REV. ELIZABETH & JEN CHAMBERLIN WORK WITH WOMEN IN ACTIO

For the second time Rev Elizabeth and Jen Chamberlin traveled to Managua, Nicaragua to work with a woman's project, Women in Action, based in La Primavera, a barrio on the edge of Lake Managua. The women's project works to provide support for women and children, in this poorest of Managua's neighborhoods.

The project has a new building, purchased with donations and renovated by various service trips. Inside are cool tile floors, a wood fired stove for cooking soy food and soy milk, a large area for children's activities, and another area where the women work on their gourd art projects. Anew activity is adult education for some women who had not completed primary school With the help of funds donated by the United Church, we purchased textbooks, calculators and dictionaries for the women, who were overwhelmed by the new materials.

Last year, Jennifer drew and painted a large mural depicting Vulcan Momotombo and Smuggler's, connected by a flowing river that begins as a waterfall in a tropical area and ends up as a skating pond. The mural clearly symbolizes the inter-relationship between the two communities.

This year, Jen painted another mural, this time it is filled with images for the children. Although Jen designed and sketched in the mural, many women participated in the painting, delighting in their chance to do something creative. Rev. Elizabeth, meanwhile, helped cook the soy food, or helped in the store, or read to the children or played with the little boys.

For Jen and Rev. Elizabeth, the trip was an opportunity to visit again with many of the women and children they had met on their last trip, and do a little touring as well. They visited the old city of Leon, built in 1534, and toured the churches in modern Leon.

They also walked through the spectacular cloud forest atop Vulcan Mombacho, and visited the beautiful countryside around La Paz.

One of the things the women at Women in Action do is provide a welcoming event for guests. This usually involves dances and games. In return, guests usually do something on the last day. This year Jen and I decided to host a pizza party. The cost of pizza in Nicaragua is 10 American dollars. Now, that mightn't sound like much to us, but there is it perhaps a month's wages. Many of the women and children there had never had pizza, and the chances are, they never will again. The pizza was well received by everyone, needless to say!

Anyone who wishes further information about Women in Action, or who would like to purchase Gourd Art, should contact Rev. Elizabeth at:

pastorliz@earthlink.net.