Harrison -Noonan:Friends of Mission

Honduras Prolotherapy Trip 2012

2012-01-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

January 6, 2012
Madison, WI.

A Very Merry Twelfth Night to All of You,

Wikipedia, our modern oracle, tells me that this night, (or perhaps last) Epiphany , marked the end of the winter festival of merrymaking in Medieval Europe. What began on all Hallows Eve, culminated in the celebration of the Twelfth Day of Christmas. I must admit that I have really enjoyed this year’s winter festival of Light Overcoming Darkness .

Looking back, I see that family played a large part in my joys of this past season. In late summer, both our 20 something kids left the Midwest for the California Bay Area.. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, Tobias began his graduate studies at University of California in Berkeley. He is working as a biomechanical engineering research assistant for a professor who hopes to use CT Scans to develop new protocols to help diagnose and treat stroke victims. His older sister, Jesse, also made a big move, and in September began her work with AmeriCorps in a pediatric dental clinic in the heart of the San Francisco. Both of them treated Nancy and me to a wild, wonderful, Thanksgiving Holiday adventure trip, complete with a night tour of Alcatraz Island. While I really like the Midwest, I did find myself eyeing up some of their beautiful but high maintenance properties and wondering if they might be in need of yet another handyman.

Here at the Brentwood home I continue to share a 4- bedroom Cape Cod with Nancy and her parents, A. and Gwen. We share most evening meals together, with us young-ins alternating on the cooking and cleaning chores. I am aware of how slowly old prejudices are to dissolve, but I can say that living with the Harrison clan has been extremely positive and enjoyable. There are times, although few, when I feel like odd man out, but all of us work hard to make this community thrive. So much for old prejudices.

Nancy continues at her social work position with the county. She seems happier in her new position of the past couple of years, working with severely mentally ill adolescents, helping them integrate back into family, school and society. I continue to be amazed at her ability to face the most broken parts of our collective body and find hope for redemption. What force sustains this incredible, mysterious woman?

Perhaps she learned the lesson of perseverance best from her parents. Both in their mid-80s, they drive themselves daily to nearby Warner Park Community Center where they exercise, eat and socialize with other seniors. We are grateful to this neighborhood for having the foresight over 10 years ago to dream and build the center. Today they mark 62 years of married life. We are headed to Red Lobster this evening to celebrate.

All of this good health and happiness around me has allowed me to continue to pursue my favorite personal and professional interests. With no more college bills to pay, I am feeling a little freer to spend a little more time doing other things that I enjoy. Not that I still don’t get a little thrill out of the carpentry and home repair stuff, but I am giving myself a little more latitude in what and how much I choose to do. Nancy and I have spent some of this extra time together traveling, visiting and camping. We dusted off our old tent last summer, spending a few wonderful weekends with old friends.

And as you might recall, last March, after 5 days of fun in the sun with my friend Ron, I stayed in Honduras for 3 weeks to work with the Hackett Hemwall Foundation, assisting their team of medical volunteers. I liked it so much that this year I am returning and have invited daughter Jesse to join me.

Many of you offered your generous financial support last year, making this trip possible. I again want to express gratitude. Thank you! As a second year veteran, I look forward this year to exploring how to be useful to the group and the Hondurans beyond basic interpreting, handy- manning and chauffeur duties. Look for more on this during and after my trip this March.

Some of you have expressed a desire to again put some of your financial resources toward this medical project in Honduras. I am humbled and delighted, convinced that the work that this dedicated group of doctors, nurses, dentists, physical therapists is worth our mutual investment of time and money. This year your tax deductible contributions will help both Jesse and me with our portion of the expenses. Due to your generosity last year, I have a small credit balance in my account this year, and will apply this toward this year’s expense. Please contribute as you are comfortable. This year you can use Paypal, just follow the link at the bottom of this page. In return, I promise to send notes and photos of the trip. We will be in Honduras from March 3 through March 16. Jesse promises to do the same. She writes:

As many of you remember last year, Dad spent 2 weeks serving others in Honduras through Spanish translation, driving on the dusty Honduran roads and offering his carpentry skills. Upon his return, we all had the chance to relive his trip through his wonderful stories and pictures. This year Dad has invited me to join him, and I immediately said yes. As many of you know, I am spending this year serving in a public health clinic in San Francisco, and can't think of a better way to offer my Spanish skills and newly-gained medical knowledge than through a volunteer trip to offer medical services in a Spanish-speaking country. This year has been a year of serving others, and in order to do that I am learning to live without. If any of you are able to support me with financial offerings, letters, etc., to make this trip possible that would be wonderful. I look forward to sharing my journey with all of you through emails, photos and stories upon my return. Thank you all for your ongoing love and support in my life; I think of you all daily and am so lucky to have such an incredibly supportive group of friends and family in my life.

So here is wishing all of you a very Happy New Year. May 2012 be filled with much joy and challenge as you can handle in 2012. I leave in a few days for 10 days of being unplugged from cyberspace, (retreat time), so please forgive me if I do not respond to your email immediately.

Yours,
Dennis

For more information about our Honduras Prolo-therapy Medical Trip or to donate online via PayPal, go to:

http://www.hacketthemwall.org/HHF/Donate_to_the_HHF.html

If you prefer to send the check directly to me, here is my address:

Dennis Harrison-Noonan
2201 Brentwood Parkway
Madison, WI 53704
608 244-8473

Coming Home

2010-05-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I am embarrassed to say that over a month has passed since I returned to the US from my mission trip to Nicaragua and I am just now able to put together some of my thoughts. It took a rainy Sunday afternoon, time out from our beautiful if not precocious Wisconsin spring get into the right head and heart space. But here I am, ready to give it a go. Thanks to all for your patience.

