Pasos Para La Paz

Paso 1: Elija la Paz

Paso 2: Trate de entender las necesidades de los seres humanos en este mundo.

Paso 3: Aprenda a comprometerse con los demás.

Paso 4: Trabaje constantemente para mejorar su nivel de comprensión y compromiso.

La paz es posible, pero debe ser una elección

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Last Saturday we completed our first class and feel relieved, pleased and excited for what is next.  We still have a lot of grading to do this week, but for now we thought we would share with you the “Steps for Peace” that we read together with our students as a way to finish each class. 

We read these out loud twelve times together and each time it was always a bit emotional for me.  To hear twenty-five people from various ages, stages and backgrounds committing our best to live this way brings about a sense of hope.

As we approach this holiday season, may we all find peace on this earth.  This is exactly what the little baby came to do!

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STEPS FOR PEACE

Step 1: Choose Peace

Step 2: Try to understand that needs of other people in this world.

Step 3: Learn to compromise with others.

Step 4: Work constantly to better your level of understanding and your commitment.

Peace is possible, but it is a choice.

(source)

Life Lately

This post is a random collection of pictures and words from our last month here.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed a visit from our friend’s Jon and Tamara who are on a one year trip around the world.  They are producing videos for Feed My Starving Children and were working here in Nicaragua for two weeks.  Here is a video that they produced in Kenya:  Food at Work: I Have a Dream

We are very excited to see the final Nicaragua videos.  Can we just say that we are a little jealous of their lives?!?

We participated in an advocacy workshop with MCC’s partners here in Nicaragua.  It was a wonderful two days of idea building and discussion for our mutual work here in Nicaragua.  We also said goodbye to our boss, Angela who served here for seven years.  We had two great parties to send her off.  Here was our last team picture with her!  Pictures courtesy of Matt Tschetter

We have continued with our chocolate experimenting.  This batch didn’t turn out as great as the last one.

We have been working on some fun projects around the house and our neighbor kids love to help.  Natalia helped me sand, paint and modge podge (homemade) this map side table.  We all like how it turned out!

As Minnesotans who live close to several lakes but far from any oceans, we thoroughly enjoy our weekends away at the beach.  On this particular weekend, Kevin was quite sick and slept the day away in the $4 hostel bed while Cassie laid on the beach with friends.

We always enjoy going to the Ruben Dario National Theater which is located right here in Managua.  Recently we saw the production of Chicago with a two of our favorite couple friends.  It was fun to sing along!

We are sad to say goodbye to our great friends and MCC co-workers, Nate and Liz who will be heading back to Colorado in December.  We look forward to Colorado visits in the future and have plans for a Boundary Waters getaway!

We could have a full-time job in our neighborhood, the kids are always eager to hang out!  Also pictured is Kevin and Alesia (our previous host sister) who spent the night with her sister a couple of weeks ago.  Melt my heart!

I won a photo contest for the city guide of the colonial town Granada.  This included a monetary prize (Christmas shopping anyone?!?) as my photo was selected for the front cover.  Oh and I am highly guessing that I was the only one to enter a photo!

Our first class at the Baptist Seminary is wrapping up.  We cannot believe how quickly the classes have gone and are pleased with the results.  We have another course lined up for the next semester, we are surprised they actually want us to come back?!?  We have also been busy spending time with our students in their homes for dinner, churches (Kevin preached one Sunday and I led games for the youth) as well as office visits.

I had a great birthday celebration, my second one here in Nicaragua.  We enjoyed dessert and songs with our Community group as well as our Seminary class.  We also took a day away to the markets with friends.  Thank-you for your warm wishes through e-mails, cards and care packages.  You all are the best!

We celebrated Thanksgiving last week with our MCC team.  We have so much to be grateful for!  Do any of you have plans for an awesome turkey piñata?  Have a great week celebrating and thanking with family and friends!

Our Garden

By Kevin

As the harvest season winds down up north, we are just planting four young and tender tomato seedlings into our garden. Some may think, gardening in November?  Other green thumbs may be enthused about the opportunity of a twelve month growing season, I guess a lot of that may depend on your opinion of the heat and humidity that comes along with the pleasure of having a harvest year round.

You may ask how we can have a garden, let alone a compost with absolutely no dirt or planting ground at our home.  At first this was a downfall of our place, but with a little help from our friends and family we figured out how to make it work.  We are really enjoying learning about the plants that are available to us here in Nicaragua. 

 

Some of our “plantitas” (or little plants, an endearing term in Spanish).  The little fern tree above is going to be our Christmas tree this year, although we are wondering if it will be big enough to put ornaments on?

 

Our “watermelon” plant and pepper plant.  Aren’t they both gorgeous?  The peppers add a nice spice to our dishes.

 

We loved the rustic plant boxes that we found at the local market.

 

A couple other pretty blooms.

 

A before and after picture of our garden.  Cassie’s siblings helped us to build it when they were here.  It is built with cinder blocks, screen and dirt.  It has proved to be a great design!  Thanks Justin and Shawna!