¡Primera Semana en Nicaragua!

Oh, where to begin? Nicaragua is crazy. Both in good and bad ways :) First of all I´m struggling with this Spanish keyboard...but that´s overcome-able ;)

So, Spanish...that´s been an adventure. My compañera, Hna Miza is from Guatemala, but she speaks a little English and understands me pretty well, so everything´s good there. I very seldom speak English, so my Spanish is mucho mejor aquí. My understanding went down the drain, though. My goodness. I don´t understand anything people tell me x3 very very barely. Teaching is...exciting. And hard. Honestly I just translate the scripture we´re sharing and listen carefully to what Hna Miza is saying so I have context when she looks at me (which is my cue to say my part). The Nicaraguan accent is very very hard to understand. It´s not that they speak quickly, it´s just the American of Spanish accents. They drop consonants, they don´t enunciate, etc. I´m getting better. But that´s honestly the hardest part of being here, is not being able to communicate. But Hna Miza seems to think my Spanish is really good, and other people keep telling me that...but I honestly don´t believe them x3 They´re probably comparing me to Hna Miza´s previous companion, who didn´t speak Spanish much, and didn´t speak very well, since this was her first area. But I´ve been told that my accent is really good, multiple times. I´ve been reassured that my Spanish and my accent is bueno...so I´m trying not to worry so much and rely more on the Spirit, because I won´t talk to people otherwise. That´s definitely been part of my grand adventure here. 

Food. The food is actually really good. I haven´t gone a single meal at someone´s house without rice and beans. They mix beans and rice together and call it gallo pinto. They eat it with everything :) But I love it. Most people give us Coke or Pepsi to drink, which is good. A couple people have put oatmeal (here it´s called avena mosh) in water or milk to flavor it and then give that to us...it´s interesting. There´s always stuff left at the bottom x3 People also set up pulperias, which are essentially like mini convenience stores you find at gas stations, except they´re a little smaller. You can buy drinks, water, snacks, and occasionally other things like toys. They´re everywhere, and people just buy homes and set up these little shops, and they´re awesome. If I ever need a bottle of water, there´s probably a pulperia nearby that I can buy one at :)

Speaking of homes. They´re kind of crazy here. No one really uses doors. At least here in Villa Flor. They have gates instead of doors, and a lot of homes have open roofs in some spots, so they´re never completely cut off from open air. It´s hard to explain. But also, some people actually have homes that look like tiny houses, and others live on dirt floors with sheets of tin and wood for walls and ceilings. The people here really are so poor. Not everyone, but some people definitely are. And if they´re not living in tin houses, they don´t have much more. Our "apartment" that´s actualy a room with a bathroom separated by a curtain, is actually fairly decent. It´s about 12x12 ft, if I´m calculating correctly. There´s room for 2 bunk beds, two fold out tables for desks, a couple fans (thank heavens), the "kitchen" with a mini fridge, a sink, and a portable gas stove with two stove tops that goes on top of the fridge, and then the bathroom with running (but cold) water. You don´t even want hot water for a shower here anyways...the cold showers I take every night are what I look forward to when I´m walking around all hot and sweaty. I´ll remember to take pictures for next week. Our room is cozy and tiny, but I love it. There´s just enough room. We really don´t need more.

The streets...oh my land. Rules of the road?? Here: if you´re a pedestrian, do what you want, just don´t get killed. If you´re a taxi driver, honk anytime you have to stop, and go as fast as you want, just don´t get killed. If you´re a bus driver, same thing applies to a taxi driver, but you have to wait until the last person at least has a foot in the door before you leave...and don´t get killed. Road lines are more like guidelines; you can essentially drive on whatever side of the road you want unless it´s separated by a median, and unless there´s another car coming. You can crowd as many cars as you want, as long as no one gets killed. It´s terrifying, honestly. Especially riding the buses. They´re huge and massive, and you honestly need to hold on really tight, because the drivers don´t care too much as long as you´re on the bus. And then I almost tried to underpay a taxi...oops. Sorry, sir. Thank goodness my companion speaks Spanish...and knows how much to pay a taxi.

Yeah, we essentially just walk around everywhere. But if we need to go far, we´ll take a bus or a taxi, depending. The bus is cheaper, but crazy. Taxis are easy, but expensive. They´re everywhere, honking at everyone to try and get a customer. 

Church on Sunday was interesting...they don´t have a pianist in their ward at all...and they have an electric piano that plays prelude. So I play the electronic piano now for the La Catorce de Septiembre ward...haha. Literally no one knows how to play. But at least I´m here...I suppose...I can sight-read.
So that´s about it :) Nicaragua is crazy but exciting. I love it, and I´m getting more used to it. I´ll tell you all about my adventures next week :) Love you all. The gift of tongues is real and Heavenly Father really does hear our prayers. I know that for a fact. 

- Hna Oliphant