HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

February 14, 2024 – Happy Valentines Day

Well today was our last day before we head out bright and early back to Canada. Jim is going to be staying back and travelling to some more locations in Nicaragua before he heads back to Vancouver.

We will be sad to leave but I am sure everyone will be happy to see their loved ones.

Today was a special day for the Casa de Piedra residents as we celebrated their inauguration for the well that Rotary Club of Stratford and COMMIT team built in 2021. With many complications getting the power to the well and finally turning it on, the people of the village were ecstatic, and so thankful to the team and their political representatives who made this happen. Next step is to have piping installed throughout the village to individual homes, so they have easier access to fresh water

They were also very thankful for the stoves that were built in the community and gave an honorable mention to Kim and the sewing program she has put together for them. 

After the ceremony, the children were able to enjoy a pinata which they absolutely loved.

Once we finished up in Casa de Piedra we took a drive to Eric’s house where Brad presented him with a very generous gift. Earlier in the week Eric could not make it into work because his bike’s tire blew. Brad took it upon himself to go out this morning and buy him a brand-new bike. The smile on Eric’s face was priceless!

Now we settle in for the night and finish our packing for our early morning take-off. Eva is cooking our last dinner, and I can tell you she does not skip a beat with cooking a great meal. I think we will all miss her wonderful cooking. I heard it is cannelloni tonight and it smells delicious.

Hasta la proxima vez,

Sarah & Team

February 13

Today was a melancholy day as the end of our trip to Nicaragua is in sight. Everyone is beginning to look forward to their own bed, a meal without rice and beans, cool crisp winter air, and a hot water shower - while at the same time, lamenting having to leave friends we have made in the villages and on our Rotary team.

So, today was about tying up loose ends.

We first drove 45 minutes to our back-woods brick maker who, with help from his little kids, runs a low tech operation involving forming and then drying bricks on the ground in the sun followed by baking the bricks in a MacGyvered make-shift wood fired "kiln" in their yard (a yard that is also filled with numerous pigs and dogs). We delivered the bricks to a number of homes in [El Provenir]. They'll keep the Eric and Danilo, our stove makers, busy while we are gone.

Edgar and Brad then went back to the brick maker to get another load of bricks and Doug helped the stove makers by mixing cement and handing them bricks. To date about over 200 stoves have been completed and there are supplies for another 40 stoves available in the villages. The stove makers complete an average of 4 stoves a day so they have at least a month of work in front of them.

Jim organized a rambunctious, take no prisoners, soccer game with kids who didn't have school. The score ended fittingly with a tie: Nicaragua 1 - Canada 1. The game was interrupted when a massive pig escaped from its leash, ran across the pitch and all the kids gave wild chase to recapture it.

But the highlight of the day was when Janice, Sarah and Edgar returned from the town of Jinotepe with two giant pinatas stuffed with candies. Each pinata was hung in a tree across from the school, using a pulley that allowed the pinatas to be hoisted up and down to make it more challenging for the kids. The more the kid with the pinata stick danced to the pinata music blaring from a speaker, the more often the pinata was lowered so it could be whacked. When the pinatas were broken and candies began the spill out, mayhem broke out in the street as the kids (and a few of the team) scrambled to fill their pockets with candies.

Then just time to say some good byes. Sarah gave Brianne a bracelet that matched Sarah's bracelet. Brianne was a little girl who had helped us all week and was always very kind to us - inviting us to her "casa" and bringing out chairs and water; and holding our hands and skipping with us through the village. She was delighted that her bracelet was the same as Sarah's. We gave Ezekiel, a bigger boy who work hard to help us with the heavy work, a soccer ball and pump.

Then we piled back into the truck, shed a few tears and headed back to Casa Pamela for a special Eva-cooked dinner of ribs and cake.

Jim

Monday, February 12

After a much needed descansa for the team in San Juan Del Sur, we rolled up our sleeves for another day of work in El Porvenir. The day was much warmer and more humid then we had had so far and it seemed to drain the energy from each one of us well before noon. Working in this heat is definelty a challenge many days, even though we have already been here for two weeks. The people here work so hard in this heat everyday and we have so much respect for what they have to endure. 

