I was actually able to stick to the handout and avoided rambling on and on aimlessly. The only major error I guess would be mixing up a permanent marker for a dry erase one....oops.

So nap time was over, oops I mean lecture time. The next 4 classes were centered around designing and constructing there popsicle stick structures. It was a true gift to be spend those workshops just walking around and talking with each group. Sitting down and going over different design options and determining the best way to build the Trusses. There were many different techniques tried and used that brought a good range of diversity and examples to teach about with the class. I thank them for the fun times I had and all they taught me during those workshops!

At last each group had created their popsicle stick bridge. It is judgement day and I was Captain Crunch (the nickname of an old professor who did this at my college – no joke) ready to bring havoc to the masses of wood and glue. A little harsh maybe? But none-the-less it was time to put these bad boys to the test and “load” them up until structural failure (basically when the bridge turned into toothpicks!) It was awesome to see how well all the bridges did, despite some skepticism from the myself and even the students. I will let the pics below tell the rest of this day.

Looking back on this almost a week later I am very thankful for this opportunity that N.C.A. (Rachel P., and Joel D.) gave me. It gave me 1 – a new found respect for those that teach, 2 – a chance to see another part of the culture here in Managua, and 3 – a realization that I actually might have some knowledge in this old brain that is worth sharing!

5 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

In case you didn't know already - which would probably mean that you don't have a CRWM calendar - it is Kevin's birthday today.

Right now he is at a class at the Nicaragua Christian Academy teaching the Grade 9's how build bridges, and a finally a very appropriate time for me to write this blog about him. Otherwise we pretty much spend every moment together and that makes it difficult to do anything for surprise worthy days like today.

This isn't a bridge, but he knows how to check the measurements of wind turbines too.

So, for Kevin's birthday I wanted to post about 5 reasons why I love my husband:

1. He actually likes to cook.
2. He doesn't like to clean, but he certainly does that too!
3. He has a huge heart for every person he meets - greeting them with a handshake or kiss and converses with them and makes them feel comfortable.
4. He has no issues hanging out with Alma, Andrea and I (A-Team), so much so that we've changed our "name" it to K's A-Team.
5. He encourages me to be who I am and never, ever puts me down, but always tells me that He loves me for exactly who I am.
6. (Can't just stop at 5) Everyday he seeks God with his whole heart and leads in a way that is honouring to God.

Frequently giving business to the money changer, Kevin introduces the Faith team to him.

Happy Birthday Kevin!

Semana Santa

The week between Palm Sunday and Easter is called “Semana Santa” in Central America. Semana Santa means Holy Week and the entire week is off in celebration of it.

Each year the CRCNA-Latin America holds a spiritual retreat for all the missionaries - career, volunteers, partners. This year it was held in Nicaragua, which was great for us being so close and not have to travel a long distance. As it so happens every other year the retreat is English and this was the year for Spanish. It was great practice for us to train our ears, but there was also translation supplied over head sets if we wanted to take advantage of it.

Everyone came pouring in starting on Friday night until Saturday night beginning the days away with relaxing on the beach and reconnecting with each other. We saw that this was a great time for the long term people to reconnect, giving encouragement and support. Oh the value of friendships and relationships with people who understand the experiences you are having. We so enjoyed getting to know so many people serving with CRWM and CRWRC, hearing their stories of faith, trials, and joys. What a life they are living!

On Sunday morning we gathered to worship together and praise God on Palm Sunday. For the first time ever I experienced what the waving of palm branches was really like! How beautiful that day two thousand years ago must have been! We broke bread together and shared drink in communion remembering what Christ did for us...an experience I will never forget. At the end of service we then witnessed the baptism of Elise Holtrop, another sign of God’s beautiful promises to us.

Monday and Tuesday we attended four sessions and were taken through the process of “The Dance of Racial Reconciliation”. This was a very valuable process to go through to understand the difference between the way the world views racism and how we as Christians are to play an active part in racial reconciliation. During these two days there was also plenty of time for beach volleyball, card games, corn hole, swimming and walks on the beach.

It was sad for us in saying goodbye to everyone knowing that there are good chances that we won’t see many of them again. But who knows what the future holds, as a year ago we wouldn’t have put ourselves here – God has many surprises for us!

