La Vida Nica

I have thought about what I would say when I finally wrote an ‘update’ after arriving back in Nicaragua nearly everyday since returning. That was a week and a half ago. And as I sit down to write this, I’m still in the same place: how do I describe this? Here’s why:

We feel safe. We live in a neighborhood with awesome guards and a community of people who genuinely look out for one another. The second night we were back we received a letter that reiterated the neighborhood ‘rules,’ even reminding people to slow down when they are driving around because there are so many kids. So we feel like our personal safety is not in jeopardy. And to get out to Ruby Ranch, we go away from the city. The Ranch is out in the countryside, and most of the protesting and clashes are happening within city limits around the country. So we feel like our life here is relatively ‘normal.’

José and Ollie playing out at RR during last week’s camp

Nothing has changed. The government here is still saying that they want peace and for the violence to stop, and yet they also send out police forces to repress people who are peacefully protesting. And with the exception of the Social Security laws being revoked (which was the spark that started everything), no other changes have occurred. The people are calling for the President’s resignation, as well, but that hasn’t come either.

[The below photos are at a local university where students have barricaded themselves inside as an act of civil disobedience and protest. Though it looks intense and haphazard, the university students in this country are powerfully standing and demanding change. We drove by on our way to buy groceries, and ran into no problems.]

So while we are keeping a close eye on everything, we are also moving forward with life. Currently we are excited about the teams that are planning on coming this summer, and that the rainy season has started. I’m grateful to have electricity so we can have fans (because it is still pretty hot), and for friends who have swimming pools that they let us use. 😉 We are also still in the ‘process’ of residency, though we have had our interview (they came to our house at the end of February to verify our applications), which often can take a while. So hopefully within the next month or so we will have our residency status!

Afternoon swim with her peeps!

Please continue to pray for the nation of Nicaragua. There are ‘talks’ happening this week to try to resolve the issues here, and we are praying that an unbiased election is allowed to take place. (If you would like to read a thorough update, our friend’s blog is awesome!) Please also keep our residency process in prayer. Having that status makes a lot of things here easier for us, and it is just one more ‘unknown’ off the table. And please pray for our little girl. She is most definitely teething, and it is a rough go. 😦

I will try to continue to post updates here, but if you want more day-to-day happenings, following us on Instagram is a great option. Our shared account is @the.barons.