Hi everyone!
I arrrived a week before my roommate does, and I'm staying with a brother in Managua until he gets here. However, since I had this week to do whatever I want, I decided run up to the mountains and pay a visit to one of my favorite places in Nicaragua: Esteli!
Esteli is the third largest city in Nicaragua. It has a population of over 100,000, but it feels like it's the size of a small town. Everything is within walking distance. It has a lot of nice coffee shops and restaurants, and most of them have free WiFi! (How do you think I'm posting this right now?) There are a lot of nice spots right nearby, including an awesome waterfall that makes for a great day trip.
Because it is situated in the mountains, Esteli has some of the best weather in all of Nicaragua. It can get surprisingly chilly at night, which is refreshing. There aren't many places in this country where you will go out in service and feel a breeze. I cannot describe how good that feels!
I'm currently at my favorite restaurant, Coffee Cafe' (yes, that is the name of the restaurant). Great coffee, frappes, and they even serve waffles! Win.
I'm staying with a brother from London, Dominic Bond. I stayed with him the last time I was here. However, he is moving to Peru to be closer to his girlfriend, so I got here just in time to see him off.
Dominic's farewell dinner. Michelle made an amazing dinner with chicken, gravy, stuffing, carrots and brocoli - probably the best meal I'm going to have while I'm here (and yes, I ate it all). Left to right: Clint & Kate from Wisconsin, Dominic, and Ben & Michelle from England.
After dinner, it was time for some Dance Dance Revolution - something I NEVER expected to do in Nicaragua! Watching Dominic attempt DDR was very entertaining.
The ministry here in Esteli is awesome. Just about everybody listens and accepts literature. Bible studies are very easy to come by as well!
The circuit overseer is here this week. He's new to the circuit, and his name is Felix Dias. He and his wife are really nice, and he's a great speaker. He's been trying to convince me to stay in Esteli - he even expressed interest in searching out English territory here!
Me with Brother Dias, the C.O.
Dominic departed for Peru yesterday morning, so I'm staying in this house alone - ahh! But I return to Managua tomorrow to pick up my roommate at the airport. I'm sure you'll all find him to be quite the specimen.
Although I love Esteli, it doesn't look like I will be staying here. There is another city nearby that needs help, but only one word can describe it: CALIENTE. I'll have more info on that place soon, but will I be back to visit Esteli again? Most definitely!
Hope you are well and have a great first week of the new service year.
Sam
It's amazing how exciting free wi-fi can be! That's exactly how we felt when we were in Ireland and we finally found a place where we could get online.
ReplyDeleteYou said Esteli "is one of the few places you can go out in service and feel a nice cool breeze," which makes me wonder... how cold does it get in the winter there? I looked it up and it said on average it's about 69 degrees, does that sound about right? Or have you ever been there during the winter time?
It's sure funny how we imagine different countries. I never would have pictured a cafe in Nicaragua serving smiley-face waffles with a banana and whip cream! :) My Dutch friends in Ireland said they imagine all Americans having a 'big round paved driveway, and a large pool in their backyard.' Which isn't true, at least not with most of us.
So, you are back just in time to say goodbye to Brother Bond... and have a dance off! :) Sounds like you had a good time.
It was nice seeing the pictures of what things are like there... we'll be looking forward to your next post. Our whole family is enjoying your experiences immensely.
-Hannah
(and the rest of the Barmettler Clan)
Less than flattering pics of me! But hey! I am not photogenic and not much better in person!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you had a good arrival in Esteli. Nice to see that Jehovah is blessing you very much. I only wish I heard your Public Talk! :)
What a beautiful place estili
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