Andie Williams, of Oakland, California, used her theatre background
to produce a fundraising variety show to get to Nicaragua. On Nicaragua: “Where else can you see ox-drawn carriages, free-roaming chickens, 12
people in the back of a pick-up truck, and the local McDonald’s all in a weekly trip to the grocery store?”
Elliot Mitchell says his native Oklahoma is “the best state
in the Union,” but chose Tennessee as his college state (Vanderbilt). He arrived late summer to Managua. “It is worth the struggle to
meet different people,” Elliot says of Nicaragua. “To see life through their eyes and understand their opinions on life.
This MPI experience is helping do just that for me.”
Hilary Fenet feels that “Nica time suits me well. People here
are extremely laidback, but also a quite lively bunch.” Originally from Baton Rouge, Hilary continues a sibling support of MPI. Her brother
Andrew has been a part of the MPI community from early on.
Scott Figler, proud part of George Washington University, is
fascinated with the versatility of Nicaraguan medicine. “My best experience thus far was watching a surgeon take out two hernias, one
appendix, and perform a circumcision at El Mascote Hospital.” He lists fried plantains as another fave.
Adam Schoen, from League City, Texas, in his program work in La
Chueca, particularly notices the stark juxtaposition of “poverty and post-industrialization.” To Hilary’s delight, Adam is an
LSU Tiger.
Nicholas Echemendia is a Vanderbilt graduate from Atlanta.
He’ll be headed home this fall, but remembers his Manna time well: “You can’t let 8 hour power outages, frequent monsoons, and
people living in a trash dump get you down. You have to keep on keeping on. Be the change.”
Thanks, Nic.
Daniel Bain, rollover program director from last year, says this of
his many months living in Managua: “Silence is a beautiful thing the US culture seems to be afraid of. My
‘needs’ have been redefined, as has success. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned from people who
didn’t finish high school.” He continues: “According to many Nicaraguans, I’m the tallest person on Earth.”
Chris Taylor, originally from Connecticut, must be a poet. He wrote
this: “The most pleasant experience I’ve had here in Nicaragua is the walk from the Manna House to El Farito. I like
the views and the cows and the dogs. I like stopping and talking with residents of Cedro Galan and waving “Adiooooos”
to everyone I see. I’ve yet to have an uninteresting Cedro walk.” Chris went to George Washington.
Jordan Hooper went to Ole Miss and grew up near New Orleans. He
arrived to Managua in Spring of 2006. “Life is slow, heavy, and realized,” he says. “Joy comes simply, and smiles are
abundant.” Jordan, like all our program directors and volunteers, sees the depth of the Nicaraguan country:
“For every Mercedes Benz, there's a dozen ox-drawn carts; for every suit-clad businessman, a herd of rag-covered child beggars; for
every groomed residence, a community of scrap homes.”
Feel free to mail notes of encouragement and/or boxes of delicious American-made snacks to
the team:
Manna Project International
Apdo. P-150, Las Piedrecitas
Managua, Nicaragua |
