and i´m off!

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Ah! Escaped from the hotel with another bandit to run and use the internet for a few minutes!

Have been in conferences all morning with our counterparts and we leave tomorrow for our site visits. Our official counterpart is INTA, Instituto Nicaraguense de Tecnologia Agropecuaria... basically a big farm organization.

So I´m going to the department of Madriz and to the town of Moropoto, which is about an hour south of the capital of the dept, Somoto... up a mountain... near the Honduran border. More conferences tomorrow and then I take off with my team.

So the Jefa of INTA in Somoto is here, and my extensionsita from INTA for my region and the lider (leader) of the community of Moropoto, too. I am like the only person that has 3 people, a literal team. And I already have a list of things to work on in the community, which rocks. Because part of my worry has been that I won´t have my days filled as a volunteer, but with a list of expectations, I have nothing to worry about! My list, from my lider, includes... getting to know and talk to everyone in my community (660 population), teach kids about sexual health and prevention of STDs and HIV-AIDS, help set up a school garden and gardens and household gardens, and teach English.

Awesome. I can do all of that, no problem. They are also looking for value added products and a greater presence in the mercado verde, or farmer´s market. Tomorrow I´m going to get up early before breakfast and take them to the farmer´s market here in Esteli... meeting at 6am. Happens every Friday and figure that as long as we get back before 8am and the morning of conferences we´ll be fine.

I can understand both of my INTA counterparts just fine, but my lider, Mario, speaks very softly and with an accent that is difficult to understand. Gonna take some time.

Okay must run have loads to do in the next week while I visit my new community and host family and, gulp, try to speak only in the español for a week. There was a volunteer in the community a few years ago, but there´s been a lapse so talking about what Peace Corps is all about will probably take up most of the time.

Love you all more from Moropoto or Somoto! By the time I get back Halloween will have happened, we´ll have a new President of the United States, and Day of the Dead will have passed, too.

Adio!

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