Yesterday was a fishy day!

That´s right... I ate fish yesterday. For those of you that don´t know this about me.... I REALLY don´t like fish nor seafood! So, when God sent me to a country that is known as being the land of volcanoes and water (being bordered by two oceans and having two large lakes)
... I though God was being really quite humorous!

But, I have been here three weeks and yesterday was the first time I was served fish. You should know that I will eat whatever someone serves me, as it is the polite thing to do. And the fish actually wasn´t that bad. I made it through. Seriously, if that is the worst thing I have to do while here in Nicaragua, bring it on. I will eat fish! :)

I figured I would explain a bit more of what I am actually be doing here in Nicaragua. La Iglesia de Paz y Esperanza (The Church of Peace and Hope, my church in GR) is my supporting church that commissioned me to serve with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). MCC´s bi-national office is located in Akron, PA. When MCC sends a Service Worker (that´s me) to antoher country, they always do that in collaboration with a local organization within the receiving country.

The local non-governmental organization (NGO) that I am working with here in Managua, Nicaragua is called Acción Médica Cristiana (AMC). AMC is on of the top 10 NGO´s in Nicaragua. They started as a young group of Christian medical students after the revolution in the 1980´s. To sum it up, AMC is a Christian, ecumenical organization with strategies that address the deeper causes of health problems through a public health approach, enable local communities to identify problems, and lobby support for long-term strategic development. (YMCA people, I hope you enjooy the ¨strategic planning¨terminology that is used in that statement!)

So, what does AMC and MCC want with me?

Well, I will be responsible for coordinating international and national volunteers, both individual and those coming through institutional programs, as well as international medical/dental and construction teams. So... any nurses, doctors or dentists that are reading this, just let me know when you want to come! :)

So, what I did this past week. There was a brorthday party for the son of my host mom. He has his own family that lives elsewhere, but they came over for a celebration.

(Miriam-host mom, Araseli-host sister, Gregorio-host brother)

I visited Asososca Lagoon with Gretel and Linda. This is where all the drinking/bathing water for the whole city of Managua is taken out of. I couldn´t get any closer for the picture as there was quite a steep ledge that I wasn´t willing to take on. It seriously is a beautiful view. Oh, by the way, I am easing myself onto their water, so be praying for that! :)

(Asososca Lagoon in Managua, Nicaragua)

I read through the book of Job last week. If you haven´t read it in a while, you should. Good stuff! I was reminded of how much God loves us. We deserve so little in our humanity, yet we feel entitled to so much, espcially in the Western culture. In reality, the only thing we are entitled to is the opportunity to love God more every day. LOVE WINS... or so I´ve heard. :)

Bendiciones, besos y abrasos.
Beth Ann