For the third straight spring break in a row I had the opportunity to go to Mexico with CSF (Christian Student Fellowship). I thought last year would be my last trip as I was graduating and preparing to live in Costa Rica. But, now that I am back in the states I knew that if there was any way possible, I had to be on this trip. For me, it's not really a question, I really simply assume I'm going. I am so grateful to Dan and Jenny and the CSFers who allow me to come on this trip.
In 2006 we went to Reynosa, Mexico, but last year and this year we went to the same place--Saltillo, Mexico. So this year was great because I got to see a lot of the same Mexican kids that I met and formed relationships with last year. It was also such a blessing to go with lots of the same people from here in the states, but also meet new people who go every year.
Here are some pictures of the trip:
http://community.webshots.com/album/562876260XTMnCc
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Praise You in this storm
I came accross (coincidence?) this video today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O-IiHCrsK8
The song playing in the background is "Praise You in this storm" and that reminds me of my sickness before leaving for Costa Rica, but also somehow during that time I saw the "beauty from pain." Lately I've been struggling with spirituality and trusting God. I wish I could "just" accept God at His word, for what He says. Is anything in life simply "just..." Just pray more, just help these people, just listen for the still small voice, just study more? I wish I could come to God like a child.
That video is very powerful and although I have doubts and sometimes suck at life, I know I was led to it. Many people know my heart and passion for things like this, for trying to help the victims of these crazy storms (crazy tornados or hurricanes to crazy groupings of poverty).
Check out the conversation going on in the comments section below the video. It's really interesting.
At the very least, and I'm sure many are, we could be praying about this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O-IiHCrsK8
The song playing in the background is "Praise You in this storm" and that reminds me of my sickness before leaving for Costa Rica, but also somehow during that time I saw the "beauty from pain." Lately I've been struggling with spirituality and trusting God. I wish I could "just" accept God at His word, for what He says. Is anything in life simply "just..." Just pray more, just help these people, just listen for the still small voice, just study more? I wish I could come to God like a child.
That video is very powerful and although I have doubts and sometimes suck at life, I know I was led to it. Many people know my heart and passion for things like this, for trying to help the victims of these crazy storms (crazy tornados or hurricanes to crazy groupings of poverty).
Check out the conversation going on in the comments section below the video. It's really interesting.
At the very least, and I'm sure many are, we could be praying about this.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Signing off?
It’s been a crazy two and a half weeks since I arrived in Omaha from leaving Costa Rica. I didn’t want to put too much on here about my thoughts over possibly staying home because the decision wasn’t final. However, I had been thinking about staying here in the U.S., as some people know.
There are many reasons for it, but in the end I have decided not to go back to Costa Rica. Many of you know my struggles but I felt that I was too alone down there and didn’t have enough support in Costa Rica. I think many people would have been alright, and are more than alright down there, but the people who know me well know that I really need a lot of support and interaction with friends and family. Relationships are very important to me. Of course I thought this through for over a year before actually leaving for the Peace Corps, but you can never know for sure how something is going to be. I know Peace Corps would be very hard, and very rewarding, but I never knew how that would manifest itself.
I really do think Peace Corps is a great organization and I’m so glad I had that six months there. I wouldn’t change that. I learned so much and it was a great experience. But I couldn’t see myself continuing under those conditions so I had to make the tough choice to stay here in the states. I have so much respect for all the volunteers in Costa Rica, because I’ve met almost all of them and some are good friends, but for volunteers around the world.
Thank you so much to everyone for your support. I was overwhelmed and had so much joy in receiving so many letters and emails. I never thought I would receive so much love and encouragement! People taught me so much about sacrifice and giving and selflessness. Thank you for that. Thank you for taking the time to think of me, pray, write, send packages...
Maybe I will write more if people want. One thing I have discovered, or been discovering, is I don’t understand anything about my life. As a good friend said to me, "life is never, ever, ever what we think it's going to be or should be or has been. I've given up trying to understand it as of a couple days ago, and everything is a lot easier!"
Signing off, for now.
P.S. I really can’t thank people enough for all the support, and I hope just because I’m now not living in an exotic location we will still be friends.
