God's Beauty in Destruction

 

A distant picture of the Masaya Volcano. On a good day you can see straight down to the lava rock.

 



God never ceases to amaze me with his beautiful creation. On Friday morning we visited the Volcán de Masaya. It was interesting to see how the lava rock that once had destroyed everything in its path had become nourishment for the newly sprouting plantation. The dormant craters and land surrounding the Masaya are so green and lush now, it appears the land was never burned. Years ago when this volcano was first discovered in Managua by an indigenous group, it was believed to be the entrance to Hell. So, in order to keep the Devil happy [and the volcano from erupting], they sacrificed virgin women and children by throwing them into the volcano. In the 1500s, a priest came and introduced them to Christ. He placed a cross on top of the volcano as a symbol to remind the people that the Devil is not in control.      

 

After visiting the volcano and stopping at El Viejo Ranchito for lunch, we visited La Laguna de Apoyo and walked around the open air market in order to get some practice bartering while searching to buy little necessities we forgot to bring from the states. :-p 

 

El Viejo Ranchito, a cute open-air restaurant in Managua. It was decorated with wooden fruit inside and the trees surrounding it were covered with cute handmade birdhouses.

 

 

El Pollo de La Plancha con Platanos...mmmm so good! And I drank Tiste, a common Nica drink made with corn, cacao and other ingredients.

 

La Laguna de Apoyo. It was so hot that we all wanted to jump into the water. =)

 

 

 

M.V.F.B.P.E.!!!!!

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

 Romans 15:5-6

 

Blond hair, green eyes and light skin...I feel as though I am a bleached spot in the middle of a black canvas. Last summer my dentist advised me to dye my hair before coming here to Nicaragua. I gawked at her with utter disgust that she would say such a thing and mentally scolded her. There was no way I was ever going to dye my blond locks!...However, upon stepping off the plane in Managua, I realized just how good her advice really was... :-/

We arrived in Managua late last night and were welcomed with strange looks and cold stares. Everyone wondered who we were and why we were there. Customs are different here so a simple greeting or friendly smile could send the wrong message to someone and result in a difficult situation, especially for us girls. It took a tremendous amount of self control to keep myself from smiling at people [which for those of you who know me, know that not smiling is definitely NOT an easy thing for me to do!!!]. 

These first few days we are being oriented at the Nehemiah Center in Managua. The history behind the creation of this building is very interesting. Just like Jerusalem's walls had been broken down during the Babylonian exile, many of Nicaragua's physical, social and spiritual structures had been broken down by natural disasters, civil wars and corruption. It was named after Nehemiah because just as he was called by God to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, this center's purpose is to help rebuild Nicaragua by equipping leaders and potential leaders with a biblical worldview -- a very important foundation for the growth of this country and its people (http://nehemiahcenter.net/about-us/history/).  

The staff that work at the Nehemiah Center are so friendly and all come from different backgrounds, some including war stories, others from the U.S. who love to travel, and another who is a recent college grad who felt called by God and simply packed up and moved here! I am excited and anxious to get to know everyone and hear about all of their stories and where they come from.

 

This is not like the U.S. where there are many people of different ethnicities, backgrounds and colors everywhere you look. Nope...this is Nicaragua, a place where I stand out like a sore thumb. Through this experience I am excited to become better connected to God, make some wonderful lifelong friends and strive to be the best white Nica I can be. ;-)

 

 

 

Sunset during the flight from Houston to Managua. This picture does not compare to the sheer beauty of the rays of sun reflecting onto the billowing clouds.



 

 

 

Lights shining from the city of Managua during our landing.



 

 

Alicia, the SPIN coordinator here in Nicaragua, took us out to Pizza Hut for our "last taste of America" before we move in with our host families. Honestly, pizza here tastes WAY better than the states', especially the Hawaiian pizza! The pineapple was so fresh and sweet that it made your mouth water!