Adventure in the Classroom

Today in English class we went on an adventure! The lesson for this week was learning vocabulary of various natural locations including: Sea (el mar), Rainforest (la selva), Beach (la playa), Mountains (las montañas), Desert (el desierto), Tree (el arbol), River (el rio), Island (la isla), Land (la tierra), Junge (la jungla). I drew some of these various locations in chalk in the outdoor auditorium. Others like mountain, and desert there were places around the school property where the kids could pretend that they were at these locations.

When I told them we were going on an adventure yesterday they all grew big ears and gave me the most attention from them I have probably gotten thus far. I assigned each a location and asked them to bring one thing that they might need for their destination. So at the beginning of the class they all shared their item. Then we hopped aboard a ship...aka a parachute...to set sail to a new land! They were all about the pretending and so thrilled.

When we jumped off of the ship they all ran to find their destinations. I had given them a map and once they found their locations they were to write the names of them in English. It was all quite a blast. I showed up to class in a safari hat and sunglasses and they started beaming.

My motivation for this creative lesson was a few things. One, there is a boy named Matthew who wants to be an explorer when he grows up. So this was primarily dedicated to him. Today he brought binoculars and I had him wear my Go Pro on his head (he loved it!). Two, learning can and should be fun, I wanted to continue to show the kids and Ms. Mierdna that. Three, I love the outdoors, natural resources, and adventures so why not one in the classroom?!

I love that I am so free to be creative with my lessons and kids. It has made it all that much more fun. Tomorrow is my last day with them and we will have a fiesta!

Isla de Ometepe

On April 24^th- 27^th Kristie and I had journeyed to Ometepe Island. This is an island located in the middle of Lake Nicaragua and has two volcanoes.

We arrived to the Island Friday afternoon and left Sunday afternoon. We took a bus from Jinotepe to Rivas, and then got on a ferry boat to the island. The trip in total was about 4 hours. As we were on the boat Kristie and I asked any of the gringo travelers if they were up to share a tour guide for climbing Volcán Concepción.  A guy from Sweden was interested in doing the same thing so we all instantly became friends. His name is Adam. That day us three went out to a point called Punta María Jesús.  It was so hot that day so we were all anxious to get wet and cooled off after our muy caliente boat ride. The point is a long point that extends from the island and enabled us to see a good view of the big volcano we would be hiking in the next couple of days.

Saturday was my favorite day. For as long as I had been anticipating our trip to Nicaragua I have been dreaming of riding dirt bikes around all of Ometepe Island. Saturday was our day to do just that! The hostel we stayed at set us up with motorcycle rentals and we left first thing in the morning. We had from 8am to 5pm to have the bikes. We ended up touring around 2/3 of the island, around Volcán Maderas because this is what our time frame had allowed. We also stopped to take a splash in a place called Ojo de Aguas which is a cool spring of water located in the middle of the island.

Sunday we hiked Volcán Concepción. We had to leave our hostel at 5am that morning. It was definitely a long and treacherous hike, considering there was no path. But that is just Kristie and my style, taking the less beaten and traveled path. It was illegal to not take a guide so we paid a local guide $15 to hike to the top. We were accompanied by our friend Adam (the Swed) and two others who were actually from Oregon! Because of the strong winds and sulfur, we were only to hike about 100 m shy of the top…this is an active volcano after all!

Our time on Ometepe would be our last GRAND adventure. We loved every bit of it. Here are some pictures to show you just that.

Punta María Jesús

Los Tres Amigos!

Kristie and I both have our motorcycle license and have been capable of driving dirt bikes for some time. Adam story is different. Many people who saw us three said it was funny to see two chicks on dirt bikes and one guy on a scooter ;)

Yep, I ate it once! When turning off of this road behind me onto the dirt my back tire slipped and I ATE THE DIRT! Thankfully a man driving saw me and offered for us all to go to his house to clean up. His wife and him lived right down the road and were from Southern California. They were very hospitable and it was nice to get the dirt out of my teeth. The bike was fine but I did have to pay $10 for some scratches.

Riding around the Ometepe. UNFORTUNATELY  the chest strap I had bought to take Go Pro videos point at a low angle. This was the best shot I got showing an upward view. The rest were all of my legs and the front of the bike :(

In the clouds, at our peak on Volcán Concepción.

A cool splash in Ojo de Aguas.

Us three Amigos!

The Jinotepe Market

Today was my last day at the Jinotepe market. Every Tuesday Kristie and I have taken the responsibility to go shopping for groceries for the house.  Let me describe our system to you first. Five days a week dinner is prepared for the whole house. During those days, one pair of volunteers (Kristie and my day was Wednesday) cooks dinner for all of us. On Tuesday mornings before we head to the market each pair writes their grocery list.  Those lists, combined with the grocery lists that our housemaid Doña Corina makes for all lunches throughout the week, are compiled.

