Hurricane FElix hit nicaragua, but i was luckily not near it. THings here are going well. I am anxious to get home for CHristmas. Lenin and i are going to start working on stuff for the visa in the next few weeks. So, wish us luck.

I went to jinotega with Lenin, it was beautiful. UNfortunately we didn't enjoy it too much because i was sick and on the toilet the whole time. But there is a picture of the landscape and what it looks like around hte whole city. Also, there are some kids playing at my house, and Lenin was really thirsty! :)

These are my darling cats. The tabby one is pregnant. I wish my black one was the dad because they would have been cute kittens. BUt, they will be cute anyway. Their names are Gato and Chiqui.

This is my fiance and i at the mirador de catarina. It is gorgeous there.

My family got to know his family. Yes... the dog is wearing a dress.

This is a monkey we saw on some island in Granada.

Here I am after a long time. My mom, step-dad, and my uncle came to visit. We had a great time. They had the chance to meet my fiancé and his family. WOrk is going well too. I am constantly around kids. Sometimes too much. I am going to a workshop on HIV/AIDS. I will be learning how to teach other people about AIDS. It should be interesting. I am going to be a grandmother at the age of 24. MY cat is pregnant! I had been meaning to have her spayed, and i never got around to it. Oooops! I know you would like to see more pictures, and when i get to a good computer i will put them up. I have tried numerous times, and something always fails. It is rather frustrating from my end too. Hopefulyl sometime in future. Keep in touch.

This is a picture taken about a block and a half from my house. It is all mountains to the north.

Also, when you guys are complaining about doing your laundry, think of me washing every single thing by hand.

THis is my boyfriend and i at his sister's wedding. WE are very much in love! :)

So i think i kinda get the hang of this thing. Here is another attempt at adding some more pictures. HEre is a volcano we went to vist, and the girls that were in my training town. We were at Susan's house, and her host brother is showing us traditional clothes that he made. :) THe last one is my host mom and my host brother at my swearing in ceremony.

Friday I leave for my permanent site! Craziness! There are some bittersweet feelings. I am really sad to leave my training town. I will miss my family, but i also have a BOYFRIEND there!!!! His name is Lenin, and we are going to try the distance thing. I am going to go to his house for Thanksgiving. I told him i would go on the one condition that i would not eat rice or beans. He said turkeys are hard to come by here, but he said he would bake a chicken for me. It won't be the same as being home, but it should be fun.

However, i love my new site. I am super close to the mountains, and i love hte people i work with. I won't have too much to do before school starts in Feb., so i will have a lot of free time. I am living with a family for a little while. THere are 10 poeple who live there, so there is never a dull moment. THere is a little boy with downs syndrome who is so cute and who requires a lot of attention. I will start looking for my house soon so i can live on my own.

THis is a big transition time right now, but it is really exciting. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me.

Wow.... I am way less disciplined than i thought i would be. Sorry. I am alive and very well. I have been busy hanging out with friends and learning new stuff everyday. I have gone to a bunch of different churches. CHurches here are way different than back home. There is a lot of noise, and i wish i knew the songs, but oh well. I went to visit a volunteer in CHinandega, and before i thought it was hot where i was.... Boy was i wrong... It was nasty there. I have never sweat so much, and there were a ton of mosquitos. It was then that i was glad i am taking anti-malaria medicine. We went the beach, and tomorrow i am going to see a volcano with the whole group. I can't wait to find out where i will be for hte rest of my time here. I find out in 3 weeks. I love my host family, but it will be good to get out. My host mom always worries, and it is an adjustment after living on my own for so long before. But...next time i promise i will put up pictures.... I swear i will this time... Keep the emails coming, and real mail would be awesome. wink wink....

This is going to be hard to keep up with this. I am having a blast. I have been crammed into countless minibusses and taxis, and the lights and water going out is a daily occurrance. But its all good. THere is some wicked greasy food here, but some of it is really good. I am going to be planting a vivero(tree nursery) this weekend, and we are starting to do stuff like meeting with a youth group. I still have yet to go dancing. SHocking.... I know.... i think this is going to be a different experience than what i expected, but a good one. I might be going out soon, too. YOu should read up on nicaraguan politics. THey are crazy. IT looks like the sandinista candidate is doing well. NOt sure what that means for us. But gotta run and get a rabies vaccine!! :)

SO... It has been a little more than a week since i left my house, and i have only been in Nicaragua for a week, and it feels like i have been here for months. THat is not a bad thing though. I have met some incredible people, and i think it feels like a long time because i feel like i know these people so well already. My family here is super sweet. Next door they have a pig who lives on the patio in the back. IT cracks me up. THe other day i saw someone walking her pig. I also saw my friend's host brother take a live chicken and put it in a bag and carry it to his friend´s house. I understand they probably don't take these animals out of hte house for fun, but it is definitely a different life style. IT is different, but i like it. It is much more relaxed. I think i am going to have a lot of work to do during training, but they prepare you well. I will put up pictures soon. Make sure you stay in touch! THnks to those who have already written to me.

Ha pasado un poco mas que una semana desde que me fui de casa, y solamente he estado en Nicaragua por una semana, y parece que haya estado aqui por meses. Pero , no es algo malo. He conocido mucha gente increible, y pienso que parece mucho tiempo porque parece que conozco a ellos muy bien ya. Mi familia aqui es muy amable. Los vecinos tienen un cerdo (un chancho?) que vive en el patio atras. Ayer vi a una mujer caminando con su cerdo. ME da risa. El otro dia el hermano de mi amigo puso una gallina viva en una bolsa para llevar a la casa de un amigo. ENtiendo que no hacen esto para divertirse, pero es una manera de vivir que es diferente. Me gusta, es muy tranquilo. Pienso que voy a tener mucho trabajo que hacer, pero nos preparan bien. VOy a poner mas fotos pronto. Quiero que me escriban!!! Y Gracias a todos que ya me han escrito!

So... I haven't left yet... Nor have I even started packing yet, but I wanted to get this set up. My goal is to update this somewhat regularly (this could mean monthly, but we shall see). I figure this will be easier than inundating email boxes with huge emails with pictures. I am a bit nervous, but really excited. I feel like i already have a lot of connections in the country which is really cool. So, hopefully that should make for an easier transition. It is the country just to the north of Costa Rica, so I am looking forward to visiting my friends there often. I am not really sure what to expect, but i am sure it will be an adventure.