Summer Vacation in Jinotega

The kids have been on “summer vacation” since the end of November; most of them will return to school February 15.  While we are in the northern hemisphere, they still call this time of year “summer”- aka “the dry season.”  

We’ve keeping the kids busy throughout January with a variety of activities- including the third annual “Concurso de Cometas” (Kite Flying Contest). While January is generally very windy, the day we chose happened to be a low-wind morning. 

 No importa- kids still showed up with kites made out of recycled plastic bags and the the balsa wood sticks they found in the fields and streets (these come from the cohetes –fireworks - that were set off during the festivities of December). Kite categories included, “Longest Tail,” “Longest Time in the Air,” “Greatest Distance,” “Prettiest Kite,” and “Ugliest Kite.”  Only two rules: the kite a) had to be home-made, and b) had to get airborne!

José y la Tunica de Muchos Colores

We also hosted our first annual “Vacation Bible School,” with the theme of “Heroes of the Bible.”  We focused on Old Testament characters, as we found in our catechism classes that many children (not to mention adults) are unfamiliar with Noah and the flood, Abraham and Sarah, Joseph and the coat of many colors, etc.  The kids enjoyed bible stories, songs, crafts, games and DVDs, and several of our teens were assistants, often teaching lessons.

Youth Group, Sangre de Cristo

At the foot of the Cross

 I finally got to the “Peña de la Cruz,” the most famous site in Jinotega.  Sergio, our neighbor, was guide for 11 youth and me- we hiked to the top of a mountain that has an illuminated cross which can been see all from all over our valley.  

Sergio, our guide, with Orlando

  









Usually people hike there on May 3- the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross in Nicaragua- but the teens were chomping at the bit to go on “paseo” (a field trip, basically), and this was an affordable activity (free!).

We also hosted our first “Night at the Movies,” which the youth are begging us to continue.  We sold popcorn and Rice Krispie Treats to raise money for the youth group (they loved the Rice Krispies, and of course think I spent hours making them!); but the real purpose of the “Movie Night”: have fun… provide alternative safe activities for the teens of the barrio… and build community.  We did ask them to write down the best lesson they learned from the movie (Karate Kid) – the best response won one of those Valentine stuffed animals that sings a love song (big hit with the teens) right before “Friendship and Love Day” – what we call February 14 here!

Gracias, St. Helen's Parish!

¡Muchísimas gracias! Many thanks to you and to the St. Vincent de Paul Society for your help on behalf of our mission here in Jinotega, Nicaragua.

As a daughter of the parish (Sr. Dolores speaking!), I have a great love for the people of St. Helen’s -

it is where I attended school from 5th to 8th grade…

where I participated in youth group and sports (including cheerleading!)…

where I attended Mass with my family…

where I served as a lector and eucharistic minister…

where I tried, one sad weekday morning, to play the organ for mass! (God bless Fr. O’Boyle for not shouting out, “Enough, Dolly!”)...

where I adored Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament Sundays at 7 a.m.…

where I heard the call to religious life…

And so I thank you for supporting the mission I am now a part of, and for helping the poor, the women and children, the youth, the faithful here in Jinotega.

Dios es bueno… ¡todo el tiempo!

God is good… all the time!

-Sr. Dolores Mikula, SND

Nicaraguan Independence Days

Nicaraguan "Independence Days" are really two celebrations - September 14 commemorates the Battle of San Jancinto, while September 15 is Central American Independence Day.

Here in Jinotega, schools march in "desfile" on the 14th, and have "actos" or presentations at their schools on the 15th. The actos generally include typical dance and poetry recitation, two cultural activities very dear to the Nicaraguan heart.

Our local little public school invited us to join them both days; the school is so poor, we loaned them our CD player and one dance costume we had.

They marched and performed on the cement plaza in front of the church.

El Basurero...The Dump

Wednesday Sergio led Sr. Roseanna and I to the garbage dump that is about an hour’s walk from our house. From what I’ve been told, it is nothing like the big dump in Managua, but the Jinotega “Basurero” and the people who live/work there certainly made a lasting impression.

Only five families live full-time on the dump. Other people come there during the day to search for goods they can use and recyclables they can sell (mostly plastic, glass, and metal). They told us that they might get 10 cents for a pound or two of plastic, and maybe 30 cents for a couple pounds of aluminum.

Those who live on the dump have houses made of metal pieces or plastic sheeting (not all than uncommon to see this housing outside of the dump, by the way). A few have constructed shelters to protect them from the rain, but return to their own homes at night.

I was surprised that so few live there, since I had heard at least a couple hundred live at the Managua dump. Then again, this is a small basurero in comparison.

Francisca told us some foreign doctors visited them a while back… to study them and check their lungs, as they breathe in the harmful smoke from burning plastic and other toxic trash. We asked if the doctors had come back to follow up, and she said no.

