Thursday, August 11

 

 

Today held a variety of experiences for our mission team. This morning we divided into groups for our work. One group first helped with moving dirt away from the hole for the foundation of one side of the bridge, where the rocks would be piled up for later use. Another group painted the first coat on the metal posts which will be the railings on the new bridge. (We sometimes also painted ourselves – a lovely green, like the gorgeous mountains and valleys that surround us.) 

A group also spent time cutting the wire which will hold the rebar in place inside what will become the bridge columns. Alex even got to help bend some rebar; except for that, the construction people preferred that our group not do work on the rebar since they really, really need that to be done correctly! (Friday update: We DID get to tie the rebar today! The men working with us taught us well, and we were able to finish one and begin the 2nd of the 2 rebar sections that will become the pillars on one side of the bridge. We learned a new skill!) Finally, 4 others from our group went to visit the Farm School in the land bank to learn about the development of the Land Banks and to see an agricultural test plot where the farmers can experiment with different techniques and crops. They joined a few folks from Iowa who were visiting from a partnership called Farmers to Farmers.

A group also spent time cutting the wire which will hold the rebar in place inside what will become the bridge columns. Alex even got to help bend some rebar; except for that, the construction people preferred that our group not do work on the rebar since they really, really need that to be done correctly! (Friday update: We DID get to tie the rebar today! The men working with us taught us well, and we were able to finish one and begin the 2nd of the 2 rebar sections that will become the pillars on one side of the bridge. We learned a new skill!) Finally, 4 others from our group went to visit the Farm School in the land bank to learn about the development of the Land Banks and to see an agricultural test plot where the farmers can experiment with different techniques and crops. They joined a few folks from Iowa who were visiting from a partnership called Farmers to Farmers.

 

What a wonderful moment it was when the first cement was poured into the foundation! As the afternoon unfolded many of the stones which we hauled and hauled (and hauled) from the river were placed in the hole, and we began to see real progress. It’s been an important lesson or reminder for us that this project began before us and will continue after us. We are part of that process- a big part in several ways, since we are helping with the foundational parts of the bridge, and have raised enough money to pay for the next part, the metal work of the bridge. The part after that needs more funding, so we will be sharing the story once we get home, and working from the States to help them complete this important project. We do it not to pat ourselves on the back and receive praise, but to put our faith into action and express our love for God by sharing love for others. It’s very exciting for us to think about the impact this bridge will have on the community. Safe crossing for the community!! I thought about it especially as some of the children and mothers stood around the foundation, peering into the hole, watching the work being done. We are so blessed to be a blessing!

 

 

This afternoon, rain delayed our ability to keep painting, but we all jumped in to assist with the cement and rock work, helping to mix the cement (backbreaking work!) and hand rocks over to the construction men laying the foundation in the hole. We also had one exciting moment when one of the many chickens who has been wandering around jumped in the hole when no one was in it. Alex hopped right in after it, lifting it to safety after a bit of comical scrambling.

Later, 11 or so of the 23 associates of this land bank gathered with us to share their stories. Many of the associates (farmers) who live here had difficult lives before coming here. They may have rented land, or worked for others, but their lives were uncertain and they were poor. The AMC, through this land bank project, has helped give new lives to the families on the four land banks in Matagalpa State. The farmers and their families work hard for their new lives, studying and learning and implementing new techniques as they grow food for their families such as rice,  beans, and corn, and things to sell at market, especially coffee and cocoa. They love being able to have their children in school. Their goal is to pay off their 10-12 year mortgages and live good, sustainable lives. Imagine this: the men must walk about 3.5 kilometers to the main road with 100 lb sacks of coffee or cocoa on their backs. Then they get a bus that takes them to towns where their products can be sold, half an hour or an hour or 1.5 hours away. While this may not sound appealing to us, it surely has improved their lives immensely. We were very glad to have them share some of their stories with us so we could hear first hand what the land bank means to them.

One other blessing of the day: we bought some dog food for the mama dog who lives with her 3 puppies near where we are working. This dog actually belonged to a family that had lived nearby, but who moved and left her behind. That’s so hard for us to imagine! She is a skinny, sweet mama, whom we befriended in the last couple days by giving her tablescraps, which folks from Nuevo Jersalen had been doing, along with giving milk to her pups. But these people have so little, there isn’t much to share. When mama, whom we have named Nica, finally heard or saw us this morning, she came running down the hill, tail wagging, happy to see us. She is so hungry. L So we fed her small meals throughout our time there today, and will leave food for her when we go. The puppies weren’t with her initially today, so I asked about them and they were brought out from one of the family’s homes, where they had been taken for safekeeping while the work was going on. Some people laughed when I asked about the puppies and mama Nica. I asked Zaida, AMC Staff, if the people Iiving there thought I was a little crazy, and she laughed and said “yes, a little strange.” (I’m okay with being the crazy dog lady!) Often, dogs don’t have the same place in the lives of people here as they do in the United States, where many of us treat our dogs as family. In Nicaragua, sometimes dogs are just guard dogs, and live outside. Many are strays, since spaying or neutering isn’t an option for most people and many dogs run free. Zaida also said that when so many people are hungry, they just don’t have food to share with dogs, but in the cities, those with the funds do take their dogs to the vet, get them shots, etc, as many of us do in the US. The folks at Nuevo Jersalen have been doing the best they can with mama Nica and her pups, who simply showed up there once they were abandoned. Many of us on the team are dog lovers, and are so tempted to bring them home with us! At the moment that’s impractical, but we will look into seeing how we can help care for her and the 2 pups that remain (-one was adopted last night). Nica spent the day enjoying our company, sleeping contentedly near us, and following us around. It will be hard to say goodbye to her, though we have our own fur children awaiting our returns. 

Tonight our devotional time was unique and meaningful, as Matt shared some thoughts on the old classic “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” -maybe he can write about that for us! Then he had us go around and share with each other things that we appreciated about one another on this journey together. It was sometimes hard to hear nice things about ourselves. We had some touching moments and a lot of laughter. It was very cool. We’ve really grown together as a team, and as a family in Christ. It will be hard to say goodbye to one another!

Sometimes it’s overwhelming to think about how challenging and hard life in Nicaragua can be, for people -and for dogs, from our US perspective anyway. Here, most people don’t have cars, and have to walk long ways to take crowded busses. Many work from dawn to dusk, and for those without electricity, like those at the land bank, they cram as much as they can between those hours; even though they sometimes have kerosene lanterns they usually go to bed shortly after sundown. All that and more, just to sustain their simple lives. Many of the dogs we have seen are so skinny, and have sores, and are clearly not beloved family members. Yet, it is a land of great beauty and interesting culture and history. The people we have met, even if they are poor by our standards, are proud of what they have achieved, are very generous in the ways that they are able to be, are hard working, and are extremely spiritual. They trust that God will help them through their challenges and will guide them each day. They are inspiring! They remind us that we have much for which to be thankful, and as we prepare to return to the United States in a few days, we pray that we will remember to be grateful, continue to work to help the AMC and their mission, will work for justice in the world, and will learn to live more simply, so that others around the world may simply live.

With peace, faith, hope, and love,

~Rev. Martha E. Vink, on behalf of the Nica VIM Team.