Like I mentioned before, Sept/Oct were very slow for people in the translating business (i.e. me). I did not have a single translating job for all of September, October and half of November. It was difficult for us to live off of just one salary (and a Nicaraguan salary at that!), but we managed to survive. We didn´t use the motorcycle for almost all of September because we didn´t have any money for gas!!
September was also the rainiest month I have ever experience in my life! It rained all day every day, and did a lot of damage all over the country. Thousands of Nicaraguans were moved to emergency shelters, and many of those people lost their homes completely. We are so thankful that we bought land on high ground. Although the rain was intense, I was glad to have such a harsh rainy season the first year on our land, at least now we know what to expect in the future.
By mid October we were ready to move into the house, but the rain held us back. We didn´t have glass windows, and the rain was coming in from all sides! We had to wait until November 15th to finally move in, and believe me, David and I were SO excited to finally be living on our land! We didn´t have any windows, and the first few nights we could hardly sleep because of the noise from the wind. We were also freezing cold!! (Sorry, Canadians, I know it only gets down to about 20C, but for me that is pretty cold now!) We even sleep with blankets! I have been told that December/January is always the windiest times of year in Nicaragua. Boy, it IS windy, and because it hasn´t rained since early November, it is also REALLY dusty. I have to sweep my house multiple times a day to keep on top of the dust.
Although the house still has a lot of work, we have been living here for almost two months now! As you can see from the pictures there are a few things missing! We have a list of things we need to finish in this part of the house before we can start building phase two. They are:
• 3 Doors! (bathroom, and two front doors) Doors cost about $100 each.
• Dividing wall. We have most of the materials we need, but David needs some help building it because he doesn´t have a lot of experience with drywall. The wall will separate the bedroom from the rest of the house. Right now you can see in the pictures that we have two wardrobes giving us a bit of division.
• Windows! Thanks to a Christmas present from my grandparents we were able to purchase 4 windows last week! We need one more rectangular window which will cost about $50, and then the three arched windows will probably cost $75 each.
• A ceiling!! Right now you can see in the pictures that we have a roof, but no ceiling. As it gets hotter the ceiling does a lot to keep the heat out of the house, so we are hoping to get a ceiling in the bedroom before March. Along with the windows, a ceiling will make a difference in how much dost can actually enter the house as well.
David also wants to put a small porch on the front of the house so that the lavendero has some shade in the afternoon, and we still need to paint the house!
In early November David and I passed by a World Vision office and I left my business card with them and let them know that I am available to translate. Just a week later they contacted m and I was asked to translate a document. I got Stephanie (my american sis-in-law) to help me because it was a huge document, with a very quick deadline, but we made it! Then the next week they sent me another document to translate. I also translated for a medical team in mid November. It was a blessing to get those jobs when I did, because with the money I made we were able to buy things we needed for Christmas!
Christmas in Nicaragua is definitely a different experience!! There isn´t a big emphasis on presents and Santa Claus, but on family, and celebrating together. Most of the celebration happens on the 24th, which is “Noche Buena” (the good night) a very important part of Noche Buena, is a new outfit which is called your “ropa de estreno” (Premiere Outfit). Everyone buys clothes in the markets in late November/early December, and it’s very important to wear it on the night of the 24th. David´s sister told me that when they were younger and the family didn’t have much money, the kids would rather skip meals to save money for clothes then go out on Christmas Eve with old clothes. It’s really important! So, David and I went to the markets to buy new clothes for Christmas Eve and New Years Eve (you need a second premiere outfit for that night too!). Most people buy everything new, even shoes or sandals, but David and I just stuck to pants and shirts. On Christmas Eve we went to David´s mom’s house in Managua, and on the way we bought a lot of fireworks (another Nicaraguan Christmas tradition). On the 24th everyone is out on the streets until midnight. I struggled to stay up, (because I had woken up at 5:30 am that morning to work with the little boys at the ministry), so I slept from 10pm until 11:45. About 10 minutes before midnight the fireworks start, and for about 40 minutes all you could hear was the crackling and banging of fireworks. It’s a great way to say happy birthday to Jesus!! After 45minutes of fireworks, we headed back inside, and David and I finally went to sleep at about 1:30am. We slept on the living room floor in David’s mom’s house, and at 6am, we were woken up again!!
