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We want to share with you excerpts from recent emails that we have received from Rhonda Miska, a 2002 graduate of UWSP. Some of you may remember Rhonda, as we have printed letters from her in the past. Rhonda is currently serving as a Jesuit volunteer (similar in nature to Peace Corps but funded by the Catholic Church) to the people of Cusmapa. Rhonda works with Padre Fabretto Ministries and has been in Nicaragua for eleven months. She provided some translating services for our Learning Centers Workshop in January, and we were amazed at her abilities to navigate the language having been exposed to it for such a short time. Rhonda lights up the room with her smile and her energy!
Rhonda has braved many challenges in Nicaragua, as she lives near the community of Somoto, not far from the Honduran border, in a very mountainous region where even the acquisition of life's necessities can be a challenge. Rhonda is able to put things into perspective and will tell you that the blessings far outweigh any difficulties she might face. She never complains and continually displays her love for the Nicaraguan people. Several of our volunteers have carried packages for Rhonda on their trips, and she and her family would like to thank you for that support.
Rhonda is the daughter of Ken and Claudia Miska, two of our members from the Madison area.
"Hello everyone,
"I'm emailing from Ocotal where I am working for a few days. There are some Nicaraguan community development NGOs here with great resource centers, and I come here from time to time to do research for my charlas and workshops. Also, there is a dance group here. The choreographer, dancers, and I are friends. Last night I took a dance class and really enjoyed it. It was great to 'take' a class instead of give one for a change.
"A few of you have asked me about my living situation and how water and electricity works in Cusmapa. Well, we have electricity except when we don't. It goes out rather often; sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for days. There is no running water, but we do have city water, which usually comes in each sector of the village for about twenty minutes each day. So during those twenty minutes everyone runs around filling their pilas, pichingas, and any spare bottle. That's the water supply. But when there is no electricity there is no water because the pump is electrically powered. There are a variety of other problems (e.g., the pump breaks, Jorge the water guy gets drunk and doesn't turn the water on, etc.) that keep the water from coming. Often the water doesn't come and people must go to the well or the river to haul water.
"Because water and electicity here come and go seemingly by their own will, it's a big topic of conversation. The main words used in the conversation are 'se fue' (from the verb irse, to go away) and 'vino' (from the verb venir, to come). A usual morning conversation is the following:
"'Good morning, how did you wake up? Vino el agua?'
"'I woke up fine. Fijate, no vino el agua.'
"'And the light?'
"'Se fue tambien.'
"These conversations inevitably end with one of my favorite Nicaraguan sayings, 'Que barbaridad,' which literally means, 'What a barbarity!'
"This last week was particularly rough because the light se fue on Saturday. Since there was no light, the water no vino. We were without power for almost a week. Furthermore, it was very, very windy and fairly cold, so the candles we lit in the house were blown out by the wind. It was nearly impossible to cook on our gas stove because the gusts of wind carried the heat of the flame. Since the new house is further up the hill, the wind hits it harder, and we feel the cold more. I slept in three sweatshirts and two pairs of socks with a flannel tied around my head that Manon called my babushka. So we were in the dark, rationing water, unable to cook, and very cold. Que barbaridad.
"I'm realizing that I've really had very little experience living close to nature and roughing it up. Some people grow up like that. They spend their summer vacations going to all of the national parks doing things like fly fishing, building fires, and peeing outside - I'm thinking of the majority of the Natural Resources majors at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. I was never like that. We Miskas are not campers. I think once when I was eight, we stayed at a Days Inn that didn't have an ice machine or cable TV, and that's as far as we've ventured off of the path of civilization. But I'm learning to make it work, and all things considered, it's not so bad. Happily, the light vino on Friday and the water shortly followed, and the wind has stopped blowing.
"The challenges of the last week in terms of our living situation were balanced by a great workweek. Parent charlas continue to go very well. I have been out in the rural communities visiting families and have had the great privilege of spending time with a woman named Marbeli. She is the mother of six, the youngest only five months old. Her husband, who always struggled with alcoholism, committed suicide in January. She is amazingly tough and resilient and has a rock solid faith. I really enjoy spending time with her, and she is an inspiration to me.