Did You Just Take Another Shower?

Of late the days are daily becoming hotter and hotter. We are taking every opportunity to get into an air conditioned place. The mornings are typically of a decent temperature - we walk into the office, turn on the fans and start up our computers and feel the inevitable happenings of sweat developing. But, never-the-less we head over to the kitchen to pour ourselves a cup of coffee to start off the morning on the right foot.

Over the past two days we participated in an adult learning training that was hosted by the Nehemiah Center. We would meet together in one of the conference rooms which was a haven of air conditioning, but then go off into small groups to work on our projects out in the hot, muggy, thick, open air center court. The first time we went outside into our groups, the power abruptly shut down and we were left without even the use of fans. Oh, the feeling of slowly suffocating. Sweat, instantaneously soaked through our shirts...Kevin by far the worst of us all.

At this point the temperature is ranging between 35 - 37 degrees Celsius...and it's only getting hotter. Two showers a day is a regular occurance now. It's amazing how easily it is to find ways to compensate for the heat. Typically, by 1:30pm our brains shut down to reduce the heat of our bodies. So far it works pretty good to not have to worry about that, although at times there is a demand to find some air conditioning - immediately. Or, if there is a need to go and purchase big item, like new tires for your vehicle, let's say, we eagerly go along to have a "meeting" in the air conditioned waiting room of the tire place. I have had such an experience and I had never realized the value which tires hold until that day.

However, there are a couple negative aspects in seeking out air conditioning. One being that although it is nice and refreshing, once we have been there for about 10 minutes our bodies are used to the new refreshing air and have adjusted easily. And since the heat outside is so excruciating it takes a lot of money for businesses to compensate for it with a/c, so usually is set at a higher tempurature than what is comfortable on a normal day and we start sweating again. Another negative thing is that when we do walk outside it's like walking into a wall and our body explodes with heat. Now imagine getting into a vehicle with vinyl seats...

With all that effort to find air conditioning we still find the time to exercise in our house, but because we are so frugal we have still not yet put the a/c on while we work out even though we can blast it into a single room. People tell us though, that there will come a point where all you can do is sit in your house if you don't turn on the a/c. I really shouldn't take that as a challenge...but I do. Let's see how long we can go without turning on the a/c. Pobre Kevincito.

Holding Out For A Bribe

Picture this: you've just finished groceries and a nice lunch at a local cafe with your wife. You pull out of the parking lot and head back to work. Not more than 100 meters down the road a police officer stands in the middle of the road signalling you to pull over. At the exact moment you see him you realize you have left your wallet, containing your licence, in your desk at work. If you need to change your pants after imagining that then you understand how I felt this afternoon.

At around 2:30pm today I was pulled over for a routine check only to have it exposed that I was driving without a licence on me. Not only did I not have my Canadian licence I did not have any identification, such as a passport. There were five police officers at this certain checkpoint, and nothing seemed out of sorts at first. The officer was not happy to find that I was without identification but he neither seemed all that upset. He asked where I was from and seemed interested and intrigued that I was from Canada and lived close to Toronto. It wasn't until he called over another officer, the English speaking one (well he spoke English as much as I speak Spanish), that I was asked to pull the car completely off the road, turn it off, and accompany the officer into the road-side station. I can officially say that this is when the old knees started clacking together.

All the while April has a small grin on her face thinking this will be a good experience to blog about – a real run in with the law, not just being pulled over because you crossed a line that was there 2 years ago. This was going to be a good one.

The room which I was brought into was small and contained only an old desk and a chair which had cardboard for cushions. I was asked if I spoke any Spanish, to which I answered, “si, pero solo un poco”, to which the officer said he would then try to continue in English. It was there in that little office at that moment when I heard him say “We are going to have to bring you downtown, where you will wait in prison. Your car will be held until you can be properly charged for driving without a licence, to which you will have to also pay the fine of 1000 cordobas” ($50.00 american dollars). Okay, so the knees were shaking before and now came the cold sweats – this is something when it’s a blasting 35 degrees Celsius outside. I tried to plead my case, playing all the cards at my disposal – the tourist, the first time offender, the volunteer, the missionary, everything!