There are many reasons for it, but in the end I have decided not to go back to Costa Rica. Many of you know my struggles but I felt that I was too alone down there and didn’t have enough support in Costa Rica. I think many people would have been alright, and are more than alright down there, but the people who know me well know that I really need a lot of support and interaction with friends and family. Relationships are very important to me. Of course I thought this through for over a year before actually leaving for the Peace Corps, but you can never know for sure how something is going to be. I know Peace Corps would be very hard, and very rewarding, but I never knew how that would manifest itself.
I really do think Peace Corps is a great organization and I’m so glad I had that six months there. I wouldn’t change that. I learned so much and it was a great experience. But I couldn’t see myself continuing under those conditions so I had to make the tough choice to stay here in the states. I have so much respect for all the volunteers in Costa Rica, because I’ve met almost all of them and some are good friends, but for volunteers around the world.
Thank you so much to everyone for your support. I was overwhelmed and had so much joy in receiving so many letters and emails. I never thought I would receive so much love and encouragement! People taught me so much about sacrifice and giving and selflessness. Thank you for that. Thank you for taking the time to think of me, pray, write, send packages...
Maybe I will write more if people want. One thing I have discovered, or been discovering, is I don’t understand anything about my life. As a good friend said to me, "life is never, ever, ever what we think it's going to be or should be or has been. I've given up trying to understand it as of a couple days ago, and everything is a lot easier!"
Signing off, for now.
P.S. I really can’t thank people enough for all the support, and I hope just because I’m now not living in an exotic location we will still be friends.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Quick note
Hey all,
Since I don't have my cell phone in the U.S. anymore, you can't call me there while I'm home. Also, all my numbers were saved in that phone so I don't have most people's phone numbers, so it will be hard to call you.
My house phone is 891-0483. I'll be getting into Omaha very late December 23. Before, I was planning on heading back to Costa Rica January 2 but now that has changed and I won't be heading back until at least January 9!
Since I don't have my cell phone in the U.S. anymore, you can't call me there while I'm home. Also, all my numbers were saved in that phone so I don't have most people's phone numbers, so it will be hard to call you.
My house phone is 891-0483. I'll be getting into Omaha very late December 23. Before, I was planning on heading back to Costa Rica January 2 but now that has changed and I won't be heading back until at least January 9!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Still truckin'
Hey, it’s me. I’m hanging in here, counting down the days when I will be home for Christmas. Soon! Things are still winding down here with the school year ending. This last week one last push has been made by the teachers to get all their final reports in and give everything squared away, so it’s been pretty hectic. I’m more of an observer, and when I jump in to help, I most type and help fill things in but I don’t really understand what I’m doing.
Last night was a really great experience because I got to go to the graduation dinner of the 6th graders at the elementary school. Since here in Costa Rica there is only elementary school (kindergarten through 6th grade) and high school (7th grade through 11th or 12th, depending on the high school), a big deal is made about graduating from elementary. They get diplomas and have dinners and parties.
I can’t remember if I’ve written much about the lack of separation between church and state here in Costa Rica, but I still find it interesting (and very surprising to someone who grew up in the U.S.) that they pray in the schools and have memos sent from the principal to the parents saying “Bless you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!” I have been to two graduation dinners, and at both we prayed. At the first, they kids lit candles and the principal talked about how it represented the Holy Spirit and how with a little flame a fire can spread and they can spread throughout each other. Pretty intense.
And then you have me sitting there, only used to this kind of stuff at “churchy” functions, looking around waiting for somebody to stand up and start yelling that since they believe that God is a tree or we are God or God doesn’t exist we can’t pray to Jesus. But that I know of, that doesn’t happen here.
Did I ever mention another thing that still startles me, although I am somewhat more use to it? The first week or two I was here in Costa Rica I was standing on the bus (as usual because there were no available seats) and I was enjoying the scenery outside the bus when I looked down at the lady sitting in the seat near me and she was breastfeeding her baby…no towel or shirt covering her up. My face turned red and I wondered if anybody else noticed.
And so, I learned that, for whatever reason, it is fairly normal to breastfeed in public here. Maybe it’s because of the long bus rides since most don’t own cars, or maybe it’s something different, but it’s normal here.
Also they charge in many public places to use the restroom, and they don’t drink beer out of the bottle (only Nicaraguans do that, I’m told) so they pour it into a cup with lots of ice. Who wants watered down beer?
Anyways I am here and living and fairly healthy and waiting, waiting, and waiting to come home. Some big things are going on here, so if you’re ever talking to God and you think of me, maybe throw my name in there.
