You cannot buy the windThe spoken intro confused me the first time I heard it. I got a few words, but why was I not understanding this guy's accent? Turns out he's speaking Quechua and I am a dope. Anyway, hope you enjoy it! (via Spanish for Social Change.)
You cannot buy the sun
You cannot buy the rain
You cannot buy the heat.
You cannot buy the clouds
You cannot buy the colors
You cannot buy my happiness
You cannot buy my pains.
Friday, September 30, 2011
You Cannot Buy the Sun
More Maya
Maya is now 2.5 weeks old and has been quite busy!
As Marty says, taking passport photos for infants is pretty easy, but there's still something a little absurd about it. I mean the photo above will represent her until she's five years old! So far we've been successful in getting her official birth certificate from the city government, and we went to the U.S. Embassy to apply for her U.S. passport (3 weeks processing time).
Since she was born here, she's officially a dual Nica-U.S. citizen, and getting her Nica passport is on today's to-do list. We're planning a "baby tour" to the states in November and it turns out that she'll need both for leaving and entering the country.
So far we've been amazed at how much Maya looks like newborn baby Quinn. Here she posed with a picture of Quinn taken the day she was born. Two peas!
Speaking of Quinn, she's totally excited to be the big sister. She's adapting very well to the change and is constantly washing her hands so she can "hold the baby." Her hands have never been so clean and Maya is getting lots and lots of good hugs. Win win.
Last weekend we put in a brief appearance at la Misión's annual Día de la Biblia celebration (see here for photos from last year). Both Quinn and Maya got to wear their new dresses, although Maya basically slept through the whole thing.
We have been extremely lucky to have had family visiting us during this time. Having a slew of people to play with Quinn and read her books has definitely helped with the transition. Here's my sister Jessica holding her new niece. Aunt Holly also came down to visit us for a few weeks, and although she had to go back before Maya arrived, she was super-helpful and we had a lot of fun.
Here's my Mom and Quinn hanging out with Maya and teaching her some new life skills.
My Dad, plus a yawning baby
Hanging out in the backyard
I love hugs! Just recently, Maya has started exiting that initial "sleepy baby" phase. Her eyes are open a lot more now and she's looking around and starting to make sense of the world. She seems pretty excited for anyone to hold her, and has even made friends with a toy owl.
Since she was born here, she's officially a dual Nica-U.S. citizen, and getting her Nica passport is on today's to-do list. We're planning a "baby tour" to the states in November and it turns out that she'll need both for leaving and entering the country.
Speaking of Quinn, she's totally excited to be the big sister. She's adapting very well to the change and is constantly washing her hands so she can "hold the baby." Her hands have never been so clean and Maya is getting lots and lots of good hugs. Win win.
Last weekend we put in a brief appearance at la Misión's annual Día de la Biblia celebration (see here for photos from last year). Both Quinn and Maya got to wear their new dresses, although Maya basically slept through the whole thing.
We have been extremely lucky to have had family visiting us during this time. Having a slew of people to play with Quinn and read her books has definitely helped with the transition. Here's my sister Jessica holding her new niece. Aunt Holly also came down to visit us for a few weeks, and although she had to go back before Maya arrived, she was super-helpful and we had a lot of fun.
Here's my Mom and Quinn hanging out with Maya and teaching her some new life skills.
My Dad, plus a yawning baby
Hanging out in the backyard
I love hugs! Just recently, Maya has started exiting that initial "sleepy baby" phase. Her eyes are open a lot more now and she's looking around and starting to make sense of the world. She seems pretty excited for anyone to hold her, and has even made friends with a toy owl.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
It's a Girl!
We welcomed Maya Rowan into the world at 1:40 am on Monday, September 12th. She weighed 3600 grams (7 lb 15 oz) and measured 51 cm (20 inches) long. She came quickly -- we checked into the hospital after 10 pm, not really suspecting we would be holding our baby in fewer than 4 hours. Both Laura Jean and Maya are doing well.
Maya's middle name, Rowan, means "little red one," and she certainly started life out living up to that name. :)
Big Sister Quinn came to visit in the hospital. First family photo with Maya!
Heading home from the hospital Monday evening.
