Posts Tagged ‘Nicaragua’

day 1

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

When I woke up this morning, it occurred to me that my packing remained unfinished, and that I had only about five hours before my plane was supposed to depart.

Fast forward three hours, and I’ve left my disastrously unclean apartment behind. Ranessa Perry (one of our elder’s wives at church) gave me a ride to the airport and was kind enough to let me leave my car at her place.

Fast forward another five hours, and I’ve landed in Houston. I’ve also made good progress into Twilight, which I borrowed from a friend. I’m beginning to understand what all the hype is about.

Shortly after I arrived at the international terminal in Houston, it was time for my flight to board. The plane was packed… and warm. To my right sat Graham, a Canadian teaching English in Nicaragua. To my left sat Maura, a Nicaraguan woman in her sixties or so. She actually lives in Jinotega where I’ll be working, and has invited me to come visit her house when I arrive.

The flight landed around 8:30, and I was surprised to see all of the airport workers wearing dust masks, ostensibly to avoid contracting swine flu. We had to pass by a thermal image scanner to make sure none of us had a fever. As much as I have chided our government for over-hyping this thing, I will admit that the whole environment created at the airport was intimidating.

I’m staying at a Best Western hotel across from the airport called Las Mercedes. It looks more like a resort than a normal hotel, and I’m thankful to have a bed. Yay for ubiquitous internet access and photo booth:

lasmercedesroom

Thanks for all your prayers, and stay tuned!

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packing my bags

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

For those that are curious, here’s what I’m packing for 6 weeks in Nicaragua:

  • REI Mars Pack. I bought this in September of 2006 for Guatemala; it looks like the ’06 and the ’07 models are exactly the same. Mine has held up very well, minus a couple of rips, thanks to Airtran. (Don’t fly with them if you expect your luggage to be protected, or for them to pay for it if they damage it.) It holds 85 liters and should be fine for this trip.
  • REI Travel Sack. Just got this in the mail today. My other sleeping bag is built for winter, and it’s going to be warm in Nicaragua. This thing shipped in a shoebox-sized container, and it rolls nicely into a football-sized sack. I believe it will go even smaller in my compression bag.
  • Therm-a-rest Prolite 4 Sleeping Pad. Keeps you warmer if it’s cold, cooler if it’s hot, and more comfortable than you’d be without it. Very light and worth the space.
  • REI Quarter Dome T2 Tent. I have camped in this quite a bit this year, and it continues to impress me. It rolls up very small, only weighs about 4 lbs., and keeps out the wind, rain, and bugs without a problem.
  • Sawyer’s Bite and Sting Kit. Hopefully it will be unnecessary.
  • Petzl Tikka Plus headlamp. May it be a light to me “in dark places, when all other lights go out.”
  • Lifesaver Bottle… so I can ignore all the “don’t drink the water” advice.
  • Leatherman. This is the quintessential (non-swiss) multi-tool.
  • Map Compass. Now, if I can only find a good map…
  • First Aid kit: because Boyscouts are always prepared.
  • REI Fleece Blanket. I must have gotten mine as they were going out of stock, it only cost me $5!
  • Book of matches: for the pyro in me.

    • Of course, this is all general outdoors or survival gear. I’ll also be taking my bible, a journal, a good spanish dictionary, my camera and laptop, a good pair of tennis shoes, and clothing. Did I miss anything? Am I going overboard? Let me know!

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    to infinity… and beyond.

    Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

    As many of you know, God has blessed me with the opportunity to visit Nicaragua for six weeks this summer.

    My flight is scheduled to leave Thursday, and if the Lord wills, I’ll return July 30th. I’m going to be assisting my on-again-off-again roommate this year, Phil, with some documentary/P.R. work he’s doing for the Misión para Cristo in Jinotega. In addition, we’re scheduled to spend some time in the jungle (via Río Coco) helping to scout out a location for a new christian school. From what I can tell, this is going to be a real adventure, and I’m ready to carpe the diem.

    I’d like to share some of my personal goals for this trip:

  • Prayer. I want to be intentional about praying often. I need to learn how to do it in a way that both God and I find meaningful. I see this as an opportunity to detach from some of the inanities that consume my focus and I don’t want to waste it. Feel free to share some of your insights about prayer, specifically in terms of practical application.
  • Spanish. I intend to become much more proficient as a speaker. So all of my friends who can… write me in Spanish!
  • Manliness. I would like to gain more confidence in the outdoors. I don’t know how long we’ll be in the jungle, but I’m totally looking forward to it. I’m not comfortable with snakes, lack of medical facilities, or navigation. I wouldn’t mind gaining some outdoor survival skills (in a non-survival scenario).

    In addition to my goals, I would not be sad if I came back in better shape… and maybe just a little tan. : )

    Please feel free encourage me with as many e-mails as you want. Also, if you’d like a postcard from Nicaragua, send me your address and I’ll do my best to make sure you get one! I’m going to be posting here as often as I can (with pictures, of course.)

    Hasta pronto!

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