|
|
|
| Vol. 1. July 2006 |
|
|
Golf and una Coca
"You know, the people of Nicaragua are just amazing. In thinking back on my experiences there and all the friends I’ve made, I can’t help but smile and laugh. It was the best year of my life.
The people just want to be your friend, and no one is too busy to chat. I remember sitting down at the little convenience store at the Chiquilistagua baseball field, playing 20 questions with
Isaias, the store owner. It was probably more like 30 or 40 questions, 10 of which I typically understood, eight of which I guessed correctly. And the others, well, I probably often gave an answer
that was in no way relevant to the questions he asked. But no matter how badly I butchered the Spanish language, Isaias was always patient with me. He was genuinely interested in my life, and I
appreciated our conversations. I was surprised to discover during one of our talks that Isaias is a golfer and has a near complete set of clubs. Until that point it had never occurred to me that
Nicaraguans play golf. But sure enough, he reached into his tiny store, pulled out one of his irons and gave me a lesson. Friendships came easily in Nicaragua."
Marshall Carter, MPI Member, 2005-2006
Vero Beach, Florida
Marshall moves to China this fall to teach English.
|
|
|
The Community Center Project
Looking to do more than donate? MPI Nicaragua does not want your money, we want you to take action. After two years of designing, clearing and building the Community Center in Chiquilistagua nears completion. MPI has put together a detailed fund-raising proposal, and seeks your efforts to download it and pass it around. Our goal is to get 200 people like you to package up the proposal and send it out to at least 10 other people/businesses/foundations they know. This will be MPI’s first attempt to mobilize our entire stateside community. With your help we hope that the Community Center Project will be a great movement! New development includes a freshwater well, a new basketball court, and an open-air classroom. We have downloadable instructions, commitment cards, and a letter to accompany the proposal at the web address below. If nothing else, check out the proposal to see where MPI has come and where we hope to be in the near future!
Be apart of the MPI team and download all the materials you will need at:
www.mannaproject.org/community_center/.
Contact wade@mannaproject.org for specific interest.
Sponsor a Child
In conjunction with a clinic in La Chureca, the Managua city dump, MPI’s child sponsorship program provides nutritional food and necessary health care for the most malnourished children. Among other ailments, lead poisoning, respiratory problems, and skin diseases plague the kids. In Cedro Galan, where MPI teaches pre-school and English classes, many sponsors help fund a child’s educational costs. Already, MPI partners with 33 donors like you in the U.S. To get to know Nicaragua through one child, please contact
shanelle@mannaproject.org.
|
|
|
July 5-26
Fourth session of summer volunteers in Managua.
July 12-13
Arrival of year-long members in Nicaragua. Language school in Leon to follow.
July 2
Girl’s soccer championship. Chiquilistagua.
July 19
Revolution Day in Nicaragua, when the country celebrates victory over Somoza dictatorship.
August 21
Southern Cal undergraduate Fall begins.
August 23
Vanderbilt undergraduate Fall begins.
UNC Wilmington undergraduate Fall begins.
|
|