We all hopped into Edgar's truck and headed south for a half an hour drive to pick up the bricks. We turned off into a dusty driveway which lead down to a very hunble abode. The gentleman who makes and bakes the bricks met us and led us to the huge pile that had been made to order for our eco friendly stoves. This work is back breaking as each of the bricks needs to be laid out on the ground to dry and then baked. Many bricks were laid out like soldiers on the ground, all in perfect rows. Looking at our pile we realized we would need to make many trips to get all of the needed bricks to our job site. 

Having already been to the property we were equipped with a knitted doll for each of the three children in the family and they happily played with them for the rest of the time we were there. Pigs tied up nearby grunted and snorted as chickens pecked around the dust for any bugs that may be found as we loaded up the truck. Once we had the truck loaded we all piled in for an interesting drive back. One of our tires appeared to be flat so we stopped at a roadside garage to fill up the tire for 13 cents and were once again on our way. A few trips were made to and from the brick supplier and due to the fact that many of the houses were three km away from our normal brick drop off, we delivered from the truck direclty to the houses. 

Only two stoves were built today as one of our brick layers wasn't able to get to work due to a broken down bike. As usual many of the town children were running around, helping where they could. 

Late afternoon we headed up  to Granada to pick up the hammock I had ordered for my son Brandon. The hammock was a beautiful piece of work and I am sure will last many years. The hammocks made a Tio Antonios are top notch for sure. A quick stop at Laguna Apoyo on the way home stocked us up on souvenirs and we enjoyed the stunning views from the top of the lagoon.  We arrived home to another wonderful supper made by our beautiful cook Eva and enjoyed some more birthday celebrations.  All in all an amazing day.

Hasta luego todos

Janice

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN SAN JUAN DEL SUR

Friday February 9, 2024

“Hola” from Nicaragua.

My day started off bright and early on my way again to San Luis. It’s a very long, dusty, bumpy ride there each day. We picked up some hitch hikers today and gave them a ride. An elderly couple and a young man. I think we saved the couple a very long dry, hot dusty walk. I figured it would have taken them longer than an hour and a half to walk the distance we drove them. They were very grateful. The sewing group was ready and threaded up set to go. All 11 women finished their “bolsas” and discussed what we would do with our last day together next week (assuming there’s power.) Because we missed out on yesterday’s class, we have added Monday as a makeup day.

On the drive home our new driver knew of a “short cut” back to Casa de Piedra. WOW, we should have been taking this short cut all week because the drive was sooooo much more smooth!! I don’t know if it was actually shorter, but we could certainly drive much faster. We were driving through acres and acres of sugar cane. I think these “roads” are really the back lanes of farms that the tractors, harvesters and other various farm equipment use for all the farming. Sugar cane is grown in all of Nicaragua but the Nandaime area has very fertile land and a lot of the crops are centered around this area.

When we reached Casa de Piedra we stopped in at the sewing center and picked up the shopping bags they have been sewing for us. I was expecting 20 bags but they were very enthusiastic and made 51 so I will be bringing them home to Canada for purchase there. Be prepared!! We gave them a deposit and will send the rest of the collected money when we sell the bags. They are so very excited for this their initial entrepreneurial venture.

This morning the stove team worked their magic again in El Porvenir delivering bricks and sand and cement to the appropriate village homes for the next constructions. A couple of stove bases were built to be ready for the stove to be constructed on top next week. Once again, the village children who are so very eager to help with the deliveries are expecting the reward of wheelbarrow races on the route back to the storage spot before they load up for the next delivery. I’m really not sure who has the most fun – the kids or the COMMIT team!!

Arriving home a little later than usual to my casa I discovered that the rest of the team had already left for their weekend adventure in San Juan del Sur. Both Dr Doug and I opted out of the beach life and  will spend a more quiet weekend here at the casa looking out for ourselves.

Disfruta el fin de semana

Enjoy your weekend

Kim

A post note.

