February/March

By PD Emily Lineberger

IN THE MANNA HOUSE:

Cornhole (aka beanbag toss) is the the hottest thing to hit the Manna house since Cola and Sydney! Jed, Josh, and Kyle made very regulation-size boards and ordered very official beanbags. It seems to be all we do…

Sydney had puppies! But all three died within two days. Apparently the Cola/Sydney combination is lethal. The morning of the delivery, Sydney bit cook Elena/Mamita as she entered the yard. After much blood and a trip to the hospital, poor Elena had to stay at home the following week because she was “todavia echando mucha sangre.”
Photo: Momma Sydney, “Seamus,” and Lori’s hands.


Unfortunately PD Josh Abeln will be leaving Nicaragua in mid-April. He has been offered a position at a camp in Wisconsin. We will miss him!

Spring break season has come and gone. We had five groups visit this year: Vanderbilt, UNC/Duke, UNC-Wilmington, Worcester State, and University of Texas.
Photo: Vandy spring breakers playing duck-duck-goose with kids at the Land.


Old PDs have been coming back! Geoff Stetson was here visiting last week. Adam Schoen came down with the UT spring break group. And Luke Putnam will be here shortly. We would love to see YOU all down here, as well… Come spend time in the Manna house and hang out with old friends from the community!

MPI PROGRAMS:

The new boys soccer team has decided to enter a league. Coached by Zeke and a couple PDs, the 18 guys are showing a lot of dedication.

The MPI girls soccer team roadtripped it to La Chureca last month for a match against the Juntos Contigo team there. Although the game got violent (those Chureca girls can play dirty!), PD Michael reffed fairly.
Photo: Christina and Tressa with some of their soccer girls.


There are currently six women involved in the microfinance program. Each woman received a six-month loan, and thus far three payments have successfully been paid by all.

Mose and Maddie have begun conducting a community-wide survey in Cedro Galán in order to collect demographic information, as well as to assess the neighborhood needs and assets from the perspective of the community members themselves.

Many literacy and math classes took a science twist last month as spring break groups brought their own expertise and enthusiasm for experiments.
Photo: Joel, Armando, and Mayquelin learn learn about solids and liquids when corn starch is mixed with agua.

As we studied the art and culture of Nicaragua this month in Creative Arts, Doña Chepita (who lives near Monte Hermon) volunteered to come help the children learn how to make yarn picture frames and piñatas.
Photo: Amira helps Idalia, Erick, Kati, Alexander, and others weave picture frames in El Farito.


CEDRO GALÁN & CHIQUILISTAGUA:

Chicken pox made its way through Cedro last month. Jessenia (and most of her kids), Elena Martinez, and little Ulises were some of the spotted victims.

Elena (of Elena and Eduardo) is very pregnant! She is due in June, and as of now the family does not know if it will be a boy or girl.

Elba has started coming to literacy and math again! And she seems to be very serious about her school work.

Emilito (Olga’s son, Lorena’s grandson) turns five on Monday! PDs are heading to her house to celebrate the occasion with cake and ice cream.

Exequiel graduated on March 22 with a professional degree in Psychopedagogy.
Photo: Zeke looking spiffy.


Laura, Laurita, and family are installing a bathroom in their house this week! For the past three years they have had to use the bathroom of Oscar's mom across the field. But now they will have their own... and it will be a real toilet inside their house. Laura is so excited.

Nicayuda (a nonprofit started by many of our Advanced English students to assist underserved preschools in Managua) continues to develop. MPI is excited to help where we can – and many spring break groups, specifically UNC-Wilmington, were enthusiastic to get involved. A large portion of a recent donation from Christina’s church went to the cause.
Photo: Many Nicayuda members with Josh at a recent presentation they gave for MPI spring breakers.


The Advanced English class came over for a pool party last week. They mingled with spring breakers and splashed around, even though the pool is very green right now.

LA CHURECA:

Celia and Marta (two mothers in our child sponsorship program) recently had babies!

Ana Yuri (a 4-year-old child in the program) will have hernia surgery at Samaritano on Thursday. MPI will pay for the operation and transport the family to and from the hospital.

Austin Samaritans have withdrawn a significant portion of their monthly funding for Casa Base, the clinic in La Chureca. Manna Project is trying to make up the difference with intense fundraising. Want to help fund the clinic? Email josh.eddings@gmail.com.
Photo: Josh measures Jerohan during this month's milk day at the clinic.


Dia de Luz occurred on Friday the 13th, preceded by a week of events sponsored by Love, Light & Melody (www.lovelightandmelody.org). We planted flowers outside Chureca families’ homes and played many field games. Braddigan played on Friday afternoon (it was awesome!) and then again at a benefit concert on Saturday evening at Gran Pacífica.
Photo: Braddigan concert at La Chureca.


MÚSICA, ANYONE?

If you want to feel like you're still living the Nica life, download some regaetton. Here's what's hot right now:

Dime Si Te Vas Con El by Nigga
El Amor by Tito el Bambino
Llamado de Emergencia by Daddy Yankee
No Hay Nadie Como Tu by Calle 13 y Cafe Tacuba
Fui by Reik
Me Estas Tentando by Wisin y Yandel
Como Duele by Ricardo Arjona
Es Dificil by De La Ghetto
Tu No Eres Para Mi by Fanny Lu
No Me Doy Por Vencido by Luis Fonsi
El Arroyito by Fonseca

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Check out this google map to see where Manna alumni have ended up...
(You'll have to copy and paste it into your browser.)

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103233291434980264922.00045c7a664e89182412b&ll=25.165173,-98.261719&spn=66.716997,158.203125&z=3