I'm Back!

Happy May!

            This spring has been a bit crazy with Holy Week, Easter, my dad visitng, anniversary celebration and wonderful college friends visiting. So today I will update on two months in one. Get ready!

April…

Easter in the home was quite wonderful. Since we are a catholic home in a Catholic country we took off Holy Week from classes and work. All week the volunteers led religiously themed workshops, the same group of kids each day. I was given the youngest kids so we made Easter related arts and crafts each day. This included toilet paper chicks and bunnies, salt dough Easter eggs and shapes and coloring in the Stations of the Cross.

            We also had all of the Easter week masses and much to my surprise the kids behaved (more or less) in all of them!

            I was also lucky to be visited by my amazing father who came full of energy, love and of course a few jars of peanut butter for me. While he was here we had a great time making kites with the kids for a kite flying contest, exploring an active volcano and making breakfast crepes for my house.

May…

This year NPH celebrated it’s 21^st Anniversary here in Nicaragua. The anniversary is perhaps the craziest part of the year as the ENTIRE home (kids, volunteers, directors, office staff, maintenance etc.) gets split up into 11 teams for a week long “color war”. Each team is responsible for preparing two candidates who will compete for “Queen of NPH”, making a fantasy dress from recycled materials for each one, painting a team flag, preparing a ten minute presentation that involves every single team member and participating in field games all day on Saturday. This years theme was birds so my group chose Guacamayo (aka macaw). Needless to say, we thought of little else for the two weeks beforehand, when teams were assigned.

      We had a blast in all of the field games on Saturday, which in the end I decided were a Nica version of a Tough Mudder. There were 11 different challenges we had to complete, all on 15-minute intervals and according to a strict schedule. A few of them consisted of going down a 100 yard slide dug into the side of a hill, covered with a tarp and made slippery with water and detergent, while holding a glass full of water. Or sprinting through a maze dug three feet into the ground, down a hill, jumping straight into a huge mud pit and throwing a ball into a hoop. Needless to say, everyone was covered in mud and smiles all day!

Last week I was also blessed by a visit of great friends from college, some of whom I had not seen in over a year. After the craziness of Easter, school exams and the anniversary I took a much-needed break and we went up north to a Natural Reserve to hike, relax and catch up. I had forgotten how great it is to spend time with good friends, whether it is playing cards, cooking dinner or simply hanging around. Refreshed, re-energized and full of their love, I am now back to work and so happy to see my boys!

Now that I have more or less updated you on life here, I want to share something I have been thinking about a lot recently. Very often when I talk to people from home I am told how amazing, good or special I am for serving with NPH. I do love compliments as much as the next person but I think it is important to mention that what I am doing is merely answering a call I heard. This is simply the way God wants me to spread His love, at least for this period of my life.

It is not special to be called by God to love. Rather, each and every one of us is called to love in our own way, whether that is in corporate America, at local hospitals or in our local communities. Everyday we are presented with opportunities to answer the call and it is up to each one of us to open our ears and answer them.

I was visited by some friends this past week and shown just what this looks like. It looks like a recent college grad leading her company’s initiative to increase service among employees. It looks like a graduate student working as a full time nanny finding time to spend quality time with her mother. It looks like a captain checking in on a teammate who has been going through a rough time.

Being called is not, therefore, permanent or unique. It’s simply God telling us what type of opportunities we have to spread his love. All we have to do is keep listening and following.

One of the boys showing off his Easter bunny

A mural displaying all of the kids' coloring skills

The final product from salt dough crafts (note the creative pieces like volcanos, flip flops and suns!)

On top of Volcan Masaya

Flying kites!

Helping out with kite making

Kay (another volunteer) and I in our costumes!

One of the many mud pits..

Another one.

Boys will be boys

Hi there everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying the spring weather that is hopefully arriving. Here in Nicaragua we are entering summer, which means the temperatures are rising daily, most days averaging 90 degrees.

School is now in full swing and we have all adjusted to the new schedules and changes that this year brought about. The biggest change is that 5^th and 6^th grade students are now in some type of class or workshop from 7 am to 5 pm. In Nicaragua school is normally only half day (either from 7-12 or 12-4) because there are not enough classrooms to hold all of the students. In our home we have historically followed the same schedule of class from 7:30-12:30, with the exception of high school students going to vocational workshops from 2-5, after lunch.

