I’ve never been to another country. We went on a cruise to Mexico when I was six ,but that doesn’t really count. Hence, I’ve never been to another country and here I am at 2:00 a.m. central time gathering my backpack and customs paper ready to get off the plane in Nicaragua. I’m not really sure what to expect, where to go, or what to do ,but somehow I’ve made it!! After making it through customs , where the lady called me by my proper Spanish name (which really just sounds like hyena to me) I make my way through sliding glass doors. There’s probably at least 30 guys standing there either holding signs up or trying to get you to take a taxi. I don’t need one though because I know exactly where I’m going…..the nearest chair. The realization I wouldn’t be getting any sleep soon hit as soon as I sat down on the metal bench. Thankfully though there was one fellow American in the airport (he was from Alabama) ,so we ended up talking about our mutual hate for UT, traveling, and ASL. Which was really cool because that lead to JW.org and talking a little about about all the different languages the society has literature available in to help spread the good news. On the subject of languages that brings up the coffee stand incident. At 5 a.m. the coffee stand opens. Now I realize I’m in Managua and the main language is Spanish ,but the entire menu was in English ,so I order like I normally would. That was a mistake. The lady asks me a question and I have no idea what she’s saying ,so then I change my order go with something that can’t be misunderstood (a latte). Well that didn’t work either. She pulled over another lady who worked there to get my order and finally I ended up with some very not even kinda sweet coffee. That kept me awake for the next leg of my journey though. My next flight, the one to get me into Bluefields, was a flight from a local company called La Costeña. In order to get to their check-in desk I had to walk out of the International airport and down a block to their little hole in the wall establishment. Which I actually passed at first because it’s super tiny. Once I made it inside I showed them the ticket info and then my passport. Here’s where it started to get tricky. My suitcase was kinda overweight. By that I mean it was 15 lbs overweight. The guy checking me in looks at me like I don’t know how to pack or something. (Fun fact: I don’t.) He rubs his chin looks at the suitcase, then back to me, and says hold on. He brings another guy over who does the same. Then they both are just kinda looking at me like I’m crazy which is debatable honestly so I don’t blame them too much. Finally, I’m like well can I pay for the extra. Then they nod and look at each other kinda laughing and nod some more. I’m officially THAT American. The one who can’t speak Spanish, is easily confused, and kinda bumble and mumbles through everything. That’s me.
I go through security once without realizing its security and set the machine off. Then when then guy looks at me and points to the scanner (which mind you wasn’t visible from where I walked in) I take off my backpack and walk through again. Unfortunately, to my dismay I had córdobas in my pocket I forgot about. The machine went off again. Finally, I make it through everything and with a battered ego sit and wait for my plane. It’s 20 minutes before the supposed departure time and I start looking around to see if anyone else has a yellow laminated boarding pass like my own. Nada. I start to kinda freak out like “Well, maybe the plane came and left early and because the guy is speaking in Spanish I couldn’t understand and I didn’t hear the flight number right and now here I am and I have missed my flight.” The embarrassment that would’ve ensued had I done that might’ve finished me off. Alas, though a very sweaty, very young professor/writes poetry in his free time guy comes rushing in all disheveled and low and behold amongst his bag and other papers is a yellow boarding pass. That relived me for a few minutes until I notice him looking around and moving seats. He’s not even sure about what he’s doing and considering the state he arrived in it’s possible we both have missed our flights. 10 minutes later a guy goes up to the podium and starts calling off names. The professor guy pops up and walks out the door. Other names are being called off and I hear something that kinda sounds like “Phillips” but I’m not sure. The girls sitting in front of me are confused as well and ask what flight I am and so we go up and check. Turns out it was my flight ,not theirs and so I hand him the boarding pass and walk out into the amazing warm breeze.
You know when you watch a movie and the people decide to go somewhere remote, it skips to where they are on this tiny plane that’s crammed with people and it seems like they are probably gonna crash? That’s the kinda plane we walked out to. We walked up 5 steps and then ducked and crawled into our seats. Now I’m all for adventure…anytime, any day , any place ,but I can’t say I wasn’t a little wary of that flight. I nervously/excitedly buckled up and situated myself right behind the copilot. At least I told myself that even if we did crash I had the best window seat and would get to see an awesome view beforehand. Across the what I guess could be called an aisle sat the professor who leaned over and asked if I had ever been on this flight before ,to which I responded I hadn’t. “Well it’s really marvelous ,just really nice, you’ll see.” ,he replied in accent that I still can’t quite determine. It had a twinge of wanting to be British but definitely wasn’t. Before, I could think anymore about it the plane started making it’s way down the runway and the next thing I knew we were in the air. Once we were up I was able to get a few pictures and then I fell fast asleep. I woke up and we were about to land in Bluefields. Everywhere you look it’s either rich green from the foliage or bright blue from the water. Then as we landed I looked out the window and there was a fence. On the other side of the fence was cows and a man and a little boy on horses rounding them up. At last I had made it to Bluefields.
