Things I kinda forgot about

So I have been back in Central Texas for just more than 24 hours now and have started to notice some things I had kind of forgotten about. This list is comprised of some of those items. This is not to say items listed here fall under a heading of “good things” or “bad things,” just things that I had forgotten about or mentally misplaced in regards to their function while away for 10 weeks in my developing country of choice.

Without further ado:

Air conditioning, humidity, smooth roads, watching TV without reading subtitles, Mexican food, water pressure, really hot water, the microwave oven, short pants, where I was originally taught the toilet paper goes, Diet Coke instead of Coca Light, automatic transmission, meals without rice & beans, “The Office,” lawns/grass, quiet, feet/miles/pounds and Fahrenheit, use of the letter “S”, Colby-Jack cheese, ESPN with news other than soccer, drinking from the tap, items without a layer of dust, Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

These are solely observations. I can’t imagine how any of them have any profound impact on what I do or where I am. People keep asking me what I’ve missed while away—and as I review, alter and edit the list, I am struck by the fact that there is nothing on the list that I missed to the level of being homesick for doing without. I expected to be uncomfortable and missing out on these creature comfort items.

But in Jinotega I found it so much easier to focus on how much I HAVE, that it never occurred to me notice what I was “missing”.

an MPC project house--before

Jinotega, as is the case with much of Nicaragua and Central America, is a much simpler place. I know many families who live in places the size of our closets. As I write this I am sitting in my living room that is equal to the size of a home where a mother, 15-year old daughter, 14 year-old son and 7-year old daughter live. They are thrilled because they have that much. They have never had more, only less, so they are content with their modest home. This kind of gratitude is contagious!  I notice that in my home in Jinotega, which is a three-room apartment, I feel so blessed. I have running water in the house. I have electricity- (more than just one bulb!) and I do not have to go to the market everyday to get food to prepare because I have a refrigerator.

an MPC project house--after

Simpler is not bad. I have been blessed by many “things” in the past. Things I believe God provided to make my ministry life simpler and more effective. Now, He continues to provide for me and open my eyes to parts of life that I could not see with so many “things” in my way. Now I have a simple life. God is good all the time. This time He is demonstrating that to me in very subtle ways.

Just Passing Through

This week I've been involved in a couple of uncomfortable meetings. You know the kind--where something needs to be addressed that has the potential to make the listener angry or embarrassed or defensive. Its an awkward position for colleagues--perhaps particularly in a school. Elementary school teachers spend all day every day being the ultimate expert. That can make it difficult to accept advice or critique.

Knowing that correcting the problem is vital, and the benefits are well worth some rumpled feathers--does not really make the task any more appealing. So as our team discussed the best way to address these issues with our colleagues--one made the comment, "Make Sheila tell 'em--she's leaving anyway."

I heartily agreed. After all,  I'm a short-timer at this point. Only a few more months and I'm off to Nicaragua. In many ways, I'm just passing through. As long as the message is received, what cost is a little awkwardness between us?

Don't worry. The meetings went fine--a bit uncomfortable for a few moments, but a benefit acknowledged by all involved.

So what's the point?  Well, aren't we all just passing through this earth on our way elsewhere?  Aren't we all short timers? How often have I let the fear of a little awkwardness in a relationship that is temporary hold me back from sharing words that could make that relationship eternal? I was so surprised by the courage and freedom granted by those words "...she's leaving anyway." I pray each of us holds tight to the thought from that favorite old song, we are "just passing through."

Month 1

 My first full month here has been full to say the least. I am learning to deal without a set routine. Those of you who know me know I prefer law and order, but the routine here is to not have a routine. This job has forced me to do thinking that is so outside of the box that I'm not even sure where the box is any more. Overall it has been an wonderful experience with its share of challenges.

     I cannot express how thankful Sheila and I are for your prayers first of all, your notes secondly, and lastly, the financial commitment. Please continue to pray and keep in contact. Many of you who have made the financial commitment were looking to begin in March. Well...March is here and we have been falling short of the committed pledges to this point. If you committed and changes have occurred to your circumstances and are unable to meet the pledge you made, please let me know. We FULLY understand changes of circumstances, so just let us know so we can reevaluate/adjust our budget. Although we are counting on you we are flexible enough to do what is needed. If you are just in need of a reminder each month we can provide coupons or electronic reminders if you think it would be beneficial. God has blessed us so far we have no reason to believe he will stop now. God is good, all the time.