Those of you who have gone through the culture warp know that returning to the home country is fraught with lots of small but unexpected surprises. I was not spared my fair share. Only last week was I able to dispose of the used toilet paper in proper US fashion without glancing around for the every present waste paper basket found in most Latin American facilities. OK, this might not qualify as culture shock.

First here is a summary of my last few weeks in Nicaragua. After having spent about 3 weeks in the RAAN (Northern Autonomous Atlantic Region) I spent the final days visiting a fellow ex- pat living in Esteli, a beautiful mountain town on the Pacific side. There I basically just hung out and rested, and enjoyed a few days of basically doing nothing-on purpose. There is something very satisfying about planning to do basically nothing for a couple of days, then achieving the goal. I wandered the cobblestone streets of this tradition Spanish style town, where I visited with the people there, many of whom seemed to be on a similar mission of "vagabundery". At some point it dawned on me that this town might fit my criteria for a possible Latin American retirement spot should I ever decide return for an extended period in later years. I found it to have a pleasant climate, a small but lively international community, a central park with trees, pleasant people who showed no outward signs of xenophobia and decent medical facilities. Who could ask for more?

OK, I suppose you want to hear my personal evaluation of how I spent my time and your generous support dollars during my months away. Fair enough. I am still processing much of it, but will share what I have learned.

First, I discovered that my unique winter odyssey trip was perhaps not so unique after all. While there I ran into other fellow life travelers who had years ago discovered way to live and work in this part of the world. Some were young, having been smitten with the life and culture through a Peace Corp or other mission experience. Others were similar in age to me, fellow baby boomers contemplating their retirement options in light of dwindling hopes of the promised comforts of the golden years in the US or Europe.

For a couple of mornings, I took my breakfast in a small coffee shop run by a middle aged woman from the UK. She had arrived several years early intending to do some volunteer work. She fell in love (with at least the country, perhaps with a Nicaraguan) and decided to stay. To support her volunteer work, she opened a coffee shop along with a hostel where foreign travelers can come to get a little bit of home. The menu includes fresh yogurt make by a man from Hungary, granola, pancakes and fresh jams and jellies. She offered comfort food. . There I met a few others US and European travelers, all embarked on a similar sojourn of their planet and their soul. I was with my people again. They reminded me of all of you, of all of us.

But I digressed. Back to the mission, the stated purpose of my trip. You might say that what I was allowed a rare opportunity to shadow a Nicaraguan national humanitarian aid agency and find out a bit about how it works. Although staffed almost entirely by well trained and dedicated Nicaraguans I came to understand that AMC functions like many other relief agencies. The work they do depends almost entirely on outside financial support and volunteers. As such, I was treated with a certain deference that at first raised my suspicion and disturbed my comfort level. Did they not know that I had only come to offer a bit of my labor? Where they viewing me as a possible donor? Did they have hopes that I was there to scope out projects and direct large amounts of financial support? It took a few days of conversations for both parties to come to an understanding as to what I had come to offer.

So what did I offer to them? I came to believe that my specific carpentry skills were perhaps the least valuable item in my skill set. Maybe of more use to them was my ability to fit in, to blend into their routine, speak their language, understand some of their jokes, hear their concerns. While many other more technically useful short term missioners came and went during my time there, I stayed around. The well digger and his wife from Texas came and left, the farmers from Iowa came and left, the medical team came and left. When I said goodbye to the team of Nicaraguans, , I felt that we had changed our perception of the other at least a little. I would like to call this soft mission work, the necessary preliminary task of establishing a certain level of trust on which deeper, more lasting work can be built. Some might call it relationship building. Reflecting on Nancy and my work in Chile in the 1990s, this first stage can take years. I am now not feeling as frustrated with myself as I did while there, I judge my time well spent when I view it as a precursor to what might follow.

I would like to compare and contrast my experience to other short term project in Latin America. A few years ago I accompanied a group of church members who traveled to El Salvador to build houses with Habitat for Humanity. Our Habitat time was much shorter, but at the end of the week of hot, hard work we were able to proudly measure the number of courses of cement blocks we had laid toward the future home of a homeless family. Talk about a feel -good experience. My time in Nicaragua was different; I was about a different task, whose purpose is only beginning to be made clear to me. It would be easy to judge one or the other as being a better use of time and resources, but I will not. Both can be understood in the context of their respective goals. I did not go to carve additional notches in my hammer handle. At age 54 the magic is fading.

All of this is a long apologia to the voices of my youth that still ask: “Dennis, what did you do for the good of the country?” I feel the need to render accounts for the use of my limited time and your resources that we invested toward this venture.

All in all, the trip exceeded my expectations and goals. From the feedback I received from AMC, they too were quite happy with my work, receiving an open invitation from the AMC director to return at any time... I felt much honored to receive this affirmation.

On another level, the trip was a failure. At some point I realized that my quest was more about my personal search for El Dorado and less about altruism. I suppose we all aspire to greatness, I was shameless enough to actively seek it out and ask you to finance the attempt. If fulfillment in life is the result of putting our greatest gifts in the service toward the greatest need, then I am guilty of failing to find it on this trip. But I am proud of this failure, and have no deep regrets.

I continue to feel grateful for your companionship throughout this adventure. It was your encouragement that first emboldened me to set out on this project and your support that kept me going through times when quitting would have been quite easy. In a sense, you all become co-conspirators with me in this wild dream. Thank you, thank you!

Sahsa Update from Esteli

2010-03-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I am back again in the northern highlands in the colonial city of Esteli enjoying a weekend of relaxation and reflection. Here are a few thoughts on my time in Sahsa, located in the Northern Autonomous Region of the Atlantic. This expansive, sparsely populated region is known as La RAAN.

