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Learning Every Day

During the two weeks we have been back in Texas, I have thought about what to post here almost every day. Then I would stop thinking about this blog and go eat something either in the swimming pool or with some friends. It's been pretty terrific.

Some themes seemed to emerge. People would ask "So, how is it? What's it like there?" and I'd find myself saying almost every time, "I am learning so many new things!"

That's true. Every day that I spent in Nicaragua this summer I learned something new. New things about food, and the mission, and myself, and 4-wheel drives, and living with other people, and tropical illnesses, and airlines, and the Spanish language, and laundry....

What I didn't expect was that the learning would continue once I was back on familiar ground. Even here in Texas, in "my" house, where I know everything about everything, I am still learning every day.

Here's a little chunk of the syllabus from "Returning to Texas 101"

• I learned that while I would normally classify myself as a cheapskate and a trashcraft lover--I have actually been quite the connoisseur of quality. I learned this when we went into the everything-costs-a-buck-store and this time the merchandise seemed too fancy.
• I learned that the "baby Christians" we knew at Riverside are becoming leaders in worship, in their community, and in the sore spots of their broken families. I learned that God can do so much more than we ask or imagine and that I don't need to be worried about how He will accomplish His plans--He's got it covered.
• I learned that supermarkets are amazing! Did you know there are more than 300 kinds of fruits and vegetables in the grocery store? That's amazing. I learned that even hamburger and ice cream lovers like us will go nuts over the vegetables now that we know how amazing that is! (p.s.--I totally researched this number--don't believe me? read this )
• I learned that I know more Spanish than I thought. After listening to the familiar accents from my Mexican friends, I learned that blaming all my language acquisition issues on "Nicaraguan accent" wasn't a total cop-out after all.
• I learned that there's a wonderful freedom to packing when you only own 8 days worth of clothes. Decisions? No thanks. Just put everything in a bag and you're done! I learned that too many options can be their own burden.
• I learned that Texas in August is really, terribly, awfully, hot. Air conditioners are super great and you should definitely have one. I learned that if it breaks, the repair man could pretty much charge us anything and we would pay it. Gladly.
• I learned that I have never been appropriately grateful for the nice soft tires/bouncy suspension/soft padded seats in our pick-up truck. (p.s. I did not research what makes a ride smooth so quit laughing) I learned to be thankful for room to wiggle my legs and to celebrate ending a ride bruise-free.
• I learned that there really is no substitute for good dairy products. No offense, shelf stable milk people...I tried to buy in to it, I really did.

It has been so exciting to look around these familiar spots with such new eyes. It makes me aware of how much God is teaching me--not about cultures or countries--but about Himself. 

• I am learning that the more I learn, the bigger God gets.
• I am learning that trust feels better than fear.
• I am learning that "dying to yourself" is not a bittersweet sacrifice--only sweet. 
• I am learning that God has hosts of blessings waiting for me when I am finally ready to accept them.

Mid-Month Update

Hello all:

The recent past...

Our return to Texas has been eventful to say the least. Our "R&R" has come to mean "restlessness and re-connection." This is not a complaint by any means. We have been blessed with many scheduled visits with friends and family and many impromptu ones in local stores, restaurants or parking lots. Since our challenging return - we missed our Houston to Austin connection due to lengthy lines at customs so we were offered standby for the final two flights then try again the next day about 2 pm. We offered to fly into Killeen and the airline was more than happy to send us north. Our luggage meantime, was in Austin wondering where we went.

• We have enjoyed some of our favorite foods and found those culinary gems we have been missing.
• I have visited my doctor who not only treats me at a discounted rate, arranges for my meds to be purchased for three months in advance, but also said I had lost weight and my normally high blood pressure was perfect. 
• We visited our faithful wiener dogs, Frank and Harley and saw that they have adapted well to living the life of luxury in their new home. During our visit with the dogs and Lee and Cindy Jarrard and their two sons, keepers of our hounds, our friend/renter, who graciously allows free room and board while we are in the states, called to say that the AC at the house had died. A review of the AC beast revealed that a new system was needed: KaChiiiing. $3,000 later and the house was cool once again. Sloan (our friend/renter) has done a beautiful job with the yard and house. I don't think it is as kid-friendly as it was when we were the primary residents, but it looks and feels great inside and out.
• We ate dinner last night with Riverside friends, the Avila and Serrano familiesand worshiped with them this morning.
• We have made about six trips to Wal-Mart and other places to fill in the gaps of the things we cannot get in Nicaragua. It is quite a list.
• I have inflicted upon myself "busy work" in these days home so far in hopes that by the end of this week or a couple days next week I am able to relax in the pool and catch my breath after an incredible summer.