The stove project is going really well. Our workers are superbly trained and doing a wonderful and expert job.  The stove project benefits the environment, women’s equality, family and child health and bolsters the economy. They are so grateful and proud of these stoves. We have raised money for about 230 stoves. But we could do thousands. As some of you know our Global Grant was turned down much because of the failure of the Rotary Clubs in Nicaragua (no host club) and Covid and unfortunately some shortsightedness. That would have enabled us to almost triple our number and in the end our 12+ years of experience working in the area and knowing the people was more important that crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s. At any rate our goal is to raise more money to continue the Stove project and keep our skilled labor employed. To be more technical the cost-benefit ratio is astronomical.

The farmers have also asked if they can have a microloan to buy some well pumps and drip lines to start their own vegetable gardens in the dry season. Another example of a hand up rather than a handout. But more importantly hope that they can have a future and not have to migrate to greener pastures. We have worked with the farmers for several years, helped them compost and renew the land and form coops to look after each other. Not they are at the stage where they also need to mitigate the effects of climate change that we in developing countries have made much worse. We are hoping to we can help them out with your help. Much more to do.

Have a great day!

Doug

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8

“Hola” Today was a bit of a mixed-up day. Due to electricity issues again in San Luis my sewing project
has taken another day off. Luckily, we have a few extra days before we go home that I can have a make
up day for them. This gave me another opportunity to join the stove team and flex my muscles in El
Porvenir. Sarah joined Danillo to construct the stoves with him. Brad worked again with Eric on his
constructions. Jim, Janice and myself along with several very eager school children wheeled the bricks
and gravel to the worksites for the upcoming constructions. Included with the wheelbarrow deliveries of
course there had to be wheelbarrow races. Lots of laughter was heard in the village. The children
showed us a shortcut coming back from some of the houses so of course Jim had to take that route each
time and usually beat us back to the storage site. Having depleted all of our brick pile, my job was done
so I decided to go out to the home where Eric was working so I could see for myself the improvements
that have been made since the ones that I helped construct last May. The stoves are beautiful. The
recipients are very appreciative. First things first, I obviously had to play a little with the baby that was
enjoying bathtime. This family had two little birds (small parrots?) Both Jim and Brad got bit by it’s very
sharp beak while trying to get the bird onto their shoulder. Once on Brad’s back it didn’t want to leave.
Sarah had the bird on her finger and endured the unfortunate experience of “mother nature” happening
all over her hand. Very quickly THAT was washed off. Again – lots of laughter. While waiting for our ride
to come back to pick us up a game of pass the ball was played and then we three women were
presented with flowers from two of the children. Lovely.

Dr Doug went a different direction and had a meeting with the lawyer to discuss the land transfer for
the farming group. Following that he and Edgar replenished our food stores (again; we seem to eat a lot)
before they came back to El Porvenir to pick us up. I think tonight will be a bit more of a quiet subdued
evening as last night was quite the party till the small hours of the morning. These days in paradise are
wonderful.

Hasta Luego
Kim

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast as usual was delicious, our cook Eva spoils us everyday. Today we enjoyed pancakes, eggs, coffee, fresh fruit and bacon.

Kim and Doug headed off with Jose to be dropped off at El Porvenir for the stoves and Kim to San Luis for the sewing co-op. The rest of us jumped into Edgar's truck, loaded down with brand new pots and pans and headed to Nandarola.

Once again we crossed the river with no problem and we're delighted that we saw the troupe of monkeys again, as Sarah had stayed back yesterday for work meetings.

The people had been informed of our arrival and soon there was a huge crowd of people there, excited to receive their gift. As part of the stove project each family is set to receive two pots and lids, plus trees to plant in their gardens.

We were disillusioned that it would be a quick job giving out the pots but quickly learned that each pot was stuck inside the other. We spent about an hour pulling the pots apart abd then had the privilege of gifting each family in the village with two new cooking pots.

We were also able to spend some time playing soccer with the children and also hitting some baseballs around. One smaller girl was noted to have an especially good throwing arm.

Before we left we were treated to some fresh fruit and homemade buns made by some of the ladies and believe me, they were delicious.

Another productive and satisfying day in the books.

