So my first Friday took me on a "tour" of Managua. It wasn't really a full tour of the city but rather focused on "Old Managua" or the part which used to almost be a downtown and has buildings that survived the devastating earthquake that hit the city in 1972. The earthquake destroyed the majority of buildings in the city, killed tens of thousands of people, and Managua was never really rebuilt in the way it should have been. The earthquake hit a couple of days before Christmas that year and aid came in from many countries to help the people of Nicaragua but to no avail....the aid was stolen by the dictator Somoza and for the most part never reached the people who needed it most. But anyway I learned a lot about Nicaraguan history on the tour and ate a wonderful Nicaraguan lunch (a dish called Indio Viejo) in the middle of it.
The rest of my orientation at AMC was a little hectic as I arrived during a week of some turmoil in the organization. AMC´s communuty clinic in Managua which has a long history of providing affordable medical and dental care for people in Managua just closed and the situation has been tense for many. Please keep AMC in your prayers as they decide what to do with the space. But otherwise, I learned a lot in orientation as I watched videos and spoke with employees at AMC about the history of the organization and the current work they are doing in the projects. They are doing some amazing things and I am so excited to be a part of their work.
I also got the chance in the first couple of days at AMC to experience the type of community they have. It is a dynamic and profound community in which people work hard but also know how to celebrate and have fun! There were about 3 birthdays that were all celebrated on my second day there complete with a cake, presents, and singing many different happy birthday songs. Then I was able to attend the monthly event of an "almuerzo comunitario" or community lunch in which all the birthdays in a month are remembered and I was actually put on the spot to sing happy birthday in English on my own! Thankfully I had Belinda to help me out.
Last Tuesday, I left Nery´s house and moved into a house with a young American woman who is the Presbyterian coordinator for Central America (or something like that). She lives with her Nicaraguan boyfriend and another young woman who is on a Fulbright in Nicaragua for another couple of months. It´s a really nice place and it may be a possibility for a permanent living space for me. We´ll see!
I also got the chance to visit a Christian youth group at a university in the city in Leon. The group is called Hosanna, and it is the same group out of which AMC formed in 1984. I was amazed at how organized and dedicated they were! I know my meetings with groups in college were never that organized. The ride to and from Leon was also fun because of the people I was with. Don Salvador was our driver (who is my favorite driver right now with the most fun laugh. He is a true character.) and there were also three other young people who work for AMC: Elizabeth, Judith, and Efrain. We laughed and joked as on the way we stopped for a traditional Nicaraguan snack called quesillo and a drink called cacao. Delicious but so difficult to eat!
Right now I am in Esteli taking language classes for two weeks. It is gray and rainy today but I am glad that it is a lot cooler than Managua! It is also a little lonely here now because there really aren´t that many other students taking classes here. But my teacher Elvia is really cool and has really taken my requests for what I would like to learn to heart. I am slowly learning the daily vocabulary and phrases that Nicaraguans use. After classes in the morning, I am also getting to visit a few historical/cultural sites in Esteli and visiting a few community organizations working for social change in Esteli. It is wonderul to be able to learn more than just Spanish by taking classes here.
Two things about Nicaragua right now to keep in your thoughts and prayers: One is the people affected by Hurricane Felix (a category 5 hurricane) that just hit the caribbean coast of Nicaragua 2 nights ago. I haven´t heard about all the damage it´s done but the caribbean coast (where I´ll be traveling soon!) is very vulnerable. Two is that I have learned a lot recently about a law that was past last October in Nicaragua banning therapeutic abortions, i.e. the type of abortions given when there is a high risk pregnancy to save a mother´s life. Now even young girls who are raped cannot get an abortion. I understand that the subject of abortions in general is a sensitive one, but I believe that there are serious women´s rights issues involved when her life is in danger and there is no other way to save her than to have an abortion. Please keep all those women and other´s in Nicaragua affected by this and/or fighting to overturn the law in your prayers.
I love and miss all of my friends and family very much. More updates soon!
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