Pali

I had a friend request a blog about the grocery store. I'm sure you may be curious to know what the stores are like here and what is the weekly shopping experience for us. So, we took the camera to give you an inside peak. Sadly, upon enetering they told us we weren't allowed to take pictures, but we got away with a few. Also you can click on the pictures and zoom in if you want to see things better.



The store where we buy almost all of our groceries is called Pali. You can see the sign in the above picture. We usually go once a week and right after church because it's right down the road.



Pali doesn't have a/c and they don't spend money on presentation but just put most of the products on the shelf in the boxes or bags they were shipped in. They do this in order to get the best price for the customer, and they do have great prices compared to other stores.



Here I am with a bag of rice in my arms. We eat rice with almost every meal. It's a staple here along with beans.



As I'm rounding the corner you can see that they sell whole cooked chickens and they have a meat and deli counter too. Not too bad, right?



Here is another view and if you look off to the left you can see that they even sell underwear, baby clothes, and household goods. Walmart actually has a share in the Pali stores and you can even find Great Value Walmart products here.

I wish I could have put up a few more pictures, but at least this is a little insight into our routine Sunday grocery shopping experience.

Fall Fever!

My internal american calendar says "Yea, it's Fall!" I'm ready for the change in temperature, the leaves falling from the trees, the festive decore and yummy foods, the warmth that you feel in the home during the Fall season, yet Fall doesn't exist here. It's an odd feeling to be in October but experience none of the above, except that we do have warmth in the home. It gets up 95 degrees and humid. :)

I feel Fall driven. Jader likes a squash that you can get here in the grocery store. It's kinda like a butternut squash I guess. I just made creamed squash soup and I separated the seeds and am now toasting them just like pumpkin seeds. Now it beginning to be like Fall. I'm pondering the idea of making a pumpkin pie but they don't sell the pumpkin in a can and I don't know where to find a pumpkin. I think this squash would work though. If I get adventurous and test out the "squash pie" I'll definitely let you know how it goes!

I'm always learning that being a missionary involves being fully with the people. Instead of creating my own bubble of Fall, which really won't ever be the real deal, I can enjoy the Nicaraguan October. This means I can enjoy the last part of the rainly season. We haven't had much rain, but after October we won't have it for 6 months. So, the rain is great! Also, I get to enjoy the tropical fruits like papaya, calala, pineapple and the list goes on! Nothing beats the Nicaraguan cheese! They've got quesillo, fresh cheese, a dry cheese, and something amazing called cuajada! What great blessings are to be found in Nicaragua in October. :)

I'll still may make my squash pie and happily eat my roasted seeds yet I'm going to let my Fall fever calm down and enjoy this Nicaraguan October that God has given me.

Santo Tomas

Santo Tomas from a distance.

Jader and I went to Santo Tomas this past weekend and had a wonderful time with the youth there. We were able to attend their Bible Club service on Saturday evening and their two Sunday services as well. Here are some pictures of the church and the activities we attended.