Matagalpa

We packed up the van on Saturday morning and headed to Matagalpa.  Notice all the water and the food.  Whenever CEPAD takes a group out into a community they will supply the food and water for the group.  This helps to ensure the group has access to good potable water for the duration of the visit.  Visitors usually don't have the immunities built up in their systems to handle some of the bacteria in the water.  Unfortunately, some of the local water isn't even good for the locals.

 



I think the trip from Managua to Matagalpa was at least a 2 hour trip.  We stopped off at the CEPAD office in Matagalpa to talk with Juan Carlos Palma, who oversaw that office.  Juan talked to us about how CEPAD works.  It is something they've done for quite a while and, in my opinion, it sounds like they have gotten very good at it.  It's not about going around to see who needs a hand-out but about going around to see who wants a hand-up.  CEPAD will go into a region and go around to different communities trying to find ones that are interested in trying to improve their situation.  After finding 6 or 7 willing communities, CEPAD then works through organized processes to try to find out about those particular communities and how they function.  They get to know those communities.  CEPAD then spends the next 5 years working with those communities, teaching them better ways to farm and ways to market their products, facilitating credit and skills training, and teaching youth and women about their rights.

 

This is at the CEPAD office in Matagalpa.  Standing here are Inocente (I think that was his name - he is one of the Matasano community leaders), Juan Carlos Palma, and Doug Orbaker.

I found this organization to be a great model on how to the communities to help themselves.  It made me start thinking of communities back home in WV and changes we could make.

My prayer is that God will richly bless CEPAD with caring workers and communities that are willing to be part of their program.

Schedule

As you know we are back home now but I wanted to share some of the stories with you.  For starters, here is a quick rundown of the week's schedule.  This should give an idea of what we did while we were there.

Thursday, April 18
Arrive at airport and transfer to CEPAD Nehemias and get settled in.

Friday, April 19
Breakfast
Orientation - Talk about hopes and fears about the trip
Introduction to CEPAD, history, ministry
Lunch
Coyuntura by Aynn Setright
Tour of City
Visit Esperanza en Accion
Dinner

Saturday, April 20
Breakfast
Go to Matagalpa to meet with Juan Carlos Palma from CEPAD office there
Lunch in Matagalpa
Go to Matasano, meet hosts, and settle in
Small hike down through part of the community to see the church and further down to see where
     one of the schools are
Dinner
Overnight in Matasano

Sunday, April 21
Breakfast
Church Worship and Preaching Service
Stop by and talk with staff at the community clinic
Lunch
Free afternoon to play with the kids and talk with people
Dinner
Church Worship and Preaching Service (Greg and Todd took turns preaching)
Overnight in Matasano

Monday, April 22
Breakfast
Visit agricultural parcels
Visit Banco de Mujeres (Women's Bank) participants
Visit one of the schools and talk with the children
Meet back at Women's Center and talk with community and area leaders about their hopes for
     their communities
Lunch with community and area leaders
Return to Managua
Dinner back at CEPAD Nehemias
Meet to talk about the Campo experience

Tuesday, April 23
Breakfast
Visit Women's Sewing Co-op in Ciudad Sandino
Visit the Cultural Center at Batahola Norte
Return to CEPAD for lunch
Visit the Acaualinca Women's Health Center and talk with Silvia Cisnero
Dinner back at CEPAD Nehemias
Final reflection time with Doug Orbaker and Carl Agsten

Wednesday, April 24
Breakfast
Visit one of the city schools
Tour day of city, volcano, lake, Monkey Island
Lunch near the lake
Visit marketplace
Dinner with Carl, Leslie, Yelba, Henry (Yelba's husband), and Doug at one of the local restaurants
Back to CEPAD Nehemias for devotional time
Pack

Thursday, April 25
Quick breakfast
Head to airport for flight back home

Parallels of Broken Expectations

I realize this has not been the most informative or organized blog and I appologize but I also ask that you please be patient with me and hear our story. When I was first asked to be the blogger for this trip I found myself with 2 different feelings about it. The first was anxiety due to my sometimes slow process for writing anything coupled with the fact that I have never blogged before in my life (I usually don't even put anthing on Facebook). The second was excitement because it was a chance to do something I had never done before. As I began to prepare for the trip, I started trying to come up with ideas of how I would approach the blogging task. I had expectations that I would be able to tell the story of our trip on a day to day basis. I had not taken into consideration any of the circumstances we would find ourselves in or any of the challenges we would face. There were some busy times that would not allow the opportunity to write. There were continuously hot days that would sap your energy and quench whatever desire you may have had for writing. There were a few days in the mountain that had no internet access and for the most part no phone signal except in short instances. Then upon returning from the mountain I found myself  trying to write about whar happened in the mountain but at the same time trying to keep up to date with the current day's events.  Mostly there was such an information and emotion overload that you would step back and say, "Wow, this is such a story here and such a story there... How do I even begin to process and share it?" My expectations seemed to have broken down over the week. I know I have taken the risk of sounding like I'm making excuses but please be patient with me and hear our story.