The near future...

• Sheila has been preparing for a presentation to teachers on the topic of differentiated learning. She will present tomorrow morning. She is such a gifted teacher. She is using experiences she has observed in Nicaraguan classrooms to base her presentation.
• We plan to have dinner with all my Texas siblings Monday evening in Temple.
• I, along with a few others from the area, will be given a few minutes this Wednesday to talk about various mission works. If you've nothing better to do, come join us. 7 pm at the Georgetown church.
• We intend to worship with the Georgetown folks this coming Sunday.
• I hope to go by the cemetery where my parents' earthly coils were laid to rest Monday and visit some of our DFW friends a bit.
• Tuesday of next week Sheila will head north from here, then back to the southwest to spend a couple days visiting family in Oregon and New Mexico. I will go south to the Mexican cities of Torreon and Queretaro to visist with schools and  churches where we have previously worked. I will be back in CenTex for a couple of days to gather and ship things that we don't want to drag all over creation. We will hopefully meet up in Managua the first week of September to return to Jinotega.

How this list became of list of thankfulness:

As I wrote this report on our travels I realized how much I have to be thankful for, and not just because we have a home in a developing country that is as nice as I could wish for, but surrounded with some great people as well..

• I'm thankful for an airline, who frequently drives me to distraction, that gave us an option so we could spend the night in our house, not on the floor of Houston' Bush Intercontinental Airport.
• I'm thankful our luggage was in Austin waiting for us.
• I'm thankful that my favorite taco place is between Georgetown and the Austin airport. 
• I'm thankful that my not-so-bright dogs acted like they missed me when they saw me.
• I'm thankful for Lee, Cindy and family for opening their home, not far from our place in Georgetown,  so our near-useless hounds can be nearby.
• I'm thankful for a speedy response from an AC company.
• I'm thankful the AC company accepted my credit card.
• I'm thankful for Sloan, our friend/renter that takes exceptional care of our house and is keeping it beautiful, comfortable and available - and remains a friend, too!
• I'm thankful for friendships that supercede language barriers.
• I'm thankful for Wal-Mart, although I don't always like the way they do things.
• I'm thankful for work.
• I'm thankful for an incredibly gifted wife. If you haven't checked out her posts on our blog you need to treat yourself. SFSE-CommuNICA.blogspot.com)
• I'm thankful for family, near and far, biological and spiritual.
• I'm thankful for opportunities to share how God is using us in Nicaragua.
• I'm thankful that I have a host of angels who pray for us  and support us financially and spiritually.

Grand Opening!

It's the last work day for the last group of the summer--and you couldn't ask for a more storybook ending activity. It's the grand opening of Chaguite Grande's new school!

I wish you could see EVERYone who was there

The first Saturday after I arrived this summer, we put on a "Children's Day". It was kind of an experiment, and we learned many things. We learned "lining up" is not a universal norm. We learned that dividing kids up by age is not a useful or functional system. We learned that we can pool the manpower of visiting groups and the many different types of activities the mission offers to make a day that really impacts an entire community.

It has become a regular feature of the summer. About once a week, we invade a town with game and craft stations, mobile VBS materials, sometimes medical/dental/vision care, malnutrition relief packs, parasite medication, and often--a giant pot of soup for the town to share. 

It's one of my favorite things. By combining all of the types of activities that the mission groups routinely do into one big day--(a feat only possible thanks to Jonathan's freakish obsession with color coding and spreadsheets)--we can really spend lots of time in a town, and make a significant impression. Add to that, the fact that almost every group that came down this summer spent at least a little time working construction on this particular school and you can see that this day is the perfect summation of the summer's work. 

I wish everyone who came to work this summer could have been there. I wish everyone who supports us could have been there. I wish everyone who bought a brownie at some mission trip fundraiser could have been there. So for everyone who made this summer, and this day possible, here's a tiny little taste of Chaguite Grande's Grand Opening: