nicaraguamission.ca

 

 My husband and I just returned from Nicaragua – his first trip and my third – working with ILSN. Pastor Hamp encouraged me to include our story on your site and I hope this helps others.

 Here goes: from Jane and Dave Ford in Waterloo ON

 Goals for our trip – Nov 27 to Dec 6 /08:

• Purchase blackboards for the church/schools
• Purchase clothes and shoes for orphans at Villa Salvadorita
• Purchase Christmas decorations for the Mission Centre
• Deliver patterns for the sewing school at the Mission Centre
• Have a staff Christmas party with the ILSN office staff
• Travel to Matagalpa to scout out VBS possibilities

 Suggestion – If you plan a mission trip, know “why” you are going. As you will read below, you can make it a vacation too, but the mission goals should be accomplished first!

 The mission part of our trip began on Dec 1 in Chinandega with Roberto Carlos Acuna as our translator and coordinator. I emailed him several months in advance regarding the dates, then finalized our schedule about a month prior. 

He booked most hotels and the van rentals.                                                                 

                                        Roberto & daughter

Francisco Peralta had investigated a reliable local craftsman for making whiteboards (which were preferred over blackboards, be flexible!). We discussed design and his workmanship and then purchased 24 whiteboards on the spot. They would be ready in a week and would be distributed to the pastors and deaconesses at their pre-Christmas get-together. We bought about $180 worth of markers and 2 brushes for each board. The boards will be used as hymn boards, for pastoral instruction classes and by the deaconesses for school.

 Suggestion – Many resources for the deaconesses are available right in Chinandega at a lower-than-in-Canada cost. Support the local economy there and just bring money to buy school supplies!

 We dropped off the patterns to Santos who teaches at the sewing school. These were well-received, though they make their patterns of plastic to preserve them longer.

 

 

Suggestion – Santos reported attendance is down a bit since the school moved out to the Mission Centre due to the cost of transportation. Financial assistance to aid students with transportation fares could change this and might help to increase enrollment again. High quality dressmakers scissors would be appreciated. There are clothing factories in Chichigalpa and El Viejo, so still lots of demand for skilled workers. Fabric and most other supplies are readily available, just not the money to buy them!

 Dec 2, Roberto contacted Paula Zapata, deaconess in Villa Salvadorita, who arranged for 8 of the 10 orphans to come to Chinandega for a fun day. We took the kids to Tip Top for lunch, then to the market to outfit them in new clothes and shoes, and ended up at the Mission Centre to visit the Chapel. The day ended with the children each receiving money to include in a card to give to their caregivers for a Christmas gift.

Suggestion – While Jane has a long-established relationship with these orphans, children in any village would love to have a day of fun. Piñatas (you add candy or small coins) are a big deal and are available in markets. The deaconesses may be able to suggest some fun things to do or how to distribute things fairly. Estimate how many children you can treat (and then double it!)  

  We visited Rancheria to see the moms and Milagros, the ILSN coordinator, working to prepare lunch for 90+ children. Very impressive and the children are certainly much healthier and energetic than my first visit 18 months ago.

         

 

Comment - This food project is a pilot program run by a US organization. It is unknown whether this will continue after the test year is up. Let’s pray that it will, so Rancheria children and other children affected by such food programs might not regress.

 

 Dec 3, Francisco and Roberto took us to buy a Christmas tree. We found icicle lights to hang outside the Mission Centre. With help from staff, we made a big wreath and added extra decorations. 12 of us, including Dwayne Cleaves of LCC, had an elongated seafood lunch at Corinto to celebrate Christmas. We tried some appetizers and desserts typical to Nicaragua . The words for the day were “contento, muy contento”!

                                                                                                                        

Dec 4, Roberto took us back to Managua and then up to Matagalpa. Road between Leon and Matagalpa is in rough shape right now! We met with Pastor Hector, Cristina and the chairman of this congregation, Juan. We discussed a potential VBS to run simultaneously in Matagalpa and Jinotega next Dec (2009) right after Christmas. Hector would manage the teaching and local help. Canadians could provide crafts, snack/food, Spanish family booklets to send home with the kids, and other Spanish language resources available through Lutheran Hour Ministries and Concordia Publishing. Roberto and I discussed transportation, accommodations and food costs. Tentative dates could be Dec 26 or 27/09. This project idea was previously okayed by Rev Sandor Arguello.

 Suggestion – It is important to know exactly how Canadians can “help” the Nicaraguans in their work. We do not go down to do it for them. They know how to do it best, they just do not have the resources!

 It concerns me to hear comments about the cost of sending Canadians down for mission trips – that trips are a waste of money and it would be better to send money instead. (Yet the money, in lieu of the trip, doesn’t get sent either!)