Maya's middle name, Rowan, means "little red one," and she certainly started life out living up to that name. :)
Big Sister Quinn came to visit in the hospital. First family photo with Maya!
Heading home from the hospital Monday evening.
Friday, August 26, 2011
We're Having a Baby!
So, someone gently pointed out to me a few months ago that we haven't mentioned a word about the coming addition to our family on this blog. I'm not sure if this will be news for many of our faithful readers, but I am in the final weeks of what has been a fairly smooth pregnancy. The due date is September 8th, but of course babies come on their own schedules. Quinn arrived 8 days "late," and even then was induced.
We're planning to have the baby at the Hospital Metropolitano, just a few kilometers from our house. We've each been to the ER there once with illnesses that inevitably appear on the weekend. On our first visit, we were struck by how it's like walking into the United States -- it looks just like a nice hospital there. And the maternity wing looks a lot like the one at the hospital in Virginia where I gave birth to Quinn.
Quinn is quite excited about her new brother or sister (we're waiting to be surprised by the sex at the birth), and becoming a Big Sister. She's been a little stressed in the last month or so by the fact that I can't pick her up anymore. A couple nights ago, she said "I'm so excited you're going to be able to carry me soon!" She also likes to talk about what the baby will be like when it comes -- we got a huge stack of big-sister-themed books from my awesome cousin, and she has really enjoyed those. Also thanks to those books, she has determined that she prefers the word "womb" to "uterus." Can't say I disagree! :)
We're looking forward to meeting this new person. I'm doing fine, just large and sweating a little more than normal, but I'm starting to feel ready to not be pregnant anymore. We've just started this theology program in the churches, and I am hoping to get to teach about 5 classes (2 down!) before other people have to start covering for me, but I'm also aware that my preferences on the baby's arrival date don't really count for anything. ;)
The baby will be eligible for Nicaraguan as well as U.S. citizenship. Tim, Quinn, and I are still working on getting everything we need to get our Nicaraguan residency -- we got some bad information about a couple of the pieces of paperwork (and in general, a comprehensive list of what we actually need is sadly lacking). It's nice to know we won't have to go through all that again for the new kid.
My doctor tells us she expects the baby to come early rather than late, so we'll see. We've got family with us now and will have various members here for the next four weeks, so we're feeling ready. :) Stay tuned --we will be sure to post the news once our new baby arrives!
We're planning to have the baby at the Hospital Metropolitano, just a few kilometers from our house. We've each been to the ER there once with illnesses that inevitably appear on the weekend. On our first visit, we were struck by how it's like walking into the United States -- it looks just like a nice hospital there. And the maternity wing looks a lot like the one at the hospital in Virginia where I gave birth to Quinn.
Quinn is quite excited about her new brother or sister (we're waiting to be surprised by the sex at the birth), and becoming a Big Sister. She's been a little stressed in the last month or so by the fact that I can't pick her up anymore. A couple nights ago, she said "I'm so excited you're going to be able to carry me soon!" She also likes to talk about what the baby will be like when it comes -- we got a huge stack of big-sister-themed books from my awesome cousin, and she has really enjoyed those. Also thanks to those books, she has determined that she prefers the word "womb" to "uterus." Can't say I disagree! :)
We're looking forward to meeting this new person. I'm doing fine, just large and sweating a little more than normal, but I'm starting to feel ready to not be pregnant anymore. We've just started this theology program in the churches, and I am hoping to get to teach about 5 classes (2 down!) before other people have to start covering for me, but I'm also aware that my preferences on the baby's arrival date don't really count for anything. ;)
The baby will be eligible for Nicaraguan as well as U.S. citizenship. Tim, Quinn, and I are still working on getting everything we need to get our Nicaraguan residency -- we got some bad information about a couple of the pieces of paperwork (and in general, a comprehensive list of what we actually need is sadly lacking). It's nice to know we won't have to go through all that again for the new kid.
My doctor tells us she expects the baby to come early rather than late, so we'll see. We've got family with us now and will have various members here for the next four weeks, so we're feeling ready. :) Stay tuned --we will be sure to post the news once our new baby arrives!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
San Juan del Sur
While we were in El Salvador, my cousin Jamie and his girlfriend Ariane came to Nicaragua for a vacation. They went to an ecolodge on one of the Isletas de Granada, tiny islands in Lake Nicaragua. When we came back, we all met up in San Juan del Sur, a beach town that I've been wanting to visit since we got here. Visits from family and friends always give us a nice chance to take advantage of some of the cool stuff we just don't get to otherwise.