Hasta luego Brad

NANDAROLA

Today was a much anticipated visit to our adopted village of Nandarola. This was one of COMMITs first villages where we have been able to accomplish many of our projects. Besides drilling a well in the village, and piping the water to the homes, building outhouses in the past, starting a sewing coop, building an addition onto an existing buidling that is now used for medical clinics and village meetings, starting a very successful agriculture project and building eco-friendly stoves, we have formed many close and lasting friendships with the people who live there. It has been such an honor to give these hardworking people a handup to assist them in obtaining their goals for a better life

The ride out was dusty but the views breathtaking as we bounced along in the truck, with Kim and I in our favourite spot, the back of the truck. At one point we were serenaded by a large toupe of howler monkeys, who filled the air with their loud, throaty calls as they swung through the trees. The river was fairly low so our passage through today was quite easy. 

Arriving in the village we were greeted by members of the farming coop. We had a very interesting and informative meeting, learning about their needs and about the crops that had failed them. The group are very dedicated and are always looking for ways to improve their crops and yield. The group shared that due to the drought they had lost their entire crops of beans and some of their corn. Ideas were tossed around and a decision was made to look into the cost of digging a well at the base of the large hill their crops are on and installing a windmill to pump the water up the hill to a reservoir. We promised them that we would look into the possiblility of funding this project to ensure that future crops are well watered, even during times of drought. The farmers are also in need of water for their backyard gardens as the well drilled provides potable water for drinking and cooking with. Their vision is to dig wells in yards that don't have them and for each family to have a small pump to pump the water outt and to use a drip system. Once again this will depend on funding, so if anyone wants a project to support, please let us know. 

We had the privilege of meeting the team from The Nicaraguan Bee Project who we had arranged to meet up with. This group was founded by Marty Havlovic from Wiscosin and they make multiple trips yearly to check on the projects, as well as have two hired Nicaraguan beekeepers who are available 24/7 for help and questions. COMMIT started off funding hives for NPH on Ometepe Island who now have 22 active hives, as well as a couple in Nandarola. Unfortunately the hives in Nandarola were lost to army ants, although a new hive found it's way into the empty box and started to produce honey.  Doc, also an American and their team needed to see this hive, so everyone jumped into the trucks to drive to where the hives were. 

One of the highliights for me, was when Marty offered his bee suit to me so that I could go with their team up close to the hive. It was actually a very cool experience, having bees swarming around but being protected by the suit, although one of the guard bees did get me on the shoulder through the suit. Doc was very informative and explained what he was seeing or not seeing as he took each of the frames out. All but one frame had bees covering it and there appeared to be lots of honey although the honey combs weren't attached to the frames which will make extraction difficullt. 

There are three things that a beekeeper has to ask him/herself everytime they inspect their hives, which should happen once a week. 

     1. Is there a queen bee? This hive did not show signs as there were no new larvae and eggs and it was estimated that the old queen had been missing for at least a week. The farmer who tends the bees was certain that he had seen a queen on Sunday, so the hope was that this was a virgin queen and that she was out on her mating flight. Drone bees from all different hives will congregate in an area and the queens will fly to them. 

     2. Is there enough food and yes, this hive has plenty of honey.

     3. Is there enough room? No, this hive had only one frame free, so the decision was made to add another box with frames above the existing box to provide room for the bees to move into. 

Some fun bee facts: Eggs are laid and exist for 3 days, then five days later they become larvae, day 16 the virgin queen emerges and kills any old queen in the hive and all of the rest of the queen larvae, day 21 the worker bees emerge and then day 24 the drones. It was a very informative and interesting day for the team.

We looked at some of the stoves before we departed and saw that they are all in good working order and plan to return tomorrow with new pots for all of the stove recipients. 

Many more dolls were given out on our drive home with many happy smiles from the children.

Enjoying the warm balmy weather here.

Blessings to all in Canada.

