Compartiendo Corázones

Here I am at home - El Proyecto Chacocente - surrounded by my loves... I can't totally express how much this place means to me. My family here is one of the greatest blessings I could have - and I really mean overall in my life - and not just here in Nicaragua... (excerpt from my Journal - November 24th)

Although I won't be in the United States for Thanksgiving, I still plan on celebrating it within myself. For I have a wealth of things to be thankful for - especially as I look around me here in Nicaragua and see how very blessed I am.

I spent a couple hours on Monday and Tuesday at the Project working with the Second Grade class on "El Niño y El Tambor" (the Little Drummer Boy). Because on Sunday is the 6th Grade Graduation Ceremony, and the second grade is going to be singing this - and I will be playing/directing.

School is out now, (except for Practice for La Promocion on Sunday) but I still go to the Project daily to see my extended family members, to give piano lessons to the few ambitious, to play with the kids, and to teach ballet to the girls who care to learn.

Monday I had the pleasure of working with Darling on the piano - boy she is a fast learner! She is also great at memorizing; so, in this last month here I hope she can absorb a lot!

Last week I taught some ballet to a few of the girls... we were just playing around and they were trying the moves that I was doing. The only ballet they are familiar with is from the Barbie Princess Ballerina movie that they've seen on TV. So, whatever I do is pretty amazing to them. Well, on Monday Rosa and Margarita were bored, and wanted to dance with me. After a few minutes Rosa gave up, but Margarita stuck with it.
She really wants to dance - and that excites me. She tried each move so hard, and so carefully, watching my every move. And each time she fumbled two words came out of her mouth, "No puedo." ("I can't") Well this took me right back to ballet lessons with Traci McClafferty a decade ago. Traci would NOT hear the word "can't" in her studio, ever. There was no excuse for such an attitude. Well Traci, I'm proud to say I've passed on your legacy. Each time Margarita said that awful phrase, I retorted positively: "¡Si! ¡Puedes!" and she would try again... and again...

To teach the little skills I am familiar with, whether ballet or piano or singing or even art class, introduces them to something that is extremely rare in this country. The arts and creativity are not widespread or available to the average person here. As the first grade teacher Yamileth put it... These types of things are just dreams for us; things that we would love to know, but know we'll never have. These are also things that I have taken for granted my whole life: music and art classes in school, dance lessons, piano lessons, voice lessons, chorus, musicals, dramas, church plays... again, I'm finding myself overwhelmingly thankful here.

The kids here get bored a lot... so they do things like play with their slingshots. They're all really awesome at them - I would say playing with a slingshot is like their videogames. José taught me how to do it. I have no aim, at all... and can get little distance. But even the 4 year old Deyvín can aim at a treebranch and hit a leaf off! I just hope that my presence at the Project relieves some of their boredom. I realize that kids get "bored" everywhere - but growing up in the United States, you have countless TV channels, toys, games, computers, videogames, sports, clubs, music, activities out the window to keep you unbored... here in Nicaragua the kids have significantly fewer resources with which to entertain themselves.

I had the pleasure of staying the night at Basilia and Pedro's home, with them and their kids: Juan, Amelia, José and Deyvín. When I arrived I joined Basilia and Pedro in peeling beans from their garden for dinner. Deyvín, who is 4 and my favorite Pre-schooler, helped me out, and I spent probably two hours sitting outside with them bean-peeling and visiting. Deyvín and I had a great time playing together - teasing each other, tickling each other, oh and getting the beans ready... ? haha

He is really something else - the calm, shy, quiet boy who've I've written about before is transforming everyday - and not just as he opens up to me, but as he opens up to the world. After all this young one has been through it's truly a miracle that he is still alive; and furthermore, a Godsend that he's becoming this outgoing, funloving child.

Amelia is 14, and she taught me how to make the bracelets that the women make to sell to all the American Mission delegations that come to work at the Project. I made four - and must say I'm pretty good at it now. Although Amelia can do one in 10 or 15 minutes, and the first one I did took me an hour! They sell them for a dollar, and can make a pretty good profit. It's a great way for them to get some extra cash to support themselves.

Later that night, after most everyone was in bed, I sat outside under the spectacular starry night sky, with the balmy palms framing the cloudy, deep, dark, blue heavens... talking of matters of the heart. Basilia and Pedro had three other children. Four years ago, about two months before they and their family moved to Project Chacocente, they were living in the City Dump and it was just after the New Year's Celebrations. This is prime picking for young children - because people may have thrown out their Holiday goodies. Well three of Basilia's young children found what they thought were some good-eats. They had themselves a very merry little New Year's treat - and it cost them their lives, because it was poisoned. Just two months before they were safely out of La Churreca and into the loving supporting life-saving community that is Project Chacocente. Basilia was sharing this with me, and how it is so difficult for her each year around January 8th and 9th. She still doesn't understand why three of her children were taken from her, and it hurts so much to think of it. But she is strong, and she keeps living happily and working hard and loving her husband and her four children. She almost lost little Deyvín that year, too. The death of his brothers had such a horrible effect on him as only a 1 year old. He wouldn't eat, he couldn't walk, and it took the grace of God and the determination of Charito Avery and Basilia and the family to bring Deyvín back to Health, and now to the glowing, growing child he has become.

Here I am to serve these people, but what can I offer? A little bit of my artsy talents? My time and energy to entertain their children? A helping hand with dinner or watching the store? What I do is so little, and yet maybe it is enough. Maybe sometimes all people need is someone to tell them I love you and I care about you. Someone to really listen to their life's stories. Someone to be there. Someone with whom they can share their heart.

Here I am, Lord. You sent me.