As our plane landed on the dirt airstrip near the larger town of Rosita, I was was struck by just how remote of an area I had come to. Two young men dressed in camoflauge and armed with AK-47s awaited us, along with the passengers to board for the return flight to Managua. The door to the 12 passenger opened, and we were welcomed by a gust of hot, dusty air. I thought to myself, wow, this place is even more humid and remote than I had imagined. I felt a certain apprehension as I deplaned. Had I exceeded my tolerance limit?

From the airport we were picked up by local staff, then driven to the AMC office, stopping for lunch along the way. After meeting local staff, we loaded the pickup and set out for a 3 hour bumpy ride to Sahsa. The distance we covered was roughly 30 miles, but the road conditions would not allow us to make an better time. I arrived tired, dusty and thirsty.

The town of Sahsa began in the 1980s as a refugee resettlement town. At the height of the revolution, a community of mostly Miskitos living on the Rio Coco, the river that forms the border between Honduras and Nicaragua, were forcibly relocated to this area. Over the years, the Spanish speaking mestizos from the Pacific region moved here, attracted by logging and cattle raising opportunities. The two cultures have learned to coexist reasonably well.

Over the course of the three weeks I spent with the Miskito, I came to appreciate their unique spirit. I chatted mostly with Don Juan, or El Profesor, a 67 year old double amputee who has been confined to a wheel chair for the past 5 years, losing both legs to diabetes. Juan talked about how the two ethnic groups got along, referring to his fellow Nicariguans as the Espanoles, a clear reference to their view that the Spanish invaded and conquered them many years ago. Don Juan commands a huge respect from his neighbors, especially the younger folks of Sahsa, having served as teacher to many of them when he worked in the local schools. He was very open and generous with his time, treating me to several story- telling sessions of his personal journey from the Rio Coco to Sahsa. I learned lots about their struggle to start life again in a land they had not chosen. He also taught me a bit of Miskito. Tinki pali, Juan. (Thank you)

Juan is married to Soyla a stern but loving woman who maintains the household of adult children and grandchildren by cooking for the staff and volunteers of AMC who are working in the region. Although food is expensive and variety very limited, Soyla did a pretty good job of keeping the meals interesting. The basic fare of red beans, fried eggs, fried banana, fresh cheese and tortillas were adequate to keep me going, but I really did miss the veggies and other gringo foods.

A bit about my work here. While there I was able to help with the construction of a small pharmacy that will be stocked with medicines donated by AMC. While the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health does run a health clinic, it’s supply of medicines is so limited that many simple ailments often go untreated. AMC seeks to complement the governments work by offering a larger selection of medicines at cost to the people of the area. Our work was slowed by both the blazing summer heat as well as difficulty in getting the lumber sawn and hauled from the nearby forest. After a few days of negotiating, Roberto, the architect, was able to contract with a local sawyer and have the wood needed for the roofing delivered. Here are a couple of shots of the work site.

So here I am riding the horse that had just been used to deliver the freshly cut and quite green 2x4s to our job site. No , I did not grow taller since coming, most horses here are very small. I figure that less food is required to maintain them.

Communication and transportation are two of the biggest obstacles to development in this region. In an attempt to remedy the former, I worked with a couple of members of the Managua Ham Radio Club who had flown up to the region to install radios and antennas in 3 new communities. Not since our years in Chile have I had the need to set up an amateur radio station, so it was fun to get to play with the antennas and radio equipment again. Here we are setting up the 2 meter rig in the office.

Carlos, one of the masons on the work site happened to be the choir director at the local Catholic Community. I had thrown my penny whistle in my day pack and played it during some slow times at the work site. Carlos became interested, and invited me to join him at the church on Sunday. The other choir members were fascinated, so I went to work to make a simple whistle out of readily available PVC pipe. The instrument was my first attempt and really needs some serious tuning and adjusting, but Carlos accepted the gift graciously. He surely would have preferred that I send down a couple dozen of the factory made flutes for his choir, but I challenged him to make his own. I am not sure I really taught them to fish but at least I did not perpetuate the often misdirected largess of aid workers. I am reminded that real change is slow and hard.

In short, Sahsa was quite a challenge. I was affected by the heat, lack of variety of food, intestinal parasites and delays in work. I survived, but for health reasons chose to leave a week earlier than I had planned. I endured what for me were fairly harsh condition , found my limit, then pulled back.

I am grateful for the chance to find the bottom. I still have some laboratory work to do tomorrow to find out what variety of parasite or bacteria has taken up residence in my lower GI tract. I am learning that the medical services here are very reputable and affordable. I have to walk a only city block from my hotel tomorrow morning to find a lab. I should have results by mid day. The lab work and prescribed meds will cost me under $10.

I am still debating how to spend the next couple of weeks. Holy Week is proving to be a bit of an obstacle to my plans. As this is one of the most Christian countries in Latin America, Holy Week is really a big deal. Many businesses close for the entire week, and those who can afford it head to the beach. Not sure if I will stay till after Easter. If flights are available, I may head out by the end of the week. I really don’t want this time to come to an end, but am feeling the call to get back to Madison. I am missing my loved ones.

I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. In order to keep file size small, I reduced the photos. I will post the photos on an appropriate website when I return should any of you want to view them in their full size.

In closing, I want to share a quote sent to me by a dear friend. It resonated with me present mood in a strong and life giving sort of way. Be well, all of you. I keep you in my thoughts and prayers, being ever grateful to you for supporting me in this unique part of the journey.

Happy Equinox to you!

