Dia 1

All you need for 2 1/2 months in Nicaragua is 2 shirts 2 shorts 1 bathing suit 1 pair of pants 1 poncho 1 water purifier 1 pair of shoes 1 shammy 1 tooth brush 1 bible 1 journal and 1 pen, everything else you find when you get there... hopefully.
We got to Nica at 8 in the afternoon after flying all day and talking to a few people about the extent of our trip. In the airport in Houston, where our lay over was, we met a woman name Virginia, haha, and she was from Nicaragua, coincidence... I think not. She is a lawyer in Managua and she gave us many suggetions for things to do and offered us a ride to any where we want to go. She was great and hopefully we see her again.
When we got to Managua we had alittle trouble with costums because we didnt know the address where we were staying that night, sound familiar ben and matt, but we got things straightened out and met up with the people that we were staying with for the night. The night before we left we called a woman named Anne Sharpe and she was had a thick North Carolinian accent and was the nicest woman in the world and we told her that we were coming on tuesday and we would like suggestions of places to stay. She was scared for us and worried so she offered for us to stay at her house until thursday if we would like so when we got to the airport she pick us up. She was with her friend Chris who is working with young life down here teaching the leaders english. We got to her car... A 4 runner... HAHAHA, perfect, we are really getting the cross cultural eexperience in a 4 Runner. Hahaha needless to say we were extremely comfortable and it was like we were in America with a southern woman, and two other english speaking men.
We get to their house and it is really nice. You walk in and it large and open with tiled floors and cementish walls and ceilings and she then showed us to our room which was amazing. two beds and a bathroom with a shower. Haha we were truly ¨roughing¨ it now. So the next day we wake up after what seems to be a long sleep, thinking it was about ten or so... try 545 in the morning hahaha. The sun comes up early here and it is hard to sleep past six. We then get bagels and cream cheese and coffee, haha so once again Nica is very different from what we are used to. haha.
That day Ann takes us to a coffe shop where they get their beans roasted for Vida Joven Coffee which is a Coffee that is grown and sold to pay for kids to go to younglife camp. Buy bags it is really good coffee, and I think they said it is 12 bucks a pound. Do it each bag pays for a kid to go to camp. So david and I drink our coffee then begin to walk down the street to Plaza Isreal which is supposed to be this huge market with all kinds of stuff at it. We were looking for a watch. After finding what we thought the market was numerous times, we eventually ended up at the one we were trying to find and it was crazy big and hectic. We walk to it from accross the street, which is always a hard thing to do becasue the drivers dont stop here, then enter this market by the fruit and fish and stuff and we are helped immeditely and told where to go. After being hit on and tried to be sold many things we find a watch. Swiss something or another, we were dooped, not swiss army. Then we ate the staple diet of Nica´s, gallo pinto, rice and beans, I´m in heaven I love rice if yall didnt know and beans and they always add what ever meat you want I usually get chicken. So we eat walk around find a mini zoo, it had three monkeys one chained to a wire above us as we walked through tthe park.
We then met a woman named Amira at the icream shop maybe a mile away to take us around and show us the Mana Project. This organization is a non christian service organization for the youth of managua. We went to this compound community center thing owned by the Augusts and saw an english class and played alittle soccer. For all the people who told me my shoes wouldnt last i would like to let you know that you were right my toms got a whole in them the first time I played soccer. Haha I guess you need more then one pair of shoes. hahaha. We got back for dinner that night at the sharps we ate echiladas and then went to a younglife club in a barrio in the city.
The club was very fun, i had alot of games like six or so and then a short skit and talk. It was fun we got picked on and i had no clue what was going on because to remind everybody I dont know spanish. Then we went home i sewed my shoe and went to bed.
The next day we woke up early again at like six and had breakfast then went to the dump. The dump is called la Treica which is where the poorest of the city live. It is a tow in the middle of the city dump where thousands of people live and they make their houses out of what ever they can find in the dump. It is a sad sight and the poorest people I have ever seen.
We then went to the sharpes who took us to Bella Amenicer, ¨beautiful Sunrise, I dont think I spelled it right. And this was nicer then La Treica by alot but was still considered a shanty town. we went there because we were going to have a homestay. each of us was going to live with a family for a night and see what the neighborhood was really like. I dont know spanish so this was an interesting night and day. We get there meet the area director for younglife in managua, Narcisso and he tells us his testimony and how he used to be a gang leader and how Christ has completely changed the community through younglife and people were become christians five at a time perday. He said it was amazing and is amazing. Then we get to our houses, Im staying with Julio who doesnt know any english which lead for interesting interpretations of each other because i of course did not know spanish. I basically blindly follwed him where ever he took me. We had a great time luckily I had a spanish english dictionary thanks to Aunt Cheryl, sorry I realized i dont know how to spell your name, and we tried to teach each other more words in english adn spanish.
The next day we woke up ate gallo pinto and eggs and had a coffee and then play soccer with a bunch of guys. It was awesome except for the fact that both david and I fell in the mudd hahaha. There goes one pair of cloths we brought and my shoes are still muddy today haha. They may have fealt like socks at first but now they feel like a stitched up pair of mudd made shoes. They are working so well.
We then later that day catch a bus to Masaya and walk around. We get a room for 90 cordobas each which is four dollars and fifty cents haha. Then we start walking around leave our bags in the room becasue it was a nice place and safe and we liked the guys there, maybe not the best idea but it worked out fine. We then went to the market and found a place where a bunch of people bring food they have cooked and alot of the town goes there to eat every night. It was great food but it kind of sucked becasue it seems like alot of the people either dont like us or are afraid of us becasue they just like to stare at us. But we are alittle scared most of the time of them becasue we have no clue what is going on in this city and whether or not it is dangerous, we are simply meandering. We eat gallo pinto an enchilada, a taco, and a plantain. Phenomenal Woot Woot. Thenwe go back to the room alittle bummed out because we didnt meet anybody.
We get back to the hotel and sit down for a bit and meet a bunch of Nicaraguans and go out with them have a couple beers and they told us we have places to stay in a couple different cities in Nica. And ouyr night has turned around.
We sleep in the next morning until 8 and get a coffee and meet a couple more guys who then give us some more contacts and we are now have a great time. God is good.
Also the watch broke the first day we got it. hahaha so we never know the time which is Awesome and oh yeah ps. WOOT WOOT. Peace