Hasta luego

Janice

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5

We arrived in San Luis after a long and dusty drive to see that the sewing complex had been decorated
with balloons and streamers by the eleven seamstresses. What a wonderful welcome. The ladies had
displayed on two different tables all the articles they had been working on and completed. I can say that
they are much more accomplished with their 5 years of having the program. Because of this I’m not
going to get them to sew shopping bags like the other group. Their main interest is in selling clothing to
the public. The school uniforms were very well constructed. They are very proud of their work and just
beamed the largest smiles when I complimented them on it. I believe that they would benefit from the
donated serger that I have at home if I can figure out a way to get it here. Being such a remote village
and so spread out power outages are a common happening. Unfortunately, today was one of those
times. Despite being unable to use the machines we were able to make a bolsa pattern and cut out the
fabric. Hopefully we will be able to start construction of the purses on Wednesday. I will once again be
focusing on zippers. I’ll keep you updated with their progress.
Hasta pronto
Kim

Addition to Blog Feb 5
When we arrived at San Luis we were greeted not only by some eager sewing ladies but also by an array
of balloons decorating the community center we had help renovate. I think the new members of the
team were somewhat surprised by the attractiveness of the building, and the care they took of this
jewel of their community and the somewhat upscale nature of the village in general compared to some
other locations in our area.
One of the reasons for the visit was to see how the water project was functioning. Unfortunately there
was a brown out when we were there, a frequent occurrence in rural areas so neither sewing not filling
the tank for water distribution was an option that day. However the sewing group was able to cut out
patterns and hopefully the following day sewing can be done.
The well, tank , pump and distribution system was working well. As you may have recalled this was one
village where the water tank collapsed and broke because during covid there were supply issues and
inferior piping was used for construction of the tower, That has all been replaced up to standard and a
new tank was purchased by us. This is another example of following up on projects and correcting or
helping implement any changes necessary and believe me there are always hickups.
We asked about the water committee which was functioning well. One extended family with 3 houses
felt they only had to pay for one house(which is only about $3 per month for electricity and towards a
contingency fund). We discussed how they might approach that unfair situation . Twenty five of the
thirty families in the community were on the water system. The well has never run dry and it is
chlorinated on a regular basis. The contingency fund for future repair and sustainability was at over
$200. Water taste was good and overall they were very pleased.

Meanwhile Janice gave an impromtu English lesson to the children at the school and happily gave out the dolls made by Rita Menkveld to the excited, very grateful children along with Sarah, Brad and Jim. 

Hasta pronto Doug

WEEKEND FUN

We made it to the weekend. Time for a little R+R. The days started early with the usual cacophony of cocky roosters, operatic birds and angry dogs followed by a miserable cold shower but soon took a turn for the better as we used our time to to do a little Nicaragua exploration.

As an added bonus, we had Janice's godson, Orlando, and his brother, Jose, join us on our adventures. They not visited any of the places we went to so were excited to explore their own country with us.

First up, Granada - the beautiful, colonial city that is the show-piece of the country located on the shore of Lake Nicaragua. It is the ninth largest city in Nicaragua, with a population of about 130,000, and is the main tourist attraction in the country. It boasts grand cathedrals, gaily painted shop fronts and a main pedestrian-only street filled with outdoor restaurants, trees and sculptures.

Our first stop in Granada was the Tio Antonio Social Center. Antonio began to work with deaf and blind street kids over 20 years ago. Originally he provided shelter and some schooling.Tio Antonio's now produces beautiful hammocks and other handicrafts. They also run a silent cafe (an oasis of quiet in a noisy city) where all orders are made in sign language and the servers are happy to teach sign language to their customers. A very well-run, friendly, and worthwhile operation that should be visited if you find yourself in Granada.

Next stop, delicious pizza at TelePizza. As much as we all love the traditional Nicaraguan rice and beans - a ham and pineapple and a meat-lover's special pizza was a welcome change.

Sunday morning again started with birds, dogs, roosters and cold showers then off to Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve. The volcano rises to over 1300 meters above sea level, towering over Granada in the valley below. In fact, the 365 Granada Islets in Lake Nicaragua adjacent to Granada were created from lava from the erupting volcano.

The rim of the volcano is reached by a 4 wheel drive vehicle that fights its way up a twisting sometimes seemingly almost vertical road. At the top, we walked around the crater, through a cloud forest that is always lush and green as it is bathed in the moisture from the clouds that almost premanently hang onto the top of the volcano.