Dennis

We're willing to sit still, just be there alone. We don't have to particularly have to cultivate this loneliness; we could just sit still long enough to realize it is how things really are. We are fundamentally alone, and there is nothing anywhere to hold on to. Moreover this is not a problem. In fact it allows us to discover a completely unfabricated state of being...Cool loneliness allows us to look honestly and without aggression at our own minds. We can gradually drop our ideals of who we think we ought to be, or who we think we want to be, or who we think other people think we want or ought to be. We give it up and just look directly with compassion and humor at who we are. Then loneliness is no threat and heartache, no punishment. Pema Chodron

Retreat in El Salvador

2010-02-23T07:33:00.000-08:00

I am in El Salvador for the weekend, having finished up a retreat up
in the mountains just outside of the capitol, San Salvador. I
gathered wit the other 10 volunteers, Julia the Director, and Edwina
Gateley, the retreat presenter.

Edwina is the founder of Volunteer Mission Movement. She founded this
group over 30 years ago in England, and has continued to be involved
over the years. She now earns her living as a writer, poet and
retreat speaker, addressing mostly progressive lay women´s issues in
the church. but mostly, Edwina is a story teller, and tell us stories,
she did. At a young age she went off to Uganda during the time of Idi
Amin to work as a missionary. Her passion for life and the gospel is
strong.

I came away from the weekend feeling again the burdens and blessings
of the type of work we are all engaged in here. All of us had made at
one time or the other, a decision to live and work with the poor in
Latin America. We have come and have seen, and gathered this
weekend to attempt to understand how to repond to what we
experienced. She described it as being pulled between two worlds, and
creating a certain ambivalence for either. She helped us understand
how to accept the lifetime implications of our initial decision to
come and see.

El Salvador is facinating country. Lots of people crammed into a
mostly mountainous region. The cities are plagued by gang violence,
making it treacherous to travel in many areas. Most of the volunteers
had personal accounts of witnessing gang shootings. The mountain
village where we had the retreat was a welcome exception to the
violence. This country is also recovering from massive mudslides of a
few months ago. More stories of lost loved ones sobered those of us
who came from another country.

But not all is bad here. The newly elected left leaning president
enjoys a majority of support from the electorate. Pupusas, the
national food consisting of a tortilla filled with cheese and beans
are still delicious. The weekend was one of laughter and great fun.
I leave feeling rested and ready to return .

Tomorrow morning I will catch a bus back to Nicaragua. This 11 hour
ride in a very comfortable cross country bus will but me back in
Managua around midnight. After a few days of evaluation meetings with
the partner agency in Managua, I will fly to the Carribean Coast to
begin my second leg of work.
So, the adventure has brought me this far.. I continue to feel
grateful for all that I have seen and done. I will keep you posted.
I hear another snowstorm threatens the midwest tonight. I hope all
of you will be safe.

Dennis

Weekend in Matagalpa

2010-02-15T12:53:00.001-08:00

I am writing this post from the Cafe Barista, a small coffee shop located just north of the Catholic Cathedral and Parque Morazan in the northern mountain city of Matagalpa.

I caught a dusty chicken bus out of La Dalia yesterday, paying the equvalent of $1.50 USD for the 2 hours bus ride over very rough roads. I got off at the Terminal de Buses, a place always located in the seediest parts of the town or city. I walked about a block before stopping a street vender to ask about a hotel. She was very helpful, advising me to take a cab to Hotel Ideal, explaining that there were only pensiones in the area of the bus terminal and that these $2/night flops were not suitable for foreigners. I grabbed a cab and made my way to the $8/night hotel where I was quite comfortable.

Comfort is such a relative thing. I found myself thrilled to see an indoor bath with a flush toilet and running water in the shower. The roughly cut half inch plastic pvc tube protruding from the wall promised me I would not have to dump pans of water over my head to bath. The bedroom with its concrete wall and fairly comfortable double foam mattress did not have a mosquito net, a welcome break from the constant concern for the marlaria porting mosquitos. And best of all, I could wander out of he hotel after dark. No curfew! Where I live my coworkers do not deem it safe for me to wander out after sunset, which occurs at about 6 pm year round at these latitudes.

At the hotel last night, I met a retired man from Main who was traveling on his own through Nicaragua. Anxious to speak english and have some contact with someone from my tribe, I introduced myself. He invited me to a folklore dance presentation that he had heard about and off we went to take in the night life.

The work of the past week centered mostly around our trips to bancos de tierra. My group, AMC is experimenting with a method of buying large tracks of mountainous but arable land and selling it to organized groups of landless peasants. The desire to get ahead, receive training and work in a community are among some of the requirements. Under the old spanish feudal system that is extant here, generations of families remained in debt to the patrones, or landowners who provided them only a bare minimum of food and shelter. According to my coworkers, breaking this ingrained cycle of living and acting requires incredible amounts of “capacitacion” or training and development. Of course, there needs to be funds to make the initial land purchase. AMC depends on funding sources outside of Nicaragua to provide the initial investment. One such group working with AMC is Farmer to Farmer, an Iowa group that sends down a delegation annually to assess funding and provide technical assistance where they can. It is not a perfect system, but in my estimations seems to be one of the most effective models possible breaking the cycle or attitude of poverty. The benficiaries of the land do not receive it for free but pay off the loan over a period of 8-12 years.

On Wednesday , I spent the day working with Don Bismark, a land bank member. We did some electrical rewiring of a nursing station for AMC. Bismark was eager to tell me that he was ahead of schedule on his land payments and planned to have his land paid off within 6 years.n He is 33 and has two young children. Tomorrow he and I will be building a separating wall between a bodega (warehouse) and examination room. We will frame the wall with boards that measure a true 2” x 2” and cover it with 3/16” Luaun Mahogany.

