First Impressions

Hello from Managua, Nicaragua!!! I have been here for a little over a week now, but it seems like so much longer with all the activities we have packed into everyday. I haven't felt like I've had time for much correspondence with all of you, therefore I thought one mass email was in order just to give a bit of an update on what I've been up to here, at least until my blog is set up. And feel free to send me individual emails, I am much better at those than these mass emails. Even better at personal letters :-) I'll include the address at the end of this email, no worries.

So here is a rundown of what has been going on (for those of you sitting in an office or with nothing better to do) : Last Friday morning at 4am, I loaded all my bags into the car and headed to the airport with my mother - not knowing what to think, feel, or expect. A new adventure, a new country, new friends and people to serve and teach and learn from and be served by. From Grand Rapids to Houston my thoughts and emotions were jumbled and I didn't know what to think or expect. I met two girls in my group in Houston - Maddie and MaryRose - and some of my fears were eased as I realized what wonderful people I would be spending my year with. We continued into Managua, where we were greeted by the program directors whom we are replacing, and then driven to our amazing house where we met more program directors and set up until the others came to join us. The next day (Saturday) we headed to a beautiful lagoon created out of the crater of a volcano - still active and therefore the lake was warm and rather sulfuric - and absolutely gorgeous. Then on Sunday we were fortunate to attend a wedding for 12 different couples at a local church. Apparently weddings are very expensive here as well - and therefore the couples all waited to get married at the same time in order to cut down on costs. By the fifth or so couple the priest was just cruising through the vows and children began running up and down the aisles. It was a sight to see and really fun to witness. After we went to go play a little ultimate frisbee with some locals and missionaries in a park - they do it every Sunday! Monday we began to work with the programs - literacy, math, and english, as well as a group meeting and tours around the neighborhood - including the 35 minute walk to El Farito (the building where we teach most of our classes) from our house - through neighborhoods of shanties and small huts, people everywhere and dogs barking and running up to us until we waved sticks at them and scared them away from us. Walking through the community was so fun - everyone was very friendly and looked at us with interest (well, yes, a line of 6 gringas (white-American women) is a sight to see in this community). The kids and adults in the programs are amazing and very fun to teach - I can't believe that it will be my job for the rest of the year! So, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were a blur for me - full of lots of emotions, both good and bad. We went to La Chureca, the largest city dump in Latin America were 1300+ people actually live. It is from there that our child sponsorship program is done, and it was one of the most emotional experiences I have ever had - and I am at a loss of words on how to describe it. Suffice it to say that driving into Chureca was like driving into an apocalyptic movie - smoke everywhere; terrible smells erupting from the piles of trash and the dredges of some sort of liquid; dirty, malnourished and lost children as young as four pulling plastic and metals from heaps as fat middlemen sit at the entrance. And worse. Those days were so hard, as we worked in the medical clinic and made home visits to the families we help with our sponsorship program. I could not have gotten through it without the help of prayers and Jesus' love for me and for all who live there. In high school my Spanish teacher made us memorize Psalm 23 in Spanish, and the part "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil" repeated over and over in my mind (Aunque paso por el más oscuro de los valles, no tendré miedo, porque Tu Señor, estás conmigo). It was a strength to me. In addition, I have two wonderful friends here - Emily Lineberger (who many of you know well!) and another girl named Christina Colopy, who prayed with me before we went into the dump - asking God to give us strength and love for all whom we saw. After the dump we went to a feeding program and taught a women's exercise and health class as well as more literacy, math, and English classes. In addition, we had many fiestas -parties- of welcomes for the new PDs (program directors (me and the rest of the new group)) and goodbyes for the old PDs. Friday we had a party for the kids in the literacy program and went to a health talk for our women's health class. And then I slept. A lot. This weekend has been a good revival time, and later today I will be going to live in a native Nicaraguan's house for the next two weeks, in which I will be involved in language school (to relearn all the Spanish I have forgotten). Therefore, I will not be as able to email as I am at the Manna House (where we have wireless!). And when I get back, my blog should be set up and I will be posting pictures for y'all to look at - I know they are far more interesting than long emails anyway :-) I miss you all and continue to keep you in my prayers, please do the same for me!

Love from Nica, Tressa Hoekstra

My address in Nica:
Tressa Hoekstra
c/o Manna Project International
Apartado Postal P-150
Las Piedracitas
Managua, Nicaragua

it takes about 2 weeks... and sometimes longer, but it should get here :-)