¡Viva la Vida!

Hurricane Beta

Good news!  After Hurricane Beta hit the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua yesterday as a category 3 hurricane it quickly dissipated and was downgraded to tropical storm status.   Although there was some flooding and damage in eastern Nicaragua and in Honduras, it was nothing like the weather experts had predicted.  Thanks be to God!  School was cancelled in all of the country today but tomorrow will be business as usual.

Río Coco Report

Since returning late Friday night, I have been recovering from the arduous journey (1 day's drive, 18 hours on the river each way).  Fortunately we got out of the area in the nick of time as Hurricane Beta struck the area yesterday before heading south.  We knew nothing of the hurricane because we had absolutely no contact with the outside world.  Thank you for your prayers!

Here are some thoughts and observations on the situation in Río Coco:

First, I was reminded just how tough these indigenous people are.  They are used to living lives of hardship and scarcity.  They have survived for thousands of years in the jungle and have endured everything nature has thrown them.  The 21st Century certainly hasn't changed this.  These people are survivors.

Also, the Miskitos try to take care of their own as much as they can.  Of the thirty or so villages in the area affected by the plague of rats which ruined their crop harvests apparently five villages were hardest hit.  Pastor Antonio (the Miskito pastor pictured above in the green shirt on the boat, click to enlarge) told us the other villages had sent food and provisions to the most affected ones.  Unfortunately it wasn't much but it was enough to prevent catastrophe.

This famine, while serious, is not of the type you see on tv like in Africa or something.  There have been deaths - children and elderly - but these deaths are due more to sicknesses exacerbated by malnutrition rather than starvation.   We saw children with the swollen bellies caused by malnutrition.  Being the team medic, I had wanted to take vitamins to give out, but a doctor in Masatepe told me not to take vitamins because the people would eat them.

So we arrived in the village of Walikitang on Wednesday afternoon and distributed the food and provisions that night after going house to house giving out numbers to each family.  The families had to bring back their number card to our makeshift distribution center (photos) in order to receive their supplies.  It went more orderly than I thought and we distributed supplies to 223 households in addition to 9 pastors.  I'm sure I'll write more later but for now I wanted to give everyone an overview of the trip.  We took over a thousand photos and so over the next few days (providing we have power due to the coming hurricane!) we'll be loading the best ones on our photo album. 

Thanks again to all those churches and individuals who provided this relief to the Miskito indians.  Your money has truly been well invested in the Kingdom of God. "The gifts you sent...they are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God."  - Philippians 4:18

Greg is home!

Greg and company rolled into town about 11:30 last night from their trek to the jungle. They didn't know about the hurricane, but they just came home early. We are relieved that they are out of the area that will be hardest hit! Our town is on the western side, just northwest of that big lake on the map. We should be fine, just wet.

Please keep the nation of Nicaragua in your prayers. We are expecting a lot of rain, and I just read this quote from the Weather Channel...

"Since Beta is likely to move slowly after landfall, the chance for widespread flooding, mudslides and considerable loss of life and property will be an unfortunate likelihood."

Just when I thought it was dry season...

The weather today was so beautiful... sunny, a little cool, autumn-blue skies! Then I received a phone call from my Peace Corps friend telling me this is the calm before the storm, literally.  Tropical Storm Beta is expected to make landfall in Nicaragua in 48 hours, possibly a category 2 hurricane.  Pray for the guys in the jungle who will have no way of knowing it is coming. Pray for us, the wives, who have to secure the houses and be with the kids throughout maybe 20 inches of rain! I don't know how to hurricane-proof my house! I guess I will figure it out, huh?

Fatso!

Nicaraguans are very direct in their conversations. The issue of weight is no big deal here, really. I actually think they have a pretty healthy view of themselves and others, not obsessed about being thin, not caring if they eat a lot at a party... there's just a lot of laughter about people's chubbiness. Imagine my horror when I was first called "gordita", which means "little fat lady"! I was taken aback and offended, but nervously laughed it off. I have since learned that it is not offensive to call someone that, just a fact!

Well, my friends and I have decided that we would like to be healthier, and we have started walking every day and following a strict diet (the diet at least while the guys are in the jungle). We did pilates the other night, and we were all giggling throughout the whole time. This isn't a normal thing here in Nicaragua. I guess because they get enough exercise in their daily lives. Washing clothes, walking to the market, cleaning house, and running errands are more exercise than an average american would get!

Rainbow Network

It's always nice to meet people or hear of people who are working here in Nicaragua making a difference. Last year I received a book called Meet Me in Managua, about a businessman who founded a group called the Rainbow Network. Read more about it!

Go see the pictures of all the provisions, the team, and the transport HERE.

They are off!

The group of twelve guys from Centro de Fe left this morning in a garbage truck (lent by the city of Masatepe). They will be on the road for about six hours and then hit the Rio Coco for about a day and a half in order to reach the village. I can't wait to post the photos for you all to see (I will get them online today!). There was a lot of food! Last night the church was abuzz with excitement at all they were able to collect for the indigenous people of Nicaragua. A miskito pastor shared that the children and older people are dying, and he personally has had two children die in his little village from starvation. He was thrilled with the provisions and can't wait to distribute them to the people in need.

Interesting fund raising idea

Our friend, Crystal, is heading up an offering for our library from the kid's church at Kinetic Church in Charlotte. This is a copy of the email she sent me just today..

"We collected 75 cents in the kids' offering today.  I'll deposit that in the Millsaps account tomorrow. When I talked to the elementary school kids about what we're doing, I asked for suggestions of how they could get money.  One boy said that he had a jar at home that every time someone said a cuss word, they had to put money in the jar.  I've never heard of tithing from a "cuss jar", but why not???"

Classic!!!

Hard to Swallow

People have asked us before about the strangest thing we have eaten in Nicaragua. I would have to say, hand's down, that the iguana soup we had with a team from Omaha was the strangest thing!  I realize that this will probably get us some angry comments from iguana lovers, and I apologize for this, but we didn't make the soup! 

Another difficult food to swallow was the sea turtle egg soup This was difficult because everything in our beings wanted to scream, "NOOOOOO!!!!" when the Nicaraguans dug up the eggs after watching the turtle lay her eggs.  Greg politely refused to bring some home with him, but they later came to our house proudly bearing a dozen eggs as a gift. They are a delicacy here!

"Huevos de toro" is also something that is loved by most Nicaraguans. They are, simply, bull testicles prepared in a soup.  The ones we have been served were actually included in the iguana soup. To be frank, I just couldn't stomach the thought of that one, and politely made sure they weren't included in my bowl of soup.