Last night was a really great experience because I got to go to the graduation dinner of the 6th graders at the elementary school. Since here in Costa Rica there is only elementary school (kindergarten through 6th grade) and high school (7th grade through 11th or 12th, depending on the high school), a big deal is made about graduating from elementary. They get diplomas and have dinners and parties.
I can’t remember if I’ve written much about the lack of separation between church and state here in Costa Rica, but I still find it interesting (and very surprising to someone who grew up in the U.S.) that they pray in the schools and have memos sent from the principal to the parents saying “Bless you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!” I have been to two graduation dinners, and at both we prayed. At the first, they kids lit candles and the principal talked about how it represented the Holy Spirit and how with a little flame a fire can spread and they can spread throughout each other. Pretty intense.
And then you have me sitting there, only used to this kind of stuff at “churchy” functions, looking around waiting for somebody to stand up and start yelling that since they believe that God is a tree or we are God or God doesn’t exist we can’t pray to Jesus. But that I know of, that doesn’t happen here.
Did I ever mention another thing that still startles me, although I am somewhat more use to it? The first week or two I was here in Costa Rica I was standing on the bus (as usual because there were no available seats) and I was enjoying the scenery outside the bus when I looked down at the lady sitting in the seat near me and she was breastfeeding her baby…no towel or shirt covering her up. My face turned red and I wondered if anybody else noticed.
And so, I learned that, for whatever reason, it is fairly normal to breastfeed in public here. Maybe it’s because of the long bus rides since most don’t own cars, or maybe it’s something different, but it’s normal here.
Also they charge in many public places to use the restroom, and they don’t drink beer out of the bottle (only Nicaraguans do that, I’m told) so they pour it into a cup with lots of ice. Who wants watered down beer?
Anyways I am here and living and fairly healthy and waiting, waiting, and waiting to come home. Some big things are going on here, so if you’re ever talking to God and you think of me, maybe throw my name in there.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Christmas in hot weather
For the first time since I arrived to San José de Upala I actually felt cold these last two nights and mornings. Apparently December is their coldest month. Although, cold for here is that now instead of sleeping with one sheet and only my shorts on when I sleep, I put a t-shirt and socks on, so it’s still not exactly cold. It’s amazing that in the day it’s still just as hot. It’s near 90 today, so I’m sitting here sweating like usual.
On Saturday the family bought a small little fake Christmas tree. Although it seems people celebrate Christmas here, there are a few differences. First, there aren’t a ton of evergreen trees here, and it never gets close to snowing. It’s a very different atmosphere. The weather is almost the same as it is the rest of the year, so although it seems people will be celebrating Christmas, not as many people have lights or trees, although some do have lights and trees.
The other difference I found was when I was talking to my old host mom, the one from training. I asked her about Christmas but she said Christmas isn’t a huge deal there for her. The reason is, however, that she is fairly poor and can only afford a little basket of candy for each of her grandkids. I know there are people like that in the U.S., but growing up in suburban Omaha, I didn’t know anybody like that.
With the end of their school year in site and classes ending in the next couple weeks, things are winding down around town. People still pressure me to teach them English, or should I say somehow channel it to them just while being in their presence (who wants to work to gain something anyways?) but with the school year ending, I’ve been telling them we’ll start in February. That gives me time to get the books and do some planning.
One thing that I can say positively is that my health has been good, and that is something I should be more thankful for. I think I wrote about it in another entry about my experience when I studied abroad in Costa Rica and how sick I was. Plus, since I don’t have good eating habits in the U.S, I’ve never felt really healthy as far as my stomach and food goes. But here, for the most part, I feel a lot better, health wise. I’m still used to eating rice and beans twice a day (lunch and dinner). I am eating so much though, and a few people around town have taken note that they can tell, at least in my face, that I’m gaining weight! I keep telling them after my two years I’m going to be fat.
Every moment of every day here is a struggle for me, an effort to push the “hard button.” It’s not enough to think only in today, that I will have a good day, for example. It’s a fight moment to moment as I struggle to determine which activities are best for the community and how to get community involvement. So many have their own agendas or want to use people or don’t understand sustainable development that it’s hard to know who to trust or who to work with each day. It’s really hard to keep the balance between rest and work, because I know that I could let myself slip into doing favors for people all day or overworking myself, and so that’s another struggle—taking the right amount of time out for myself.
