Da Pan a los Que Tienen Hambre...

What is the food like?

Colorful.

Tasty. Not spicy!

Homemade.

A variety of vegetables in season. Right now, folks are bringing us a lot of chayote, ayote, tomatoes and interesting fruits whose names I can’t begin to spell. Aguacate too (avocado)… I am learning to make a good guacamole, but Mexican-style. Sergio says I need to learn to make it Nica-style, which involves hard-boiled eggs.

Today our neighbor killed a pig. Tomorrow he plans to bring us chanfaina…. a meaty mixture of all the parts I’d rather not think about (tastes a litttttttle bit like gritzy, Sisters! Non-nuns… you’ll have to ask an SND what gritzy is!)

Another neighbor brought us a donation of red beans; they had just dried them today on the cement in front of the church. I am proud of the fact I know how to cook beans that aren’t out of a can!

Our poorest neighbors subsist mostly on beans and tortillas, and sometimes rice. Neighbors share from their abundance with those who have less, but many of the kids really could use more vegetables and fruit in their diets.

Here is a common Nicaraguan prayer-before-meals:

“Oh Dios, da pan a los que tienen hambre,
Y hambre de ti a los que tienen pan.”

“Oh God, give bread to those are hungry,
And hunger for You to those who have bread.”

I like this version, too:

“Da pan a los que tienen hambre, y a nosotros que tienen pan, danos hambre y sed de justicia.”

“Give bread to those who hunger, and to those of us who have bread, give us hunger and thirst for justice.”

Amen.

Grateful for...

Today I am grateful for…
falling asleep to falling rain (although…this is a bit much rain, God! The river is a wee bit high!)
helpful neighbors, including dog neighbors who watch out for us
meeting and chatting with folks as I walk into town
“Baby Moses” Elmo
gallo pinto (beans and rice)
Margarita’s corn tortillas
potable water
kids at the door asking for water
the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in nearby Matagalpa
keeping connected via internet

English Classes

When we first arrived here in 2008, a number of parents requested help for their children who are studying English in school. Sr. Charlotte is now teaching five weekly English classes in the parish/community center. Her classes are very popular, and more and more youth and adults are asking to join.

The students pay for their classes with: galletas (cookies), eggs, cuajada (cheese), chayote (a squash-like vegetable), bananas, star fruit, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, oranges… in other words, whatever is in season. Juxel, however, seems to grab things sold at his family’s pulpería (convenience store) as he walks out the door to class- we look forward to seeing what he’ll pay with each week (a pack of batteries, a bar of soap, a light bulb, boxes of matches, two cans of pear juice, etc.!)

Occasionally older youth request help with their English homework… as when Thelma requested help translating a pop Selena song into Spanish.

One of Sr. Charlotte’s classes chose a donated book, Nate the Great and Snowy Trail, to read and translate. The students are enjoying learning with literature, songs, games, etc.

These students are doing better in their regular English classes at their public schools – and seem to be able to help other pupils AND their teachers with the language!