July 31, 2012

Proud of Brandon. Yesterday he went up to the university to take a test that would pass four Spanish classes. He had an hour to take the test and had to get a score of 500 to get an A in the classes. 12 minutes later and with a score of about 750 all we have to do is pay $100 and he will have 16 credits of Spanish classes down. Think he has to take three more classes to have a Spanish minor done. Awesome job!!

Home again, Wash finally done

Spent the day yesterday getting the wash done. But a couple loads into the process, Brandon just made the comment "you already have clothes done." he is used to wash taking several days up to a week depending on how rainy it is because they wash the clothes by hand and hang them up to dry. Hardly anyone has washers, and dryers do not exist in Nicaragua. He had forgotten that you could have wash done the same day.

Day 8 Nica

July 17, 2012 Trip home. Not too eventful, but on the plane from Nicaragua to Houston, the gentleman sitting across the isle from Brian was a rather large older man. At one point he tried to get out of his seat and could not. Brian said his wife draped a napkin across his lap and handed him a bottle. And a couple of minutes later after using the bottle as his bathroom, he handed to bottle to his wife where she put the lid on it and put it in her purse. Never have experienced that one before. Long layover in Houston, and then off to Salt Lake City. I think united tries to make the seats uncomfortable.   Made it home at about 1:30 a.m. Very tired. I LOVE MY BATHROOM!!!!!!!! Brandon said our family prayers in Spanish. And afterwards Justin said, "That was awesome!!!"

Day 7 Nica

July 16, 2012 Today we got a late start. We all seemed to be suffering with a little tummy trouble. We went and found a Quiznos for lunch and was quite a bit better after that. We drove a curvy hilly road to the ocean passing by some police that wanted us to pull over, but we just drove on by. Then went to a beach called pocho mil. We got to this spot and we were led through trees and around little buildings down to palm frond covered pergolas. It had two tables and a hammock. We walked along the beach for a little bit and relaxed under the pergola. We even parked the car under there. Brandon really likes the hammocks and wanted to get one to take back, but did not know quite how to get it back and what to do with it if he brought one  back. He relaxed in the hammock.  On our way back in to Managua, we stopped by another family that the mother cooked and washed for the missionaries. She even brought food to Brandon and his companion when they were sick. There home was very modest but they have tried really hard to make it a nice place. Planted some flowers and plants around. That is not done a whole lot in the poorer areas. We stopped and ate at McDonald's. Brandon commented that in Nicaragua McDonald's is a nicer place to eat. Came back to the hotel and we are getting stuff cleaned up for a long day in airports tomorrow.

Day 6 Nica

July 15, 2012 Today we got up early and drove about an hour and a half to Boaco to go to church. Then we ate pupusas for lunch at sister Elsa's home. Brandon stayed in her basement when he lived in Boaco. We went and saw another sister that he baptized I think. Sister Teressa, I think. She lived in the poorest humble home that we have seen. She also fed us tajatas, fried plantain chips.  In Boaco today was the "festival of dancing horses" and the streets of Boaco are very hilly, steep, narrow and curvy. So with all those people there it made it hard to get around. Brian was really tired of driving in Boaco by the time we headed back to Managua. We went to another area cinudad San Juan tonight, where he showed us the home where he lived in that area and went to the familia Zeledon home that lived close to where he did. They have a nine year old daughter, Masiaella, I think. She is a beautiful little girl and it was so sweet to see how attached she had become to Brandon. She cried when he left. We have taken fotos of the families while we are there, and she had to pose for all of them. Brandon told us that she was quite the ham in the fotos of her baptism day.  Time to relax and recooperate for our last day in Nicaragua. It has been quite a blessing to be able to see the seed of the gospel being spread and how the influence of one missionary, and then likewise, one member of a family can start a chain reaction for generations to come. Brandon had truly touched the hearts of many people here.

Day 5 Nica

July 14, 2012 Got up and went the Volcan Mombacho. It is a big volcano with four craters at the top. They took us up in the back of a pickup truck and stopped at a little stop where you could try some of the best coffee in Nicaragua. The beans are grown right there on the mountainside. Although I would not know how good it really was. Then we got back in the truck for a steep ride up to the top where they tell you about the craters and the hikes that are available. We chose the guided tour that was suppose to be an intermediate hike. I would say it was more than intermediate. Lots of stairs uuuuppppppp.  The first two craters that you pass are caused by a collapse underground and the third was caused by an avalanche. And the fourth one was one that still smokes. To hike to that one was a hard hike that took four or more hours on top of what we were doing, that we chose not to do. The vegetation was really dense and the clouds were low enough they caused condensation on the leaves which then dripped on you. We saw all sorts of plants and even saw a couple of monkeys. Mostly heard them. The guide was really good at answering our questions. He spoke some english. We had a good time.  Then we drove into Grenada and found a spot to have lunch. They were slow and by the time we got it, it was almost three o'clock. Then we went to a families home that Brandon helped baptize them. I was really hot and I think I went too long without getting some food after the hike and stuff, and did not feel very well. They were really nice and gave us some food (I could not eat it). The family makes things out of leather. And gave me a wallet made out of alligator. Pretty awesome. Then Brandon stopped by another home to say goodbye and we went back to Managua. Was feeling much better after getting cooled down and food digested. Relaxed in the hotel and off to bed.

