Wednesday, February 23

We spent this morning at a local shirt making cooperative called Nueva Vida. This project was started by women who knew how to make shirts but didn't want to work in the poor conditions of local sweatshops. They got together, and with the support (loans and customer contacts) of Jubilee House (a ministry based in the US), they opened their own factory. Here, they create high quality products while paying their workers a fair wage. They also maintain good working conditions and require reasonable working hours. It was interesting to learn about how Jubilee House enabled the project without creating dependence by keeping ownership and leadership in the hands of the locals taking initiative. We discussed the high risk of the loan they provided and the clear benefits of this type of loan. This type of international cooperation seems to hold a lot of potential for improving the conditions of poverty here and globally, provided that corporations with money are willing to take the risk to invest in this way.

After lunch, Don Mike gave another lecture on the church in Latin America. He summarized changes throughout church history and the basis of liberation theology. When everyone was thoroughly overwhelmed, he took us to two important churches in Managua (one pre-Vatican II church and a post-Vat. II church). There was a special celebration going on at the post-Vat II church that made our visit a little more chaotic than helpful, but it was interesting to see such a charismatic group in a Catholic church.

The second church we visited had been left to ruins after the Sandinista revolution, and we could only see it from the outside. It was located in a central square in Managua, so we also saw parts of the National Palace and the current government buildings. The center was eerily empty, and some of the few people there were street kids who offered us all gifts made out of psalm leaves. Javier took a group of us to see the National Theater, and one of the students in our group convinced the security guard to let us in to look around. We ended up sitting in on rehearsal for Nicaragua's national competition for their representative in the Miss Universe pageant. It was a private rehearsal, so it was kind of fun to see a little bit of it.

Later, dinner involved some good conversation about missions, and then we were introduced to some of the pastors of the communities we will be moving to tomorrow. I wasn't really looking forward to this home stay, but the orientation made me a little more enthusiastic. While we were all re-packing to fit the laundry detergent, toilet paper, and mosquito nets into our bags, the LASP staff called a meeting for us to say goodbye to Don Mike who is going back to the States tomorrow. He has really challenged us all and I'm really grateful that he has been a part of my experience here.

I was hoping to get by with drinking the local water in my community, but Trevor recommended bringing a gallon of filtered water just in case we need it. I'm really excited about being a part of the group leaving tomorrow at 7:30 instead of 3:00am. Its also exciting that LASP did a great job of mixing us up so that I will get to know some new people who will be staying in the same community as me this week. My time in the campo (Nicaraguan countryside) will also be a fabulous opportunity to get to know more about Nicaragua, the people and culture here, and most importantly, God. I'm looking forward to drawing near Him through this challenge.

Tuesday, February 22

I LOVED today! It was filled with more discussion and lectures than I've ever sat through in my life. We started out with a lecture by Don Mike about the simplified version of Nicaragua's history. He compared the Sandinista revolution to the American revolution, which was really helpful. After his lecture, we visited the site of Somoza's former palace. There we could see old and new Managua, developed based on Somoza's interests after the earthquake in 1972. We also saw the torture chambers under the palace and lots of Sandinista propaganda placed there by the current presidential administration.

On the way back to our hostile, we stopped at a tent city created by protestors of the use of Nemagon (a harmful pesticide) in banana plantations. While large companies have stopped using this chemical, reparations have not been made to the people who suffered from using it. Members of the community we visited have suffered many illnesses because of their exposure to Nemagon and have been protesting for 19 years. Only in the last 5 years did they move to Managua to establish their tent city in order to be more visible to the politicians they are trying to work with. Their plead is for the government to help them stand up to the corporations that required them to use Nemagon.

Unfortunately, while their claims are likely true (similar cases have been tried in other countries with victory going to the workers), they do not have concrete evidence, such as medical records or records of when they used the chemical and how, so their case has gone no where. The current Ortega administration (vying for votes) has given the Nemagon community food, plastic to build shelters and electricity as well as some healthcare but has been relatively unhelpful in their legal case. This visit sparked some good discussion about cultural dependency, the exploitation power of large companies, and ways to buy fruit (buying locally or through fair trade) in order to avoid enabling this exploitation.

After this visit, we went to a local Catholic church that was very involved with the Sandinista revolution and the development/spread of liberation theology in Nicaragua. There a nun showed us some beautiful murals depicting Nicaraguan history through the eyes of the people. The murals are typically covered because the church leadership has moved away from the activism they represent, but this nun invited us to uncover them and hear their stories. At the end, we saw a beautiful rendering of an indigenous Jesus that was being covered by the traditional European crucifix. It was interesting to note the presence of indigenous gods above the church doors, and on the bus back to the hostile I had an interesting conversation with Don Mike about this type of synchrotism in Latin America.