The market is busy, loud and full of culture. Going to the market has been a time for us gringas to absorb and build relationships with the vendors. We love shopping with Doña Corina because she knows who sells the best vegetables, and who sells them for less. We often find ourselves paying more for food because we are white and foreign. To add to this, when shopping with Doña Corina we often have to hide ourselves so she (Nicaraguan) can get the best deals! Its quite funny but at times frustrating.

As I was strolling through this fast paced vending place, I began to process all that this place had taught me.  1) I give much respect to the people of Nicaragua for getting up every morning willing to earn money by selling vegetables, fish, q tips, flash lights, and any other random items we privileged can find at our local Wal-Mart. I don’t think I would ever have motivation to sell such things. But this is how they provide for their families. 2) Time at the market is time for people to converse and get to know one another. 3) When the men say “good-bye” they are really are meaning to say hello and converse to us in English. 4) Prices for vegetables in the states are outrageously out of this world in comparison to food here in Nicaragua. 5) Taking time to buy and prepare food shouldn't be seen always as a "waste of time," or something to slow us down. Take time to enjoy the fruits of life!

Below I have included some photos that I took today on my last day. One is with a man named Fernando.  We always stop at his vegetable stand because it is the best and he gives us great prices. Today he saw me noticing a new fruit to me called granadia and gave it to me as a gift. It’s a fruit that is often used to make juice and it was very nice for him to give it to me.

At Fernando's Vegetable Stand.

I will miss this wonderful place, its food, its people, and its lessons.

Taking A Moment

As I take a moment today I am reminded of all of the blessings I have been given.  Just recently I graduated from Baylor, started a relationship with a wonderful man, moved to Nicaragua to serve, and got to spend the past three months living, learning and laughing about life with one of my best friends. My time here is soon coming to a close. It has all been a lot to happen in the last 5 months, a roller coaster in many ways, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I have impacted and have been impacted by my time here in Nicaragua. I see myself maturing, and have been affirmed by my community to have been maturing in my faith, attitude and communication with others. I am stronger, better, and have a clearer vision ahead of me because of my time. My prayer right now is that no matter what comes my way, no matter what disappointment, no matter what good distraction, no matter what path I walk down, no matter what that I am always unwavering from the person whom God has called me and the things he is calling me to.

Standing Firm,

Lindsey

3rd to Last Week

I can't believe how quickly my time here in Nicaragua is coming to a close. I have three full weeks of school left here at CCA. My biggest question: where has the time gone?

This past weekend Kristie and I took a trip to Ometepe Island, located only about an hour and a half south of Dolores. Like always we were sure to make it an adventure. On Saturday we rented dirt bikes and toured the entire island. This was something I had been looking forward to for the past 9 months of us talking about this trip. It was also neat to take my go-pro and get some good footage of all that we saw on our bikes. On Sunday we hiked to the top of Volcan Concepcion, 4,500 m. It was for sure an adventure, the only way we like to take our breaks and we are definitely tired from it.

This week I will continue my transition with Ms. Mierdna and Giovany. Giovany has been doing great and I am looking to come up with a better plan to help Ms. Mierdna feel more comfortable with teaching english, but we are sure on our way. Also this week we will be having teacher training sessions after school. On Tuesday and Thursday I have been asked to lead more team building exercises. This will play two roles. One is to help the teachers work better as a team, the other is to encourage the teachers to incorporate team building exercises of their own within their classrooms.

Thank you to all who have been praying for me during this time. It is so encouraging to get random e-mails from those of you who have been reminding me of your prayers for me.

Much Love,

Lindsey

SCUBA and Snorkel

On Friday morning Kristie and I had set up to go Scuba diving. We are both Open Water PADI certified and scuba diving in paradise sounded just too tempting. In the morning I took a quick refresher course since it has been 3 years since my last dive. This was well worth it. At 11 am we set out for our big dive.

While doing the refresher course I was a bit nervous. It had been a while since I had breathed under water like that. Unfortunately my goggles kept filling up with water too. This is the one thing I despise when being under water. Thankfully my instructor swapped me googles and I got to get new ones for the dive. There was a moment during my refresher when I was in the mind set that the refresher ws good enough for me…after it I didn’t need to go for the big dive. I think it was because everything was feeling so unnatural and I wasn’t trusting myself enough to take on the dive.

After recognizing my train of thought, I got over it and I went on that dive! I was proud of myselrf for doing so. Breathing under water is so unnantural. Big inhale in and another out. Using your lungs to adjust your buoyancy. Equipmet: BCD, regulator, oxygen gauge, goggles, fins, weight belt, and oxygen tank. Diving is inclusive of maintaining all of these apparatus’, breathing under water, and enjoying God’s wonderous water world. It is so surreal!

Beyond the beauty of the nurse sharks, colorful fish, lobsters, coral, algae there was something further for me to see and learn from this incredible experience. I learned when everything seems impossible to control and is uncomfortable, choosing to see the beauty is far more important. I was worried about my amount of oxygen, worried about equalizing, and especially worried about water getting in my goggles. But if I would continue to worry about these things then I would miss out on what was in front of me. THE MAGNIFICNCE OF GODS WATER WORLD! So I chose to put the worries behind and to focus on the fish, focus how wonderful of an opportunity it is to breathe under water. How cool it was to swim with those fish and sharks.