Day 4 Nica

July 13, 2012 Got up and got ready. Drove to Masaya to an active volcano. We had to wear hard hats, and when you park the car, you back into the spot so that if it erupts you can make a quick get away. The stairs going up to the top were closed off because they had an eruption the first part of April and they were unsafe to go up them. But you could still go look over the edge, could not see much because it is smoking. They only wanted you to stay for about 20 minutes at the top because of the sulfuric gases that it gives off. Then we went shopping for some gifts and we got a guitar for Brandon that was made here in Masaya. It takes about a month for them to make them. It was made of cedar wood.  We went to Catarina to another little shopping area with a nice overlook of laguna de apoyo. Drove back to Managua to a mall and had some TCBY ( not very tasty) and bought some expensive fruit that brandon had to try. Then back to the hotel for a little dinner and relax.

Day 3 Nica

July 12, 2012 Got up and had a pretty relaxing morning.  Then we went to a sisters home (rosa zipata) that Brandon baptized the daughter (dahinellia) for lunch. Azose al la val anciana, something that they serve at special occations. They had some girls come and dance for us. Brandon says that one of the dances that they did was a typical dance there. It was fun to see Brandon's interaction with members. He sure has been a great influence on the people here. They have very modest homes, cinder block walls-- tin roofs-- not much in the way of kitchens or bathrooms. Typical of poor countries. When it rained it is hard to hear anyone because of how loud the rain was on the ton roof. Then we drove up to Leon and saw the oldest cathedral in central America, we think. We took cover in the cathedral while it rained. Ate mango that people cut up and put into little plastic bags. And came back to Managua and visited another family that Brandon and his companion baptized three members of. The mother Sandra Eineda makes tortillas and sells them. Brandon has helped her make them and he showed us how it was done. Very good tortillas, we got to try one. Again they were very sad to see him going home.  We went to burger king for dinner and back to the hotel and to bed.

Day 2 Nica

July 11, 2012 Got up and made it to the church where the switches and things were at. We were there for about a half an hour before Brandon arrived. WOW, it was great to see him. It was a looooooonnnnnnnggggg meeting when you cannot understand what's going on. Then we were invited to go to lunch with all the missionaries that were leaving.  We went and rented a car and drove around Managua for a little while until it started to pour. We went back to the hotel and relaxed for a while. On our way to the mission presidents home for a little meeting (where I still could not understand a lot of what was going on) we pulled out of the hotel parking area and went around the corner. A policeman wanted us to pull over to the side of the road and we did. He told us that we illegally changed lanes (with a lot of help through Brandons translation) and he wanted license and registration, and he was going to give us a ticket. He took it back and came back and said he was going to give is a ticket, 400 cordobas, which is about $20 and take Brian's license away. He went back to his vehicle and a different cop came up and said he can take his license away and pay at the bank tomorrow or we could pay the policeman now. We chose the pay now option. All a bribe. The two just pocket the money. Later at the mission presidents home we found out that the police cannot take your license away either if it is not a Nicaraguan license. Brian thought it was funny and now he can say he has been pulled over in more than one country. Back to the hotel and got a small dinner during their "happy hour".

Nicaragua 2012

July 10, 2012 We left our home (Alena, Justin, Nicole, Brian and I),  at about 8:00a.m. Not long after we had left, Alena did not feel very good and we had to work to keep her cool and try to get her to not think about it. Remarkable we made to the airport where my parents were meeting us to take Alena and Nicole with them off to their home. Not 2 to 3 minutes after getting out of the truck and transferring bags Alena threw up on the ground. She was really nervous for some reason. She gets nervous about the security at the airport, but she was not even flying today.  We had to get Justin on a plane to denver for a week for his 12 year old birthday week, to spend with brian's parents. So we sent Alena and Nicole off with my mom and then after we got to the terminal my dad took the truck with him, and we were off to check us all in. Finding out our flight to Houston was delayed we got Justin off to Denver.  Its weird to watch a child go down the jetway and disappear. We found some lunch and then heard that Justin had made to Denver.  And then finally we were off to Houston where we found out our connecting flight to Managua was 2 or more hours delayed because of lightning in the Houston area. We are just descending into Managua now and it's about 11:30 pm. Where we will have to go through customs and then find a taxi to get us to the hotel because the rental car booth was only open until 10 pm.   By the way news from the Ziegler home says Alena is doing well and don't quite know why she got so nervous. Breezed through customs and immigration and got to our hotel at about 12:30 am.  Ready to be up at 6:30 to be at to the meeting where Brandon is in the morning.