May 26th

We returned to Puerto Cabezas late last night. Today wasn’t very eventful as far as trip highlights go, but it was a critical day of documenting our work and technical processes so that those students and advisers who come after us in Nicaragua and the Collaboratory Water Group will be well prepared to continue the work. Documentation may be one of the most mundane but important life skills the Collaboratory teaches; to set others up for success.

I am proud of our students as I watch them make lemonade out of lemons throughout this trip. It encourages me and validates my work with the Collaboratory to see creative culturally and technically appropriate solutions to challenging problems including a last minute design change in the water filtration system, which is now complete and coordinating with community leaders an equitable distribution of a limited number of water filters in the indigenous communities of Pineras and Awas Tingni.

It has been encouraging to see that we can be a small part of “real” progress, spiritual, relational, and physical, in Nicaragua, as we partner with the local church. Our part is small in the sense that our church partners from Verbo Church are here for the long-hull, to offer daily encouragement and teaching to those in need. It has been a privilege to work side-by-side with these enduring workers of Christ.

Tony

May 25th

Today was our final day out in the communities.  We woke up early so that we could pack all of our belongings before breakfast.  The group spent most of the day in Awas Tingni performing educational activities and water testing.   The primary school in Awas Tingni has two sessions in order to educate all the students in town.  One session is in the morning for a certain group of students and the other session is in the afternoon for a different group of students.  Most of the team spent the morning teaching about water education in the first session of the primary school, with Verbo church members Myron and John translating into Miskito. 

The rest of us tested for various contaminants in water sources in the area, including four wells, a small stream, and the Awas Tingni.  (Awas Tingni means “Pine River” in English.  It is the name of a river in addition to the name of the town).  Hopefully the results of these tests will help us determine the best way to partner with the people of Awas Tingni to supply clean water.  The water testing team received some help from the community.  At most of the wells, children would run over and start playing with us and the equipment.  It was very fun building relationships with the young children and with other community members who guided us around town.  After a break for lunch, we resumed our activities.

In the evening, the team gathered at the Baptist church in Awas Tingni to distribute Sawyer bucket filters to the selected families.  While the training and distribution of filters was occurring, large numbers of young children gathered outside.  Jeff, our trip coordinator, brought long balloons to hand out to the children.  Jeff would blow up to the balloons and hand them to Walsted, a twenty-year old community member, to tie off the balloons and hand them to the kids.  Several of us made the balloons into hats or balloon animals, while other children used their balloons as swords. 

After the bucket filters were distributed, we drove back to the community of Pinera for a final meal.  We were served watermelon, Oreo cookies, and some delicious mangoes.  The team then loaded up into the vehicles and drove the dirt road back to Puerto Cabezas, arriving around 9:30 pm. 

-Jared

May 24th

This was our full day in Awas Tingi. We ate breakfast at Ivan’s house and then we went to a meeting of community leaders to discuss their needs. The people said that they needed better access to clean water. They knew that the water that they drink is not always clean, especially during the rainy season.    They also expressed a desire to improve the abilities of the teachers in the village. The people at the meeting were very grateful that we had come and one of them even said he believed it was the will of God that we had come.

When we were done with the meeting we went to the school in Piñera to do some education with the children. Even though school was not in session, around ten or fifteen children gathered to hear us talk about the water cycle, filters, magnifying glasses, microscopes, and clean water. For the education my job has been to take a group of kids around and look at things using the magnifying glass or “lupa” and to help with the microscopes. While I have enjoyed doing this, it has not always been easy due to the fact that I know almost no Spanish. This became even more complicated in Piñera and Awas Tingi where the people speak a combination of Spanish, Miskito, and Mayagna and it is often hard to tell the difference between the three.  Most of the time I had to communicate using my hands and body language. But even though I wasn’t able to speak to them using words, I was still able to see that they were excited about what they were learning. When I was helping with the microscopes the people who had seen something often laughed or gave a little exclamation when they were finished. It was cool to be able to see that they understood and were interested in what they had seen.

When we were done we ate lunch and then went to Awas Tingi to do water education in the secondary school. The children in this school were in fifth and sixth grade. They were all very well behaved and attentive.

When we had finished doing education at the secondary school we went back to Piñera to give out some water filters to five different families in the community. We showed them how to set up, use, and backwash the filters.

We finished giving out the filters and then we went down to the Rio Wawa to take some river showers. For me this was definitely a trip highlight. We had been pretty sweaty and dusty from working outside all day, so it was very nice to get clean and cooled off in the river.

When we were done with our “shower” we went back to Ivan’s house for dinner and then we had a bonfire. John played us some lovely music and we had a great time of sharing together. It was great to hear about the things that people had been learning and to be under all the stars together. It was the perfect end to a great day!