When we got back to the hostile, Antonio Lacayo, former “vice president” of Nicaragua, was waiting to talk with us. He presented the history of Nicaragua from his right-wing position and proposed some solutions (primarily foreign investment) to the country's current poverty. I really appreciated his view and it was helpful to hear about the logic that brought the country here. We asked him questions for almost an hour after his presentation and then went out for dinner.

It was a long, exhausting day, but I loved gaining a fuller grasp of reality here and trying to piece together perspectives in order to understand how things work and why while throwing in a few conversations about how to fix it all. ;)

Monday, February 21

I can't believe we're already in Nicaragua! The 10 hour trip to Managua seemed to fly by. This morning papi dropped me and my backpack stuffed with things for the 10 day trip off at LAST at 6:00. We left around 6:30 and I was stoked to score a window seat in the van. I spend the morning reading more about Nicaragua and trying to sleep. We stopped for lunch at a little restaurant at like 10:00 in the morning, so no one was really ready to eat, but it was a nice break from the drive.

The next time we stopped was to cross the border. We had to fill out the same forms for Costa Rica and Nicaragua, but crossing went pretty quickly. Driving into Nicaragua and seeing the extreme difference in quality of life on this side of the border was shocking. Listening to music, seeing the beauty of the mountains and valleys, and being challenged by seeing the extremes of living conditions made me really pumped for this part of my time in Latin America. I can't wait to learn more about this part of the world and serving in different cultures.

For our first few nights here, we're staying at a cool Christian hostile that is very active in the community, which is cool. They provide as many jobs as possible for the locals by giving classes and offering a bunch of services for people traveling to Nicaragua. All of the profits they make go back into community development projects, and its fun to look at the pictures of things they've been able to support in Managua.

After dinner we had a lecture from a former LASP student now living in Managua. It was cool to her her perspective, and afterward we played Dutch Blitz for a while before going to bed early in preparation for a big day tomorrow.

Sunday, February 20

There is so much to write about today! It was the continuation of a fabulous break, and I don't want it to end! When we got up this morning we went over to the bodega at QREK to make a full out American breakfast, complete with banana pancakes and coco puffs. We also made scrambled eggs and had toast and fruit. Everyone was pretty much in paradise. After breakfast, we had some more time to hang out (I went back out to the river with some other girls) and pack up to come back to San Jose, and before I knew it, it was time for lunch.

For lunch we had the option of sandwiches or going back to the bakery. I chose to see what new delicious treats were to be found at the bakery, and I was not disappointed by the double chocolate chip cookies and cranberry carrot cake that I tried. Ok, so it wasn't the most balanced lunch I've ever eaten, but it was delicious. While we were eating lunch, we talked about how we all felt like we had left Latin America for the weekend. Being surrounded by the comforts of home, such as food and lovely showers and only speaking English for a few days totally rejuvenated the whole group. Because we had all packed up before leaving for the bakery and some of the group stayed behind to have sandwiches, the van came to the bakery to pick us up, so we didn't even had to hike back to QREK.

The ride home was much faster than the trip there because we knew where we were going. On the ride I read over some of the material we will be talking about in Nicaragua, and it made me really excited about what we are going to be learning and focusing on. Most of the readings were about the drastic differences between the wealthy and poor and potential solutions to the problem of poverty. Looking over the packet renewed my excitement about learning more about the culture here and becoming better equipped to serve internationally in the future. It broke my heart to read about the sufferings of God's people and made me want to do everything I can to eliminate this suffering.

When we got back to LASP, everyone quickly dispersed to go home. Haleigh and I stopped at a pharmacy to try and pick up some medicine for pink eye (my eyes have been a little funky lately and Laura suggested getting some before Nicaragua), but the store was closed. Hopefully I was just allergic to something in the forest, but if not, I should be able to find something in Managua if I really need it.

My host siblings were playing outside when I got home, and Melany immediately ran inside to announce my arrival and then ran out to greet me. Then, we all got ready for a birthday party at the neighbors' house. Four of the kids who live next door have had birthdays in the last few days, so it was a pretty big celebration. I played Uno with some of the kids there, and then we all had cake and ice cream. It was pretty fun, but when I got back I needed to pack for Nicaragua. It took me a while to figure out exactly what I should take, but I think I've got a pretty good bag packed. While I was packing, there was a minor tremor and I could actually feel the ground shake. At first I thought I just lost my balance, but then I saw things swaying in my room. I opened my bedroom door and my host family came rushing to see what my reaction was.

