The land of lakes and volcanoes. An area where are spring like temperatures all year around. A place where you can be at the beach in less than an hour. A place where there are tons of garden centers only half an hour away. A place where you can buy everything you need and tons you don’t need. A place where we have cable TV (although few programs that we would actually watch), cellular reception, and fast internet. A place where there are people who share our values, our dreams, our mission. A place called Nicaragua.

In the end of September we left our kids and grandkids in Alberta and boarded the plane for a new adventure in a new land. Unlike our last move to Bolivia, we had no great plans, no great expectations. We wanted to take our time to find a place to live and then to find something to do. Little did we know that the most important thing we needed was a time to heal. 

We did not realize how we had been so impacted by the last months in Bolivia. We felt betrayed. We felt a lack of support. We felt alone. Although we knew that we had left some very good friends behind, we seemed to remember those that did not stand beside us. Although we had all the legal documents in place for selling the land, the community continued, and continues, to stall. We ultimately need their approval to complete the land sale. Jake said that never felt as much evil as he did at the last community meeting, an evil that was directed at him not because he was a bad person, but rather as a result of not getting what they wanted – our land. At that point, he left the community and the country. It was hard to leave on that note. We hoped and prayed for a softening of their hearts but that was not to be. We still pray for the community and for Dionicio and we know that God will work it all out for his glory, but we have no idea how. Thankfully we are able to communicate through internet with those that we love, those who stood beside us – Dionicio and Viviana, Claudia and Carlos, Alberto and Cinthia, Rose and Juan.
***************************************************************************************

Within a week of arriving in Nicaragua Jake found a fully furnished house in Diriamba. We saw it on the internet but did not quite believe the photos. It looked too “American” – and it is. My biggest challenge is to be thankful for what we have been given, to accept it, and to enjoy it. I have also had to change my concept of where I should live. Whenever we discussed living in Nicaragua we ran into the snag of security, something we did not dwell on in Bolivia. In the months leading up to our move, we heard about numerous incidences of robberies and it was clear that we could not live without full time security. That meant that we would live either with personal guards at the gate or live in a gated community. I did not like either idea! I also did not like the idea of living in a ‘gringo’ community. But here we are! Sometimes one has to eat their words. Not only do we live in a gated community, but the guards are right outside the window. We have a beautiful house and also have access to the vacant lot next door in which Jake can plant to his hearts delight.

Diriamba is a small town located about 35 minutes south of Managua. Because it is higher in altitude, it does not have the high temperatures and high humidity of cities such as Managua, Granada, or León. The ocean and its beaches are located half an hour to the west of us and run along the coast to the Costa Rican border. To the west is Lake Nicaragua and Crater Lake (Laguna de Apoyo). Also to the west is the scenic town of Catarina which is full of outdoor garden centers, and the touristy town of San Juan del Oriente, the pottery center of the region. Masatepe, where they make furniture and the famous Nica rocking chairs, is on the way to Catarina. Diriamba does not have a lot of shopping but we purchase our fruits and vegetables at the outdoor markets there or a little farther south in Jinotepe. When we need something more ‘American’ we can go to Managua to PriceSmart, La Colonia or La Union (owned by Walmart.) Just down the road there is a fantastic bakery and San Marcos, Diriamba and Jinotepe all have good ice cream shops. Restaurants, both Nica and 'American', abound. We are not lacking for food!

We were able, with the help of our friend Lesther, to purchase two vehicles – a Toyota Corolla for the city driving and a ForeRunner for the most rugged trips. Within a couple of weeks we had our own internet and phones. We were ready to get to work!