BiCiCLETA (BiCYCLE) ADVENTURE

today was a day of Chele for me, it seems. first, Chico went and got the bike fixed for me. We had to change the brakes and something that had to do with the chain. Chico said the one they give you with the bike is cheaper. So we got a ¨better quality¨ part (if you can use that word in Nicaragua) today. Although, it seems the biggest part of the problem is that there is a 15 yr old boy controlling the bike. not quite the same care as a 26 yr old like Chico controlling the bike. While Chico was doing that, Eugenio and I went to sign Chele up for school where he will be starting Saturday, February 16 (the day I get back to Nicaragua). Had to take the birth certificate, and I almost left it there. The guy was going to keep the original, and half way down the street I remembered and so we went back to get it. I told him we would bring him a copy back. I travelled 8 hours for that document, so the original is mine. Chele will only get a copy too (since he lost his last one), and I will take care of the original! :) ...after we finished that, Chico and I went to check on Chele at his house because I had no seen him since Friday when he was hurt. The only problem was, I wanted to take the bike back to him, so that either meant I ride on the bike with Chico, or I ride Chele´s bike and Chico takes his bike. So I opted for riding Chele´s bike there. I was scared to death. I like my life and wanted to keep it. I walked out the door saying my goodbyes and what to tell my parents in case I did not make it back alive!!! If you have not been to Nicaragua, the driving here is about like New York, only worse. Especially since there are so many bikes on the road too...Obviously, since I am writing this blog, I made it home safely. And I actually enjoyed riding the bike. I think I might purchase myself one in the future (long term future, that is). So Chico and I make it to Chele´s house but the door was locked and no one was home. So we sat down by the highway for a while because that is where he and his brothers hang out all day, asking (begging) for food, money, whatever. But we didn´t see them, so we went to check on a little girl down the street and then we came back, and Chele was down the street from his house. We found out he broke his toe Friday because the bike is such great quality! He was trying to turn the bike and I don´t know if he stumbled or lost balance (because of the brakes being bad or the other part being bad) and he got his foot stuck in the spokes of the bike!! He did go to the hospital Friday night and they gave him a brace for his foot to wear for 15 days and a prescription for pain medicine. Well, he wore the brace for 2 days and took it off yesterday because it was itching. and he tore up the prescription because he didn´t have any money to get the medicine. You would think he would know where to come for help with that, crazy boy...so Chico went and got him some pain medicine while I sat with him in his house. I SO wish I had a camera or video camera to capture what he lives in. It´s got a dirt floor, maybe the size of my bedroom at home. cardboard and curtains to separate the 2 ¨rooms¨. a little tin for the roof, with some holes. the ¨mom¨and all 4 boys sleep in one bedroom, there´s a little place when you walk in the door for 3 plastic chairs, and then you walk about 4 feet, through the curtains to the kitchen/exit out the back of the house. We couldn´t imagine living in a place like he lives, we wouldn´t dare live there. yet that is all he knows...I just know God has something big for Chele´s life, why else would he be on my heart so heavily. Can´t wait to see what God has for him in the future! Much Love!