Tim, Jamie and Ariane took surfing lessons
while Quinn and I collected shells, watched crabs, played in the waves, and tried not to get *too* much sun.
(That last effort wasn't really successful, despite hiding from the sun in the middle of the day.) We all got the chance to relax in hammocks and eat some good food as well.
For Quinn (and me!) one of the highlights was the pool at the place we stayed. It had a nice large shallow section that was just the right height for Quinn to stand with her neck and head out of the water. She bounced and danced around, delighting in all the things she could do in the water because, as she said, "I'm big now!" I just enjoyed the neutral buoyancy of the water. :)
Ariane had to go back on the Friday, but Jamie stayed with us through Monday, getting a little glimpse of our daily life in Managua, entertaining Quinn during a big planning meeting for the ministerial formation project, and even helping Tim teach English right before heading off to the airport! He also cooked really great meals for us and read Quinn a lot of books (future visitors, be inspired! ;) ).
Tim, Jamie and Ariane took surfing lessons
while Quinn and I collected shells, watched crabs, played in the waves, and tried not to get *too* much sun.
(That last effort wasn't really successful, despite hiding from the sun in the middle of the day.) We all got the chance to relax in hammocks and eat some good food as well.
For Quinn (and me!) one of the highlights was the pool at the place we stayed. It had a nice large shallow section that was just the right height for Quinn to stand with her neck and head out of the water. She bounced and danced around, delighting in all the things she could do in the water because, as she said, "I'm big now!" I just enjoyed the neutral buoyancy of the water. :)
Ariane had to go back on the Friday, but Jamie stayed with us through Monday, getting a little glimpse of our daily life in Managua, entertaining Quinn during a big planning meeting for the ministerial formation project, and even helping Tim teach English right before heading off to the airport! He also cooked really great meals for us and read Quinn a lot of books (future visitors, be inspired! ;) ).
El Salvador
Our friend Nick Green just finished his term as a Global Ministries missionary in El Salvador and is heading back to the States to start his studies at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. He wrote a lovely post about the "hermandad" that is developing between La Iglesia Misión Cristiana, the church we work with here in Nicaragua, and the Lutheran Church of El Salvador, the church he worked with there.
It was really fun for us to have a role in this developing relationship. Last month, we went for a very quick visit -- driving to San Salvador on a Saturday, spending two full days getting to know some of the churches and their projects, as well as a bit of Salvadoran history, and then driving back to Managua on that Tuesday.
The highlights were:
Tim, Quinn, and I, along with Sonia and Claudina representing La Misión Cristiana, worshipped with the Ríos de Agua Viva (Rivers of Living Water) Lutheran Church in San Salvador. I was invited to preach (my second sermon in Spanish!)
...and Nick and I both assisted Pastor Vilma in communion.
The service was very different than La Misión worship services (no electric guitars) -- it had a liturgy that felt very similar to U.S. Lutheran churches I've been to. But the one thing that was just like many of the congregations here is that it was over half children and youth.
In the afternoon, we visited an agricultural project outside of the city. The church and project there are both called Fe y Esperanza (Faith and Hope), and they're in the first year of a new initiative called La Mayordomía de la Creación (Stewardship of Creation).
A group of campesinos and church folks is working with an agronomist to learn techniques for growing food organically without chemicals.
We spent a lot of time learning about and looking at organic fertilizer,
which does involve a lot of cow poop!
They have some special mixtures for making organic fertilizer, and they sent us home with a couple bottles. I am very grateful the bottles did not open in the back of the car on the way home!!
It was exciting to see a motivated, informed group of people working together to educate themselves and grow lots of great food.
We were inspired for our own work with the Nicaraguan church's agricultural projects, and to give more thought to integrating our food security projects with the one Tim is developing on care for the environment.
We also visited the chapel where Oscar Romero was assassinated.
It was a powerful experience for me -- I have wanted to visit El Salvador ever since I took a class on liberation theology in college.
My professor had been a journalist in El Salvador during the civil war, and I found Oscar Romero and the liberation theology movement very inspiring.