Some really good, humble, and simply very nice people live here and have helped me tremendously through these hard times when I let comments from the negative people weigh me down. With the great people that are here, there are also people that seem to have few redeeming qualities, and sometimes it’s hard living and working with them.
With some low moments here I started looking through “Shattered Dreams” by Larry Crabb again. I read it earlier during training but depending on where we’re at in life, we can see very different things when we read or hear the same thing as before but now with different circumstances. What he talks about and what I’ve been thinking about lately has to do with trying to make sense of a seemingly unresponsive God, especially through our tough times. Although I don’t really understand the specifics, people I respect and look up to talk about how the hard times can be good for us—somehow we grow or learn or move forward. It’s really hard to see that right now in the middle of the storm.
One guy I’ve met will be entering his senior year of high school in February. He’s been a very good friend to me and he is very humble. He lives only with his mom in a house that has dirt for a floor and I don’t think any right angles exist in the house—I’m surprised the plywood is holding up. They are poor. Their only form of transportation is that he has a bike. They don’t have a car, landline phone, or cell phone.
He really stands out because he has such drive. Most people out here have little vision or drive to succeed, much of which is passed down from the parents. With little options for jobs in this place, it’s not a far fetch that people don’t have a lot of inspiration or incentive. But my friend (Oscar) has been teaching himself English for the last few years. His dream is to spend a week in the U.S. He wants to be a tour guide here in Costa Rica and he loves the English language and is so eager to see what the U.S. is like. He wants me to bring pictures back of anything—the streets, buildings, people.
I would really like to find an exchange program or a way to help him have his dream come true of spending a week (or more) in the U.S. One thing we take for granted, or at least I do, is that as a U.S. citizen we can travel to so many countries with ease. Yet here, there are so many people in Costa Rica that are turned down everyday for a visa to visit the U.S. And get this—it costs about $100 just to apply for a visa—and if they turn you down, that money isn’t returned. So there are poor people that have to save up just to apply, only to be turned down. Oscar can’t even afford a visa, but even if he saves up, I’m scared he will be turned down. I’ve noticed that exchange programs help, because once accepted, they take care of the technical stuff like visas, and everyone accepted into the program gets a visa and gets to travel. So the hard part is finding and getting accepted into an exchange program.
Anyways, I’m mentioning this story because I’d like to do more research in getting him a program or some organization that he can apply for that will allow him to do something in the U.S. Work or attend school or something. I figure enough people read this that somebody might know somebody who might know of an organization. Please let me know!
On Saturday the family bought a small little fake Christmas tree. Although it seems people celebrate Christmas here, there are a few differences. First, there aren’t a ton of evergreen trees here, and it never gets close to snowing. It’s a very different atmosphere. The weather is almost the same as it is the rest of the year, so although it seems people will be celebrating Christmas, not as many people have lights or trees, although some do have lights and trees.
The other difference I found was when I was talking to my old host mom, the one from training. I asked her about Christmas but she said Christmas isn’t a huge deal there for her. The reason is, however, that she is fairly poor and can only afford a little basket of candy for each of her grandkids. I know there are people like that in the U.S., but growing up in suburban Omaha, I didn’t know anybody like that.
With the end of their school year in site and classes ending in the next couple weeks, things are winding down around town. People still pressure me to teach them English, or should I say somehow channel it to them just while being in their presence (who wants to work to gain something anyways?) but with the school year ending, I’ve been telling them we’ll start in February. That gives me time to get the books and do some planning.
One thing that I can say positively is that my health has been good, and that is something I should be more thankful for. I think I wrote about it in another entry about my experience when I studied abroad in Costa Rica and how sick I was. Plus, since I don’t have good eating habits in the U.S, I’ve never felt really healthy as far as my stomach and food goes. But here, for the most part, I feel a lot better, health wise. I’m still used to eating rice and beans twice a day (lunch and dinner). I am eating so much though, and a few people around town have taken note that they can tell, at least in my face, that I’m gaining weight! I keep telling them after my two years I’m going to be fat.
