Only a matter of time...

There's always so much to tell...life here is so new and interesting that I want to share it all! I really am trying to be selective about what I opt to "publish" re: all that we are experiencing. I do have a "Boy,-is-my-face-red" story for you. Remember I told you our guard's name was Roberto? It's not. It's Osvaldo (like Oswald...the "v" has a "b" sound). Now I'm sure you're wondering how on earth I could have confused the names Roberto and Osvaldo...I have to tell you, I don't have a clue! It seems Robbie (an American missionary - called Roberto by the Nicaraguans) was his previous employer and I guess when Luis, the man who retained Osvaldo for us, and Susanna were visiting, somehow we got the idea that our guard's name was Roberto.

So, for the first 3 nights, we called him Roberto and he responded just like that was his name. We were talking about him with Susanna a few days ago and she got the funniest look on her face when we said his name and then asked us, "Why do you keep calling him Roberto?" Naturally, that led to the talk that enlightened us as to what his name actually was. It made for a good laugh but we were left with the dilemma of trying to communicate our mistake to a young man who doesn't speak much English.

We hoped that when he arrived for work, we would be able to adequately convey our well-rehearsed but badly mangled Spanish apology. Either out of compassion or the desire to curb the assault on his native language, Osvaldo stopped us midway and said his name was not Roberto but he did not want to make us feel bad so he didn't say anything. Thankfully, we all got past the awkward moment and later on, he tried to come up with the Spanish equivalent to our names...Jim's is Santiago (but he calls him Roberto on occasion!) and mine is Helene (with the H being silent...as in Helen(e) of Troy)...and so the confusion carries on!

Two days ago, we decided to go shopping for plants so we invited Susanna to go along to serve as both an interpreter and someone to ooh and ahh with over the plants. We visited 5 different nurseries (there are no greenhouses per se as the whole country serves as a greenhouse!) and actually had to unload our car once before continuing on...let me just interject that not all the plants were mine - Susanna was also in the mood to plant! Much of what we recognized were houseplants...at least in Missouri they're houseplants...in Nicaragua, they're huge and resemble small trees! But I guess that's what makes everything appear so tropical...that and the sweltering temps...

Yesterday morning, Osvaldo stayed on past his time to leave in order to help us plant. It turns out he loves to garden and is quite knowledgeable about many of the varieties of plants we had purchased. Not having a shovel or a trowel, let alone gloves, Osvaldo immediately used his machete to dig holes, break up dirt clods, cut open bags and scoop plant material around. He was very precise in his motions and it was really interesting to watch him work. He ended up staying around 4 hours overtime. Due to the transportation strike, we drove him halfway home where he could find a bus to take him the rest of the way...he didn't want us to take him all the way home because of the time and distance, but also, he was afraid we would get lost! He was probably right. We found out he lives over an hour away from our home and because of the lack of buses running, it's taking him 2-2 1/2 hours to get to work now...now, that's a man who wants to work to provide for his family.

Anyway, on the way home, we opted to stop at the money-changer, go to the store, stop at the corner produce stand and go to the bakery. When we got home, we didn't notice anything unusual. It wasn't until that afternoon that I happened to look out our back door and notice our propane tank was gone. Someone had evidently come while we were taking Osvaldo to the bus stop and stolen it. We had it chained and padlocked to the iron bars on our kitchen window so they must have been watching our house and waiting for us to leave. It gave me an odd feeling...not so much that someone stole from us but rather that someone was watching us and was aware of our comings and goings. I guess that's part of being an American in Managua. Our new propane tank is now kept in the laundry room and we have a 20' hose connecting it to the stove which we have to disconnect every time we have to lock up the door that leads out that way.

Initially, I felt a bit scared and upset but Jim and I immediately prayed and asked God to take away those feelings. I quickly realized that although we can't afford to keep buying propane tanks, we were able to buy another one and that we have so much more than the majority of the people who live here. In my prayer, I told God I didn't want to know who it was that took it but that I wanted them to be broken over their sin of stealing. I want them to be convicted of their sin against God - not against us. I prayed that if they needed that gas tank to cook for their family or to sell it to buy groceries for their children, then that's what they would do with it and not use it to buy alcohol or drugs. We also prayed that God would help us keep all things in perspective. It wasn't long after that we got an e-mail from Leonard...we remembered he and Nancy lost much, much more than a propane tank. Shortly after that, I was reading about the rising death toll in both Myanmar and China...the pilfered tank seemed pretty insignificant in light of those things. And so my perspective is restored.

I have two other stories to share with you...but not tonight. I will tell you later about our trip last Saturday to Rio Blanco and our visit today to a neighborhood re-nutrition center. For now, it's time to coax the shower to give up some hot water and get de-stickyed before going to bed. That's my new favorite evening pasttime...showering! It's my time to review the day and talk to the Lord about all that's going on in my head and my spirit...tonight it's missing my family...it was Benjamin's birthday today and Sadie graduates from Rockhurst College this Saturday. I am missing two very significant and important events...I wonder what Sarai had to miss.

In my quiet time this morning, I was reading in Deuteronomy 5...verse 1-5 says, "Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, O Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. It was not with our fathers that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. (At that time I stood between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.)" All day long, I have been thinking that if God is speaking to me, I don't want to be so afraid of the fire that I won't go up the mountain...I have a feeling that we've not even seen the fire yet.