Well, this year the directors switched around the schedule a bit to provide structured homework help and introduce older elementary students to the workshops.  The older students in elementary school were switched to afternoon classes and morning workshops and have the following schedule…

7-9 am: Homework session run by the tios and divided by gender and grade

            9-10 am: Free time to play on the swings, go for a walk or relax

            10-12 am: Vocational workshops

            12-12:30: Lunch

            12:30-5 pm: Classes

            5-6: Free time

            6:30 Dinner

            7-8: Chores, wash uniforms and free time.

            8: Bed

To me, the schedule seemed very rigorous and demanding for my 12 year olds boys but they are adjusting and truly learning a lot more than in past years. The structured reinforcement outside of class time is also helping them to receive the individual attention that they might not get in class.

Unfortunately, the majority of the boys in my house are passing through a strong rebellious phase. The behaviors range from stealing, escaping at night, acting out in class and otherwise challenging authority figures. Luckily the tios, directors and coordinators have all been proactive in dealing with their behavior by talking to them and putting just punishments (aka working in the fields all day long). But for some reason the talks and lectures just don’t seem to make a difference. It goes in one ear, out the other and back to breaking rules and pushing the line.

Outside of the home, there are children begging for food, suffering abuse and being denied an education. Here we never worry about being fed three times a day, having a school with teachers who show up, having a bed to sleep in at night and never being hit. There are teachers for dance, music, art and a 24-hour clinic.  At times I become extremely frustrated at them for not taking advantage of all of these opportunities with which they are so blessed and even flirting with expulsion.  I become disheartened, hopeless and just want to scream “You have it SO good here! What don’t you get?”

But then I remember two things that help me to hold my tongue and love them even more.

1. They are just kids. At the end of the day a 12-year-old boy is a 12-year-old boy. He is going to challenge authority, push you to your limits, go crazy from hormones and rebel against everything. That’s what kids do. From age 2 to age 12 I would at times act like the “devil child” (as my father lovingly called me) and enter into fits of rage. But I grew out of it and am now a mature and intelligent adult (or at least I like to think so…). This helps me realize that this is just a phase for my boys. It just so happens that we have about 10 of them going through it at the same time, adding fuel to each other’s fires.

The second thing I realize is that I do not know any of my boys as well as I would like to think at times. I have no idea most of their histories: how they ended up here at NPH, what their family life was like before or what it is like to grow up in a group home. From the few stories I have been told, I can only imagine the weight of the crosses they carry and the trauma they have been subjected to. One child was dropped off at an intersection 5 kilometers away and told to walk here because his/her family no longer wanted him/here. Another was repeatedly raped by a stepfather and went to live with a sister where she was then raped by a neighbor. To say the least, they’ve been through a lot and learned to survive. Maybe they put up walls so they can no longer get hurt, maybe they wait for failure because people have failed them time and time again, maybe they steal because for so long they had nothing.

I will never completely understand where they come from and why they act out in the ways they do. That is a simple fact. However, I am not meant to understand or to judge. That is for God to do. I am meant to love.

So with these two realizations, I swallow my frustrations, take a deep breath and offer a hug and a smile. Because the rebellious boys have been working off their punishments, I have spent a lot more time with those who are not punished. In the end, I am connecting even more with them and can give them attention and positive reinforcement, a special silver lining. And when punishments are over and I see the boys for a few minutes I give hugs to those who will accept and pray even more for those who won’t.

 Here are some pictures of the recent activities we have been doing…

One of our favorite things to do in the boy's house is to go for long walks so a few weeks ago we went to a nearby sugar mill and were able to play around with the equipment.

To squeeze out the juice, you push the sugar cane through a press.

A view from outside the mill. 

Another favorite destination is the large mango tree on the edge of the property. 

A few weeks ago on a weekend off I went with three other volunteers to visit the Atlantic (Caribbean) coast. The scenery, culture, food and even language were completely different! They speak Creole english, travel all over by boat and cook everything with coconuts or coconut oil. It was a wonderful way to relax and see more of the diversity in this country.

Traveling by "panga" to the Pearl Keys. 

