Los Chaguites Part 3

what a horse! 

 Yes, as a matter of fact, Jonathan is a genius. We hadn't been in town long when he started asking every adult he saw if they knew someone who had horses they would hire out to us to get back.  Eventually 2 horses were procured and the hilarious task of trying to load up books, auto-refractor and generator commenced. The soldiers were very grateful. As they were strapping the auto-refractor onto the horse Jonathan patted it laughingly and whispered to one soldier "doce mil dolares en un caballo."  (12 thousand dollars on a horse) the soldier asked "US dollars?" and Jonathan nodded and shook his head smiling. That soldier kept at least one hand on the machine the entire rest of the day.

Ah yes--the rest of the day. 

trail out of the village

Now that we had the horses to haul the heavy stuff, things should've been a breeze. But the road out was long and steep. That's really the whole rest of the story: the road out was long and steep.  




It was too difficult a trail for me. For several of us. We were definitely in over our heads. I began the walk out praying only, "Don't let it rain until we get out of here." A few ravines later I was praying, "Just help us all get out of here."

did I mention steep?

I had to laugh at my pride just a few hours ago on the downhill side--the romantic picture of myself adventuring off into the jungle--gone. Nothing left but sweat and shaky legs. "...pride goes before the fall."

On the way in, I had proudly toted the water bottle--now I counted the steps until I could trade that load with someone else. "...bear one another's burdens."

 I'd top one long steep rise hoping it might lead to a flat piece of ground just for a bit--only to see another longer hill waiting. Staring at the steep path in front of me it seemed like it was just impossible. "I will lift up my eyes from whence comes my help."


The hour and the gathering dark clouds had me convinced that the road we were on was going to become a river at any moment--which encouraged all of us to move right along as quickly as we were able--but the rains never came. Not even one drop. I think it is the only day since I have been in Nicaragua that it didn't rain at least once. "...the winds and the waves will obey His will."

 I had to stop and rest a lot. I didn't want to. I wanted to walk on and be done with this. But I just couldn't go on without stopping. I had to wait. It didn't matter how inconvenienced my army escort was, or how embarrassed I was to stop--I had to wait until I could go on. "Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength..they will walk and not faint."

I was particularly worried about Jonathan. After one especially long hill, it was clear he had forgotten how to breathe. I wasn't exactly afraid--but I also didn't know what the solution was going to be--because I wasn't sure how he was going to go on all the kilometers that lay ahead of us. He soldiered on, and about half an hour later a boy came down the mountain leading two horses. Jonathan offered to pay him to let him ride out.

The horse must've understood, because he ran off. Seriously.

Eventually, the kid caught the horse, a price was agreed, and Jonathan mounted up. He wasn't exactly thrilled to ride off and leave us trudging along, but it was a good decision and I was proud of him for thinking rationally instead of emotionally. "Humble yourself in the sight of God and he will lift you up."

Now as the afternoon got later, we began to see people walking down into Los Chaguites from the city. Men leading horses, mothers with babies, old women with sacks on their heads.  People who make this walk every day. We'd ask: "How far to the army truck?" and they would whisper to each other then to us say: "Oh--no muy lejos." (not far). "..encouraging each other all the more as you see the day approaching."

At one point, I was separated from the group ahead and behind me, and was sitting down to take a break. An elderly couple came along and asked if I was o.k. (I was dripping sweat, breathing hard, and my face was so red it was almost maroon.) I assured them I was just resting, that I was from a very flat place where we did not have mountains to walk on. The woman offered me a piece of bread. I offered her some water (wish they'd drunk it all--it was getting awfully heavy). And then she just sat on the rock beside me. Didn't say much else--just sat with me. It was the most beautiful gift of friendship. "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

All in all, it took around 3 hours to get out. That 3 hours was so hard, and so wonderful, and so exhausting, and so beautiful...I never want to do it again, and I would go again tomorrow.

When I was a little girl full of "why's?" I remember asking my mom why I had to study a memory verse when we had stacks of bibles all over our house. "Isn't the bible the most printed book? I can probably find one if I need to know this verse."

Yea--she made me practice it anyway. And those verses walked with me on this long steep road. They didn't make the walk any easier--they just made it beautiful in the midst of suffering. 

I don't know what long steep roads still await me--and I don't know what long steep road you may find ahead of you--but I know where you can go to find words that will give you just enough hope and strength to make it over one more ridge. And you just never know what God has waiting for you over that next rise.

"El es todopoderoso, El es grande y majestuoso. El es fuerte, invincible. Y no hay nadie como Tu. "
"He is almighty, He is grand and majestic. He is strong, invincible. And God, there's nobody like you."

Wanna see some great pictures of this day and other Nicaraguan adventures this week? Check out my hiking buddy's website at Go Christian Go!