So what am I seeing here? Mostly, incredible determination in the face of relative poverty. Resources are few here, but people are very clever at making due with what they have. Hunger and malnutrition are not initially obvious, but even after 2 weeks I am beginning to see what I think are signs of poor or inadequate diets and health care. The kids that have befriended this “chele narizote” (the light skinned guy with the big nose) bring their slightly swollen bellies, chronic coughs and longing eyes to my front porch in search of food and attention. Like stray dogs and cats, I reward them with oranges, crackers or bread from my stock and they quickly run off, returning the next day. Part of this might be just curiosity on their part, so I am reticent to really try to assess the hunger situation. I am surely not trained to do so. Feeling emotional hungry myself, I really like their attention and a chance to interact with them.

A few thought on prejudice. I find the Nicaraguans generally to have a somewhat lower collective self concept when they compare themselves to their southern neighbors, the Costa Ricans. Their skin tones and facial features show more signs of Spaniard and Indigenous intermingling than what you will see in Costa Rica or perhaps even Guatemala. They are a mixture or mestizos in the truest sense.

Waiting in Managua

2010-01-25T10:28:00.000-08:00

Today I was supposed to be traveling up to the mountain region of Matagalpa to begin my first phase of work here. Yesterday I came down with a low grade fever, so I have opted to delay my travels for a couple of days. It seems that many Nicaraguans have ben suffering from a similar virus with fever and cough. This is not the way I would have chosen to bond with the people here. The Nicaraguans are well acquainted with “la gripe”, their word for cold and flu, as well as intestinal ailments.

After a busy week of meetings and other orientation information with team managers of Accion Medica Cristiana, I was invited to visit the nearby colonial town of Diriamba, located about an hour up the mountains from Managua. I went with Belinda , Gerardo and their two daughter, Kiara and Isabel. Belinda, a long missionary dentist from Massachusetts, met Gerardo, a Nicaraguan doctor in the early 90s while on a joint mission project here.

The small mountain town was celebrating their patron saint festival, a hugely popular event with longstanding Catholic roots. The arrow riddled figure of San Sebastian stands mounted on the top of the basilica’s cupola. It is said that when prayers to this saint are answered, some dare to climb the outer metal ladder and place a ribbon at the feet of 8 foot figure. You have to admire the “faith” of some people here.

Saturday evening we all gathered in the Plaza next to the church to watch the Folklore Ballet from the old city of Leon. I have uploaded a short video of their beautiful dance for you to watch. You can view it at the following URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQuuOtuanFY

The dances depict a typical interplay between Spaniards men and native women. As in much of Latin America, the European explorers were single men in search of gold and adventure. Unlike the North American immigrants who came with their families, the Spaniards were quick to mingle with the local women, thus producing the mixed, mestizo blood line. Most Nicaraguans retain at least some indigenous facial features, producing a wide range of skin tones.

Back to the personal. I have been in country now just over a week, and still feel myself in a transition time. Getting my head and jaw around Spanish again after 15 years of little practice has proved challenging. I do better in a formal setting, and am pretty well clueless when trying to understand the small talk around the family table. However, as I get older, I realize that I often don’t get everything that is said in English either, so perhaps some of my limits are now due to again and diminished hearing. I was pleased to be able to laugh at a few of the jokes told at the table.

A bit about the food here. No meal here would be complete without the famous “gallo pinto”, a fried mixture of red beans and rice. This will be served with scrambled eggs for breakfast, and with a bit of luck, fried chicken or fish for the other meals. Fresh fruit is abundant here, so pinneapple, papaya, lemons oranges and other tropical fruit are typically served with each meal. Nicaraguans tend to eat in silence, saving the conversation for after the meal. Coffee here is stronger than a typical US cup, but not as “thick” as I have found in other nearby countries. Fortunately, I enjoy the bean and rice mixture, but am having to adjust to the large amounts of oil and salt. Please keep my gall bladder in your prayers.

The earthquake in Haiti has captured the attention of the people here, due in part to their history of similar natural disasters.. In 1972, the city of Managua was essentially destroyed by an earthquake that measured 7 on the Richter Scale. Approximately 10 thousand died, leaving the capital in ruins. Foreign aid poured in, but the corrupt Somoza government diverted much of the finances to personal bank accounts located in other countries. As a result, Managua no longer has a downtown center as is typical in other Spanish colonial towns and cities. On the good side, the city here has retained much of is vegetation. Many feel that this shameless misappropriation of funds was what ultimately led to the revolutionary overthrow of the Somozan government in 1979. During this period I was with the Peace Corps in nearby Costa Rica and followed closely the events of this fascinating political process. The revolution began two weeks after I arrived in Costa Rica, giving me little time to take in the broader flavor of Central America. All of us were glued to the news channels, fearful that Somoza might carry out his threats to attack any country that supported the Sandinista rebels. Costa Rica served as the rebels base. This time was for me a political awakening for me, for i hd had had very little prior interest or experience in things political. I recall being horrified and disillusioned to realize for the first time that the US supported a regime that cared little for the common good of the people. Weren’t we always the good guys?

At this time I am planning to travel north on Wednesday for a 3 week stint at an agricultural center. I will not have internet access so will only be able to post when I travel to the nearby town located about 20 kilometers away. I will try to keep notes and post them when I get connected again. Being so connected via the web feels like a mixed blessing to me. On one hand, Nancy, my brother, parents and I have been able to enjoy face to face conversations via Skype and this has been great. At the same time, I am aware of just how many electronic devices I carry and am a bit nostalgic for the time when our only communication device was a ham radio that worked only when the atmospheric conditions were just right.