The Pearl Keys, where we spent an entire day relaxing. 

We also visited a local village and met an extremely friendly farmer who offered to show us his farm the next day. We had no idea what we were getting into but said "Ok!" and showed up the next day... 

First we rowed in a canoe hallowed out from a tree for 45 minutes. 

Then we walked through the jungle for half an hour. 

And finally we arrived at his farm! 

Where we ate lots of coconut and other fruits he offered to us. 

Some updates...

Hey there everyone!
           I have been trying to get this post up for a few days but the power (and therefore internet) has been in and out all week so my apologies. 

            Thanks once again for checking in on my blog.  Life here at NPH Nicaragua has been pretty hectic these past few weeks with a third grade class getting the best of me, some rowdy days in Casa San Jose and three goodbyes.

            As far as third graders go, I learned a very important lesson this week: never ever trust a group of 8 year olds to stay in their seats while you go off to find their homeroom teacher. Even though they say they won’t move, the second you turn your back you have one off to the fields, one running around the high school and one locked in the bathroom-of another classroom. Corralling them back into the room was quite a sight; at least I gave the other teachers a laugh.

            In other news, in the volunteer house we said goodbye to one of the volunteers who had finished her 13-month term and is headed home (with some backpacking through South America along the way). She had become a close friend of mine who could always be counted on for a healthy vent about the craziness here, a spontaneous session of aerobics to the tune of “Shake it Off” or a great night out. I’m sorry to say goodbye but happy I at least got to know her over the past 7 months.

            The two additional goodbyes were for the two tias in my house. After working for over 10 years, the two of them decided to leave for a number of personal reasons. Anyone who has heard me talk about my experience so far will know that I consider them the angels of Casa San Jose and my personal role models as a madrina.

            Here is a small glimpse of their job responsibilities…

Everyday they wake the boys up at 5 am and get them ready for school while overseeing the cleaning of the entire house, serving breakfast, sewing ripped pants, helping find homework and dealing with those who got up on the wrong side of the bed. While the boys are at school they are on break, during which they re-clean the house, do their own laundry and, if they are lucky, take a quick nap. Once school is out they help with homework, chores, tears and anything else that a typical mother does- multiplied by 14. I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen them sit down while on the job. To sum it up, they do the impossible everyday for 10 days in a row. 

So perhaps a more appropriate description would be half angels half energizer bunnies….

            The night before they left, I was given the two best pieces of advice I have yet to hear about working here:

“Gather up as much ‘animo’ and ‘paciencia’ as you can muster, and when you’re all out, ask God for a second helping of each.”

The word “animo” roughly translates to excitement, energy, passion and even courage. “Paciencia” translates, as you guessed, to patience. One of my tias even has a habit of throwing up her hands and exclaiming, “Dios dame paciencia con este chavalo” (God, give me patience with this boy). Now, that might seem a bit dramatic but it normally brings about giggles from the boys, solving her problem in an interesting manner.

            So the logical conclusion of our conversation? If I want to be the angelic energizer bunny like the tias I look up to, I need to ask for and find a lot of patience and “animo”. Although these two things may seem too simple to make me a better madrina, I disagree. Sometimes life is just that simple. I’ll let you know how it goes for me…

            On an unrelated note, I happened to climb a volcano two weeks ago on a weekend off.  Along with two other volunteers and a guide, I camped out about 100 meters below the crater. Here are some pictures from the hike and campsite…

Our oasis like campsite right below the crater. 

Me and two other volunteers on the edge of the crater. 

Here's a shot of the amazing view we had over the land below. 

Have I told you I started doing yoga?

 This post my food update is not quite Nicaraguan. Well actually, it’s 100% American and 0% Nica… I managed to make homemade peanut butter! It’s not only deliciously natural but also a lot cheaper than the $9.00 mini jars that I can buy here.

NOTE: Unfortunately, I am no longer allowed to post pictures of the kids because of privacy issue so I cannot show you how they are doing. However, we did have an NPH photographer come visit and I finally have some evidence that I do actually teach.

Neccesary clarification here: I was NOT yelling at the student but rather
super excited because he managed to pronounce purple correctly.  

Back to School Fun!