I was pretty bummed about not being able to spend very much time with my host family this weekend, so I went into the living room to watch some silly shows with my host siblings before they went to bed. I worked on writing my entry for yesterday while watching TV, and all pretty much just watched me type. It was really cute. My host mom cut up a green apple and served it to us with salt on it. How interesting...apples have actually been growing on me throughout the semester, and trying them with salt was just another step in widening my palate, I guess. ;)

When everyone started getting ready for bed, I went to my room to finish up writing and reading for Nicaragua. My mom came in with a gift she wants me to take to my host mom in Nicaragua and some cookies to give to the kids. She is just too much...I love living with this family! The more time I spend with them the sadder I get that I'll only get to live here for such a short time. What a blessing they have been!

Tomorrow its off to Nicaragua, so I want to try to make it an early night. The ride will take at least 10 hours, possibly as many as 15, so it will no doubt be a draining day. I can't wait to see a new part of the world and get to know God more through interacting with a new group of His people. I want to seek Him with all my might and draw closer to Him than ever during this challenging experience.

Saturday, February 19

Today was an amazing day. I got up really early to meet the group going to the cloud forest at LASP. I met a few other girls at the bus stop and when we got to LASP we quickly loaded up the bus for San Gerardo de Dota. Almost immediately after we started driving, our driver had to stop for directions. This started a stream of 13 stops for asking the way over the course of about four hours. QREK, the research center we are staying at is really remote in one of the highest cloud forests in Costa Rica.

When we got here there were 6 students, an intern and a program coordinator here to greet us. They were super friendly and helped us settle in before leaving us to explore the area on our own. Megan, Haleigh, and I went to the stream b the center and it was incredibly beautiful. Around lunch time, some of the students here took us to an awesome bakery that took about 40 minutes to hike to. At the bakery we had some delicious pizza, cinnamon rolls, and chai tea. The food was totally worth the hike...delicious!

After lunch we all got changed to go on a hike through the forest. On our hike we saw 2 beautiful waterfalls, and all kinds of cool plants. There were some amazing views that pictures just couldn't capture. It was fun to climb through the forest and cross some hanging bridges over a river with water so clean that it doesn't need to be filtered even for us to drink it. Some of the QREK students led our hike, so we learned a lot about the nature and history of the area. It was a lot of fun.

When we got back, everyone took nice hot showers with fantastic water pressure. I enjoyed it immensely. We went to a restaurant down the street where there was an incredible buffet for dinner. Everyone enjoyed getting to pick what and how much we ate, and it was a nice change to be able to eat vegetables (something none of our host families eat on a regular basis) for a change. The dessert buffet was also a nice addition to our evening.

Dinner was followed by free time during which a bunch of us chatted and then Haleigh and I went out to look at the stars. There were so many out and the moon was amazingly bright. We had a great time reflecting on what God has been teaching us this semester and pointing out constellations (both real and made up) to each other. Its so great to have a short break for the weekend in order to prepare for Nicaragua. I've been blessed by the time away, the great friendships, and God's presence today. This weekend feels like a breath of fresh air and its helped me feel better prepared to finish out the semester trusting God day by day.

Friday, February 18

What an eventful day! I got up early this morning in order to use the internet at the neighbor's house before I went into LASP. I needed to email some stuff to Northwestern for my scholarship and I checked a few emails quick before taking the bus to LASP. Once there, I finally returned Bitter Fruit, the book I read for my US/GUA relations thesis paper. I gave the book to Don Antonio and ended up spending some more time talking to him about the issue. After that, I headed over to Don Mike's office to discuss the Catholic church. I had some questions written down from his lecture and mostly just wanted to pick his brain to get a better understanding of the church in general and its roots in Catholicism. We had a really good chat, and I learned a lot from him!

While at LASP I also took some time to sit in the garden by myself to read the Bible and pray. It was an amazing time of reflection and recognition of the growth God has created in me and the blessings He has poured out this semester. Again, I was overwhelmed by His love and the desire to serve Him more. I didn't even realize how much I needed to take a break and sit with God, but I am so happy that He drew me near today and that I can continue moving forward with Him by my side. I hope to be able to make/find more time to keep having little retreats like this one throughout the rest of my time here.

When it was time to walk over to ICADS, I met with a group of other students and we made our way to class. Haleigh and I shared about news from home and the movement and growth we have been seeing in our lives lately. Today was our last day of this program at ICADS (we will go to ICADS again for 2 weeks after Nicaragua, but our classes will change), so we just took our quiz, played a few games and then had a celebration with the whole group of students. There were a bunch of yummy snacks, and it felt good to be completely done with this first portion of the semester.

After ICADS, a bunch of us needed to go shopping for some things we will need in Nicaragua, so we made our way to Pequeno Mundo, my new favorite store. There are apparently two Pequeno Mundos near ICADS, so every time we asked someone for directions we were pointed different ways, getting progressively more lost until we finally just decided to turn around and start over. Upon finally arriving at the store, we had to put our bags in lockers before being allowed to begin shopping.

