Well, not actually manana, but tomorrow afternoon we move to Managua to spend the night before getting the airport dreadfully early on Wednesday morning. So, this is my last post from in-country.

Tomorrow morning is work morning to clean up and finish anything small, then a party for the kids where there will be pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and each child at the program will get a bag of school supplies and a small toy or a baseball hat.

The goodbyes and hugs have already started, as some of the workers will not be there tomorrow, and some of the kids will be in school (though we expect a high rate of hookey just to attend the party).

There has also been the unfortunate last minute frenzy of meetings to determine what to do with the remainder of the money that all of us have come with from our churches and other donors. Unfortunate because it means that Lester and Darlene spend all day translating these meetings for us instead of doing anything else they need or want to do. We appreciate them so much, they have had a very difficult time and are still being helpful and gracious. What an amazing couple.

The money that our home church sent with me to be used for food for the people in the village outside the orphanage gates has been alloted. The director of the orphanage has a few projects that it will fund:

• A work-for-food program in which people who come asking can do jobs that need doing around the grounds (and there are a lot of them, both people and jobs) in return for some beans and rice or other food. I moved two hundred pound sacks of rice and beans into Elizabeth´s office this afternoon as a start.
• A course for anyone in the village on how to run a small business. There have been a few businesses started by members of the village but they have died early on because of a lack of basic business skills. How much do I charge? How do I make sure I have enough to make my next batch of product? Elizabeth says that this seminar will give those who wish them the basics of running a business and will increase the success rates greatly. Everyone in the village buys and eats tortillas, but they all go a long way to get them. Someone should be making and selling (the most basic of businesses). Ditto school books and paper and pencils and bread and water and, and, and… This course is definitely teaching people to fish rather than giving them fish.
• MariSol, Roger’s wife, was given a sack of beans, a sack of rice, some coffee, oil, flour and a few other essentials to start her bread baking business. The baking course has fallen through (the company just disappeared) but she is ready. She is so excited, she has a whole area of her house cleaned out and organized for the shop, and Roger has the new addition all planned. This is a family that will be able to provide cheap bread to others and also put jobs and money back into the village. If it succeeds it will be a benefit to the whole area, and if anyone can get it to succeed it will be MariSol.
• Elizabeth has also been given full discretion to use the money for projects, loans or gifts as she sees fit to use. She is a wise lady who knows these people personally and knows where the money can best be put to use for long-term benefit. Pray that she will see the needs that are important.

Pray for safe travel too. We have to drive to Managua tomorrow and then to the airport and fly home on Wednesday.

I can’t wait to see you all, and I wish we were all here together because there’s no way I’m going to be able to tell you how horriffic or how wonderful this place is.

Related posts:

1. Does “Forgive Us Our Debts” Include Mortgages?
2. Hasta Loco
3. Mi Hermano Roger