 God blesses some of us with the intense desire to serve our Lord in other places and we should not be put down for this service. The ILSN pastors and deaconesses really appreciate our “physical presence” and know we give up personal vacation time to do this. Mission trippers return with a broader view of the Lord’s work, learn new ways to do it and bring back a new energy for missions. Let’s allow ourselves to be blessed by mission trips, and not see them as an unnecessary, financial burden.

 

Other Travel Notes:

 

If Roberto suggests that you change your plans, do it. He genuinely wants you to have a good experience and we visitors need to trust his advice! He and other ILSN staff know how to get things done. You will need to pay $20 a person for his services to ILSN (Roberto Jose). We also paid for all his meals, gas and any hotel rooms he had. Guess I am trying to say, pay your way!

 We flew Taca airlines from Toronto (8:30 am EST) to San Salvador, 45 min layover just in time to grab some lunch, then ½ hr. flight to Managua (2:30 pm CST) – 7 hours total. You have to deplane in San Salvador where you should approach airport staff and show them your ticket and ask “Puerto, por favor?” They will tell you which gate to go to. It is a small airport.

 In Managua , you will need $5 USD for a tourist visa per person. Immigration people are nice and do not ask questions. Smile and say “Buenas Tardes”. If you hear the word “Donde” they may be asking where you plan to travel and just say “Iglesia en Chinandega” or wherever you plan to be.

 On the immigration form that Taca hands out, for the purpose of the trip, I write – “misionera” and again no problems with tons of luggage. They know the bags are filled with medicine and church-related supplies…and, they are! …right? I pack all my clothes for 10 days in my carry-on. All checked baggage, 2 bags at 50 lbs each, is for ILSN.

 Take some one-US dollar bills for tipping at the airport and hotels – a bit of generosity goes a long way! We stayed at the Best Western Las Mercedes directly across the road from the airport. Use the hotel van and let the airport staff help you. The hotel is great and staff is very accommodating. They know your name the second time you stay! There is a pool. Breakfast included. They also have an interesting remedy for upset tummies!

 I booked this hotel and the air tickets online. Always have out-of-country health coverage. We also have invested in Twinrix, Dukoral and anti-malarial pills – costly, but worth it! The worse bug bites can be your first night in Managua .

 If you arrange a morning pick up in Managua , remember ILSN staff must drive 3 hours to get to Managua ! Also, it is better for Roberto to rent a vehicle in Chinandega, so you will need to provide a credit card number to him before your arrival.

 Hotel Cortijo (km 134 Carretera A Corinto Chinandega Nicaragua Phone: (505) 340 3390) is an up-scale tourist hotel. Prices ranged from $57-87 per night, breakfast included. There is a pool at the back of the property and a restaurant serving good food. This is west of Chinandega and out of town. We treated ourselves to one night.

 In Leon we stayed at the El Convento, a classy hotel with lots of character. This was for convenience we attended a wedding reception there. Hotel was a monastery and has beautiful central garden. About $85 per night, full buffet breakfast included. Room was big but on a busy street. They charged us a fee for checking in early. L Also, remember to keep on flip flops or slippers as the floors are the original tiles and leave a red smudge on your feet or socks. Cleanliness elsewhere was impeccable. Request a room that faces into the garden. 2 nights here and we considered this a treat too!

 Sunday in Leon is quiet, with many things closed. On Monday morning, we turned left from the hotel front doors and the first street was Rubin Dario. Turn left again and this street will take you to the main old cathedral and with another one just a few blocks beyond. A good restaurant is on this street across from the cathedral. The cathedral offers guided tours from 8:30 am on. Buy your tickets outside and at the front of the cathedral near the market. We chose the roof tour and the guide was very informative. Go early to avoid the heat.

 Back in Chinandega again, we stayed at Hotel Consiguina for $40 a night. Includes a continental breakfast, but they offer other food all day. This trip I felt the food was not as good as in the past. So try other places to eat too. No pool, but Budget car rental is available right at the hotel. Staff remember you from previous stays. You are very close to a grocery store, shopping and banking. Stayed here 3 nights.

 In Matagalpa, we stayed one night at Selva Negra, a rustic cottage-style accommodation with a German flair. It is a huge mountain plantation growing a variety of crops like coffee. The restaurant is excellent and the setting is retreat-like and very spiritual. If our Matagalpa VBS trip happens in 2009, this will be our accommodation as it offers group rates as low as $15 per night per person. Roberto feels that church groups like ours are much welcomed here. There is a chapel on the property.

 Last night in Managua , again stayed at the Best Western. Trip home was via Taca to Miami . We took our baggage over to the airport 3 hours before our flight, then returned to the hotel to eat breakfast and check out. This works very well and was suggested by the staff at the hotel.

 If you have a layover of more than 5 hours in Miami , you might want to check your bags in Concourse E near the hotel. Then take a taxi to La Rosa, a Cuban family-style restaurant on 7^th St , very close to the airport. The taxi drivers know the place and you can dine very inexpensively there. Bon voyage!