This lesson, I see, will be applicable to an upcoming transition period of life for me. My time here in Nicaragua is coming to a close. When I return I will be deciding where I am to plant myself. Back to school? What job? There are so many factors to consider in my decision making process. My diving experience was a great reminder that I could choose to focus and worry about the factors effecting me, or I could choose to see it as a journey to not be missed and enjoyed.

On the boat ride out to the dive site. 

So excited!

Before our big dive! Unfortunately I didn't bring my Go Pro for some cool underwater pics because I didn't want to have to juggle more things while underwater. It was after all my first dive since three years. 

Some fun beach pics on our hike back from Scuba diving.

Climbing a palm tree is not as easy as it looks :)

We also went snorkeling on the Big Corn Island. We found a sunken ship!

Hey O! Sunken Ship!

ON BOARD and Reaching Paradise

Wednesday was our day! We got in line extra early to get in line for the same boat tickets to the Corn Islands. We were approximately 10^th in line. However after 2 hours of selling tickets we still didn’t have tickets. Many people began cutting in line. Then people would come to the people cutting and tell them they would pay them in order to buy their family tickets. Lesson B) order is non-existent. Even the workers working for the boat were allowing the cutting to happen and not moving to change anything. This whole situation was extremely frustrating. We literally had to push to hold our place in line.

Somehow we got a ticket after about 200 people got tickets before us standing 10^th in line. We apparently got one of the last tickets sold! Walking infront of the Immigration official with a boat ticket and my passport in hand felt so good! And then to finally get on the boat. Finally!

The boat ride was a trip in itself.  Kristie and I parked ourselves in the most available area: the front of the boat. I wish I could have the words to describe the people we met, the experience we had while on the boat. It was loud, full of culture, full of fun interaction, and free on the sea. The joy of it all didn’t last too long for me though. Once we started out on the rougher Caribbean waves, my stomach couldn’t handle it. I began my sequential vomit for 6 hours :( I had just finished eating a new fruit popular in Nicaragua called Aguacote. This fruit ended up all over my T-shirt, life vest, pants, sandals and the side of the boat! LOL. It was so disgusting!  I can’t remember the last time I had been so sick in my life. I remember hurling over the side of the boat looking down at the beautiful blue ocean and thinking, “I would rather be home RIGHT now.” I found somewhat comfortable sleeping position on the bottom of the front deck floor. This let me rest and gave me a good position to throw myself over at any moment. To make things brighter the whole front of the deck was getting splashed. I was soaking wet, in vomit, sleeping on the floor.  It is hilarious writing about it now because I can only laugh hysterically. Then not so much!

Kristie was such a kind friend to remember to take a picture of me in my misery.

Out at sea!

When I woke up near the shore everyone was taking pictures with Kristie. Apparently this girl was having a ball loving the waves and engaging with others. It was such a hilarious contrast to me being so sick. I’m glad no one wanted pictures with me at that moment!

Our first goal when getting off that boat was for me to take a shower! We cleaned up in our hostel, then headed to the hotel that Auntie Joyce and Rebecca had been staying at, Paraiso Hotel. There Rebecca and Auntie Joyce bought me a birthday dinner. It was really nice getting to spend some time with them considering our time was shortened because of a change of events. Dearest Kristie…That girl stood up in front of the whole restaurant and announced it was my birthday and asked everyone to sing happy birthday to me. She really went out for it and I was happy that such a great friend would do that for me.

The next morning, Thursday, we had breakfast with Auntie Joyce and Rebecca before they left back home from the Island by plane. Kristie and I would move on to the Little Corn Island. It was only a 45 min boat ride from the Big Corn to the Little Corn. We had arranged a hostel to stay at called Ensuenos. This hostel was on East side of the Island, farther away from the small village near the boat dock we go off at. Since there are no cars present on the island, it would take us a 20 min walk to our hostel. 

Breakfast with these ladies on the Big Corn Island, just before we headed to the Little Corn Island.

I love my Auntie Joyce!

We traveled to the other side of Nicaragua to see its greater beauty, to the Big Corn Island to see a glimpse of paradise, to the Little Corn to see a greater paradise and to the more secluded East side of the Island to see the best of the best of the Island. Our destination was worth the journey and was truly paradise!

Yet, another boat to the Little Corn Island.

Hike to the eastern side of Little Corn Island.

Almost there...paradise in sight!

A jelly-fish we found on our walk around the island.

The first thing we did when we got there was to put on our snorkels and get in that water! I then wanted to walk around the whole entire island so we began that trek as well. We found so many treasures, and our trek confirmed that our hostel location was indeed on the best part of the island.

Finally in paradise. Am I dreaming?

Two happy girls in their Caribbean ocean!

Alas!

Here is the bungalo beach house we stayed in. It was at a place called Ensuenos located right on the beach.
The view from our window was impeccable.

Not going to lie the room seemed like a honey moon suit. lol!
It was nice to have lots of space after all of that traveling.

Ensuenos!