Dear Friends,
Today’s update:
- News about our annual fundraising event: Oldies Night
- Our Women’s Kickball Team on the cusp of a dream
- Something a Little Corny
- A young man we’ve supported for years – now prospering independently
- A generous friend provides our community with a wonderful treat.
- Leña for Sale
- Our new website
So much good busy-ness on the surface. But underneath it all we are merely witnessing people taking the opportunity to say, “Look what we can do when we help one another. And we don’t need a lot to do it.” This spirit spreads in our community.
Thank you for making possible a reality that changes lives by letting others know they are not forgotten, that they matter.
Chuck
Tickets For Oldies Night Are Selling!
Tickets are selling for our annual Neighbors to Nicaragua Oldies Night! It’s a casual, fun time, and you won’t even be out too late! Oldies night is 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM on Saturday, October 21st. Join us, have something to eat and drink, get on the dance floor, and help support our work while having a great time. Ask your friends to join in the fun.
If you’d like us to e-mail a flyer to someone, let us know.
Contact Bernie for tickets or contact me directly: chuck@neighborstonicaragua.com
We’re looking forward to a great time for a good cause.
The Joyous Rewards of Determination
Our women’s kickball team was watching a dream fade away. They made it all the way to the city-wide championship playoff series, the best of seven. The count was against their favor. They had won only one game; Their opponents had won three. So this past Sunday looked to be the end of the season. But it wasn’t at all: They won both games last Sunday, making the series tied 3-3-3. Today, at 3:00 think of our team as they battle for the city-wide championship. And if they win, they travel to the National championship in Managua! Either way, their dedication and positive spirit inspires us all!
Something a Little Corny
Alexander Muños graduated from our literacy program and his primary school last year… and he’s now doing very well in the 7th grade. He’s an incredibly polite young man, ready to help when he sees an opportunity, and he loves our Neighbors to Nicaragua community. He returns to visit several times a week, and we’re always happy to see him.
Of course everyone knows that September 26th is Festival Nacional del Maiz…The National Corn Festival (…well, all the public school students in Nicaragua know this). They dress in folk costumes, share recipes, participate in folk dances, and celebrate…well…corn! Alex invited us to join in the celebration, and he was terrific!
Hard Work Brings Edwin Garcia Success Even Against the Odds
We’ve been impressed with Edwin Garcia since we first met him eleven years ago when he was 16 years old. Even then, he was a hard-worker. Today, he is a kind, focused young man, very devoted to his wife and his two children, and he openly shares that his faith is his guide in all he does.
In the past, we supplemented some of his needs while he got on his feet. A year ago, he said, “Because of your help, I can be independent now. Please help someone else now.” While I was there in August, he asked us to meet him in a field in the north of the city. He told us, “In less than a year, this land will be paid for and I will then begin to save for building a house for my family. This land was $5,000. I have $1,000 more to go.”
He works from early morning until 3:00 daily in Granada’s finest “carnicería” (butcher shop), and he is their most diligent employee. After work, he goes to his own business near our school where he sells meat and vegetables in the barrio. He’s a great example to his children and to all who are around him, and we’re very proud of him! Congratulations, Edwin!
What in the World Is a Nacatamal?
The word “Nac-a-Tamal” comes from the indigenous language called Nawat, spoken by natives on the southern Atlantic coast of Nicaragua. A Nacatamal is, essentially a “meat tamale.” It’s a special treat, eaten usually only on the weekends or for a special occasion. It’s made with a corn flour base, ground pork, green pepper, onions, olives, potatoes, and it’s then wrapped in banana or plantain leaves (which are themselves first prepared separately) and then steamed for several hours. It often takes two days to make and may involve the efforts of multiple family members.
Imagine, when a friend of our center walked in with 100 of them to distribute to our community members. Our deepest thanks to Magali Maltez.
Children of Our Barrio
Because Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, it’s common for children to work in order to contribute to the family’s income. This is the primary reason children leave our school although many do manage school while working. On our street, it’s common to see children selling leña (firewood used for cooking) which is the most frequent source of cooking heat. Often children and adults walk miles to the nearby volcano (Mombacho) to collect the wood to sell in their barrios.
