"Sail Out"

  Septiembre 14, 2014

Today flowed.The last few days of training has been a smooth sail as I got closer to my training site mates as well as well the TEFLeros before swearing in ceremony. Despite being sick for three days from eating a burrito after our nocturnal rendezvous, I am much better and can proudly say that now we are officially Peace Corp Volunteers AND I am officially a member of the Gutierrez family! The day before I left my training site,  my host aunt tells me “Ahora voz sos Kimberly Gutierez!” (Now you are Kimberly Guitierez). Apparently my host mother did not want to have a despidida for me or a “going away” party because she says she ¨knows I’m going to come back.¨ She’s correct. I will indeed be traveling back to Masaya to see my training family for the end of the year celebration to spend time with them for a few days or five.

As I was about to travel to by site in Madriz, I didn’t feel as much anxiety that I thought I had been building up over the past few days.   I thought I would worry myself over trying to catch the earliest bus for my 6 hour magical rollercoaster ride to the highest point above sea level in Nicaragua. I ended up getting a ride to the capital by my host uncle, my taxi driver was 30 minutes early and pretty preppy to be taking me to the bus station at 6:15a.m, had time to watch my bags get on the bus, had a few minutes to get to know the coborador on the Expresso bus (person who collects money and assists the driver). After a four hour ride I met my host sisters at the first stop in Somoto who generously helped me with my bags, and met the bus driver (Chumpuyun---don’t ask why, that’s his  nick name) to get a seat for the two hour seat clutching ride to the higher mountainside. When we arrived, I was welcomed by the cool mountain fresh air that whipped around my neck and warm hugs by my host family. 

Toward the evening I was able to relax a bit after putting my things away. My host sister called me outside so that I could meet her teenage friends which were full of energy and of course…jokes. After breaking the ice, they seemed to have let their guard down with me enough to ask for my help on a Christmas project they had been preparing to have for the impoverished children that lived on the outskirts of the 26 communities that resided around Cusmapa (my town)…some as far as 4 hours away. These four teens (Los Divinos Niños de Jesus) want to create an annual Christmas project that will teach children of the community about the story of Jesus Christ, involve them in various outdoor activities, feed them lunch for free,   provide care packages and distribute gently used toys as their Christmas presents. These students completely blew my mind with their creative ideas, they just needed a little push with organization and implementation which is where I am, fortunately, able to help. Stay tuned.

-Signed Newbie

¨Don't eat the Pudding¨

30 de Octubre de 2014

¨Try to look at your experience here like a Mandala, Chapman, work hard, to make something as beautiful and meaningful as you can. And when your done, pack it all in and know that it was all temporary. You have to remember that------ its all temporary. I’m telling you, surviving here is all about perspective….dont eat the pudding.”

-Jones (Orange is the New Black)

 So, it is week 11 and this week we had our last Spanish interviews for the end of training. For the past few weeks I had been feeling as though my Spanish was improving tremendously and currently I do still feel as though my Spanish is bomb. One of the most important things while learning a language is having the confidence to speak, which is one of the things that I teach my students in Nicaragua. The more you are afraid to speak the target language, the less one is able to improve the language and will possibly miss out on an opportunity to effectively communicate. Thank God that I have broken out of this fear since studying abroad in Ecuador 2012.

This evening I received a call from our director that I would be receiving extra Spanish Language training in my training site and I would not be able to go to my actual site because I have not reached the required language level. While on the phone with my director, it was almost as if a smirk crept across my cheek bones because this also meant that not only would I be receiving personalized Spanish class for an extra week, I would be spending time with a family of the 18 people that I have grown to love and appreciate during my training period. Above all,  I will say that my God works in mysterious ways and Him and I have always had an understanding when it comes to the number 11.  Many of my accomplishments, candidate number(s), days after an open-hearted prayer to God have revolved around or included the number 11. So, I definitely look at this as a confirmation to be here and will maintain obedient and let him work his favor on my life…

God always has something up his sleeves and that I will never doubt this because He is always preparing me for the next task as I surrender as His servant. It was also enlightening to see how much of an impact and a relashionship that I have built with my family. After I informed my Host mother that I was going to stay for an extra week, she squeezed me lifeless with happiness and told me she was elated that I was staying (in Spanish of course). Shortly after she asked me if I was leaving to go hang out because my friends had showed up right as I was about to eat dinner. I informed her that they had come to watch a tv show with me (Orange is the New Black) which is the first time in a long while that I had watched a t.v show in English.   Toward the end Jones put soo much into perspective about perspective. I knew that I came here to benefit the lives of others, not considering that helping others benefitted me the most. It is all about perspective. Rest in Him because work is still being done.

Signed   --ReceptiveSoul