It's Almost Here!

Just under 2 weeks before I make my way to sunny Nicaragua, my new home for a good while.  Am I nervous?  Of course.  Am I excited?  Definitely!  Am I packed?  Not one bit.

When I get to Nicaragua, my first few days will be a matter of orientation—staying at the Nehemiah Center, getting to know people, the job, and the location.  From there I will move in with my host family in León and live with them for a month or so.  Part of my job with the Nehemiah Center is coordinating the host families and familiarizing myself with different living options for students, so this month will be dedicated to learning what that's all about so I am better equipped to work with my students.  It’s also a great way for me to jump right into León life and Nicaraguan culture.  It’ll also help me brush up on my rusty Spanish :)

From the host family I will move into a house shared by some of my friends: Guissel Brenes Paz, Adrianna Oudman, and Mark Heidmann.  These three are a part of a program, called the Cohort, in which I am somewhat a leader.  Living with them is a great opportunity to get to know them better and, plus, I get to live with friends :)

Adrianna and Guiss buying house stuff

Guiss signing the lease

Guiss in front of the house

This house, currently fondly known as the Caminante house, is amazing to say the least.  I haven’t actually seen much of it, just what you see in the pictures below, but already I love it.  There’s a lot of room where we can host friends from the community, hold meetings, have bible studies, and more.  From what I’ve been told, there are 5-6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, a small inner courtyard, and a large from porch area (which doubles as a garage).  The landlady really wanted us to rent the place and so she spent a lot of time and money painting and updating most of the plumbing fixtures.  

And, the best part is, our total monthly rent is a bargain price of $350!  Why so cheap, you ask?  Well, the house doesn’t come with a lick of furniture—no beds, no closets, no chairs, no tables, no fridge, no stove.  So, for the first good while we are going to be Pinteresting our way into having great furniture and a great looking house on a small budget.  If you’ve got any cool ideas for us, please send them my way!

Stay tuned as I make my last minute preparations before I move!