Lo Hicimos! We Did It!

Estamos aqui! We are here! It was quite a journey getting all packed up and from Salt Lake City to Managua, Nicaragua. I don't think I've every crammed so many things into that lovely blue backpack of mine that some of you are familiar with. I left SLC on Sunday just in time to miss most of the SuperBowl and catch the halftime show after getting through security. I then flew to Denver and Houston with an eight-hour layover before boarding for Managua. I spent most of my time on the planes trying to catch up on the sleep I didn't get in the airports. I did have a little time to chat with my seat-mate on the last flight who was heading to teach English and surf lessons at a school in the southern part of Nicaragua. At this point, I'm pretty excited to get the ocean as soon as possible! I arrived safely in the airport and was met by an entourage of people from the Universidad American (UAM), which I learned is pronounced "wahm" by locals and students. My roommate, Jessica was also there to pick me up. Originally, we were supposed to be flying together, but I had mixed up a few dates and she ended up there a day before. We were taken to meet our host family, which consist of a host Mom, Katia and her six-year-old son, Sebastian. Both of them were very welcoming and we immediately started the now-constant process of trying to understand each other. It has been a very difficult transition in terms of language and comprehension, but each day, I'm slowly becoming more familiar with the sounds of Spanish.


My first day was spent unpacking and getting used to the house. The huge amount of belongings I had packed at home seem to hardly fill the space here, but I'm finding that simplicity is enjoyable with so many other things to get used to. The house is a very simple but beautiful place, located in Las Cumbres, one of the nicer neighborhoods of Managua. With only four of us around, it can be a bit quiet with Sebastian at school and Katia working, so it has been nice to also have another lady around the house named Scarlet. She seems to be in charge of most of the cleaning and cooking and I found out yesterday that she lives in a room off the other side of the house. Katia runs a pastelaria (bakery) out of her home. Needless to say, I've had a fixed supply of pastries and cookies passed to me since arriving. Sebastian is just beginning school and has been very helpful in making us feel comfortable around the house. Yesterday, he let us play Legos with him and a friend and later tried to teach us some form of GoFish that we never really got the hang of...

Jessica is a lovely companion, especially as I deal with anxiety and fear of feeling alone here. We've been pretty limited to sticking around the house for these first few days. Our orientation starts tomorrow, so hopefully we'll find more people to connect with and plan some adventures around the area. I find myself continually trying to trust that God is sovereign and has plans for me here. It's been rather overwhelming to leave behind the comfort and independence of home. Relying on others for food, transportation and local knowledge is a huge adjustment after finally feeling settled in Salt Lake. I am praying for an open spirit, a hopeful mind and a wise tongue.
Our few outings so far have included a walk around and just outside the neighborhood and a trip to the mall. Surprisingly, neither of these were particularly different than they would be at home, except the incredible cleanliness of the mall and loads of garbage in and around the streets and sidewalks. There is also extra security almost everywhere we go, which has made the big scary Managua seem hardly more than a safe travel destination.

So far, Nicaragua is not at all what I expected, but not for the reasons I expected either. What I mean to say is, it's not difficult to adjust to the new house or the climate or the food, but it has been very difficult to comfort my spirit and soul and feel confident in my decision to come here. At the moment, most of my anxiety seems to be due to my lack of language skills, which after a week of classes should hopefully improve greatly. I am thankful for the constant sunshine, the patience of our hosts and the way that God has provided not necessarily what I want, but everything that I need.
Prayer for language skills, patience as I learn, and peace about being here would be greatly appreciated!

Love Always,
Maggie