I’m back! After a month long hiatus from this blog and two months of summer vacation things are finally getting back to normal here in Nicaragua. Well, as normal as life can be when you spend 12 hours a day with 10-year-old boys…

In January when we came back from the island I had a mere 5 boys in my house because the rest of the boys had gone home for vacation. The tios were also on vacation so it was just myself and an older boy in college who take care of the house.  I really appreciated the small and subsequently calmer house as it gave me a chance to bond with the boys deeper than I had before. Together we went on long walks to a nearby town, read Curious George and even made a salad.

I had wanted to teach them to make healthy food for a while but bringing four knives and vegetable peelers into a house of 13 young boys is a recipe for disaster. So, with five of them in the house we were able to peel and cut tomatoes, lettuce, carrots and onions while keeping all ten fingers intact.  If that’s not a success then I don’t know what is!  We were all able to enjoy our salad in peace and the boys learned that vegetables are in fact tasty and fun to eat!

The next day when I came to the house we switched roles and they taught me how to make a mango salad. We collected, peeled and chopped about 20 green (unripe) mangoes from the tree outside the mess hall. Afterwards, we added salt, juice from the orange trees outside the maintenance house and (lots of) chili peppers from outside the volunteer house. We were allowed to enjoy the salad but the boys made one simple rule: no water. The person who was able eat the most mango without drinking water to quench the hot peppers earned the title of the “manliest”. So one by one we took a piece from the bowl. And then another. And one by one we began to sweat and breathe loudly. I am proud to say I beat out three of the boys but in the end could not stand the fire on my tongue.

I was always amazed at my Cuban grandmother’s ability to withstand ridiculously spicy foods. I finally know the secret; they train them young in Latin America. My upper-lip begins to sweat the same ways hers did, so maybe that means I can train myself to also withstand the spice…

 As for more recent updates, Monday was the first day of school for the 2015 school year. I felt the same jitters and excitement that I did when I was in elementary school. However, this time around I’m worrying about making friends with the other teachers and if my students will behave instead of what my outfit will be and if my friends will be in my class.

This year I will be working by myself as the only English teacher for the primary school and am looking forward to the challenge. Over the vacations I was able to spend a lot of time outside of the classroom with my students who are not in my house. I am hoping that those students with whom I bonded now have a bit more respect for me and will not behave (too) badly in class. Now that may be naïve of me, but might as well have hope, right?

All of us enjoying the vegetable salad

A Month in Recap...

A Month in Recap

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!

The past few weeks have been an absolute blur with all the Advent celebrations, Christmas preparations, a weeklong trip with the house and New Years.  I’m sure everyone is curious as to how we celebrate the holidays here in Nicaragua so this post will be all about the December celebrations in our home.

The first thing to note about Christmas in Nicaragua is that here Mary receives just as much, if not more, of the spotlight as Joseph. For 8 days in the beginning of advent we celebrated the immaculate conception of Jesus. We celebrated Mary’s choice to say “Yes” to the Lord and her unyielding faith in Him to take care of everything. During these celebrations, called “Purisimas”, we prayed the Rosary and sang songs of praise and thanks to Mary around a decorated shrine to her. The volunteers made a sign with the phrase “Quien causa tanta alegria? La concepcion de Maria!” which we would yell at the end of every nights celebration.

  Throughout all of Nicaragua, people were chanting and celebrating the same thing. Then came the best part: aguinaldo (treats). At the end of the night, we always got AWESOME goody bags filled with everything from sugar cane to churros (sweet hard pastry rolls) to cajetas (more sugary delights).

Aguinaldo from just 1 day! (we even got plates,  which are always needed)

After the week-long Purisima celebrations we began to have nightly “posadas. Posadas entail a reenactment of the search of Mary and Joseph through Bethlehem looking for a room. Every night another group of the home (office workers, field workers, girls houses etc.) would be responsible for dressing up a Mary an Joseph and going door to door asking for a room. At each house they would be denied a bed until they arrived at the manger we had built. The fun part about this was that the conversation was actually a song that was sung back and forth between the people inside the house and those outside. And of course we all got more aguinaldo afterwards. 

By the time the  24^th rolled around, we had already been celebrating the coming of Jesus for a full month. Although we did have a mass and a grand family dinner on Christmas eve, Christmas day itself was uneventful. 

