Las Chacaras and Los Cedros

Freddy walking in Las Chacaras

Jann walking with a family from Las Chacaras

The walk in ...

A quick demonstration of "future business"

Cesar Jr. and Kenneth (pastor's children)

Another heartbreaker doggie in Nicaragua

MANANTIAL:

After our weekly visit to La Ceiba on Oct 29th, we thought we were heading home, but we were "short-stopped" by Cesar who wanted to show us the community he soon will be pastoring. Cesar and Sandra (and their two children Cesar Jr. and Kenneth) brought us to a little village named Las Chacaras, which is comprised of 12 homes and ?? people. They lack services such as electricity and water - and the community is back "in the bush." The road in was so muddy and rutted that after a kilometer, we parked the Montero 4WD and hiked in the rest of the way.

When we finally arrived, we were met by about 40 people who had been waiting for us. Apparently Cesar "knew" we would agree to visit them and had asked the people to gather and wait for us. He was right!

Our long-time friend, Jann Churchill, was visiting us in Managua and was delighted to accompany us to see the people Manantial serves. She has done medical missions in Nicaragua in the past - and shares our heart to really do something that will be a lasting form of help. She is "cogitating" what she will add to the people (and dogs and cows and terrain) of Las Chacaras.

After we spoke with the people, visited a little and demonstrated jewelry-making, we promised to return after the elections (Nov 9th). It's WILD during election time, so we'll stay at home until they're over. Net net ... we will begin microbusiness loans for projects in Las Chacaras.

AND ... we are going to the community of Los Cedros next week to present an opportunity to them (at the request of leaders of a church in the States). There isn't much to say about this yet, but it is on the drawing board. There is much to do here in Nicaragua - and microbusiness "loans" to the people means repayment will be used to replicate the work ... with our prayer that more people in more communities will look to their own hands - their own work - to sustain themselves and their families AND will help neighboring communities to do the same.

ON THE HOME FRONT:

• Nahum had one root canal and two more crowns in October.
• There are three more weeks in the school year, and then "summer" vacation.
• Nahum and Gener will go home for a substantial part of their summer vacation, to re-focus their goals and make decisions about their future ambitions.
• Jann visited us from Portland, and we swung in the hammocks - drank a lot of coffee - and saw firsthand what life is like for us.
• Freddy is virtually a "part of our family" ... a friendship for which we are grateful. We have a lot of fun with him - he jokes around, and is currently doing his "Obama" impersonations (they are hilarious) and just being Freddy.
• Raisa has a MEGA allergic-reaction rash that has "gone postal" - so, the poor thing is wearing an Elizabethan collar and enduring topical medications and pills. She otherwise is very healthy, has a great appetite, prances ... and waits every moment that she is not asleep for John's glance of approval.
• Louie is Louie ... el rey de los reyes around here. And Raisa knows it.
• The rains have stopped about a week ago (UNFORTUNATELY). The yard looks like a manicured park - and from this point forward, the "green" will be going away as "summer" approaches, then fades to brown as the temperatures rise.
• We have LOUD LOUD chocoyos (parrots) in our neighborhood that screech when they fly ... and they fly in flocks, so it's loud. They visit our guanacaste tree in the lower acreage, as well as other colorful, less-loud birds.

We don't know what's next - but we DO know there is always something around the corner it seems. We're just glad to have a couple of hours to update this blog!!!!

Thank you for your prayers and support ... we are grateful, and invite you to visit us with our without others, to help with our current projects or simply to visit and rest.

Dios te bendiga, siempre!