Hola!

Hola! OK, we have better access to the internet, so I think I'm going to get semi-serious about this blogging business.

Hmmmm, this may be a dark second entry, but it is a snapshot of the reality here:

Today in Jinotega, Nicaragua...in our little barrio of El Llano de las Tejeras...an elderly neighbor died...Senora Editha. It amazes me how quickly the neighbors (many of whom are related to Editha) rallied to prepare for the funeral and the rezo. Everyone drops what they are doing, grabs a bucket and mop to clean the church, looks for chairs for the rezo, etc.

A rezo, by the way, is like a wake service.

The funeral usually happens within 24 hours...soon followed by the burial...as no one can afford, nor is accustomed to, embalming.

How do people find out about the rezo and funeral, as their is not time to publish an obituary, nor do most people read newspapers? If the family can afford it, they pay for a truck with loudspeakers to pass through the town and barrio, and someone announces the arrangements.

At the rezo this evening, Editha was laid out in her own house. Family and friends gathered inside and out, much like our US-style wakes, chatting, drinking coffee, and nibbling rosquillos... traditional cheese cookies. Many brought flowers. Flowers are placed around the coffin in 2-liter pop bottles. This will continue for 9 days, with nightly rosary and prayers at the house.

There is a little window on the coffin so the body can be viewed... and for obvious reasons, you don't hear too many comments like, she looks so good! You see death as death is...no make-up.

Tomorrow after the funeral mass...misa del cuerpo presente... the mass of the body present... the coffin will be carried in a pickup truck to the cemetery, and people will follow on foot. There may or may not be musicians, or music playing from a loudspeaker mounted on a truck.

In 9 days there will be another funeral mass, and more people may be present as they will have had enough time to hear about it and plan on traveling to Jinotega.

In one year, even more will attend the memorial mass... if relatives live out of the country, they may come for this service.

If you vote for a lighter topic for future posts, let me know!