The typical Christmas dinner: nacatamale, black coffee and white bread. 

In fact, all I did was give my kids their presents and then take a nap because I had managed a mere four hours of sleep the night before. In the states I have always spent Christmas day surrounded by family and loved ones and, yes, presents. Although I was definitely missing home at this point, I also realized that I had spent the last month celebrating Christmas the way it should be celebrated. I had exalted Mary’s “Yes”, spent time with (new) loved ones and learned even more about compassion and kindness from my boys. So yes, it was a different type of Christmas, but it was also a wonderful month of preparations.

The day after Christmas all of the children have the opportunity to go spend a month or so with their family for vacation. Most of the times they go with an elderly grandmother, cousin or older sibling who can support them for a month but not for the entire year. The next day we took all of the remaining kids (about 50) to NPH’s former home on the Island of Ometepe. The island is formed from two connecting volcanoes, one of which (Volcano Concepcion) is still occasionally active. Due to high shipping costs and threats of volcanic activity NPH moved to our current location in 2006. However, since the land is still used to grow the majority of our food and the buildings are all still standing we took advantage of it and took the kids for a weeklong vacation there. Although accommodations were a bit rustic, it was a fun filled adventure and the kids had an absolute blast.

We took full advantage of the lake surrounding the island and went to a new beach everyday for a minimum of four hours. Half of the kids are from the Atlantic coast where they grew up along rivers and the other half had grown up on the island with NPH so they were all in their element. They never got bored of the water, tiring out the volunteers with their endless capacity to play around. The rest of the time was free to spend as we found fit and we filled it with board games, movies, finding and eating coconuts, sweet limes and grapefruits from the trees nearby, and long walks to visit tios and tias who live on the island.

On my break I decided to finally visit my good friend Nancy (name changed for privacy) at her house. Although Nancy lives at NPH full time while attending university she also spent the vacation with her family. It was wonderful to meet her younger sister who she constantly talks about and hang out with her a bit. I was also able to see just what type of economic situation Nancy comes from. The simple house made of dirt floors and plywood walls made the NPH home look like a hotel. It really puts things in perspective. 

Hanging with *Nancy and her sister at their home. 

After visiting Nancy I proceeded to the small town of Altagracia to spend my break. And how does one spend a break when you are staying in a town at the bottom of a 5,000-foot active volcano? Climb it of course. So that’s just what I did all day (9 hours) Saturday. Unfortunately the volcano was covered in clouds so I was unable to see both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Nicaragua in one shot. However, I did make it all the way to the top and get a quick glance in the crater before rushing back down because you never know when the volcano might give a little hiccup of ash. My hamstrings are still screaming and tight as guitar strings but it was so worth it! 

At the edge of the fuming crater. 

Add A Little Grace

Hey there everyone! 

I am writing this mini post to let you know that I have created a page on the crowd funding website "You Caring" to raise money for little things in my house. I have had quiet a few people ask me how or if they can send things to give them and I have decided this is the easiest as well as safest way. Here's the description I have up on my blog:  

I am setting up this online fundraising account because many of you have expressed a desire to help the 200 + children here in my new home. I am so happy to hear that you want to be a part of their lives and know they will appreciate anything and everything you wish to give! Having been here for 4 months now, I have a pretty good idea of what things are needed in my classroom, my house of boys and the home in general.

I know a lot of people would love to send me enormous packages of donations for the house but unfortunately with the shipping costs that ends up being less cost effective than me purchasing things here. However, if there is something in particular that you would like to buy I can look to see if it is available here and purchase that in your name, here in Nicaragua.

The most immediate need I see is chairs in my house. We have 16 boys in the house to which I have been assigned plus 3 tias and myself, for a total of 20 people for every meal. Unfortunately, we do not have enough seats so must eat all of our meals outside on the floor of the patio. Normally, this is quite enjoyable as we take in the fresh air, cool breeze and chat with those passing by the house. However, during the rainy season it is difficult to enjoy as you are trying to escape the pelting rain. I would love to give my boys a set of chairs so that we can all sit around the table and enjoy the meal together as the family that I know we are.

As far as other needs in the house, I am also looking to buy the house a hot plate so that we can heat up food if someone misses dinner or cook in the afternoons as a fun activity.