We met Anacely and her family. Anacely is seven years old, lives at the dump, and does not go to school, but her brothers do. Next time I’d like to talk with her dad about that. It may be that it is considered safer for her brothers to walk the long distance, but not for her.

This was our first visit to get to know the people at the dump. It is part of our parish, so rightfully we can pay pastoral visits there. We don’t know if we will be further involved in the future, or if the parish will.

If you come up to visit us after flying into Managua, you’ll pass the dump… and you’ll think you are seeing an active volcano with flowing rivers of lava. Yep, that’s just burning rivers of garbage flowing down the side of the mountain.

Living there… I just can’t imagine it…but this is Anacely’s home.

(Don’t know if you can get into my Facebook page to see more photos, but the images are impressive… search Dolores Mikula in FB.)

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!

Maryuri's First Communion

July 16 - Maryuri has been waiting for this day a long time...the day she'll receive Jesus, and - we must be honest - the day she gets to wear the white dress and veil! Thanks to many of you who have sent dresses, she was able to pick out the one she liked.

The evening mass almost didn't happen, due to torrential rains... M. arrived soaked (as did everyone...all the kids walked, and some great distances... hence, not all dress were pure white! One girl couldn't get there... the river was too high).

What REALLY made me happy is that M. and her brother have continued to come to Sunday mass...actually, the whole class still crams into the first two pews each Sunday, even though they don't have to anymore! They are also asking to continue coming to class. We will start a "perseverancia" group with them.... I'm excited!

Sangre de Cristo Church

Above is a 2007 photo of our parish church, Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ). The yellow is even dingier now, but it still looks “happy” against our green mountains!
The bus is called the Ruta, and comes by somewhat regularly, between 6.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. We are in the midst of the rainy season, however, and I suspect the Ruta will get to the point where it can’t get out to our area…the potholes are becoming lakes.
Walking is a muddy adventure. I wash my sandals and feet every night to get the mud and cow by-products off. Sr. Charlotte can write sometime about her “baptism by mud and manure!”
The cows don’t share the road with buses and cars… they rule! Big fines if you hit one.

You can plant a watermelon on the top of my grave...

and let the juice s-s-s-slurp through (old Camp Ho Mita Koda song). Watermelon and S'mores and and cohetes (firecrackers) were our reminders of Independence Day here. The cohetes were actually to celebrate our parish patronal feast of Sangre de Cristo (kind of long story on why we celebrate it July 4...won't get into that). No one but the three of us sisters thought about the US celebration, which is O.K.

The feast of the Blood of Christ... Sangre de Cristo... was great...Yajaira and several musicians did a fab job of joyful singing, with guitars, guitarrones, and an accordian. Muy alegre! The bishop was happy so many people showed up...the parish coordinator, Jose Matilde, did a great job of getting reps from many of the mountain missions to come.

Sr. Roseanna had 7 kids make First Communion, and I was madrina...sponsor...to two young people in the confirmation class. Sr. Charlotte not only prepared for the mass (she is parish liturgy coordinator) but also sang in the choir.

Bishop Carlos Enrique was so pleased so many folks from the mission communities came, he spontaneously invited them to return every 3rd Sunday of the month for catechesis and liturgy. So we found out today, at this same-said mass, that we (the parish "team") will be planning these catechetical days! Well, that's how it goes here... something gets announced from the pulpit, and you find out that you are doing it / in charge of it at that moment! We're sort of getting used to this manner of collaborative ministry....

Anyhow...it's why we are here- for catechesis and evangelization. And the people want it...especially the young folks.

Speaking of which... I gave my first retreat talk (in spanish!) at a SINE retreat- Sistema Integral de la Nueva Evangelizacion. Last week we took 24 of our youth to a mission community for this 2-day retreat (along with 40+ particpants from the mission of La Esmeralda). The bishop and his driver carted the kids in the back of two pick-up trucks (no, we didn't drive one....we are still shopping for our used jeep, and will NOT be hauling kids nor adults in this manner!)

Following the retreat, the youth are ON FIRE... so pray.

I asked them, what do you want? What do you need?

Sister, we want to go out and evangelize, but first we need formation.

How cool is that, I ask?!!!

Saturday evening we started our pequena comunidades...small communities, which will continue the process of SINE. The youth have lots of questions, and this all new to me... I don't know what I am doing as I accompany them...but the Holy Spirit is in charge, so I will not worry! Still, pray with me!

Grateful for...

Today I am grateful for…
billions of butterflies
the mother of all cockroaches (literally) laying her eggs while we watched....so we could appreciate the miracle, and then get rid of them- and her- before hatching and further laying!
Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday
simple youth who want to know the Lord and evangelize other youth
the maracuya (passion fruit) growing plentiful in Roseanna's garden
maracuya fresco (juice)
mosquito nets
guitars and guitarrones and biwuey (?? a smallish, ukele-like guitar) and accordions at Mass
brumas (foggy mist) over the mountains every morning
my sisters

MP, reminding me that "it is right to give God thanks and praise..."

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!