The brave ones in the group - Sarah, Orlando, Jose and our driver, Roman, took the fast way down the volcano - by zip-line. The intelligent ones in the group, Edgar, Doug and Kim, descended the volcano in the 4-wheel drive. And the foolishly energetic ones in the group, Brad, Janice and Jim, walked down the volcano, not factoring in the pain of a steep decline on tired legs.

A fascinating weekend ended with another delicious meal from Eva, our most excellent cook, back at Casa Pamela.

Jim

PARADISE CONTINUES

Friday February 2 nd
Paradise Continues
Happy Groundhog Day! Today was the final day for the Case de Piedra sewing ladies. Instead of
continuing with the original plan of working with zippers we decided they were ready to launch their
micro business. A reusable grocery bag was chosen as their 1 st project to produce in bulk and try to sell
for a profit. We completed 7 bags this morning. I will come back again to Casa de Piedra before we are
scheduled to come home to pick up the bags that they have completed. Hopefully we can sell them in
Canada and send the money back to the ladies. With this money they will be able to procure more
fabrics to complete more projects. Thus, the beginnings of a (hopefully) successful business. Manuel
(our local mechanic/teacher) will be available to help guide them through many more different projects.
They should transition to being able to sell their projects locally. Some of you at home in Canada may
recognize bags made from fabrics you have donated. Thank you for that. I’m very proud of the
accomplishments of these lovely ladies. I will miss them when I leave here. Before I left the village, I had
to spend some more time playing with the kids. They have become accustomed to my attentions this
last week. Their laughter could be heard throughout the village. I think they will miss me too.

The stove team were travelling today to a couple of different villages. In El Porvenir they continued to
unload and deliver bricks for the upcoming construction. Then they came to Casa de Piedra to check on
previously constructed stoves to monitor repair work if needed. The stove design has evolved and
improved over the last months. This process also aids in the design of the newer stoves.

After completing their rounds of stove checking I rejoined the group, and we headed off to replenish our
food supplies. Of course, Eva had another wonderful supper for us. The evening was finished off with a
rousing Yahtzee tournament. Jim wanted everyone to know he was “the big winner” of the night.
Congratulations Jim!! Welcome to the COMMIT team.

Kim

THURSDAY, DAY FOUR

Well day 4 was a success. Kim went to her sewing co-op, and they completed their first project. The "Bolsa" purses turned out great! Tomorrow they have decided to embark on a new entrepreneurship, beginning with sewing reusable shopping bags.

Edgar dropped the rest of us off in Casa de Piedra where we continued helping Eric and Danilo build the eco-friendly stoves. We kept the same tasks as the day before as we had a great system going. Jim, Janice and I moved the rest of the bricks, sand and cement to the homes with the help of the kids, Pearla and Kenya. Eric, Danilo, Brad and Doug were able to complete four stoves!

After we were done moving the rest of the bricks to homes, we strolled down to the school with our wheel barrows to have a little fun. The children came running out to hop in the wheel barrows and we went to the field to have some races. We all had a blast and it was so nice to see everyone smiling and laughing.

Back to home base where we went for a little swim to cool off. Tonight we have some company for dinner Dr. Maria and Johnnywho the team met from previous trips and who have worked together with the team on various projects.

This trip so far has been one for the books, looking forward to what the rest of the time brings us.

Buenas Noches,

Sarah

WORKING HARD

Another day in the books. After dropping off Kim and Darling at the sewing co-op, the rest of the group headed to the job site. We met Eric and Danilo there and sent Brad and Doug off with each guy to help build the stoves. With help they were each able to make 2 beautiful eco friendly stoves for the people of El Porvenir. These stoves will drastically improve the lives and health of the women and children that are presently exposed to smoke from their open air cook fires. Just to recap that the smoke that these people inhale as they cook is the equivalent of smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day. Being able to improve their lives by providing them with a better cooking alternative has been our focus since starting last year with the stove building initiative.

Meanwhile Jim, Sarah, and I took on the task of moving mountains of bricks and sand to 15 of the homes. Let me tell you that this was no small task as many of the homes were a kilometer away from where the supplies were being stored. With the help of some of the boys from the village, we would load up 2 wheelbarrows with 270 pounds of sand, and 58 3lb bricks and maneuver our barrows over the rocky, rusty, dusty paths. It was quite the workout for our arms, shoulders, legs and backs. My forearms were in spasms with our last load of the day.