Meanwhile, April is outside sitting in the car watching other cars and trucks being pulled over (by now she had turned the car back on so she could have a/c in the blasting sunshine). She is calling Steve to tell him what is happening and if he could find Kevin’s wallet.

He looked at me and smiled a little, but said that he couldn't just let me go, there needed to be something done. I asked if there were any other options to avoid being hauled away in handcuffs. Someone could bring my licence...he could have my wife’s licence...my boss could come and reason with him in Spanish. The inevitable answer came back that I could “pay” $20 for the ticket right there on the spot, he would let me go and this whole fiasco would disappear. The officer said it was the only way he could help me out. (In case you didn't pick it out – this cop was asking for a bribe. A very, very, very common experience with Nicaraguan police.)

Now, I knew to pay the bribe was the easiest way out and I admit it crossed my mind as I was starting pondering how nice those cells would be in the downtown station. I wasn't sure what to say back to him so I told him “I don't have any money officer, let me go talk to my wife”. He agreed and outside I went. April, to my surprise was actually laughing about the whole matter, not helping things for me (I do smile about it now though). She told me to stall as she had phoned Steve at the Nehemiah Centre, and he was coming along with someone to try and help out. Apparently, the police could in fact haul me to the downtown station and they could impound the car until I paid the fine.

So we stalled and I went back in to explain that my wife didn't have any money either. The officer was not happy to that news, but said we could go to the bank up the road to get money if we wanted. I said that we had no bank card and asked what else could be done. By now he had enough of the small talk and started to fill out the paper work needed to document what had happened. As soon as he started to write my name down in came Iskra (Nehemiah Centre employee and friend).

It was a big relief to see her, yet we weren't out of the woods yet. The officer now seemed embarrassed that he was being tested by another person. He put up quite the fuss with Iskra as she tried to persuade him to drop the pending charges. Because she was a Nica and could communicate with him in Spanish, more options became available to me. It wasn't until the final attempt (after about 5 minutes – felt like forever) that the officer agreed to lessen the charge and fine. Truly a blessing from God; and to quote Iskra, “Only by God's Grace”. I still received a fine for a whopping 100 cordobas ($5.00 American), to which I still have no idea what the charge was for.

Eagerly I jumped into Steve’s car and he drove me to the bank while Iskra and April waited with the car. I went inside to pay the ticket (as all tickets and bills in Nicaragua are paid at the bank) and walked back the short way to the road-side police building. It was a good feeling to show the officer the receipt! He gave me back the ownership for the car and I quickly walked out to get moving. Although the knees were still knocking from the experience, April made me drive the short distance to the Nehemiah Center.

I still can't believe it all happened, but that is how I almost ended up in a Nicaraguan jail!

Should We Stay or Should We Go Now?

Our time in Costa Rica was good for a couple things. First of all we needed to leave the country to have our visa renewed. That was an event like none that we had experienced before. We took a coach bus of sorts across the border into Costa Rica to spend a couple days in the capitol city of San Jose. At the border we handed over our passports and money, got off the bus and then waited an hour or so until we could board the bus again to only be let off at the customs area a short distance later. Again, there for over an hour, we stood in a line wrapped around the building outside in the blazing sun, and then about 45 minutes waiting for our baggage to be searched. It felt like something out of a movie.

The second reason that trip was good for was to get away from everything that is familiar to us to think and pray and talk. We needed to make a decision about our future. Do we stay here for another 3 years to serve God in a country we have grown to love or do we head back home to Burlington and serve Him in the country we grew up in? We sensed that both doors were open – much different than the decision to move to Nicaragua. We know that in “Whatever [we] do, [we need to] work at it with all [our] heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since [we] know that [we] will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ [we] are serving.” (Colossians 3: 23-24) So, even though we feel connected to life in Nicaragua and have loved our time here we have decided to return back to Burlington.

We still have 3 months here and are looking forward to soaking up every possible moment, living each day to the fullest. There is a church team here from Denver, Colorado that has a sort of “partnership” with a couple CRC churches in Nicaragua. They have been coming for the past 10 years so I am excited to spend time with them and with the CRC churches in Nagarote and El Tamarindo. Kevin is working on writing up a grant proposal with Mark and doing something with the grading of the parking lot. Before we know it Semana Santa (Holy Week) will be here and we will be attending the Latin America CRC retreat with all the CRWM and CRWRC missionaries working in Latin America.