Every moment of every day here is a struggle for me, an effort to push the “hard button.” It’s not enough to think only in today, that I will have a good day, for example. It’s a fight moment to moment as I struggle to determine which activities are best for the community and how to get community involvement. So many have their own agendas or want to use people or don’t understand sustainable development that it’s hard to know who to trust or who to work with each day. It’s really hard to keep the balance between rest and work, because I know that I could let myself slip into doing favors for people all day or overworking myself, and so that’s another struggle—taking the right amount of time out for myself.
Some really good, humble, and simply very nice people live here and have helped me tremendously through these hard times when I let comments from the negative people weigh me down. With the great people that are here, there are also people that seem to have few redeeming qualities, and sometimes it’s hard living and working with them.
With some low moments here I started looking through “Shattered Dreams” by Larry Crabb again. I read it earlier during training but depending on where we’re at in life, we can see very different things when we read or hear the same thing as before but now with different circumstances. What he talks about and what I’ve been thinking about lately has to do with trying to make sense of a seemingly unresponsive God, especially through our tough times. Although I don’t really understand the specifics, people I respect and look up to talk about how the hard times can be good for us—somehow we grow or learn or move forward. It’s really hard to see that right now in the middle of the storm.
One guy I’ve met will be entering his senior year of high school in February. He’s been a very good friend to me and he is very humble. He lives only with his mom in a house that has dirt for a floor and I don’t think any right angles exist in the house—I’m surprised the plywood is holding up. They are poor. Their only form of transportation is that he has a bike. They don’t have a car, landline phone, or cell phone.
He really stands out because he has such drive. Most people out here have little vision or drive to succeed, much of which is passed down from the parents. With little options for jobs in this place, it’s not a far fetch that people don’t have a lot of inspiration or incentive. But my friend (Oscar) has been teaching himself English for the last few years. His dream is to spend a week in the U.S. He wants to be a tour guide here in Costa Rica and he loves the English language and is so eager to see what the U.S. is like. He wants me to bring pictures back of anything—the streets, buildings, people.
I would really like to find an exchange program or a way to help him have his dream come true of spending a week (or more) in the U.S. One thing we take for granted, or at least I do, is that as a U.S. citizen we can travel to so many countries with ease. Yet here, there are so many people in Costa Rica that are turned down everyday for a visa to visit the U.S. And get this—it costs about $100 just to apply for a visa—and if they turn you down, that money isn’t returned. So there are poor people that have to save up just to apply, only to be turned down. Oscar can’t even afford a visa, but even if he saves up, I’m scared he will be turned down. I’ve noticed that exchange programs help, because once accepted, they take care of the technical stuff like visas, and everyone accepted into the program gets a visa and gets to travel. So the hard part is finding and getting accepted into an exchange program.
Anyways, I’m mentioning this story because I’d like to do more research in getting him a program or some organization that he can apply for that will allow him to do something in the U.S. Work or attend school or something. I figure enough people read this that somebody might know somebody who might know of an organization. Please let me know!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Crazy Life in Costa Rica
Hey!
Well I´m here at the usual place, an Internet café in the nearest town with Internet. I was thinking about being home for Christmas, and how it will be weird to be back in a house where we can use fast internet anytime we want. Crazy!
At the high school, we have been planning the new school year, which starts in early February. It looks like I will be teaching a few classes—a business class and a couple English classes. The business class is the one I have been sitting in on to get a better feel for it and how the schools work, and to get to know the people.
I feel like it will be very weird to be teaching at all. I already have been teaching English, a few times, more informally, with lesson plans made up from my head. And before joining Peace Corps, I knew that I may have to teach some English. So I´m still trying to avoid that or settle the people down that I´m not going to be teaching ton of English, hopefully. I have never felt a calling to teaching, and I don´t really like English.
I am, however, excited for the business administration class/starting your own business. This class is based not just on technical aspects, but on motivation that it is possible and what kinds of attitudes and behaviors to have. This is more what I thought I´d be doing when I joined Peace Corps, although not in a formal setting. I thought it´d be more with groups and cooperatives. I am working on one project with a women´s group, so the high school class will just be a little more formal.
Here it is very hard to determine how much time to put into these projects. I really have to learn how to balance many different things at once and manage my days. “Free days” sound really nice, but it´s so difficult because a lot of people see a volunteer and all they see is free labor. I am having trouble figuring out who is sincere and honest and who isn´t.
One thing that really gets me down in life is that it seems there are so few people who are authentic, honest, and passionate. So many people talk and promise. We are bombarded from all over with advertisements showing the best food, tv, computer, and beer that helps you get really hot women. We are pushed on all sides by people selling their religion, their view on life, their product.