     My Spanish is improving, but the locals say that some words I use are hard to understand because of my Mexican accent. I hope that is what it really is. Ironic, huh?

     I have been asked to teach a children's class in Tuesday and Thursday nights (they don't meet on Wednesdays like many Gringo churches.) I have told them that I am more interested in training teachers and sharing children's ministry concepts than I am actually teaching. I am to meet with the local ministers next week to open the dialog.

     There is so much going on here it is mind-boggling. The greatest of which is the arrival of 26 Harding U. students who will be here Saturday through Friday. To sum up my responsibilities would be this: facilitate the daily operation of all personnel and projects of the 32 church-related public schools, 5 medical clinics and maternity homes, construction projects and 23 area churches as they relate to Mision Para Cristo. This is primarily a communications job as each area named above has someone who manages them individually. The fact that there are individual department managers should relieve some of your initial fears that I am sure struck you as you read the list above. :-) These responsibilities, in addition to facilitating groups of high school, college and adults who come here to serve is, in a nutshell, what I do. It has taken a full month to be able to sum this up and I know there is much to learn. The point of all this explanation?: KEEP PRAYING!!!

Speaking of communications, I am having issues with my Jonathan@SFSEinc.org email address and am not sure about EmailCoachInNica@yahoo.com, so please use the original bikercoach@gmail.com. I know it works...mostly. 

God bless you all. Please stay in touch, and come see beautiful Jinotega.

Things I've Seen

The days are very full and very long--but I thought I'd share a few just to give you a little flavor of this place. Here are some things I've seen this month:

• a pigeon and a rat fighting over a feather
• a girl who didn't know she should blow the bubbles we gave her instead of drink them
• a 12 year old boy so crippled by arthritis that his parents have to carry him to school each day
• a dog being healed of seizures with orange juice squeezed on its protruding eye
• men cutting tin for a school roof with only a piece of wire
• ## US mission trippers working alongside the Nicaraguan crew

Mofeta!

It's been about a month now that Jonathan and I have been apart. One way I've decided to deal with this is celebrate the things that are great about living alone again. I can turn the TV up as loud as I want, I can change all the radio presets to NPR, nobody leaves little crumpled up balls of napkin anywhere in the house. But focus on the positive all you can--there are still sometimes you just need backup.

For example, tonight when I got home the dogs were throwing a fit in the back yard. We have two dachsunds, which added together are hardly tall enough to be a real dog, yet they were jumping an easy 4 feet up on the chain link fence of the dog run. Of course it's only after  I let them out that I see the skunk.

Now for any of you who have tried to wrestle two dogs away from a cornered skunk with only a push broom--you know that I was in need of an extra pair of hands. Can you just see it? I'd get one dog to a safe zone, try to pick it up while holding the other off with the broom. Just as I'm making progress moving the dog and skunk apart the one I'm holding would jump down and the whole dance would repeat.

Remarkably, neither I nor the dogs ended up wearing au de skunk parfume. Our little woodland friend wandered away and everything turned out hunky-dory. But in these kinds of moments being boss of the remote is small satisfaction.

Jonathan's Day Off

Any of you who've spent much time with Jonathan know that he absorbs his superpowers from kids he gets to play with. This week he finally got to take a break from the management and communication duties to take a crowd to the park just to play. You could certainly hear a differnece in his voice after this reinvigorating adventure.

The group played together in the downtown park, and stopped for a snack.(whaddya think of those nifty drink containers?) The emotion in his voice as he described how excited the kids were by this simple outing was definitely moving. He shared how blessed he felt to be the witness to their deep gratitude.

While you may not be in Nicaragua today playing in the park with a pack of kids--you are a part of this. The money you share, the prayers you lift up, the support and encouragement you provide reserve your spot in this photo as well.

So from all the kids on Jonathan's day off--thank you!

Monkey!

Yep! We have monkeys! Here's the picture Jonathan sent. He took it on the highway driving up to the school that is currently being built in Chimborazo. I looked Chimborazo, Nicaragua up on Google Earth and it was a big blob of green. Jonathan said it looks very much the same from his perspective. But with more rain. He described one point today standing in a ravine between two groups of howler monkeys calling to one another. Who knew they play that "We've-got-spirit-yes-we-do" game? I wonder if folks in Chimborazo would be as giggly excited about deer in the drive way as I am about monkeys on the highway?