We know that many of you have prayed along with us in this decision making time and we want to thank you for bringing this before our Lord with us. Thank you for your encouragement and support!

Faith Team Chronicles 3

We were so sad to say good bye to the team and our wonderful friends. After a relaxing and enjoyable day on Friday and a fun evening together we brought the team to the airport Saturday morning. We made Willie promise Kevin and I that he would cook us dinner when we come home in the summer... We also look forward to getting together with the whole group to reminisce and play Bang.

Here is a slideshow of our time with the team. You can also access the set via the photo album on the right sidebar.

Faith Team Chronicles 2

It would take many words to describe the time that we had with the village of San Joaquin (pronounced Sahn Wa-KEEN) and even then it would be hard to express the emotions, the reality of life there and the time shared with the people. But I will attempt to give a general idea of what the team experienced.

We left the Nehemiah Center early Tuesday morning and drove the 4 hour drive up to the Department of Matagalpa, through small towns and off onto one lane rocky roads through valleys and to the tops of mountains with glorious views. We arrived in San Joaquin in the early afternoon after meeting up with the workers from Accion Medica Christiana (AMC) who brought us into the community.

The community of 150 families has been working with AMC for over 10 years, since Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Many of the people living there have not traveled outside the Department of Matagalpa, but through the training and support of AMC have been able to build stable homes, create sustainable incomes and involve the whole community in development.

The men went right to work digging and making squares for the foundation of a community center while the women went over to the school building to hang out with the children. Anna did a fabulous in hyping the children up and then with Alma in the mix the room ended up in absolute chaos!! The children were very responsive to Anna’s stories and loved learning new songs.

The community has a big river close to it where the women and children dig sand for concrete and bring it up to the community center in small feed bags. They have integrated this job into the school curriculum so that the kids take part in the future of the community and learn responsibility for their future.

It is apparent that AMC has cultivated a hope in the people of San Joaquin. There is joy, but there is also awareness of other realities. For example, the teachers and community leaders realize that the children should graduate from high school and encourage that with the kids and their parents at every opportunity.

The last bit of our time there was spent down by the river to wash up and soak in the gorgeous sights of a hanging bridge, Congo monkeys dangling in the trees and a river with high banks. The AMC workers did an informal debriefing with us, asking to hear our feedback on our experience and we ended with a time of prayer for each other. We felt like there was good closure to the event and appreciated how thorough the workers were with their work.

Exhausted from heat, hard work and heart stretching, the team ventured back out of the mountains to a busy Managua, looking forward to showers and a hot meal. The four hour drive gave some the time to sleep and others the time to talk and process the experience of their time with the mountain community.

AMC is a Nicaraguan non government organization that CRWRC works closely with. Mark VanderWees visits with the San Joaquin community about 4-6 times per year.

Faith Team Chronicles 1

On Wednesday evening we were excited to welcome the team from our home church, Faith Burlington, to spend 10 days with us. We are especially blessed to have Erik, our bro-in-law, here. Can’t even begin to say how happy we are to have so many familiar and warm faces here...it’s like home came here and now we have the best of both worlds!

For those of you who have loved ones here we’ll give you a little update on them. Thursday and Friday they were introduced to the work of the Nehemiah Center through a few different presentations and also how they fit into that work. A majority of the group spent some of their time on making a sidewalk which also acts as a water barrier while the others organized the bodega (tools “shed”) and painted.

A chunk of our time on Saturday was spent on cultural learning and contemplating over what poverty means and how these discussions might change our worldview. It was an eye opener for us all. We then proceeded to walk through the market for some time and tried to experience the culture by bartering, observing, and striking up conversations.

Today was far better than we could have expected. We went to worship with a church in Leon, ate incredibly delicious fish and sat in a circle to have a conversation with two churches from that community. The team shared about Faith church and the other two churches shared with us about themselves. It was such a beautiful display of sharing of lives across cultural and denominational boundaries yet having our Lord as the common denominator pulling us together.

