The First Week Almost Through

With week one almost under my belt, there are a few things to already think back on...

Lauren (the other agricultural intern) and I have become quite good friends. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that we have tons in common right now! We are struggling through our allotted jobs.. figuring out what development is all about.. figuring out how to live in Managua, all the while, being a bit blind and deaf to everything (figurative and literal).

I am grateful for the last week; I have already been forced to reevaluate my priorities, question my surroundings, and make changes. The work is challenging... reading in Spanish is not coming very naturally... there just seems to be a LOT of work. I guess that's the nature of where I'm at.

I look around, and begin to feel grounded. Sights are beginning to look familiar and I am laughing more. The sounds and smells are becoming more natural, as I more easily ease myself to sleep at night.

Home is most definitely still on the forefront of my mind, as I wonder why I have passed up hanging out with my family for a job. But this is more than a job. I hope to discover myself, my calling and my God.

Until next time...

Random Sesame Facts

Sesame is thought to be one of the oldest spices known to man and is likely the first crop grown for its edible oil. Babylonians used the oil to make sesame cakes, wine, brandy, and toiletries. From as early as 1500 B.C, Egyptians believed sesame to have medicinal powers.

What’s more, the famous phrase "Open Sesame" was the magical password that opened the entrance to the cave in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. This reference is perhaps attributable to the fact that ripe sesame seeds burst from their pods with a sharp pop. In Africa, sesame seed was called benne and considered good luck.