And yet what it seems there is so few of is people who are living out what they believe, what they sell. We are all doing our best, that I have no doubt. But the narrow road really is hard to find, it seems. I know truth is out there, but so many people have hidden agendas it´s hard what to believe.
Having a good conversation in Spanish is hard…it takes somebody with patience and knows how to speak clearly. I find myself even avoiding certain people because they just get so frustrated with me. Then there are other people who I understand very well and they understand me! I try to spend more time with these people.
Even though Peace Corps started engraining it in my head from before I left, I still struggle with feelings that I´m not making a difference. Especially early on, they say, it´s hard to see progress. But apparently helping people is harder than I thought. We were taught not to do things for them, that we support and encourage and help along with them, and yet this process is slow.
In addition, many people don´t agree with this process. They don´t want a process. They want results. They see a volunteer who may not have an appointment on Monday, so why aren´t you teaching or getting something “done”? Why are you doing an analysis of the community? What a waste of time, they say.
Well I hope I´m not wasting my time here. Maybe I´m in that transition phase because it´s still early on. I´ve been in the community over two months now, so it´s just hard when on the surface, it seems I haven´t done that much.
Soon I will be finishing up my analysis and heading home for Christmas! I am so looking forward to seeing everybody!
Please pray.
-Nick
Well I´m here at the usual place, an Internet café in the nearest town with Internet. I was thinking about being home for Christmas, and how it will be weird to be back in a house where we can use fast internet anytime we want. Crazy!
At the high school, we have been planning the new school year, which starts in early February. It looks like I will be teaching a few classes—a business class and a couple English classes. The business class is the one I have been sitting in on to get a better feel for it and how the schools work, and to get to know the people.
I feel like it will be very weird to be teaching at all. I already have been teaching English, a few times, more informally, with lesson plans made up from my head. And before joining Peace Corps, I knew that I may have to teach some English. So I´m still trying to avoid that or settle the people down that I´m not going to be teaching ton of English, hopefully. I have never felt a calling to teaching, and I don´t really like English.
I am, however, excited for the business administration class/starting your own business. This class is based not just on technical aspects, but on motivation that it is possible and what kinds of attitudes and behaviors to have. This is more what I thought I´d be doing when I joined Peace Corps, although not in a formal setting. I thought it´d be more with groups and cooperatives. I am working on one project with a women´s group, so the high school class will just be a little more formal.
Here it is very hard to determine how much time to put into these projects. I really have to learn how to balance many different things at once and manage my days. “Free days” sound really nice, but it´s so difficult because a lot of people see a volunteer and all they see is free labor. I am having trouble figuring out who is sincere and honest and who isn´t.
One thing that really gets me down in life is that it seems there are so few people who are authentic, honest, and passionate. So many people talk and promise. We are bombarded from all over with advertisements showing the best food, tv, computer, and beer that helps you get really hot women. We are pushed on all sides by people selling their religion, their view on life, their product.
And yet what it seems there is so few of is people who are living out what they believe, what they sell. We are all doing our best, that I have no doubt. But the narrow road really is hard to find, it seems. I know truth is out there, but so many people have hidden agendas it´s hard what to believe.
Having a good conversation in Spanish is hard…it takes somebody with patience and knows how to speak clearly. I find myself even avoiding certain people because they just get so frustrated with me. Then there are other people who I understand very well and they understand me! I try to spend more time with these people.
Even though Peace Corps started engraining it in my head from before I left, I still struggle with feelings that I´m not making a difference. Especially early on, they say, it´s hard to see progress. But apparently helping people is harder than I thought. We were taught not to do things for them, that we support and encourage and help along with them, and yet this process is slow.
In addition, many people don´t agree with this process. They don´t want a process. They want results. They see a volunteer who may not have an appointment on Monday, so why aren´t you teaching or getting something “done”? Why are you doing an analysis of the community? What a waste of time, they say.
Well I hope I´m not wasting my time here. Maybe I´m in that transition phase because it´s still early on. I´ve been in the community over two months now, so it´s just hard when on the surface, it seems I haven´t done that much.
Soon I will be finishing up my analysis and heading home for Christmas! I am so looking forward to seeing everybody!
Please pray.
-Nick
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