We are getting to know each other quite well and enjoying everyone’s personalities! Willie makes washing his laundry priority every day, Wendy is a very laid back doctor but definitely not someone you would want to mess with, John has an incredible gift for one-liners, Erik is gracious in offering his gift in fixing mechanical stuff, Ron loves to sing and dance to YMCA, Anna gets a big kick out of bartering and always needs to win, Ken drinks all the coffee much to Kevin’s chagrin and Elizabeth might be quiet and small but she can definitely hack it with the guys.

We are heading to the mountains early Tuesday morning so we will let you know when we return how everyone manages!

La Moto Taxi Rush

We are about to give you a glimpse into the experience of a moto taxi. We hope you enjoy the adrenaline rush!

Another Day

Today was another good day...we seem to have a lot of those here! This morning we bought some fresh bread and veggies and then checked out some possible places for us to live for our last 3-4 months here before we head back to Canada. There are some pretty cool places around here. Everything from wooden cabanas in the midst of lush green vegetation to a community of duplexes with a guard and plenty of neighbors. We have a few items on our list of priorities that keep us focused in our search. So far, we have a couple places that we are very interested in.

Then this afternoon our good friend, Alma, came over and we hung out together - she even brought our favourite carrot cake. I asked her if a washing machine is on her list of priorities for where she lives (we would like to find a place that has one, or maybe we can find a decent one to purchase), to which she laughed her laugh of disbelief and said "of course!" So, there we have it. It's not "North American" of us to think that a washing machine is a necessity.

Later on in the day the Holtrop family came over, to hang out and have dinner together...but really, we knew that Steve wanted to jump on the trampoline at our place. He says the kids were asking to come over, but I'm not buying it. It was so nice to have them over and talk about stuff about home, about life here and just enjoy each other's company. It was much needed today.

In less than four days Kevin and I are picking the team from Faith Church from the airport!! We are so excited to see them all. It will be like home coming here!! The past couple weeks Steve, Alma, Kevin and I have been working on the plans for their time here. Putting together the pieces for construction, church partnership, relationships and cultural learning. It's going to be a packed 10 days of stretching experiences and servanthood. Kevin and I are also looking forward to forcing our Spanish practice - as tough as that's going to be.

The past few weeks our decision to stay here for three more years or return home for good has been heavily weighing upon us. Our hearts are torn and we aren't any closer to a decision. The time is coming soon when we do need to make up our minds and our hearts. We ask you to pray for us in this decision. Please pray that God will give us ears to hear His voice and follow His direction. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Puppies for Sale!

On our many ventures out on the streets in Nicaragua we come in contact with some interesting ways make an income. So we decided to have a poll on our blog about what things actually generate an income for Nicaraguans. We gave 5 options, one which is not a business and four that are actual ways to bring home the bacon. Below are the actual results...you might be surprised.

Contrary to what seems obvious…the 9 people who voted that puppies were the least likely to be sold here in Nicaragua check out the following picture! (I know, we were surprise too.) Dogs roam free all over the place here, eating out of garbage and whatever else they can get their noses into. Most dogs are fairly timid, but are also quite skinny. However, there are also good uses for dogs here in nicaragua if taken proper care of - a pet for your kids or a guard for your property...

This particular business brings the puppies out during the day and displays them just a few feet from the road for passerbyers to pull over and purchase their very own pet. The varieties range from cocker spaniels to black labs to terriers. A two month old terrier was going for $500. We didn’t ask if there were any shots or papers, but that would be something worth asking for if you were interested in purchasing one of those cute puppies.

The next item that was voted for with 6 votes was the oven mitts…and those voters were correct…no oven mitts on the streets, from what we could find. I guess there is no need for oven mitts in a hot country…

As those who went on the first mission team from Faith Church in 2006 would know there are definitely cashews sold on the streets. (It was Dave Kloet who had a cashew man running down the street as the bus had to continue through the intersection!) The salespeople usually frequent the same corners, so we knew exactly where to snap a picture of them. This young man was much obliged to pose for this shot. Cashews go from 20 cords ($1) for the small bags to 500 cords ($25) for the large bags and we often see drivers and their passengers purchasing these nutty treats.