When I came to Nicaragua to do mission work, I came with feelings of anxiety for not knowing what it was that I was getting myself into and feelings of excitement because it was a chance for new opportunities. When I came, I was looking to go on a mission trip, which in my mind meant coming to work on something or build something or find a worthy cause to donate money or time to. I was so eager to jump in and do something. But like my expectations of what I thought the blog would be, my expectations of this mission trip began to break down and crumble before me. The only difference was that the break down and crumbling in this situation wasn't a bad thing. So many times we are eager to be the good guy, to be taking care of people and doing the works of Christ. Some times we are so eager that we forget the most important part... the people we are trying to help. Sometimes we come with our own expectations and don't realize that we need to be patient and hear their story. Sometimes we just want to get at the solution that we don't even give both sides time to sit down and talk things over, we just want to fix it quickly. Sometimes we are so eager to bring a fish to a hungry person that we don't realize they might be better off with a fishing pole (give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life, we've all heard that one).

I also came expecting that we would find people who needed a hand-out of some kind or another. Instead I found people that were looking for a hand-up. What I heard could have been said like this. "We are a people who have had difficult lives and have been in hard situations. We are working to improve our situation and are continually seeking new ways that would help us continue to improve our situation. We are honored that you are here, because it gives us encouragement to continue on our journey as we work towards a better tomorrow. We ask that you get to know us, to hear our story, and then perhaps TOGETHER with God's help, we can find ways to work together towards our goal."

So I ask you as part of this Vision Team (as Todd has so aptly put it), to be patient with us as we start to share what happened in Nicaragua; as we share with you our experience with the people; as we share with you the stories of CEPAD, and Matasano, and the Women's Health Center, and the Women's Co-op, and Espernza en Accion; as we share with you pictures that can tell a thousand words and express so many emotions. We have stories of great faith; stories of triumph and empowerment in people's lives; the story of the child in the corner; the story of the midnight roosters; the story of former victims who are now helping other victims; stories of living rooms bigger than houses; the story of the sick, the bruised up, and the guy who had his bed fall down in the middle of the night. We have stories of a God-loving people; stories of chickens in church, stories of enlightement, and even stories of "Sunshine and the Three Amigos" breaking international language barriers as they sang Journey's hit "Don't Stop Believing." We've shared tears, feelings, laughter, and hope. We've shared hot days, ideas, reflections, and bread.

We have so much to tell you so please... be patient with us and hear our story.

At the volcano

One of our stops for the day... Masaya Volcano

Front row (left to right)  Melvin Zeledon Rivera (Yelba's cousin), John Nelson, Claire Butler
Standing (left to right)  David Pettry, Todd Wright, Greg Kupar, Barb Hopta, Yelba Rivera, Steve Hopta 

Doug Orbaker was taking the picture.

Wed - city tour

Okay, I'll give you a quick rundown of our plans today. Breakfast, school visit, tour of city, Masaya, volcanoes (one active and one inactive), market place, pizza...

I'm so sorry things aren't in great order for this blog but its the first one I've ever attempted. I'm hoping the the personal stories of our experiences and the pictures to come later on in the blog will more than make up for it.

Back tracking day 1 - Sandino Monument

After our meeting on the first day we had lunch and then had met with Aynn Setright to find out about the history of Nicaragua.  After that we headed out to Managua for a quick view of the city (after the tour of the city on Wednesday I should have more photos).  This is a few photos of the view near the Sandino memorial.

 

 

 



After a quick visit to the Sandino Memorial we headed to Esperanza en Accion to see how they were helping local artisans to have a place to sell their wares at a fair wage.  I had setup  link in a previous post which would take you to more information on Esperanza en Accion.

Back tracking day 1 - Carl and Leslie

As you remember from an earlier post we had a get together the first morning to discuss some of the history of Cepad and had a visit from Rev. Dr. Leslie Clay and Carl Agsten.  Yelba Rivera also joined us.  I've also included a link for Doug Orbaker so you read more information on him and what he has done.  Here are a few pics from that meeting.

 

 

 

Well it's time to eat.  More info and photos to follow...