New Years we decided to spend in our own house, so we headed to David’s moms house early so say happy New Year, and headed home about 9pm. David headed over to play some Wii with the teenage boys at the ministry, and at 11:45 brought the boys over to our house to set off more fireworks!!
This year so far, David has been working hard on the house. We bought a new wardrobe and some windows with Christmas money from my grandparents, and soon he will be building the wall that will divide the bedroom from the living room. I have some translating jobs coming up soon, and this Sunday I am going to Costa Rica to re-new my Visa (I have to leave the country every 6 months).
Since David finished high school he has wanted to study in University, but cannot decide what to study. He didn’t want to spend another year not studying, so he decided that until he figures out what to study in university, he will study English! Classes start this Saturday!
Well, that’s the update!! Don´t forget to scroll down and see the pictures of our house!
Julia
Our new window!! Thanks Mormor and Morfar!
One window with half the slates out.
The bedroom, the wardrobes (on the left) are acting as a wall to seperate.
A shot of the bed in its little nook. You can see how strong the wind is!!
The rest of the bedroom/bathroom, plus Stephanie and Joel´s washer! (they dont have enough room in their house right now, so we have it for now.)
The washer sits infront of the other door, which eventually will become a door inside the house once phase 4 is built. 
Out new bathroom mirror, only C$200! ($10US)
A view from outside: our lavendero. This is where the typical nicaraguans would wash their clothes. Luckily we have a washing machine, but we use the lavendero for dishes, because we donlt have an kitchen sink inside.
Our clothes lines. David´s younger brother, Chico, welded this for us.
The back side of our house. Everyone has that spot in their house where they hide all the junk, unfortunately ours is outside right now....
Our back yard! I am standing at the back corner of our house looking out to the end of the yard. Its a pretty big area! Phase 2 and 3 will take up some of that space, but we will still have a large backyard!
Our back yard! I am standing at the back corner of our house looking out to the end of the yard. Its a pretty big area! Phase 2 and 3 will take up some of that space, but we will still have a large backyard!We have planted lots of fruit trees out there: Mango, Papaya, Avocado and Orange.
Our 7 Jocote trees, with our dog house. That is where our dogs live. The are tied up, but they get some run-around time in the afternoons. Dogs are a necessity here for protecting the property. They bark at anything strange, day or night.
Stranding at the front edge of my house and looking toward the front yard We have coconut trees and Almond trees planted in the front yard.
The front door.
Our beautiful arched windows, from the outside. Once we have the glass windows installed we will be able to take down the ugly screens that are on there now.
Back inside the living room/Kitchen. Our motorcycle sleeps inside at night. There is too much risk of it getting stolen to leave it outside.
The "kitchen"
Our living room. Joel and Steph also didn´t have enough room for their couch, so we took it off their hands for a while.
The wardrobes. The one on the right I bought a year ago, on the left is the new one that weboght with Christmas money from my grandparents!
Our Kitchen "cupboards" This piece of furnature is borrowed, and we will be switching it out as soon as we can afford to buy something nicer looking!
Our 7 Jocote trees, with our dog house. That is where our dogs live. The are tied up, but they get some run-around time in the afternoons. Dogs are a necessity here for protecting the property. They bark at anything strange, day or night.
Stranding at the front edge of my house and looking toward the front yard We have coconut trees and Almond trees planted in the front yard.
The front door.
Our beautiful arched windows, from the outside. Once we have the glass windows installed we will be able to take down the ugly screens that are on there now.
Back inside the living room/Kitchen. Our motorcycle sleeps inside at night. There is too much risk of it getting stolen to leave it outside.
The "kitchen"
Our living room. Joel and Steph also didn´t have enough room for their couch, so we took it off their hands for a while.
The wardrobes. The one on the right I bought a year ago, on the left is the new one that weboght with Christmas money from my grandparents!
Our Kitchen "cupboards" This piece of furnature is borrowed, and we will be switching it out as soon as we can afford to buy something nicer looking!
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