One final comment. A worker in the courtyard at the guest house where I am staying is removing a tree that has split in two. He has dug around the root as we do, and will spend most of the day chopping the roots with a machete. It never ceases to amaze me the amount o work that can be accomplished with a machete.

Thanks too for all of your words of encouragement during my unusually rough initial insertion period. I had hoped for a smoother landing, but am reminded that the health challenges are perhaps the single biggest obstacle to development work.

I send you warm thoughts, for everthing in Managua is warm.

Dennis

First Notes from Managua.

2010-01-16T15:01:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

What a difference 24 hours can make. I arrived without incident last evening in Managua, glad to see my name on the little hand held sign on the other side of the glass. Beth from AMC and Salvador, the driver ,were there as planned to take me to my lodging.

Sitting here at my desk in my private room with private bath, I am able to access the internet, watch 10 tv channels, but mostly relax for the weekend. My hopes of ridding myself of this cold have strengthened, feeling the 90 degree plus temps and high humidity to be a tonic on my raspy lungs.

Managua and the surrounding areas are surprisingly clean and calm. It seems the post revolution government put in place certain changes that have benefitted this country. After being served a typical breakfast of beans and rice (gallo pinto as in Costa Rica) with scrambled eggs, I set out to tour a nearby volcano and city. Memo picked me up and drove me to the rim of Volcan Masaya. You can see Memo perched atop this 3 cratered cone, which continues to belch sulfured laden smoke to the delight of all. For those of you wanting more info or a chance to view the volcano using Google Map, go to the following link: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/487/

As for the photos, I believe they will speak for themselves mostly. The market shots are the people’s market in Masaya. The shot of Jesus with the stick intrigued me. If anyone can venture a guess of the significance of the stick in Jesus’ hand in would love to know. I am clueless.

As all of the people of Central America of mixed blood, I find the Nicaraguans very affable and congenial. An initial first impression is that while friendly, the Nicas are slightly more subdued if compared to say their southern neighbors, the Costa Ricans.
The Spanish is similar generally to that of the region, with a few variations. For example, the tu form is not used here, rather the vos is used, but only among intimates or close relationships.

Other news, there are several regional chain stores here, but I have yet to see the ubiquitous golden arches, Pizza Hut or other such chains. If this is result of the revolution, I am doubly grateful. I wonder though if other foreign visitors have similar uggh responses when they see their country’s chain setting up shop here. Should not the Nicas have the right to eat a Big Mac just as I have? Let’s save this discussion for a long night with some cold beer.

Tomorrow I am invited to an Evangelical church services. Here the nearly total Christian population divides itself along Roman Catholic and Protestant lines, with the latter called Los Evangelicos. Another division marker is their view of alcohol- Catholics drink and Protestants don’t. While this can create a bit of a social/moral dilemma for visiting members of Protestant Churches, it seems to work out well for most. Alcoholics Anonymous has made great progress in these regions over the years, due in no small part to the support of the Protestant Churches. Personally though, I am glad to be Catholic.

Thanks to those of you who wrote me notes of encouragement in response to last night’s post. Your concern meant a great deal at a critical time.

Dennis

2010-01-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T13:27:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year !

Nancy and I spent a quiet New Year’s Eve together with her parents. Around 9 pm the 4 of us toasted to the New Year. Her mom and dad then headed for bed. Nancy and I added more logs to the fireplace in the living room and stayed past midnight reminiscing about the past year. We recognized that the past year was marked with lots of emotional upheaval and were glad to put the year to rest.

Today I have been in touch with Rodney MacDonald, a former Peace Corps Volunteer working in Nicaragua in projects similar to those of my job description. Rod is currently director of ERSLA. You can check out his work at http://www.ersla.org/ERSLA/. The brief conversation was very helpful, as he told me of the work his group is doing to bring potable water to more communities. I was intrigued with his description of a simple electrical device that can extract chlorine from salt water. The chlorine is then added to the water supply making it safe for drinking. He spoke of another low cost option for purifying water. It involves a ceramic pot placed inside a 5 gallon plastic bucket. You can read more about this innovative solution at the following site http://www.pottersforpeace.org/?page_id=9.

Rodney proved to be very knowledge and invited me to tour his projects. Such contacts are very important to me, for personal as well as professional reasons. We talked using Skype to phone. While chatting, he forwarded me an incredibly useful set of booklets he had written for newcomers to Nicaragua. I got a glimpse of how communication has changed since I last worked in this area. I had hoped to leave behind a few of my battery operated communication tools and am now reconsidering which electronic items I will take along. I secretly longed to be unplugged for a few months from the daily tasks of email and phone calls. I am reminded that this is not a vacation but a time of work. I’ll need a set of tools to do my job.

To my shock and surprise, a couple of you have mentioned your desire to visit me while in country this winter. I am thrilled at the thought of being able to show you around and will be checking with my program directors to see if this is feasible. While my commitment is for full time work, most of this largely Christian country celebrates Semana Santa (Holy Week) during which time little business is conducted. This may be a time for visitors. I will let you know. Way back when I first started brainstorming about this project I had hoped that it would create a way for some of you to experience a different side of Latin America. I am pleased that you have responded.

