Monkey at the Meeting

Nicaragua So Far

Well we've only been here for a month or so but we've squeezed a lot into our time and it feels like we've been here for ages.  I feel like I've had my throat cut not having the internet for the past couple of weeks apart from the odd time that I pop in and hijack our friend's wireless (thanks Pete & Hayley) - amazing how little I actually know and how much I rely on Google to provide me with the answers to my endless questions at just a few taps on a keyboard!  Scary!

When we first moved to the house where we're staying (about a 20 min walk out of town) the walk was a bit of a novelty and didn't seem that far but when we seem to go back and forth two or three times a day it just doesn't seem quite as much fun.  So I've decided that I need a bicycle at the earliest opportunity.  I haven't ridden a bike in a while so stay posted for the adventure that that will be.

I love the way the guys in Nicaragua ride around with their wives or girlfriends (or sometimes their whole family) balanced on the bar of their bike or occasionally on the handlebars.  I hope Porl is up tot the challenge and that his balance is better than mine (not hard) ;)  When we went to Rivas the other day (a bigger town about 40 mins drive away) I went looking for a bike but have since found out that we unfortunately just happened to go during the owner's 2 hour lunch break.

We had a little adventure the other day with a baby monkey.  One of our neighbours had  rescued this cute wee monkey that had (open quotes) fallen out of a tree (close quotes) but was finding it quite expensive to feed and wanted to sell it.  I was very tempted but decided it'd be like having a baby so probably not something I could take on right now.  Anyway a lady in town, an American who arrived here on a sailboat about 10 years ago and never left attends our meetings and is studying the Bible with one of the young sisters in the congregation.  She is quite eccentric and has a big monkey that she's owned for a number of years.  She makes her living by taking it down to the malecón (promenade) when the cruise ships come in and letting people have their photo taken with the monkey for a donation.  Anyway, she decided that her monkey would make a good mother for the baby and she wanted to buy it.  She doesn't speak Spanish so she asked us to go along with her and translate for her which we did.  She ended up buying this cute little baby for $US45 (although I'm sure it'll soon earn that back) and her name is Suraya.  On the way back we stopped at the pharmacy and got her some formula and a baby bottle - meanwhile she managed to wee and poo all over me, charming! (But cute enough to forgive.)

Because Suraya is so little, Beverley or BJ as she likes to be called has her with her all the time tied to her and takes her everywhere.  And I do mean everywhere lol.   It's not every day that you get to see a monkey at the meeting!  I don't think there's been any bonding between the big monkey, Cindy Lauper and Suraya but she has survived so far at least :)

I've been having a lovely couple of weeks in the ministry.  I have a Bible study with a lovely young mum called Yorlenis who has a cute little 7 year old daughter called Franchesca who also wanted her own study.  We have had three studies now and her cousin Orlando has joined us for the second and third study which they both seem to be really enjoying.  I love spending time with the kids because they're not too shy to correct me when I make mistakes in Spanish and I can always pick up some useful phrases from them too.  Franchesca is sooo cute she comes with me every Sunday to the Spanish meeting and is trying to build up the courage to answer.

Speaking of meetings the boys have been really busy at the meetings, Porl is taking the Watchtower and Chase and Kieran are helping with the mikes, the reading and the sound which has been great!

Upsie, internet time is up, gotta run, sorry peeps - chau for now!!!