Mike Cobb's Nicaragua’s Update - February 2007
Dear Family and Friends,
Thanks for your continued interest in our lives and what is happening with us here in Nicaragua. The newsletter was getting too long, so this will be the first installment of “Gringo Life”, a section of stories about living here, separate from the newsletter. These updates are as much for me as for anyone, so you’ll see my ponderings and analysis about some of the cross-cultural events and attitudes we encounter on a regular basis.
It was a busy Fall for the Cobb family. In October we went to the to the States for a week where the girls enjoyed the fine Western Maryland autumn weather, the changing leaves, and playing in a pumpkin patch and corn maze. Seeing the leaves change color is something we all miss when we are down here.
While in the U.S., Carol and the girls collected shoes from friends and brought them back for some children who live outside Managua. It is a great activity for them because knowing the situation of the less fortunate, which the girls do, is a precursor to caring about them. Shoes for kids here are critically important because without them, children may not attend school. Additionally, a host of parasites are transmitted through the feet. Simple things like footwear make a huge difference in the life of a child, and our girls really enjoy helping out and playing with the kids here in Nicaragua.
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Going back to the U.S. for Christmas was a refreshing change for everyone. I know that I especially enjoyed the cool weather. One of the things I miss the most when living in Nicaragua is working outside in the yard and cutting and splitting wood. Both my father and Carol’s dad had plenty of wood to cut and split which was an incredible joy for me. There is something extremely therapeutic for me in these activities. Both Amanda and Emily helped out and did a lot of “timber!”-yelling. The girls are also learning to split and stack firewood.
I’ve got to tell one funny story about Emily. She is two and a half and into the “my” stage, especially with a big sister who reminds her of that word from time to time. Well apparently, she had a stick and was hitting Carol’s folks’ car with it, and so Dawson, Carol’s dad, asked her to stop. Her response? “It’s my stick.”
Until next time, enjoy a wonderful New Year and keep in touch.
The Cobb Family
