Día Dos (Day Two)

La Reflexión de la Palabra y de la firma del Pacto
(The Reflection of the Word and the Signing of the Covenant)

Our second day began with song, prayer, and reflection as our group joined with the staff of the Cultural Center of Batahola Norte (CCBN) to break open the words of Scripture, listen deeply to one another's perspectives, and to participate in a ritual to renew the twinning covenant between Immaculate Heart of Mary parish and the CCBN.

The time together was an opportunity for recalling the legacy of relationships formed, and to witness to the power of the mutual bonds of friendships that have grownn over the years.
As Sue Keefe reflected, "We are all family, working together" and "we share our faith and God and our common humanity."

Visitar en Managua

After some heartfelt sharing and prayerful gratitude to God for the relationships, our group loaded into our bus (driven by our jovial driver, Don Alberto) to make our way through the Managua traffic to La Nueva Catedral de Managua.  We experienced torrential rains last night, and (as you can see in this picture to the right), sometimes road crews will plant a tree rather than a construction barrel to indicaed the presence of a newly emerged pothole.

After spending some time exploring and praying in the Cathedral, we travelled to the overlook above the Laguna de Tiscapa. In addition to its significance in history as the home of the Somoza family during their long dictatorial reign, the view of the city and of Lake Managua is spectacular.

Almuerzo con Familias
(Lunch with Families)

Many in our group have expressed what a beautiful opporunity it has been to eat lunch with families that live near to the center.  During the hour and a half that we spend with the families eah day, we have the chance to learn about their lives and to experienced home-cooked, traditional Nicaraguan food. 

Pictured at right is Amanda Perez, the host for one of the groups along with her granddaughter Ruth Marie.