On the home front, yesterday saw the arrival of a young couple who has agreed to live at the Alpine Road house while I am away. Shawn and Amanda are a delightful, young 20-30 something pair who were in need of short term housing for the months while I am away. Both play guitar, so I feel assured that the music will continue in my absence. Shawn, an electrical engineer, responded to a Craigslist ad I placed just a few days ago. He is curious and willing to learn about chicken care, but not sure if his allergies will allow him to tolerate Diamond, out 15 year old cat. We may need to look for a temporary foster home for her. Please let me know if any of you made a New Year’s resolution to reach out to standoffish felines. She is pretty low maintenance, but does not give many warm fuzzies now that she is in her senior years. She prefers just to be left alone to sleep in the warmest spot of the house, which is too often on top of my feet in the bed.
Later today I hope to be in Skype contact with the program director in Nicaragua and will have more specifics about the job in my next post. In the mean time, I will be continuing to finish a few carpentry details on Nancy’s house and make the necessary business arrangements with Tim Carlisle, who will be taking over Isthmus Handyman while I am away. Tim and I worked together for several years a few years back. I am very grateful for his willingness to run the business while I am away. Tim has done international development work in the past and understands well what I am up to.

I look forward as well to the parties and lunch/coffee dates that I have planned with some of you in the next couple of weeks.

I want to close in gratitude, remembering that this mission dream has come this far by all of your support and friendship. If you have pledged financial support and have not yet mailed the check or made the PayPal payment, you can do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.vmmusa.org/donatenow.html.

Till next time,

Peace

Dennis

January 15th Departure Date for Nicaragua!

2009-12-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends and Family,

My sister sent me two unexpected gifts this holiday season. The first is Sting’s new collection of winter and holiday music. While I can’t say I ever paid much attention to this award winning singer and songwriter, I really have enjoyed his interpretation of some classic British Isle favorites. The not so well known traditional tunes are hopeful, but dark and modal and fit well with my advent mood. The second gift is a GPS device (she knows I love gadgets) that will point the direction home or other marked locations and give the distance. We both laughed later at the metaphorical value of this gift. Don’t we all secretly wish for a device that can point us in the right direction to “home”? The GPS tells me which way back and how much longer. Every 5 year old’s dream! Thanks Karen, and be assured that I will be back!

I have become aware of just how difficult it is for me to live in the present moment when so much of my energy wants to jump ahead to future plans. As many of you know, this period of preparation for my 3 months of mission work in Nicaragua has arrived at an unexpected time of discernment about some major life choices. I am struggling to accept the challenges as wisdom lessons, from which I can learn and grow. Having named and acknowledged the dreaded second thoughts about leaving family, friends and business clients for an extended period, I feel better prepared to accept the inherent risks in my decision to pursue this opportunity. Anyway, Hand wringing in this cold, dry Wisconsin weather only leads to chapped hands. So I am going to Nicaragua! , si Dios quiere, (God willing)

I have purchased my airline ticket with Continental and plan to arrive in Managua on Friday, Jan 15. With a very detailed work schedule, I will spend the first week in orientation in Managua. After that, I will travel to the Northeast corner of Nicaragua to the costal city of Puerto Cabazas. There I will work for 6 weeks in various agriculture and food security projects, as directed by Accion Medica Cristiana. The remaining 6 weeks will be spent in Matagalpa, a coffee producing region north of Managua. My work schedule is surprisingly detailed, with a list of weekly tasks to perform. Frankly, I am not used to such attention to goals in this type of work. I feel both affirmed and challenged by these expectations. Gone are the Peace Corp days of making it up as we went along. It will be very nice, though, to know what is expected of me in terms of time and energy.

I want to thank each of you who has made good on your pledge of financial support to me through Volunteer Missionary Movement. Your support has been tremendous! With your generous gifts I feel your cheers of support and encouragement as I prepare to try out this new way of responding to my inner inquietude. Together we have currently raised around $2200 in support and are well on our way to reach the needed $4500 to cover my expenses for the duration of my contract period. Your tax deductible funds to VMM go toward my lodging and food while I am working in country. I will be covering my own travel expenses to and from Managua and have medical coverage through Nancy’s country job in Madison.

Please consider becoming a part of my journey to the poor regions of Nicaragua. If you would like to join in this work with me, you can send a tax deductible check either to me or directly to VMM. Here are the addresses:

Please make the checks payable to:

Volunteer Missionary Movement
5980 West Loomis
Milwaukee, WI 53129
www.vmmusa.org

My Address is:

Dennis Harrison-Noonan
3633 Alpine Road
Madison, WI 53704

Also, you can contribute through Paypal by going to the following site.

http://www.vmmusa.org/donatenow.html

Remember to add my name by clicking on: Add Special Instruction to Seller.

Thanks,

I will write again soon.

Blessed Holidays! All of them!