Tomorrow we will repeat the process to homes even further away. We'll need our rest to recover for sure.

After our hot, exhausting day we headed back to the Casa for a snack and much needed showers.

Can't wait to see what gourmet delight Eva has created for us today.

Hasta Pronto

Janice

FIRST DAY ON THE JOB

      Another day in paradise. Today we began our work here in earnest. After a delicious breakfast we headed out to our respective villages. Edgar and I dropped off the “stove team crew” at El Porvenir and continued on to Casa de Piedra where we would begin the sewing program. Manuel (our hired teacher) has been doing a wonderful job with the sewing ladies while I was home in Canada and they were eager to show off what they had learned since last spring. They assured me that learning how to sew with zippers will be a new and welcome challenge. Today’s project would be the most boring and at the same time challenging as they would choose their fabrics and construct a pattern. Tomorrow will begin the actual sewing of the “bolsa” that we will be making. We had a lot of fun together while renewing past friendships. They were so excited to see “the Canadian teacher” back to their village. Lots of hugs and laughs shared. The time went by very quickly.

      While I was laughing and enjoying the fellowship with the ladies the rest of the crew were building muscles and getting sweaty toting bricks and mixing cement to help the stove builders; once in a while taking a break to play some “football” with the kids and enjoy the sounds of having fun. They were able to watch the contruction of two stoves from start to finish and see how much the guys have perfected their building skills since May. The building of the stoves needs to be very precise and the mixing of the mortar perfect so that the stoves will last the challenge of time and extreme heat. More to follow tomorrow. 

     Dr Doug and Janice went to see the mayor of Nandaime regarding the container late afternoon. They were told that the releasing of the container is still in progress and although not a definite yes that we will see the contents while we are in the country, not a no either. Please pray for a favourable outcome so that the much needed supplies can be delivered to the people that they were intented for. 

Hasta pronto, Kim

OUR FIRST DAYS IN PARADISE

COMMIT Blog Jan 28, 29, 2024 

Up at 4 am to drive to the airport. Not a lot of sleep to start the trip. At the airport we found out our larger plane was not available and we were fitted into a smaller Swoop replaccement. No extra leg room  and we felt abit like a squished sardine for a 6 hour trip. But the plane was filled with Canadians going for a holiday in Costa Rica so the mood was jovial. 

We arrived and were scooted through customs at Costa Rica with little fanfare. We were questioned about our bags of material but when we told them the purpose they let us go. We met our driver and were at the Nicaraguan border through a mild rainstorm and beautiful rainbow in about 90 minutes.  

Then the fun began as we had to carry our bags for almost a kilometer to the Nicaraguan  immigration office. And we are talking 14- 50 lb bags, plus some personal luggage. The next 3 hours were difficult as we bargained with officials to get our donated supplies through. We did not have time to get the usual customs clearance which can take 3 months There were issues, but we eventually left with donated supplies intact and walked another Kilometer to our next ride to the Casa in Nicaragua. We arrived exhausted 3 hours late but our cook Eva had a tasty meal awaiting us and we met a very optimistic Jim Titerle who had arrived earlier for the first time. 

After a good night’s sleep by our exhausted crew and a few barking dogs in the night we awoke to a windy and cloudy day and moderate temperatures. The morning was spent unpacking and most of the team went shopping for 3 hours to get our supplies for the next while. They came back with a load of groceries and a great experience for our two new members. Again, a nice lunch was served, and groceries put away. Two of us stayed back and sorted material for the sewing day tomorrow. Our experienced sewer Kim was anxious to get started the next day and find out what they had learned since her last visit. COMMIT has been paying a local teacher to visit the sewing groups and work with them. We had an incredible amount of material generously donated thanks to Charlene, Chelsea and Katherine, so we should keep the groups in supplies for quite a while, and maybe a bit of a microeconomy boost to boot. 

So long for now. We will see what the next day brings. 

Doug