Despedida Oficial…

The time has finally come. The time to say good-bye. It was with a smile on our face and tears in our eyes that we began the process of saying good-bye to our friends and community that have become very important to us over the past 2 years. What a mix of emotions! There is no better way to describe the good-byes other than BitterSweet. We are so thankful for the last 2 years, and are also looking forward to whatever comes next. But good-byes are always difficult and saying good-bye never gets easier.

I remember the week we did orientation with Davey and Sarah in San Nicolas, we attended their good-bye party in La Garnacha, and I remember tearing up hearing the workers say their good-byes and thanks to Davie and Sarah. At that point, I could not even imagine the relationships we were yet to build and the tears that would come at our own good-byes. These two years have gone so fast!

We did many things during the week we labeled “despedida” week. We stay overnight in La Garnacha to eat a final meal with everyone at the farm, we visited families in the communities, we baked with friends, we planned and hosted our own despedida for the many people in our lives, and we attended a final misa (or mass)…Pictures to come of all of that…but at this final mass the Padre focused on 1 specific bible verse, and appropriately it was a verse that I had taped onto my mirror and reflected on every morning these past 2 years. It was my focal point when I needed to be reminded that I could do hard things. During our first few months in Nicaragua, I was really struggling to adjust to all the changes. It was a difficult time, as I don’t really like change, and I really missed our community from home. I wasn’t sure who would become our new community, and how we would ever be able to make friends when we could barely speak Spanish….ha! But this verse helped me to see that I wasn’t doing this alone, and that there is a place to find “rest for my soul”…

Mateo 11:28-30

²⁸ “Vengan a mí todos ustedes que están cansados y agobiados, y yo les daré descanso. ²⁹ Carguen con mi yugo y aprendan de mí, pues yo soy apacible y humilde de corazón, y encontrarán descanso para su alma. ³⁰ Porque mi yugo es suave y mi carga es liviana.”

Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

It was very appropriate that this was the last verse we heard during the final San Nicolas mass, as we move onto to the next transition in life.

After misa, we hosted a large lunch for about 60 people. We ate fritanga (grilled and fried EVERYTHING! :) ) and had many conversations about our plans and many tearful good-byes. While it was a sad event, it was also a very lighthearted and celebrative event. We felt like we were surround by family and we talked about many memories of the last 2 years.

Here are a few pictures from our last few days in San Nicolas…

We made 150 cupcakes for the despedida at the school. Each student got a cupcake, it was a small way to say thank you for their friendship and their hard work in English classes.

The high school teachers

Lots of baby snuggles from Maria’s baby, Domanic

The last Thursday cleaning veggies

Last Friday at the market

Last adult English class

Some homegrown decorations for our Despedida party

We had a table to for a photo slideshow and a place where people could write a note to us or draw a picture or write down some memories.

The line for food! (fritanga!!)

Last picture in the empty house…so sad to see it empty.

There really are NO words to describe what this experience, these people, have meant to us. We will miss them dearly. But we also KNOW that this is not good-bye. It is just see you soon!!

Love.