The church also runs a house called Casa Esperanza, where they support people in a variety of ways. Every day, they provide lunch for people who live on the street -- a scene that was remarkably similar to soup kitchens and lunch programs we've visited or volunteered at in the States. We met the small group of single mothers who cook for the lunch program and are housed there. We visited the tiny medical clinic and very nice classrooms where they hold their after-school programs. Quinn and I really liked the wooden toys and the books in the room for the smallest kids. The church also trains young people in the traditional painting style and we got to see some Salvadoran artesania being made.
We, Global Ministries missionaries and representatives of La Misión, were received with warm hospitality by the Lutheran church. We look forward to more opportunities for developing this friendship between two churches that have been long-standing Global Ministries partners meeting critical needs in their respective countries.
Quinn was a trooper on the loooong car ride. She memorized two of her picture books on the way (after having them read to her what seemed like a dozen times). She also enjoyed our time in El Salvador, especially seeing her buddy Nick again, staying at the "hotel" (the Casa Concordia guesthouse) and making friends with Alma, who manages the guesthouse.
It was really fun for us to have a role in this developing relationship. Last month, we went for a very quick visit -- driving to San Salvador on a Saturday, spending two full days getting to know some of the churches and their projects, as well as a bit of Salvadoran history, and then driving back to Managua on that Tuesday.
The highlights were:
Tim, Quinn, and I, along with Sonia and Claudina representing La Misión Cristiana, worshipped with the Ríos de Agua Viva (Rivers of Living Water) Lutheran Church in San Salvador. I was invited to preach (my second sermon in Spanish!)
...and Nick and I both assisted Pastor Vilma in communion.
The service was very different than La Misión worship services (no electric guitars) -- it had a liturgy that felt very similar to U.S. Lutheran churches I've been to. But the one thing that was just like many of the congregations here is that it was over half children and youth.
In the afternoon, we visited an agricultural project outside of the city. The church and project there are both called Fe y Esperanza (Faith and Hope), and they're in the first year of a new initiative called La Mayordomía de la Creación (Stewardship of Creation).
A group of campesinos and church folks is working with an agronomist to learn techniques for growing food organically without chemicals.
We spent a lot of time learning about and looking at organic fertilizer,
which does involve a lot of cow poop!
They have some special mixtures for making organic fertilizer, and they sent us home with a couple bottles. I am very grateful the bottles did not open in the back of the car on the way home!!
It was exciting to see a motivated, informed group of people working together to educate themselves and grow lots of great food.
We were inspired for our own work with the Nicaraguan church's agricultural projects, and to give more thought to integrating our food security projects with the one Tim is developing on care for the environment.
We also visited the chapel where Oscar Romero was assassinated.
It was a powerful experience for me -- I have wanted to visit El Salvador ever since I took a class on liberation theology in college.
My professor had been a journalist in El Salvador during the civil war, and I found Oscar Romero and the liberation theology movement very inspiring.
The church also runs a house called Casa Esperanza, where they support people in a variety of ways. Every day, they provide lunch for people who live on the street -- a scene that was remarkably similar to soup kitchens and lunch programs we've visited or volunteered at in the States. We met the small group of single mothers who cook for the lunch program and are housed there. We visited the tiny medical clinic and very nice classrooms where they hold their after-school programs. Quinn and I really liked the wooden toys and the books in the room for the smallest kids. The church also trains young people in the traditional painting style and we got to see some Salvadoran artesania being made.
We, Global Ministries missionaries and representatives of La Misión, were received with warm hospitality by the Lutheran church. We look forward to more opportunities for developing this friendship between two churches that have been long-standing Global Ministries partners meeting critical needs in their respective countries.
Quinn was a trooper on the loooong car ride. She memorized two of her picture books on the way (after having them read to her what seemed like a dozen times). She also enjoyed our time in El Salvador, especially seeing her buddy Nick again, staying at the "hotel" (the Casa Concordia guesthouse) and making friends with Alma, who manages the guesthouse.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Soy Migrante
I wanted to share this video by the Nicaraguan singer Moisés Gadea. It's a song about migrant workers and the video has some nice shots of day-to-day Nicaraguan life. (Via Josh Berman.) Enjoy!
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