At first I thought I was really going to hate the store, and I was hoping that Haleigh would go to the mall with me after we finished there. Its basically like a warehouse of everything you could ever imagine, but especially clothes. There are massive shelves from floor to ceiling covered in boxes. You could find virtually anything in there, and the clothes were super fun to search through. Despite the massive quantities of things, it was organized enough to sift through, and we all found some really cool things. Haleigh and I spent more than an hour going through the store picking out things for our Nicaraguan host families, friends at home, and maybe sneaking a thing or two for ourselves every once in a while.

By the time we finished at Pequeno Mundo, it was getting pretty late, but we still needed to buy medicines for our trip to Nicaragua. The LASP staff gave us a huge list of preventative and reactionary meds they want us to have for our home stays there since we will be so spread out. The poor guy at the pharmacy had no idea what he was getting himself into when he invited us to the counter, and we spent at least 45 minutes in there finding everything we needed.

Finally we were ready to head home, so we found the nearest bus stop and were disappointed four times by bus drivers who for some reason refused to stop for us. Unfortunately the driver who did stop for us was really excited about honking the horn, and it was a crazy ride to city center where we needed to switch buses to get home. In San Jose I also needed to call my host family to let them know I was on my way. Mami didn't want me walking the three minutes from the bus stop home by myself in the dark, so she asked me to call when I left so that someone could come meet me.

The pay phones in La Plaza de Cultura in San Jose, Costa Rica do not take change. I discovered this the hard way. In order to use a phone card in said payphones, one must dial 1 before entering the number of the phone card company. This I learned from a kind man who was also using the pay phones. After 10 minutes of fumbling with my backpack, change, and phone card, I finally notified mami that I was on my way home. Then we just needed to find the bus. Thankfully, we remembered how to get to the next bus stop and the bus we were waiting for pulled up just as we turned the corner.

It was so cute to see mami and papi sitting at the bus stop together waiting for me. They were enjoying the incredible view we have from our neighborhood (I now live at the top of a big hill on the outskirts of town, so we can see pretty much the whole city lit up at night), and we all chatted about our days on the walk home. When I got home Andrey got out his telescope and we all looked at the amazing full moon for a while. Then, Melany and I played cards and a few other games.

Finally I was so tired I had to call it quits and I retreated to my room to pack for my trip tomorrow. It took me quite a while to get everything organized, but now my packing for Nicaragua will go a lot faster. I'm really looking forward to getting away this weekend, and I'm praying that God will reveal Himself to me in the cloud forest. I want to know Him more and move closer to Him with every step I take.

Thursday, February 17

As soon as I walked into LASP this morning someone shouted out Casey, you have a huge package! I went straight to the mail boxes, and I was super excited to find a big box of treats from my family. They sent me a bunch of Valentine's day candy and some really nice cards. It was really fun to open the package and to have a little something from home. Pretty much everyone watched as I unwrapped my stuff, and they were all almost as excited about it as I was.

This morning we had our final lecture in Basic Seminar, the class I've been taking on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Our topic was Nicaragua, and we basically just went over a quick history of the country and its modern condition. The lecture was followed by process groups, and I was excited to hand in my final reading critique and thesis paper. At LASP we also talked about the trip to the cloud forest that I'm going on this weekend. I'll write more about it later, but there's a group of 14 or so students from LASP renting a few dorm-like rooms at a science base just to get away for the weekend. It will be nice to get out of San Jose and live independently for a little bit, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the forest has to offer.

At ICADS we worked on prepositions, and it was funny but frustrating trying to separate the little words in our heads. My whole class is dreading that portion of the quiz tomorrow, but it feels good to know that it will be our last quiz, at least until we get back from Nicaragua.

The rest of my evening was pretty uneventful. I spent pretty much all of my time at home working on an essay that I need to send in for my scholarship before I leave for Nicaragua, and my whole host family was fascinated by my ability to type. They especially liked it when I looked away from the screen and kept on typing. Of course, for all they know I could have been just typing nonsense, but it was fun to joke about. Kevin was imitating me and said that I could have a whole conversation while typing. While trying to explain that I can't do that, I said 的 can't even walk and chew gum at the same time.Apparently the phrase isn't so common here, and we had a good laugh while I tried to explain what it meant.

My host siblings went to bed really early, and then my host mom sat down with me at the kitchen table to chat for a little bit. It was so nice of her, and I really enjoyed talking to her about the rest of my semester. We talked about some typical food in Costa Rica and she explained what her family does for Easter. I'm happy I've been getting more opportunities to build a relationship with her, and I hope we can continue getting to know each other more each day.