"Some of you have also asked me how my Spanish is doing. I love it! Spanish is great. It is a beautiful language and I feel very comfortable with it. Of course, I still make mistakes and I am far from fluent, but I feel pretty confident in my language abilities. I've been told my Spanish is very Nicaraguan, and I speak with the accent of people in the north. My friends in León and Managua tease me about my nortena, campesina accent and how many indigenous words I use. The area that I live is heavily indigenous, and though Nahua is not spoken, many words have been adopted into Spanish. So, gracias a Dios, my Spanish is coming along very well. I do miss French very much. I was a French major and have been studying French for ten years, and I am sad that I do not use it much. Thank you to all of my francophone friends who write to me in French to give me an opportunity to practice!
"Well, I'm running out of time on my computer, so I have to run. I wish all of you a restful and blessed Semana Santa (Holy Week).
"Peace,
"Rhonda Miska, JVI - Nicaragua"
"Hello everyone,
"I am writing from the city of León after spending the weekend at the Peace House, a retreat center run by a Maryknoll sister here in Nicaragua. It was wonderful to spend a weekend with my fellow volunteers on retreat; to relax, to share together, and most of all, to pray for peace. Though my access to news is limited, I did get news of the war last week. I am sad but not surprised, and though I feel the news of the war very deeply, sometimes it is still hard to believe. Life in Cusmapa goes on as normal: chickens and pigs still wander down the street, women keep making tortillas, the children at the oratory continue to come for their classes - nothing has changed and sometimes it is hard to stay mindful that so much has changed. Here in the city it is different. There have been protests in León and Managua, and I have seen lots of graffiti.
"The beginning of the war takes on a special significance for me after living in Nicaragua for seven months (Can you believe it? I've been here seven months!). I am always hearing stories of people's experiences of the revolution and the Contra war. I feel like I've always been opposed to war as a concept, but now I have a deeper idea of what war really is. Living with a host family in France who was in Normandy during the Nazi occupation and Allied invasion, visiting Northern Ireland on a peace studies trip, and now living in Nicaragua thirteen years after the end of the Contra war, war is more tangible and real to me. I am continually amazed at how the wounds of war linger on in so many ways. For example, the north was heavily mined during the Contra war. The entire region was demined two years ago, but I have heard stories of poor farmers who have lost cattle due to land mines. Worse yet are stories of people hurt or killed by mines. Also, Fatima and Miriam, two friends of mine from Somoto, shared with me the story of how their father was killed in Nueva Guinea by contras in the 1980s. They grew up without a father and still carry so much pain and anger. The trauma of the war affects everyone my age or older. It seems everyone has a story (some are more willing to tell theirs than others) of a brother who disappeared, a father who was killed, a sister who was raped, or a close childhood friend who was lost in guerrilla warfare. As I gain a deeper understanding of the destruction of war, I am more deeply saddened by what is happening in Iraq.
"On a happier note, the cultural exchange two weekends ago went very, very well. I was nervous about it since I planned the whole event myself. The visiting group, the children at the center, and the teachers all really enjoyed it. The choir performed, our dance group did three numbers, and some folk dance was performed. The visiting group performed and everyone was really impressed. Cusmapa is so isolated that we don't get a lot of exposure to the visiting arts group, so it was a real treat. Afterward, we had a question and answer session. The visiting group had many positive and encouraging things to say to our kids. They invited us to come down to Somoto and perform for them. Now all the children are very excited and motivated to prepare and work to perform there. I was very tired by the end of the day, but it was a big success. One funny story from the cultural exchange: I was rehearsing a folk dance piece with seven kids, the youngest a fourth grader named Dulce. Dulce means sweet in Spanish, and this little girl is about the sweetest, cutest child ever. When she sees me walk by on the street, she runs out of her house to come give me a hug. She is a very loving and talented child and working with her is a joy. I asked her, 'So, Dulce, how long have you been folk dancing?' In complete seriousness she answered, 'Oh, ever since I was a little girl.' The irony of course being that Dulce is very much still a little girl!
"We are getting more and more settled in the new house. We got the little house of our latrine fixed, have some furniture moved in, and bought some plates and silverware so we can now eat at home. It is feeling more and more like a home.
"Well, that is all of the news from here. Everything is going very well and I give thanks to God every day for the chance to be here and live among and serve the people of Cusmapa. I think of all of you in the United States during this time of war and pray for peace and security. Love to you all and please keep in touch.
"Peace,
"Rhonda Miska, JVI - Nicaragua"
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