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Well, we have begun the project at the Casa Materna La Dalia that some of you contributed too. I had the ¨pleasure¨and duty of buying 3 8¨ tubes of PVC piping for our underground gutter. The guy at the hardware store here in La Dalia said, ¨sure, I will have it before you get back from vacation.¨ Then when I came back, he said no, but that he would call again. I waited another few days and passed and he nonshalantly tells me that they didnt have any. So the next day I go to Matagalpa to find the pipes, determined to bring them home before the weekend so that on monday we could use them. I spent the ENTIRE day, working through miscommunications and lies trying to get these pipes. People here say things that they absolutley dont mean or check on. So when I would call a place, they would say, ¨yes we have them.¨ Then after walking for half an hour to arrive at their place, they would go and check and, ¨oh, we dont have any, they are 6 inches.¨ This happened numerous times. I almost didnt make it home that night, but by a miracle and a last minute phone call, I got the pipes ordered and promised for saturday arrival. Well, they OBVIOUSLY wouldnt arrive on saturday, because that would be way too reliable. Then, I was promised monday before noon and ended up waiting until 530 pm and I went home. He called me then and said they would arrive at 830pm and I said fine but I wont be there. I had to leave for managua at 4am the next day so it was in Korys hands. Well, they did arrive and Kory tells me they are already in the ground, so now I wont even get to see them!

It´s a humbling experience to have to fight so hard for every little thing. It shows how difficult it is to get things done when you are poor. On the way home from Matagalpa that day, I was feeling bad, especially because my bus didnt stop for me, but stopped only at the top of the hill and made me run to the top, but I got on. I was standing watching a couple seated with their three kids. When the money collector came by, they didnt say anything when he asked for money (which is the nica way of communicating that they didnt have any money.) He charged a few other people then held out his had and the couple again didnt do or say anything. He finished with the back of the bus and then came back. The man spoke in a very quiet and humble voice that I couldnt really hear but he never made eye contact with the money guy. Finally the money guy just gave him their tickets. I was instantly put into perspective. I had spent the whole day trying to find pipes so I could spend 2700 cordobas when this family did not even have the 22 cordobas for a bus trip. I was reminded that I am here to experience life as they do and that I was ok and I even learned from the experience. I will not take for granted all the available things at home depot or having a car to get there and the ability to pay for things. Anyway. So thats an update. I will soon be puting pictures up so you can see the progress!

Just so you know, if all goes well, which we still dont know if it will, we will be coming home in 11 weeks! Right now the date is the 26 of march, but that could VERY well change as our charlas listas project is NOT progressing. Well. pray that it will.