-Lindsey

May 23rd

Today was new. There were no repeats, was no deja-vu. We woke up early so we could get out of Puerto by 8 (even though we didn’t), and the morning was filled with moving suitcases, camping gear and trucks. We said goodbye to Mark, Jenny, and their two sons, Tate and Theo. We told them a few more knock-knock jokes before they left. We left Puerto between 8 and 10, though I don’t remember the exact time.

I got to ride with John, one of our translators. On the way up to Awas Tingni he was telling me stories about when he did SCUBA diving, or about when he was working on fishing boats. As we passed villages he would tell me their names and what they meant: Boom Sirpi (Small Boom), Cecil (some tree that was similar to a Kapok tree), Digwa Tara (Big Pot), and of course, Awas Tingni (Pine River).

The ride up was pretty bumpy, especially the second half, after we passed through a town called Santa Martha. The countryside was not what I was expecting. I had an image of  a dense jungle, lots of palm trees and large kapok-like trees. Instead I got to see miles upon miles of lightly wooded badlands, hills and everywhere there was a light smatterings of pine trees. Despite the surprise I received, I found it refreshing and beautiful in its own sparse, arid way; rolling hills and short grasses, wide open spaces with small stands of pine trees and palm scrub.

When we got to Piñera we stopped to pick up Ivan. He’s one of the leaders in Piñera, and was our host during our stay there. He went with us to Awas Tingni to introduce us to the leaders there. As we drove, the brush became more and more dense, changing from a pine forest into a tropical jungle over the course of a few miles. I assume it’s because of the proximity to the river that the forest changed so much. Then we came over this hill, and Awas Tingni was spread out on the hillside below us.

Awas Tingni isn’t really a village, but it isn’t a town either. It has schools, wells (some dry, some working, all hand dug), two rivers (Awas Tingni, and the Rio Wawa), a small clinic, solar panel systems for charging batteries, and a model farm. The community population is over 2000, and has been growing a lot recently, from about 1100 in 2001. They have many needs, many more than we could meet on our small trip, needs that we hope to address if there are any trips in the future. The people of Awas Tingni speak mostly Miskito and Mayanga, and a little bit of Spanish. Mayanga is their tribal tongue, which they speak to each other, they learn Miskito for communicating with the rest of the Miskito coast, and they learn Spanish in school. They need a lot of prayer, for the water situation as well as others, especially in the schools where they are in need of curriculum and teacher training.

We met with the elders there, and planned for the next day. Afterwards we returned to Piñera to set up house in the building Ivan lent us – a recently built Nicaraguan style house, painted a pretty almost-Pepto-Bismo pink.

At dinner we got invited to a praise service that was going to be happening that evening. We got there to the sound of clapping, singing, and twangy classical guitars. The worship was intense, loud, and very spirit-filled. People would come up and share something, then lead a song that everyone knew, or sing something special. All this was punctuated by times of “worshipping the Lord in prayer.” Everyone got on their knees and cried out loudly to God. Prayers filled the small house like a spiritual explosion. After a short sermon and another deafening session of prayer, they ended the service. We were all very moved by the faith and especially the prayer of the believers in Piñera. We came expecting to be Christ to these people, setting an example, and they have shown us the raw passion for God that they hold within their hearts. It was humbling in the most epic manner possible.

Pray for the communities of Piñera and Awas Tingni, that their faith would be strong, and that they would be able to use the filters well and keep them maintained. Pray for support and interest from groups that would be willing to help the Collaboratory’s project there as it begins, that the future would be filled with possibilities for us to serve the people there, and to continue to learn from them of the grace and power of God.

-          Max

May 21-22

Knock knock! Who’s there? Weekend. Weekend who? You!

The weekend here in Puerto Cabezas is drawing to a close. We have had a wonderful two days of project work and rest, and of fellowshipping with people in the present and planning for the next few days of our journey. The first line of the blog is representative of the jokes with have been exchanging with a new 4 year old friend. He, his parents, and younger brother have been in Puerto Cabezas this weekend to visit with a young man they befriended and brought to the orphanage here. While our four year old buddy hasn’t quite mastered the art of telling knock knock jokes, he is quite skilled at endearing himself to everyone he meets.  We may lack some of his charm, but we hope that we too can continue fostering good friendships with the many people we have met so far here in Puerto Cabezas.

On Saturday we continued to work on the filter installation. I am excited to report that my teammates’ creativity and resourcefulness resulted in a pressure tank that holds water! The filter system just needs to be connected to the main water line, and then we will be able to give it a test run. Later in the morning we worked with over 40 kids between the ages of 4 and 10 at the orphanage. This age group was the most immediately rewarding to work with since the kids were so expressive in their wonder while seeing bits of the nature through microscopes, their earnest interest in learning how to filter water, and their creative focus coloring storybooks. We slowly left the orphanage for lunch, playing just one more game or receiving just one more hug. The staff and the kids themselves have created such a stable, caring environment and it is a privilege to encourage them during the time we can share together.

