Day 2 - Planning

So today, Friday, was a planning day for us.  We awoke to a new schedule, coffee from 6:30-7am, breakfast at 7am and after that a devotional time with morning prayers.  Then Annette reviewed the “house rules” and etiquette with us and then the planning of who would be going where.  The sewing team (Apoyo group) was dispatched for the day in one vehicle and the other vehicle did the city tour with the history of Managua and Nicaragua being woven in.  This city tour is great for new members to PAN Missions and anyone else who would like to go.  Tourism is a large industry for Nicaragua and it is important that we have a balanced view of the country when we go home. There was some shopping done today as well.  

Those working on the pastoral house at Pan de Vida (Bread of Life) headed out the back to get started.  

For me, I started to get organized for the crocheting that will begin tomorrow here in Jardin Shalom.  I will likely work out of the Bethlehem conference centre where there are washrooms available as needed.  

With the yarns etc organized, I headed back to Pan de Vida as well to see what was being done and to see the progress since my last trip.  The new garden beds back there are coming along and there was a load of dirt delivered by a horse and buggy.  It was shovelled off into a large screen to extract any stones.  I took off my shoes and shovelled and moved some dirt to get a feeling for the type of soil...ok I just wanted to get dirty.

The pastoral house foundation was already laid when we arrived and so the volunteers there were wiring up rebar and cementing in the base.  A good crew mixture of Canadian and Nicaraguans...

So the rest of my day, I spent planning the gardens with Sharon and Marta, deciding what was needed and wanted.  The mature vegetables will go mostly to the feeding station at Pan de Vida to balance out their diets.  

There are already lots of chile peppers growing that they use in the cooking.  After a rest during the hotter part of the day, we were able to get some cucumbers and spaghetti squash planted.  Google Translate helped me explain to the gardener to lightly water so as not to drown the seeds.  I knew he understood because he came back with a watering can and demonstrated.  

After supper of fish and chips, salad and rice, we had individual time to prepare for tomorrow, sort through some of the bags we brought and have some down time before bed.  I have pictures but I took them with my camera which is not uploading properly right now.

Hasta manana.  

Phrase of the day:  Besos y abrazos. Hugs and kisses.