Oh yes, the famous question, I've been called to the Nicaragua Managua mission. What should I bring?
My answer, "as little as possible." Remember, you're going to have to lug around your suitcases for 2 years. Nobody is going to help you, cause they've got suitcases of their own. I promise you this, all that stuff you don't need will be given away or thrown out after the first transfer. After the 2nd transfer you'll thow away all the stuff you you thought you just couldn't live without. By your 3rd transfer nobody back home will believe that you can fit everything you haven't given away in such a small space. By the end of your mission you'll have given away everything but 1 change of clothes for the plane ride home.
With that said, Here are some items to remember:
Hard to find in Nicaragua
- Large size shoes (I'm size 11 US, 45 Metric and had a difficult time outside of Managua). That doesn't mean I couldn't find them, just had to look.
- White shirts in XL, and XXL (If your M or S, don't worry, the school uniforms are white shirts, you can buy them anywhere)
- Oil Viles, and Olive oil (bring extra viles to give to the local leaders)
- Pictures of Christ, Church leaders, temples. These would be given away faster than we could get them. They are hard to find and people love them. Pictures of Christ work the best as Nicaragua is mostly Roman Catholic and can be given away to friends who aren't members too.
- Electric Razors are almost unheard of in Nicaragua. Most of the locals use disposable razors and shaving cream. I used mine until it died then learned to use the disposables.
Things you don't need to worry about
- If you can't buy it, Nicaragua has many talented tailors, shoemakers and other craftsman who would be happy to custom make you a suit or pair of shoes at a reasonable price.
- Nicaragua is a large exporter of Leather, if it can be made out of leather (belts, wallets, shoes...) chances are you can buy it hand made, exquisite, and for dirt cheap. The center for Nicaraguan arts and crafts are the markets of the city of Masaya, or in the Mercado Humberto Huimbes in Managua, which doubles as the bus terminal for routes from Managua to the southern cities including Masaya.
- The church has a small distribution center in Managua. You can buy the basics (garmets, scriptures etc.) there, but not the luxuries.
- Outside of the major cities (Managua, Masaya, Cuidad Sandino, Granada, Leon) there is not much in the way of "business atire" for sale. However, you will be in close contact with the mission leaders and they can get stuff for you if you need it.
- Managua is a very Americanized city and has shopping centers with the same stuff you'd expect to see at your local teenage hangout in the states.
- You can buy most articles of clothing in Nicaragua for less than you can buy them in the USA. Nicaragua has a Free Trade Zone (Zona Franca), zones common in 3rd world countries where much of our clothing is made (labor conditions are another topic). While Zona Franca labor is via contract (today they could be producing pants, tomarrow dolls) when I was there they were producing Jeans for a very well known department store in the US.
- Many major US brands have a presence in Nicaragua or at least Managua. If you've done your job as a missionary you will fast aquire a taste for the local quisine and brands, but for when you long for home they are available. Examples include: McDonalds (meat packing plant is there, the burger you ate today may have come from there), Pizza Hut, TGI Friday's, Kellogg's, Nabisco (factory in Managua, your Oreo's could have come from there).
- Personal toilitries are readily available in all but the smallest of villages. If you will be going to a super remote area you will have enough notice to buy a stash.
- Pasturized Milk, Cheese and cream is readily available, but you must ask for it. If you just ask for milk, depending on the area you may get fresh from the cow. At the time I was in Nicaragua the best thing to do was ask for "La Perfecta" or "La Selecta" the major brands of pasturized dairy products. Very few of the local varities of cream or cheese are pasturized. They would make me so reliably sick I soon learned to avoid the local cheese as good as it was. "American cheese" is available in the larger cities and is pasturized.
- While the municipal water in most cities is of questionable quality, drinks made from purified water are readily availabe on nearly every street corner. With that said, you can't avoid the water, Nicaraguan's are very hosptible and will almost always offer water or home made juice and it is rude to not accept. Just drink it, get sick, pray for death, get over it, and enjoy the rest of the mission. It's all part of the experience.
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