first few days

Here I sit in the living room of the Tellez home.
Pablo, Janeth, Isaac y Belen. These are my new family members.
They are all so sweet and accepting. Yet, it is difficult because my Spanish isn´t what I wish.
Fortunately, Isaac and Pablo speak English. But, that may end up being a crutch for me.
They assure me that I´ve only been here a couple of days and my language will pick up. I pray it does because being the communicative creature I am, it is extremely frustrating to not be able to converse!!!

I am enjoying the journal that the Zapels got me for graduation. It is already being used well. I´ve probably filled 20 pages at least. Being here makes my fingers restless, because everything I see I want to treasure!

Yesterday I had the most amazing rewarding time. I went with Janeth and Elisabeth and another church woman to cook food for the women at the prison, La Esperanza.
We cooked over a fire ina cement courtyard in some random person´s home. We didn´t have a sink, a stove, a refrigerator, or any advanced appliances. I didn´t peel the potatoes with a nice peeler over a stainless steel sink complete with a garbage disposal. I was standing in the hot sun, hunched over a rickety very stained steel table made for people Nicaraguan height (and I know I´m short... but not like they are), and peeled the potatoes with a knife. I chopped them too, and peppers, and diced celery. My reward was a sweating face, an aching back, a fresh blister on my forefinger and a little slice on my thumb. But you know, I hardly noticed. I was so tired from my travel the day before that my body really wished I had stayed in bed. But my spirit is so glad I went. I was completely blessed. After cooking a delicious rice, chicken, potato, and vegetable meal for the 80 women at La Esperanza, we bagged soft drinks (yes like plastic bags, and tied them like water balloons), and put the food into individual styrofoam takeout containers. We then enjoyed pleasant conversation over our own servings of the food we had made. I however, didn´t join in the conversing. This was difficult, because I wanted so badly to understand all that was being said, but I had to listen.
At first when we arrived, I felt like I was in the way, or a burden. But I soon realized that these women were so pleased to have me there working with them. And whatever mistakes I made they were patient and willing to help.
We then went to the Prison and held culto (worship) with them. Of the 80 women, only about 40 of them showed up for the actual culto, but oh the amazing feeling of worship with fellow believers, whether they are in Prison, or not. These women were joyful, and spirit filled. They sang with their whole hearts ... and they were so grateful to us!
The women whose house we had cooked at that morning, was leading the worship, and she introduced our group. When she got to me I was shocked. She praised me highly for getting up at 730 in the morning, and being so tired, yet working hard, and for taking time to come help the people of Nicaragua. I didn´t realize that I had done anything special, or extraordinary. I was just willing to help out Janeth. But the look on the women´s faces was the greatest reward of the day. They were so grateful that I would give them any help. I was so grateful that they would accept me, a gringa, into their fold, and worship with me.

We then rode home... riding home was as splendid as riding there. We stood in the bed of Pablo´s truck as he sped down the highway. It is an exhilerating feeling! The roads here are horrid, and the drivers arent good either. Nicaraguans know nothing of road signs, traffic signals, right of way, turn signals, passing properly, one way streets, u turns... nothing! BUT they are GREAT at avoiding potholes, avoiding accidents, and driving over terrain that we wouldn´t deem worthy for a fourwheeler, let alone a vehicle with 4 wheel drive. But when you get past the danger, and the horrid roads, with dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, horses, pigs, walking around or the garbage lining the sides, or the lakes of mud in the center, and you look up past the trees to the horizon where the mountains hit the sky and the sun casts the most radiant glow over the landscape, when you feel the wind beating against your face (or was that the tree that you forgot to duck for) you feel so complete. It is exciting to experience, because you can see the beauty of God´s creation, and be humbled by its vastness.

This has been Nica so far! I love it with all my heart, and I am excited to begin work on Monday.
Will write more another day...
love to everyone

faithfully, Rebekah