Nicaragua, Day One
I´m basically going to post my journal entries and my pictures from each day. Feel free to comment.
Me and Jennie on the bus...
This is the river between Costa Rica and Nicaragua...
Today we had a 9-hour bus ride from San Jose to Managua, which was okay. I took Tiamina and between that and the windy roads, I didn’t feel so hot! When we got off the bus at the Costa Rican border, a lot of the girls essentially got groped and harassed by about 10-12 guys – not sure if they were Costa Rican or Nicaraguan. I didn’t really know what to feel… I think I was mostly frustrated that I didn’t react in any way except to escape from the situation. I’d always thought that I’d react in some way and could never understand when I’d heard how people didn’t. Talking with the other girls, they felt the same sort of helplessness – especially amongst a crowd of men, in a foreign country, where you’re not sure if a reaction could end in violence.
When my mama was talking about the Nicaraguan war, she was saying how her family just kept quiet and tried not to rock the boat. I was thinking that maybe I’d be different – maybe I’d take a stand against that. But, I’ve seen a pattern in my life of thinking I would make the “right” or “courageous” decision and then when the time comes, I do the least complicated means of self-preservation… I wonder if you ever really lose that need of self-preservation and think of others like Christ did/does.
Speaking of Christ, we had a speaker come and share – a MK who lived in Nicaragua and then the States for college and then back to Nicaragua to live. Honestly, I felt like the guy had been drugged. His main point seemed to be to “just live” – whatever that meant. Even when we’d ask questions, he’d just get confused or throw out generalizations without any reasoning to back it up. The only thing I did like about what he said was when he talked about how many people preach 3-day Christianity – as if the only important part of being a Christian is being saved (a.k.a.: “fire insurance”). I have to agree with that criticism, however, I walked out with very little respect for what he had to say.
Then I started wondering why in the world he was brought to speak – there had to have been some reason. One thing I saw was that maybe he was the epitome of a Latin American lifestyle? Of a “campesino,” perhaps? Most of the time, he’s very “tranquilo” and then every so often he finds himself in the middle of protest…
He also said you couldn’t find Jesus at a Christian University because there’s so much materialism there, but I entirely disagree. Talking to Claudia, we both agreed that we’ve fallen more in love with the Lord at Biola than in any time during our lives. We’ve been challenged to figure out our faith individually but given help if needed. I think anybody who makes extreme comments (like that one) is bordering on “throwing out the baby with the bath water.” One of my Biola professors, who was a rather radical experience for me, taught me that the Lord isn’t about “either/or” but rather “both/and”. You can find the Lord BOTH in Nicaragua AND in the States. Even in the passage about the rich young ruler, I liked how Heidi pointed out in class that Jesus looked on him with compassion – in the same way he looked on the poor with compassion. Maybe the key to pleasing God is having a heart willing to be ‘content in any and every situation.’ I’ll have to keep learning… I’m really curious to hear more of a Nica worldview.
Me and Jennie on the bus...
This is the river between Costa Rica and Nicaragua...
Today we had a 9-hour bus ride from San Jose to Managua, which was okay. I took Tiamina and between that and the windy roads, I didn’t feel so hot! When we got off the bus at the Costa Rican border, a lot of the girls essentially got groped and harassed by about 10-12 guys – not sure if they were Costa Rican or Nicaraguan. I didn’t really know what to feel… I think I was mostly frustrated that I didn’t react in any way except to escape from the situation. I’d always thought that I’d react in some way and could never understand when I’d heard how people didn’t. Talking with the other girls, they felt the same sort of helplessness – especially amongst a crowd of men, in a foreign country, where you’re not sure if a reaction could end in violence.
When my mama was talking about the Nicaraguan war, she was saying how her family just kept quiet and tried not to rock the boat. I was thinking that maybe I’d be different – maybe I’d take a stand against that. But, I’ve seen a pattern in my life of thinking I would make the “right” or “courageous” decision and then when the time comes, I do the least complicated means of self-preservation… I wonder if you ever really lose that need of self-preservation and think of others like Christ did/does.
Speaking of Christ, we had a speaker come and share – a MK who lived in Nicaragua and then the States for college and then back to Nicaragua to live. Honestly, I felt like the guy had been drugged. His main point seemed to be to “just live” – whatever that meant. Even when we’d ask questions, he’d just get confused or throw out generalizations without any reasoning to back it up. The only thing I did like about what he said was when he talked about how many people preach 3-day Christianity – as if the only important part of being a Christian is being saved (a.k.a.: “fire insurance”). I have to agree with that criticism, however, I walked out with very little respect for what he had to say.
Then I started wondering why in the world he was brought to speak – there had to have been some reason. One thing I saw was that maybe he was the epitome of a Latin American lifestyle? Of a “campesino,” perhaps? Most of the time, he’s very “tranquilo” and then every so often he finds himself in the middle of protest…
He also said you couldn’t find Jesus at a Christian University because there’s so much materialism there, but I entirely disagree. Talking to Claudia, we both agreed that we’ve fallen more in love with the Lord at Biola than in any time during our lives. We’ve been challenged to figure out our faith individually but given help if needed. I think anybody who makes extreme comments (like that one) is bordering on “throwing out the baby with the bath water.” One of my Biola professors, who was a rather radical experience for me, taught me that the Lord isn’t about “either/or” but rather “both/and”. You can find the Lord BOTH in Nicaragua AND in the States. Even in the passage about the rich young ruler, I liked how Heidi pointed out in class that Jesus looked on him with compassion – in the same way he looked on the poor with compassion. Maybe the key to pleasing God is having a heart willing to be ‘content in any and every situation.’ I’ll have to keep learning… I’m really curious to hear more of a Nica worldview.
posted by Sings in the Sunshine at
4:55 PM
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