The month of the mother...

I wrote this Saturday night but didn’t get it posted until tonight. Trying to coordinate my “blog” time to work with the time our electricity is on has been a challenge the last few days…hence the discrepancy in time. The message remains the same…

May is the Month of the Mother and today is officially recognized as Mother’s Day here in Nicaragua. I thought Mother’s Day was a big deal in the U.S. but this country has taken it to a whole new level…the Nicas know how to celebrate their mamas. Even the very poor families recognize the significance and honor the position of the mother in their homes…at least on this day, they do.

On Wednesday of last week, Jim and I had gotten settled in the upstairs Sunday school room where we have class when Miguel excused himself and went back downstairs. I assumed he needed to go to the restroom. A few minutes later, he came back up the steps and I noticed there was someone right behind him. It was Elizabeth! She had come to surprise us and what a great surprise it was!

Of course, we had our hugs and kisses and then she handed a pretty gift bag to me. When I asked why, Miguel told me it was my Mother’s Day present. I had told him the week before that I was really missing my girls on the Sunday that Mother’s Day had been celebrated in the U.S. I explained that I had not gotten to talk with Mandy that Sunday and that although our grandkids had left a voice message on our Skype and that Sadie had written “Happy Mother’s Day” on Facebook, that it just wasn’t the same. He seemed unduly concerned and I told him I was fine, just missing my family. As with most folks, spending holidays away from my family leave me momentarily feeling a bit hollow.

Well, evidently, Miguel and Elizabeth thought they needed to rectify that situation as best they could. So, even though Mother’s Day in the States was past and Mother’s Day here had not yet happened, they chose that day to celebrate this mother! Somehow, it seemed so apropos to be in the middle of both and not really belonging to either…much of how this entire year has felt at times. Their thoughtfulness coupled with my own remnant of homesickness still hanging on, immediately brought me to tears…you know, the kind you want to stop, but just can’t seem to be able to do so.

So, with Elizabeth periodically patting my arm and hugging me, Miguel asked when Father’s Day is celebrated in the U.S. We told him it would be June 21 and that we would still be in the U.S. at that time. Miguel handed Jim a wrapped box and told him he could go ahead and open it. I think I’ve mentioned before that it seems in this culture, gifts aren’t opened in front of the giver but Miguel has learned to appreciate the joy it brings to see delight expressed by a grateful recipient. He very much likes our custom of opening the gift in front of the giver and apparently has adopted that as his own, at least where we’re concerned.

Jim opened his package and found a handsome new black “Nicaragua” t-shirt. The note in the package was written exactly as follows,
“Happy Father’ day
Thanks Father for your help, and your teaching
God Bless you
We Love you
Miguel Elizabeth”

It was a wonderful note and I know Jim was deeply touched, not only with the thoughtfulness and the sentiment, but also by the sacrifice we know they made in buying a gift for him.
Then it was my turn. Miguel said something quietly to Elizabeth and she then told me I could also open my gift. I was surprised and asked her if she was sure. She told me yes…I’m sure Miguel had told her it was okay for me to do so then and I think she probably remembered just a few weeks earlier when I had urged her to go ahead and open her birthday presents at our house.

I opened the bag and the first thing I saw was a single-stem silk scented rose with a small little white teddy bear attached to it. These are immensely popular in the markets and are recognized gifts of affection. I then pulled out a tissue-wrapped gift, opened it up and was so surprised to see a small wall clock placed in a Nicaraguan-shaped piece of wood. This particular type is often found in the tourist booths of the markets and although most Americans would not have found this to be a terribly expensive item, I know it was costly for them. Clocks are a luxury here, for whatever reason, and seem to be one of those things that I think are priced too high…again, this represented yet another sacrifice for this precious couple.

Miguel said that if we were to ever leave, then we would have a remembrance of Nicaragua and of them. At the moment, I thought that was odd as I couldn’t imagine leaving and I couldn’t imagine us ever forgetting our time here if we did. But later, I realized that was both a verbal and a physical representation of how important our relationship with Miguel and Elizabeth has become to all of us.

I also had a note in my bag which again, was written exactly as follows,
“Thanks mamita for your counsel, teaching, and your Love
We are very thankful for you
God Bless you.
For: Lyne
From: Miguel y Elizabeth”

Mamita is a name that has special meaning for me. Just the week before, Miguel had brought me a small package from Kenneth and his mother, Danelia. It was a thank-you gift from their family and held two wonderful gifts…a key holder, similar in style to the clock from Miguel and Elizabeth from Danelia which we now have hanging in our kitchen and a beautiful handmade butterfly from Kenneth which has “landed” on our refrigerator.

Danelia had written a beautiful thank-you note, expressing her gratitude for our friendship and help to their family. It was a lengthy note so I won’t copy it here but it was full of appreciation and an acknowledgement that she believes God has brought us here. Her open expression of concern about her children, especially Kenneth, and how we had helped alleviate some of that worry, was touching, rewarding and humbling all at the same time.

Kenneth had also written the sweetest note for me and he had addressed it to “Mamita Lin”. I had asked Miguel to explain to me why he would address me as “little mama”. Miguel told me that it is used here as a term of endearment for a family member who is much loved. Of course, that was so special to me to have Kenneth refer to me in such a way but to have Miguel and Elizabeth to also call me by such an affectionate name in their Mother’s Day note for me, somehow seemed extra special. I am a woman abundantly blessed and immensely thankful.

I don’t know if you noticed or not, but neither Miguel and Elizabeth nor Kenneth spelled my name correctly. I’m not sure why but it used to bother me a little when people didn’t spell my name correctly. I think I somehow took it as a personal offense. Through the years I’ve become accustomed to the fact that most folks aren’t going to write my name as my mother thought it should be written. But never have I had it misspelled quite so beautifully as I have these last two weeks. In this context, Shakespeare was absolutely right when he penned, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet…”

As sweet and as special as the name “Mamita” is to me, I am reminded that there is a Name above all names. God’s Word says in Acts 4:12 that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Philippians 2:9 says, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,” Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there’s just something about that name. Nothing has the power to save but Your Name.