So, you have $50 in American bills. BUT, in order to purchase those cashews you need to have cordobas on you. What do you do?? You head over to the streetside money changer. Weighed down with coins and wads of bills these money changers are on the street during the daytime hours eager to change your USD into Cordobas. Usually in pairs, sometimes with a guard, these guys are more than willing to flash around their crispy bills. And their exchange rate comparable if not better than that given by the banks.

Unfortunately, one picture we don’t have, but these people are very real, are the helpful men who will guard your parked vehicle while you are shopping, in church or grabbing a bite to eat. This is a very practical business and these guys usually have their “own” street that they offer to guard vehicles on. We have heard of stories where vehicles have not been guarded and definitely broken into, so we always opt on the side of caution and offer these entrepreneurs a job. We are thankful for their roles around here.

Now, here are some more street businesses that we didn’t have listed in the poll:

Selling water (and other drinks) in plastic bags for a nice cold, quick refreshment to drivers.

Fruits and vegetable vendors (this is usually where we purchase our greens).

Anyone want duck for dinner tonight?

Dirty windshield? A little bit of soapy water and a squeegy and this man will have it cleaned for you before the light turns green.

Steering wheels, sunglasses, school supplies, newspapers, cell phone chargers, lottery tickets, Eskimo ice cream, candy, the list of products sold on the street could go on!

We find ourselves becoming acustom to the street vendors, appreciating the convience of some of their services, although we hope that one day the economic situation in Nicaragua will improve creating more stable and secure forms of income.

My Top Ten

I know we are taking more and more time between our blog posts. For the moment I will use the excuse that for the past 3, almost 4 weeks, we have had both April's and my parents here for visits.

A friend of ours sent a email update recently of her recent activities in Africa, and in it she gave a top ten of here first month or so there in Uganda. It inspired me to put a list together for myself. I could probably put together a top 100 but feel that 10 will be long enough. Before I get to that we just want to say thank you to all those who have been checking out the blog and supporting us.

My Top Ten (in no particular order):

1. The Sea to Sea Nicaragua bike tour (bikenica.wordpress.com). What an incredible journey. As I wrote before this included, for me, a lot of organizing and logistical work. I was able to grow in make many new freindships with other people involved both riders and support crew. More than all of this I was able to see God bless this trip like only He could. We started with a goal of raising $100,000.00 and finished with a total of almost $ 280,000.00!!!

2. I have been blessed with the ability to spend so much time with my amazing wife, April. Not many couples are given the opportunity to live and learn together in such a situation as this. It has been some hard work for sure I won' t lie, but we are closer than I could have ever imagined.

3. The beaches are pretty FANTASTIC and very accessible!!

4. Learning another language is a difficult task, but increibdly rewarding. I will forever appreciate anyone learning to speak another language for I now know how humbling of an experience it is.

5. Nicaraguan Coffee - no need to say more.

6. Time to read. I have never been the biggest reader, but I think that was due to never finding time to fit it into my life in Burlington. Now there is time, and I am taking advantage of it. There is an amazing library selection here at the home we are house sitting. My favorite book so far has been "Mere Christianity" By the inspiring C.S. Lewis.

7. Going to Verbo Church here in Managua has been a huge encouragement in so many ways. It has helped me with Spanish as all sermons and songs are obviously in Spanish. I am able to observe and learn from the Nicaraguans a free and beautiful way of worship that would be impossible to find at home. Finally it has made us feel part of a rooted community here in Managua.

8. The Fish Filet with jalapeno sauce lunch at the Pulido's Cafe (the family April and I lived with in Leon for two months). It is a full plate with fresh fish, rice, beans, salad, and tortilla all complete with a fresh fruit drink for about $1.50.

9. The emails sent by all of you our supporters. Everything from emails to comments on this blog to Christmas cards sent in the mail. It is such an awesome feeling to recieve them and many times has kept us going on some of those tiring days.

10. I have had the privalige to see more of this country than most Missionaries and ex-pats have in 10 year terms here. I have been North, East, South, and West...and am continuing to explore. The best way to learn and understand something is by putting yourself in different places, experiencing everything for yourself.