We were not apart from the kids for long, because we were invited to join many of them on a trip to the beach. We rode school buses, one for the girls and one for the guys, to the coast through a maze of dirt roads. Our bus could hardly contain the excitement and joy of the girls as they belted out Sunday school songs and erupted in laughter with every jolt of the bus over the next bump in the road. Once on the beach, several kids partnered up with us and helped us thoroughly enjoy the experience. We swam, had chicken fights, built sandcastles, collected shells, and explored a mangrove swamp among other adventures. One aspect of the afternoon that stood out for me was when my buddy dove under the waves to find a sand dollar. I was impressed enough with this discovery, but then she proceeded to break open the sand dollar to reveal a tiny star inside which she shared with me. Her kind gesture aptly illustrated a concept we have been exploring in our devotions using Henri Nouwen’s book Gracias. Nouwen speaks of receiving “the hidden gifts of those we want to serve and to make these gifts visible to the community as a source of celebration.” We are here to do water purification work in Nicaragua, but only because God is already here at work in people’s lives and in their communities.  Like the star my friend plucked from the sea, there are many other divine treasures to uncover and celebrate as we go on with our trip.

Today we had the joy of not only worshipping at El Verbo Church with our Nicaraguan partners, but also attending a baptism. Members of the church packed into 3 school buses to travel to a swimming spot near the coast for the baptisms. They weathered a hot, dusty ride with no promise of a refreshing swim at the end just to celebrate with the 5 members of the church becoming baptized. As witnesses to their step of obedience to God through baptism, we too were reminded of our call to support one another as the body of Christ.

The next step of our journey will take us 4.5 hours away to a Mayagna community called Aguas Tigni. While there, we hope to share bucket filtration systems with 20 families, to train those families how to care for the filters, to teach about clean water and sanitation with school children, and to interview community leaders about how we may be able to partner together in the future. We will be the second North American group to spend time in the community. Our Nicaraguan partners have safe lodging and meals arranged for us, but our daily schedule and many details about life in the community are not yet known. We do know that the population is very young, with a census of 114 children under the age of 3, and perhaps 500 kids under the age of 5. These children are the most vulnerable to water-borne illnesses and we desire to join with the people of Aguas Tingni to care for these precious kids. With the help of 4 translators, we hope to listen well to the voices of the community about their vision for clean water in their town. Although we will only be in the village until Thursday morning at the latest, our partners from El Verbo Church will continue being the hands and feet of Christ to this community.

We have been so blessed by the believers that we are learning to know here. They have welcomed us in to their community of faith, and now they are sending us out to share with others. We mostly likely will have a brief absence from the blog world while we are in Aguas Tigni, but we invite you to pray with us for a visit marked by good communication, discernment, and mutual sharing.   

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Karisa (for the team)

May 20

As our second full day in Puerto Cabezas comes to an end, it is easy to see how we have all been stretched.  From speaking what little Spanish many of us know to attempt at effective communication, to helping with projects and technical systems others of us may not know well,  singing and playing new instruments in front of other people, vulnerability has been both our greatest struggle as well as our greatest strength.

This morning at breakfast, Ariela gave us something to think about throughout the day from Gracias (by Henri Nouwen). The reading for the day talked about Nouwen’s family and their own struggle with vulnerability. This was the perfect topic for the order of the day.

In the morning, Grant, Zac, Karisa, and others worked on the filtration system—assembling, cutting, and preparing certain pieces for use with the system. Several others of us worked on the education projects for the afternoon. Project management and communication skills were learned or strengthened for everyone.

After finishing editing a puppet skit in Spanish about clean water for the 11-14 year olds at the orphanage, we went over to the orphanage side of the compound to perform the skit. Behind a clothesline and sheet, the terrible characters Doctor Quimicos, Senora Basura, and Herrumbre la Horrible were defeated by Capitan Agua.

Later in the day, Ariela led devotions from Gracias, and again we discussed vulnerability and power.  It was a day that included lots of learning for the team and lots of blessings from the kids at the orphanage.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Bethany (and the team)

Day One

“A true spirituality cannot be constructed, built, or put together; it has to be recognized in the daily life of people who search together to do God’s will in the world.” (Henri Nouwen, “Gracias)  How we desire to attain true spirituality, to grow in this way, as we meet, interact with, and learn from the people here on the east side of Nicaragua.

