Month three of the World Race has brought me to Nicaragua. I have loved every minute so far. Well, the short time that I fell down a volcano and tore my quad was slightly less enjoyable, but I was blessed to have an athletic trainer and another nurse on my team, so the healing process is well under way.
The ministry here has many facets. We are mostly investing time and relationships in a nearby neighborhood to help plant a church and get a youth group established. We play soccer in the streets with the kids, color and sing at the schools, and host a bible study and church service in Spanish each week. I never thought I would be leading devotionals, let alone in a different language. Thanks Google Translate.
In an area that functions under a different culture and has never seen so many pale people, awkward moments are inevitable. And awkward moments are just meant to be shared.
Enjoy.
That awkward moment when…
- you have to climb over five bodies, multiple bags, and a guitar to get to the bus bathroom on a travel day with the squad
- You aren’t sure whether you are being called fat or being hit on due to the language barrier
- The plate of chocolate turns out to be beets
- You finally find a public restroom and realize there is no toilet paper. Or toilet seat.
- You find an ant on your shoulder. “So did it crawl up my entire body…?”
- The bug bites on your legs remind you of the constellations
- Shakira starts playing on a crowded bus and all the Americanas start dancing
- You can’t run alone so you repeat the same block outside the house for 30 minutes
- Your neighbors bring out their lawnchairs so they can watch you run back and forth
- the woman you are talking to starts to breastfeed her two-year-old
- you realize the baby you are holding has no diaper
- you aren’t sure if you have a sandal tan line or your feet are just dirty
- ants are discovered in the nutella jar after you finish eating it on your banana
- you flush and water starts shooting out the top of the toilet
- the sweat dripping down your neck wakes you up at night
- the beans and rice have a sudden crunch to it “Bug? Yup, there’s the body.”
…And of course, that moment when you discover the awkward moments just are not awkward anymore.
Word of advice: If someone offers you an empanada, eat it. Life changer. No doubt.