I got off the plane and walked up to where Christy and a little girl from their hall was waiting for me. My suitcase would be coming on the next plane and so we set off walking back to her house. We pass colorful houses all crammed together and little tiny colorful taxis pass by us. The sidewalks are very uneven everywhere so I soon make it my goal to not trip and fall right in front of a taxi. We get to their house which is blue and green with a swirly pattern gate. Christy makes us quesadillas and honestly I can’t think of a better introduction to this place. A little while later my suitcase finally comes in and then we all (now…Christy, Sean, the little girl, another brother and me) head into town. One thing I notice as we’re walking is all the palm trees and I absolutely love it. They are soooo many pretty palm trees and most are loaded down with coconuts. I’m not sure what it exactly it is but I see one and I instantly feel chillaxed. I’m just gonna call that the nature effect. The closer we walk into town the busier it gets with motor bikes, people, cars and taxis, and even a horse and buggy or two. On one corner loud Spanish music blasts from speakers outside and on others there are people selling fresh fruit and vegetables. There are dogs roaming up and down the streets and cars honking, to say the city is bustling would be an understatement. We go in a store and I exchange my American money for córdobas. One U.S. Dollar is equal to about 28 córdobas. Then we went into a couple other places and I ended up buying my first item. A notebook I needed for 40 córdobas. I even threw in a “gracias” when he handed me back my change. At this point overall.. I wouldn’t say I’m cultured shocked. It’s more like culture intrigued and I love it!!
This morning was my first morning in kriol service and I was super excited. Last night Christy and I had gone over a few common phrases and words. Then, we wrote me up a presentation that I was elated and hesitant to use. After I woke up and got dressed this morning I packed up my backpack with literature and my presentation, slathered on sunscreen, and grabbed my sunglasses before we were out the door walking to the Kingdom Hall. I normally don’t eat breakfast ,so I was good not eating something but Sean threw up some options saying I probably should. (One of which was cookies and Fresca….Fresca is very fast becoming my favorite soda down here.) On our way to the hall we handed out tracts which people readily took and there were a couple people who even stopped us and asked for tracts! The difference between people’s attitude in the States and here is vastly different. At home it’s common for people to not be at home, not answer the door, or just ask you to leave ,but here people really appreciate the bible and love to talk about it!! It’s such a refreshing change to see that. By this point, we’re a little closer to the hall and Christy asks if I want a smoothie. That is something I can’t pass up on so we go inside this little smoothie place and I get her to order me a smoothie that has among other things starfruit and mango in it. I’m not gonna say it was the best smoothie I ever had for the sake of not being dramatic BUT that was a reallllllllly good smoothie. We reach the hall and instantly brothers and sisters are coming up and introducing themselves. I’m not gonna remember any of their names ,but they are all so nice and welcoming. The Kingdom Hall itself is really cool because it has no a/c (truth be told there’s next to no places with a/c here) so there are little shudder slats things on the sides of it to allow for ventilation and a billion fans all going to keep a breeze. After the walk there it felt super nice because even though it was only 9 o’clock it was already in the 80s. The C.O. is in this week so he was pairing up one local person with one non-local so I got put with a local sister and then we went out in a group to a section of the territory we were working. Here instead of knocking on doors you shout from the gate “mornin” and then someone will come out of the house and to the gate to talk to you. The response is incredible, out of everyone who came to the doors they all listened and had something to say about the magazine being offered. Even when it was me who was speaking my botched kriol!! I was really shocked I managed to get through the part of the presentation I remembered and then when they were answering the questions and taking the literature it just made me super happy that I decided to try instead of being nervous. Of course that was only because Jehovah was helping me a ton…moving out of comfort zones is not always easy for me and that was more like launching out of a comfort zone. Around 11 Christy had a study at little store and it was here I had my first bag of water. It cost 2 córdobas and is pretty much what you’d expect. A little bag of water and you bite the corner to drink it. Somehow as simple as that sounds it still totally has a wow factor to it. After, that I decided to head back to the house rest. That consists of lying by a fan on full blast.
So there’s that for my first full day in Nicaragua!!! There’s tonnnss more I could write about and say but I’ll try not to go all nitty gritty detail. There’s a lot things to adjust to like the heat for instance. It’s sooo incredibly hot. Then you have to be careful about some things you eat and that sorta thing. Even though there’s things like that and the planning of the trip to go through… being here and being in service totally makes all of those things seem so insignificant. I truely can say this is the best life ever!!! And it just keeps getting better and better ❤️
-Jay
journeyofablueeyedjay 