Thursday, December 22, 2011

Day 10-Nicaragua

Day 10 was our final day in Nicaragua. 
We would leave early in the morning as we
were traveling back to Managua.

I can not hide what God has shown me.
If you know about the needs of someone
how can you turn your head.
James 2:14-16
. What good is it,
my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith
but has no deeds?  Can such faith save them?
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and
daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace;
keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about
their physical needs, what good is it?




Ken Kirby with the Bunk family in Managua, Nicaragua

 The last part of our trip we were blessed to briefly meet
with Ken Kirby.  Ken Kirby is a church planter from NJ.
He has come to Nicaragua to assist the pastors in church
planting.  He shared with us some of the cultural shocks he
had experienced in Central America.




Georgina and little Rigo.
Let me introduce you to Georgina.
She was a great hostess to us while
we stayed in Chinandega.  This is
Rigo and Claudia's youngest daughter.




We will say goodbye to Nicaragua
for now.




Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Day 9-Nicaragua

Day 9 would be our final day at the farm.
We were to travel around to different farms with our
friend Martine. He is the pastor of this community.


Martine holding a soil block maker.



We started our excursion at about 830 am.
First, we visited one of the lady farmers who 
came to the soap making class.

We got to see where her family lives and
try to understand how they survive. We got to see her
corn grinder and how she makes flour for food.
.


Cutting corn off the cob, Nicaraguan style.
The death of a child.

corn grinder to make flour




Kitchen
The storage of corn, the main food supply.



Rachel got to ride a horse and then we looked at the field of corn that was a success.

A family we visited in the Mtns.







We then drove up the rugged mtns to a small village.
We were able to visit a family who raised pigs.


Housing for a family.


Rigo and I discussing where what will be the next step.

We  had a good day of touring different homes in the area.
The day had come to an end, and we went back to Chinadega
as our host family had dinner waiting for us.  It was a relaxing
evening as tomorrow we would move on to our next destination.


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Day 8-Nicaragua

Day 8 was Sunday and it would be a full day of new adventures.
This was the day we have been waiting for, everything we had 
prepared back in the US for.



Canning supplies sent from the US.



The group discussing what the next step will be.

The first project we showed the farmers was making glycerin soap.
As this can be done with a stove of any kind.
First we cut the glycerin and then melt it.  We then
mix it with tea which we made with herbs. Finally, we
pour it into molds.
Patti pouring soap into molds.
Stove fired by wood.
Rigo looking at the finished soap.







Corn cut by hand
The stove fired by wood.

The finished preserved corn.
Mike removing the canned corn..



The steps to canning corn was first take the corn off the cob.  Then cook in boiling water and get it into jars.  Then put it into a pressure canner for steam processing.
Remove from canner and you got preserved corn.



Rachel and Martine sitting with the churro-pig.




The last part of our day was sitting watching the sun set.




Monday, December 12, 2011

Day 7- Nicaragua

Day 7 -Saturday morning Rigo picked us up and we
said our Goodbye's to our host family.


We went onto our host family in Chinandega
to drop off our luggage.  Then on the road
to see the farm. 



It was late afternoon by the time we got to the farm.
We stopped for lunch and met some of the people Rigo 
ministered in his beginning years as a Pastor.




The entrance to the farm is 
finished.  They used the stone they
found on the land to make the bridge.
The many teams that have come this past
year all have helped get these projects finished.


The cafe and caretaker building.
We had a short visit with a few of our new friends.
Of course we had to try and speak in Espanol.
Rigo would be staying at the farm he would sleep here tonight.

We left the farm and stopped off at the welding school 
where they were storing the corn to be sold.
  We then would return to Chinandega with Georgina his daughter. 





We were going to attend church with our host family 
this evening and share a meal afterwards.
That was a day.


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Day 6-Nicaragua

Day 6 would be the last day of class.
We spent most of the morning with our
teachers and then a little celebration.

Rachel with her teacher.


  Mike getting his certificate.
A little singing from our friends
Birthday Celebrations!







 
  Today was a quiet afternoon, Maria Teresa took us
for a little tour.
Across the road was a hotel which she took us to see.
 This place is behind walls and is like a museum.






In the evening we all went for a stroll down to the street
market.

The last day in Leon was a great day!






Saturday, December 10, 2011

Day 5-Nicaragua

Day 5 is Thursday November 10
We got up with the morning sun at 5 am.

This is a picture of where we had our class.


Today, we learned how to speak sentences.
?donde es la granja?- where is the farm?
La universidad is grande- The university is big.
La casa es pequena- The house is small.
Los jugos de fruta- fruit juice

We have another activity after lunch,.
the beach,. Mike and Rachel are excited
to go.  I decided to stay back and go shopping
for material with Maria Teresa.

Maria Teresa and I ended up walking all over Leon
and just looking at different things.  She had me
try different fruits that street vendors were selling.
Such as guava fruit, which is kinda like an apple.

The material shop was much different than I had seen
before.  Just a little shop with lots of fabrics, nothing
elaborate as we have in the US.  The three different
fabrics were all under 20.00 dollars or viente.

Mike and Rachel  spent the afternoon at the beach.



It was a great day for everyone.


Friday, December 9, 2011

Day 4- Nicaragua

Day 4 was filled with new things to experience.

We had breakfast at 7 with Maria Teresa and she made us
freir caso with beans and rice along with a fruit drink.
We then were off to learn more Spanish at our class.
This day after our break we got to play  scharade game
with our class.  Of course no speaking English only Espanol.
After class we had another activity we were going to see
hand crafts.  We started out walking but then our leader 
decided to get a taxi taking us to our destination.

This was our friend who introduced us.



These people made many different items on their looms.


We got to watch and then try our hand at the art.

After we said our good bye's we took our taxi back to our home.