Today was our first full day in Puerto Cabezas!  The day began very early as some of us were still functioning on EDT.  We were able to get to bed by 9 pm the night before, so 5 am really did seem like 7 am.  This was especially true in the men’s dorm where Grant, who didn’t set his clock to Nica time, was in charge of waking everyone up.  Fortunately Max set everyone straight.  I’m not sure, but I think that Tony and Jared slept through the whole thing.

After the good night’s sleep the group was able to come up with a possible substitute to our missing tank using available items.  Tomorrow Grant and Zac will head up putting together the new apparatus and preparing the area for the connection of the filters to the water system.

We had a tour of the compound and saw the progress on the new dormitory for the orphanage.  It has come a long way from last May when all that was there was the footers which were poured the week before we arrived.  Our tour ended at Jeff and Kris Thompson’s house (FEI missionaries) where we sat out the first good rainstorm Puerto Cabezas has seen this season.  The season has been too dry lately which means crops suffer and wells become dry.  This rain was a blessing, bringing with it the promise of food and water.

We did our first water lessons today with the oldest (ages 14 and up) children today.  Karisa organized us into three teams for the mini lessons for our 31 students. She, Jared and Bethany led the water cycle group; Grant, Zac, and Tony worked with the filter introduction, and Lindsey, Sandy, and Ariela helped the children use microscopes.  Max and Sandy recorded these moments on camera so that we will be able to share them with you.

Our day concluded with a Thursday night service at El Verbo Church and devotions back at our porch.  As you pray for our team, please remember the many staff people who make our stay comfortable and safe.  Here are a few names of those who have touched our lives so far:  Jeff, Kris, Kristina, Nuvia, Selsi, John, Pastor Earl and Damaris. 

Thank you for journeying with us!

Ariela (for the team)

The Arrival

We left campus around 10:30 Tuesday night as intended. We arrived at Dulles airport safely with all of our luggage around 1:00 AM. We waited until our ticketing booth opened around 3:00 AM and then we checked our luggage and went through security. All of our flights went well and we arrived safely in Puerto Cabezas around 4:00 PM Nicaragua time, which is two hours behind Eastern Standard Time. From there Jeff and Chris, our contacts with Forward Edge, picked us up and took us to the Iglesia Verbo (The Word Church) compound where we got moved into our rooms, ate dinner, and went through an orientation for the rest of our trip.

While we were able to arrive in Puerto Cabezas safely, unfortunately not all of our luggage arrived safely with us.  The luggage was too heavy to take on the small plane from Managua to Puerto Cabezas, so we were limited to only bringing our carry-ons with us. The rest of our luggage arrived this morning. Also in the process of our luggage going through security, a pressurizable water tank, which we were planning on using to backwash our large water filtration system, was confiscated. Last evening we brainstormed other solutions that we can use to take the place of this important piece of equipment.

This morning we went on a tour of the compound where we are staying. The compound is very secure, locked at night with security guards patrolling. And of course we have the Lord as our ultimate shield and protector! We have been warmly welcomed and well cared for by the people who work with the ministry here.

Right now we would appreciate prayer for a few different things. First, that we would find a viable solution for a replacement for the water tank. We would also appreciate prayer for the general health and well-being of our team as we go throughout the trip and that we would be attentive to the ways God is leading us and that he would give us the strength to do the things he has called us to do.

The Luggage (and some puppets)

Packing Day

Hello!
     Today is our prep day before we leave. Everyone from the team arrived on campus safely and we were able to get all of our supplies packed and ready. Tonight we will be eating dinner at one of our team member's houses and then driving to Dulles Airport. Our first flight leaves from Dulles on Wednesday morning. We are flying from Dulles to Panama and then from Panama to Managua and then taking a small plane to Puerto Cabezas! Please be praying for safe travels and that all of our luggage arrives safely!
    We will do are best to keep the blog updated around once a day, but there are some days when this will not be possible, so do not be anxious if we do not post.
   Please feel free to share the blog link with friends and family in order to stay updated and to keep us in prayer! Thank you for all your support, even just by reading this you are attached to this trip as well!
                                 -Lindsey (and the rest of the team)

Beginnings

Greetings!
  Welcome from the 2011 Nicaragua site team. Our members include:

-Lindsey Adomat
- Bethany Bender
-Tony Caito
-Sandy Dzielak
-Jared Franklin
-Grant Kruppenbacher
-Karisa Martin
-Zachary Mino
-Max Sacra
-Ariela Vadar

We are excited that you have chosen to join us on the journey that we are making! Today is May 3rd and in just a little over two weeks from now we will be leaving for Nicaragua. We convening together on Messiah's campus on May 17th and then leaving early the following morning and we will return on May 28th. We would appreciate prayers for smooth preparations and that God would prepare us for the things he has in store for us.