These are just two of the current projects I would like to fund here at the home but I will sure to post others in order to make life here a little easier. As I receive donations I will also be sure to post updates on everything I purchase with the money and pictures of my boys enjoying them!

Link: https://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/-grammar-gallo-pinto-and-grace-add-a-little-grace/276580 

School is over! Christmas is coming!

Happy Christmas Season everyone!

            Here in Nicaragua the school year is over and we are preparing for Christmas with daily piñata workshops, celebrations of Mary’s immaculate conception and all of the kids are overjoyed with all the free time. To be quite honest, I was also a bit relieved with the end of the school year.

            I have hinted at the frustrations I face daily in class before but was originally afraid to admit my frustrations for fears that I was simply being a whiner and should “suck it up”. But then I read a friends blog who is teaching in South Sudan and realized that it’s ok to share my troubles because I am learning to deal with them. (He actually has a wonderful entry about how dealing with life’s struggles and I suggest you check it out: http://wearecalledtoserve.blogspot.com/2014/11/love-without-reservation.html ).

            Today, I am following Kevin’s example and sharing my true struggles in school as well as how I am learning to cope with them. Everyday I teach four or five classes and after each one I may be ready to rip my hair out or beyond impressed with my students behavior. It is an emotional rollercoaster that falls and rises by the hour, leaving me utterly exhausted by the time lunch comes around.

            To get a better understanding of my classroom life, here are the major problems I face.

1. Lack of resources. The kids quite often don’t have pencils, notebooks or even a seat to sit on. The problem here isn’t that we don’t have the funds. The problem is that they are slowly learning how to respect or value their things so often steal, loose or break them.

2. My co-teacher. She is a wonderful person who I have gotten to know well but in the classroom is more of a hindrance rather than a help. The culture here doesn’t demand much from teachers so it is perfectly acceptable for her to sit in the back of the room on her cell phone while I try to teach.

3. My lack of experience I have always love kids and school but I have no formal training in teaching, which would help me greatly here. Thank goodness I have lesson plans from past volunteers, a locker overflowing with donated English supplies and friends and family who sent me even more.

Given this situation I often ask myself, “Why am I even here?” “What is the point of me teaching English in such a difficult educational system that I myself can’t understand?”

But to get the full picture imagine students running up to me in the hallway asking “Do we have English today?! Do we? Do we?”, bursting with excitement. Or other kids asking me (in English) “What sport do you play?” as I jog past in my running gear. Or how about a visitor who is impressed with the (very) small talk a 12-year-old girl can partake in. So yes, there are also moments that bring me to cloud 9.

Recently I have been listening to a great deal of Christmas music, specifically my all time favorite “The Little Drummer Boy” and have been learning to see my teaching in a new light. For those who are not as obsessed with this song as I am, here is my favorite part of the song

“’I am a poor boy too. I have no fit to give that fit to give our king. Shall I play for you?’ Mary nodded. The ox and lamb kept time. ‘I played my drum for him. I played my best for him. Then he smiled at me.’”

As I was singing along the other day while thinking about my classes I realized how each one of us is like the poor boy. I do not have all of the resources nor training fit to teach as we do in the states. But just as the boy has his drum, I have love, perseverance and wit.  Just as the boy offered all he had to baby Jesus, so to will I offer all I have to “my kids” here. All God asks of me is to play my best, with all my heart. I must trust that God will take care of the rest. With this calm yet uplifting message from God, I know I will be even more ready to tackle the next semester when it comes. (Although I’m sure I will be listening to this songs all year to remind me of it!)

On a lighter note, here are some pictures from my break last month in Matagalpa, which I used to relax and recharge!

A quiet walk in the forest, which turned into a 4-hour trek up a mountain and down (quite often on our buts!).

A cup of coffee and a bit of chocolate at “Castillo de Cacao” a chocolate factory.

            And as always, some photos from my boys…

We all need to take a nap in the hot afternoons here. 

Re-painting statues outside the house.

We got confused about if we were supposed to paint each other or the statues...

In Managua at an altar to the immaculate conception of Mary. 

Just pondering life while staring out over Lake Nicaragua and Volcano Conception.

One of the boys in my house is on the back cover of a new NPH Nicaragua newsletter.