Has it really been five days already?!

I can’t believe how quickly the days seem to fly by now that we’re settling into our life over here. Here’s a good test of my memory of what we did over the last few days.

Before I forget to tell everyone, if you hadn’t noticed, I posted some more pictures. Even on days that I don’t blog, I often post a couple of pictures from the day in the same album as always. Most come with a little explanation too.

So, I blogged on Wednesday. Well, Thursday, more of the same – field service in the morning. I vaguely remember that we met at the entrance to the Masaya Volcano and worked along the highway from there, then down an old road with lots of little, simple houses on it. We had some nice chats, and then one really great conversation at the end of the morning with a young guy called Jose Luis. He had a lot of good questions, and we had a really enjoyable discussion with him. We haven’t been back yet, but hopefully we’ll figure out how to find his house again! It’s hard when we get back into these little back streets that all look the same and have little way of identifying them!!

Friday we were both going to go out, but then Charley ate some bad yoghurt that apparently had been in the fridge too long, so when Wilder arrived to accompany us, it was just me that went! Poor Charley – he got better by the afternoon though. He didn’t really get terribly sick, but enough to need to take the day off. So, that morning Wilder and I got on a bus that was only about 5 feet tall from floor to ceiling, and there were no seats left. Keep in mind that I am 5 foot 9 and you can imagine what I looked like!! My head was resting on the bar that you usually just hang on to with your hand! I laughed all the way and watched the scenery go by sideways! And although the bus was full after we got on, they still stopped and picked up more people along the way. I love riding the bus here – it’s an absolute riot!!

Friday night we went to the meeting. We got to the bus stop about 6pm, but forgot that someone told us that the buses are packed from 6pm onwards. So a bunch of buses went by where people were hanging out of the doors and windows before one with some space came. When I say space I mean, a space to kneel down on the floor on. It was what they call a micro bus, it’s like a 15 passenger van, but it transports about 25 people at a time! And the guy tried to charge us twice the rate. When he gave us change, I said, erm you owe me 10 more back, and he was like, oh yeah that’s right. You have to know how much it is around here otherwise they’ll rip you off!! Like we were going to pay 80 cents each instead of 40 cents for the privilege of riding on our knees in our meeting clothes. What a nerve!

Saturday we went out in service. This was our first Saturday out. Our first full week in the ministry – yay!!! We worked the same territory that we did earlier in the week, but someone different seems to appear at just about every house anyway! And I got to do four return visits along the way. I managed to actually find the houses again without help! And they were all home. Well, the first four were. The last two weren’t. My favorite one was with an old man called Luis, Don Luis, who is in a wheelchair. He had a leg amputated 3 months ago due to diabetes. He can’t see to read because he needs new glasses, but his mind is very active. We had a good half an hour chat with him on a variety of subjects.

Most of Saturday's service group, including the adorable twins!

In the afternoon there was cleaning and painting to do at the hall. We had a good time. We sanded down the front doors, then Charley painted them, while I helped paint the bars that are in front of the windows. There are pictures of the hall, pre-painting, in the album. There is a resident dog there since there are couples living in the two apartments there. Her name is Sina and as you can see she likes to fall asleep on her back!! She’s very loving, and just wants to be constantly coddled and cared for!! Once you start it’s hard to get away!!

Sina, fast asleep!!

Sunday we went out in service in the morning. We didn’t understand that the meeting for field service would be at the place we got up to in the territory last Sunday, not at the brother’s house again, so they had already started working the territory by the time we got there! Charley got to do a couple of return visits too so that was nice. At least you get started in the territory right away. You meet at 8am at the corner you finished at last time, so by 8:15 we’re already at the first door. I was going to say “knocking” at the first door but you don’t knock here, unless they have a big wall and gate. You just stand somewhere between the edge of the yard and the front door and yell “Buenas” or “Buenos Dias” until someone appears. It’s a tried and tested method that gives good results! Plus it helps avoid being bitten by dogs!

The meeting here is at 3:30 so it’s a nice chance to go home and rest a little after service. The meeting was enjoyable. Very good talk by a young ministerial servant from another congregation. I guess nothing too extraordinary to relate. We did discover something though. By the time you walk to the hall your shoes get pretty dusty. And this week we realized that people bring a rag in a bag, and there’s a tap outside, so you clean your shoes off before you go in. Note to self: there is no longer any excuse for wearing our dusty shoes into the hall! 

The bus ride home on Sunday was probably the most riotous one we’ve had so far. It was an old school bus, all seats full with three people down one side and two down the other. And then every square inch of standing space is full. So we get on, and the guy that collects the money keeps telling me to move further down. I guess he was seeing space I wasn’t seeing. But he kept insisting, so I kept squeezing between all the people who were already standing until I could squeeze no more. Then when five more people got on, he said “Move on down into that space, princess”. Then he remembered I was getting off at the next stop and finally quit making me work my way down the bus. That was definitely the funniest bus ride home yet!!! It’s hard to find words to describe how many people were on that bus, and how little space I was squeezing through. But it’s impossible to get a camera out to take a picture, so words will have to suffice!!

Today, we went out in service in the morning – imagine that! Had a nice group out and got to chat to people. You always get to chat to people actually. And we got to see where the meeting for field service will be tomorrow. It’s actually at someone’s house, well probably outside their house I suppose. Then from Wednesday to Sunday it’s at people’s houses because it’s CO visit so they don’t just meet on street corners when he’s here I guess! I was out with little Alondra again for a time this morning. I’ll have to figure out how to record her when she talks to people – she’s an amazing little thing!

So, that’s the latest and greatest, although it’s probably more just late than great. Seems like I had a funny story for the blog but I can’t remember what it was. I did get a little caught up getting off the bus this morning! My backpack field service bag that a sister put together for me also has a long shoulder strap. I was getting off the bus just as usual when all of a sudden I felt myself going in the wrong direction! The guy who stands there and helps you get off was like WOAH before I realized what was happening! My shoulder strap had hooked on to something in the bus and although I was trying to get out, my bag wanted to stay!! Slightly embarrassing but I’ll never see those people on the bus again. Or if I do, I won’t recognize them. Chances are they’ll recognize me. We seem to stand out just a little around here!

And last but by no means least, I just got done having Claudia's second study - yay!! And, her dad just came home (fleshly brother to the brother who owns this house we're living in) and he said they gave him the truck today and he wants Charley to go with him tomorrow to pick it up, and get the plates and insurance for it!!!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!!!! 

Wow, well, that was a long post. Hopefully it wasn’t too mundane! Maybe I’ll learn to make a long story short one of these days. In the meantime, thank you for your attention!!