Dennis

Getting ready for Nicaragua

2009-11-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

Nov 8, 2009

Dear Friends in Mission,

I am writing as promised to update you on plans to resume missionary work in Latin America. As several of you know, I have been invited by Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM-USA) to work in Nicaragua this winter as a Food Security Promoter. I plan to be in country from mid-January until mid April of 2010. I am currently making all the necessary preparations to leave the country for an extended period. I am feeling very excited and challenged by the number of tasks needed to be done prior to my departure.
While Nancy had originally considered joining me for part of the three months, she is finding that her energy is needed here in Madison caring for her newly arrived parents. They are settling into their house located about a mile from this one. Nancy and I have entered a new phase of our married life, and are working hard at understanding the demands that this new phase requires of us.
Let me tell you what I know about the area I will be working in and what I will be doing. VMM has forged a partnership with a Nicaraguan aid organization called Accion Medica Cristiana. You can find out more about this fascinating group at http://www.amc.org.ni/. After a week of orientation in Managua, I will be working for the first 6 weeks in a costal region in the northeast corner of Nicaragua, in and around the city of Puerto Cabezas. This historically colorful and culturally diverse area of the country was named by pirates who first landed on the eastern Coast. (In addition to the obvious reason for the name, the Miskito Indians inhabited this area.) Here is a link for more information: http://www.amigosdenicaragua.org/puerto_cabezas.htm.
After that I am headed to this country’s third largest city, Matagalpa. Here I will be working with agriculture and construction projects.
Here is a bit about my assignment. In short I will be working with individual families and groups in helping them assess and solve their food needs. While the job description is very broad, I understand it to be focused on working as a link between Accion Medica Cristiana and the people they serve. In other words, I will be helping Nicaraguans feed themselves. You can read the full job description at my blog site. Go to http://www.blogger.com/blog-options-basic.g?blogID=4969853870235420132&saved=true .
Through my blog, I want to offer you the chance to journey with me during these 3 months. I have appreciated your interest and your support for this journey so far, and want to continue to share the details of the adventure with you. . Although I may be living and working in very rustic conditions with limited access to internet and phones. pledge to do my best to keep in touch.
Some of you have expressed concern about my personal safety while in Nicaragua. I can say that while there are different health and safety risks that I will face, the general living conditions are safe, clean and sufficient.
I want to thank those of you who have offered to help underwrite this project with me. I would not be able to undertake such a project without your financial support. Although I am feeling a bit nervous as the departure date approaches, I am also feeling confident that this project will be worthwhile for all involved. I am grateful for your support.
To those who would like to make a contribution, here are the details. You can write a tax-deductible check to Volunteer Missionary Movement and indicate on it that you are Friends of Harrison-Noonan. Also, you can use PayPal to make a secure, easy online payment. You can find the link to PayPal at the VMM site at http://www.vmmusa.org/donatenow.html Please make sure that you put my name, Dennis Harrison-Noonan, in the Add Comments Box on the second screen so my account will be credited.
As the Holiday season approaches and all begin to make our decisions as to how to share our talents with others, I hope that you will consider this project as a possible recipient of your treasures. I look forward to having you along on this adventure, and ask that you keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I prepare to embark.

Peace and Happy Holidays!

Dennis Harrison-Noonan
3633 Alpine Road
Madison, WI 53704- 2201
608 244-8473

Links:

Puerto Cabazas http://www.amigosdenicaragua.org/puerto_cabezas.htm

Acción Médica Cristiana: http://www.amc.org.ni/

Volunteer Missionary Moment, USA: http://www.vmmusa.org/

Please send your check to:

Volunteer Missionary Movement-USA
Attention: Harrison-Noonan Project
5980 W. Loomis Road
Greendale, WI 53129

Dennis' Job Description

2009-11-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Job Descriptions for:
Acción Médica Cristiana Volunteer Position
Food Security Volunteer

Project: Acción Médica Cristiana

Project Site: ?, Nicaragua

Immediate Supervisor: Beth Jerdon, Volunteer Program Coordinator

Permanent Contacts: Volunteer Coordinator
Human Resources Director

Duration of Position: Two Years

Definition:

The volunteer position of Food Security Volunteer exists to aid the functioning, development, implementation and evaluation of existing and new food security programs benefiting the partner communities of Acción Médica Cristiana (AMC) under the strict coordination and direction of the AMC and leaders of the partner communities.

Background:

Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM) approached Acción Médica Cristiana (AMC) to investigate the idea of hosting long term (2-year) volunteers within one of the many AMC projects. A needs assessment was completed at the Central office of AMC to determine the priority volunteer positions, which are as follows in order of importance: Water Sanitation Volunteer, Food Security Volunteer, HIV/AIDS Prevention Educator Volunteer and Strategic Planning Volunteer.

General Objective:

Develop and implement long-term solutions to address the issue of food security in Nicaragua which greatly contributes to the poverty that plagues this country. This will be done by partnering with local communities and community leaders in the planning, coordination, supervision and evaluation of food security programming with a strong reliance on AMC experience in the communities.

Specific Objectives:

1. To learn about AMC and it´s Food Security programs.
2. Work in solidarity with AMC staff to support existing programs and work to develop new initiatives that address the issue of poverty related to Food Security.

Position Functions & Responsibilities:

1. Design work methodologies in the subcomponent of Promotion of Family Orchards and Agricultural Sustainability (PHF).
2. Support the capacitation of local promoters.
3. Consult with the central and local teams in regards to the process of PHF.
4. Participate as a member of the technical team in collaboration for the development of community health programs related to Food Security.
5. participate in the technical meetings to monitor and evaluate related programs.
6. Develop and implement programs based on available financial resources.
7. Support field teams in any necessities related to the food security projects.
8. Communicate frequently with AMC Coordinators and the AMC Central Volunteer Coordinator to inform them of project status.
9. Involve national volunteers in any possible aspects of the projects by first evaluating with Area Coordinator.
10. Any other functions deemed necessary for this position based on the needs of the project.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• At least an intermediate level of Spanish speaking abilities
• Knowledge of Agricultural Science and practices (organic, if possible)
• Comfortability with teaching others
• Knowledge of Central American Culture (preferred)
• The ability to drive both automatic and manual transmissions
• The ability work with others and organize an action plan based on the needs of the project is essential.
• There may be times when it is necessary to work alone, self-motivation is imperative in these situations.

Responsibilities:

• Represent AMC, it´s mission, vision and values in a positive manner in all aspects of this volunteer position.
• Confidentiality in all aspects of this project based on cultural norms, social structures and the organizational hierarchy.
• Keep a partner mindset in all aspects of the projects.
• Care for the resources provided by both AMC and the communities with which AMC partners.

Work Conditions:
• The majority of time will be spent in the field working with the local farmers
• Weather conditions are tropical. Winter is the rainy season (May-November).
• Connection to other North Americans may be minimal.
• Communication will be in Spanish.