Meet Dexter!

So. . .maybe we missed the session in our CRWM training entitled "10 Things New Missionary Families Should Never Do," but we bought a monkey. Sort of. Here's how Dexter the white-faced capuchin monkey came to be in the Ippel household.

Our neighbor Nathan, the director of the association of the three NCA schools, travels frequently to Matagalpa, a community in the forested mountains of Nicaragua. It isn't uncommon for him to see monkeys and parrots for sale along the side of the road. Ruth has often joked with Nathan, "Next time you go to Matagalpa, just buy a monkey for us!" Well, evidently Ruth joked a few too many times. Nathan called us on Wednesday evening and said, "I'll be by your house in 30 minutes. I have a monkey in my car. You can keep it or if you don't want it, we'll keep it." (Nathan grew up in Brazil and always had primate pets as a child, so I think he was glad to have an excuse to make this happen).

So, 30 minutes to make a decision that is sort of a big deal. Where does one go to seek advice in this situation? GOOGLE! 30 minutes of finding page after page of saying that monkey ownership is terrible, sinful, that your life will be over, that the monkey will eventually kill or maim all of your children and burn your house down. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but the general tone of internet discussion is that we should NOT own a monkey. So we decided to go with Google, and were prepared to tell Nathan "thanks for your impulsiveness but no thanks." We'll enjoy being neighbors of crazy people who own a monkey.

Well, Nathan pulled up to the house and Ruth and I went out to look at the monkey and to let Nathan know that he was the proud new owner of this monkey. Then the monkey climbed into Ruth's arm, and Ruth said (without looking at me), "We'll take him!" Yeah. Just like we DIDN'T decide! But for those of you who know Ruth (or her mother Jan), you probably aren't that surprised.  So suddenly we have a monkey in our house.

He's a boy, about 1 year old. Very clingy and loves to grab on to your forearm and just stay there all day, preventing you from doing dishes or changing your shirt. Dexter (his name is from the monkey on Night at the Museum) is on a short leash, but it isn't needed right now. He won't go far from us, though he is beginning to explore a bit. We need to construct some kind of house outside for Dexter. Right now, he is sleeping in a small room that had bikes/stroller in it, but as he hates being alone, his little cries echo through the house until he is sleeping. And yeah, monkeys do smell a bit like BO, so for that reason too we'd like an outside cage. He doesn't mind showers, though! We are experimenting with "preemie" diapers right now while he is inside. Yes, we slice a little hole in them for the tail. Ridiculous.

The kids LOVE him. . .Charlotte the least (love from a distance) and Henry the most (first thing Henry does in the morning is get Dexter from his room and play with him). We know it isn't going to be all fun. We are now the crazy neighbors with the monkey. And supposedly monkeys get less loving when they hit puberty. And they smell. And you can't do dishes or change your shirt when he is attached to your arm.

We know ALL pets take some time and energy, but yet we do NOT want pet ownership to take away from ministry opportunities that surround us. So while we are thankful that our kids have this fairly unique experience of ACTUALLY OWNING A MONKEY AS A PET, we have our hesitations and our excitement is tampered with a reality that this monkey is a fun thing for our family, but that monkey ownership won't dictate or consume our lives.

Our neighbor friend Taelor is the monkey's official aunt, and she spent all day with him today while we were at a Love and Logic seminar at my school. We are pretty sure the principals we learned today will not work on Dexter. "I see that you are hungry. I am so sorry that you feel that way. But I only give bananas to monkeys that clean up their poop off of the couch." Taylor is already planning on monkey-sitting the whole time we are in Michigan and New Mexico this summer, so we are thankful for that!

Anyway, I'm sure you'll hear more adventures about life with a monkey. Or, if we end up realizing that the internet was right all along, we'll let you know who the lucky new owners of Dexter are! Thanks, Grandpa Bandstra, for providing the Christmas monkey. . .I mean money. . .for this new addition to our family.

Disparities in Health Care. . .some observations. . .

I need to preface this blog post by admitting that I am still very ignorant and have a great deal to learn about health care here in Nicaragua (you will notice that I throw out many facts and opinions with no references—I have done my best to represent reality but please don’t use this to write a paper or anything), but I would love to share some of my observations and thoughts so far. 

Nicaragua has a government-run healthcare system, so most people have “access” to free health care at government-run and funded hospitals and clinics. I use the word “access” very hesitantly, because in order for the people of Nicaragua to benefit from these services, they have to be able to get there, which means having the means to pay for transportation and also the ability to take time off work or away from the responsibilities of their families.  It is especially difficult for the many people living in the rural areas of Nicaragua to get to hospitals and clinics when they are in need of medical attention. 

There is also much skepticism about the quality of care that is received at these hospitals and clinics.  Marlene, the woman who works in our home and takes care of Charlotte while I volunteer at clinic 2 days a week, has a niece, Isabella, who is 5 who was diagnosed with leukemia about a year ago.  “She’s just like Mae,” she often tells me.  The family was told recently that she doesn’t have much longer to live.  She has been receiving chemotherapy at a public hospital here in Managua, and my mom, who is a physician, guesses that the treatment she is receiving is what someone in the US would have received 20 years ago.  A 5-year old diagnosed with leukemia in the US has a 80 % survival rate, but a child the same age with the same diagnosis in a developing country, like Nicaragua, only has a 30% chance of survival.  I got to meet Isabella recently, and spending time with her made my mind and heart race… but mostly my heart.  I have a 5-year old daughter, and if she was diagnosed with leukemia, I would do everything I possibly could to give her the best chance of survival—and I would have the means too.  How is that fair? What if I were Isabella’s mom and she were me?

Mae fell off the trampoline and hurt her elbow over Christmas break, and we were for the first time faced with the decision of where to take her for medical attention.  There is no such thing as 911 here in Nicaragua (Mae just tried calling it recently).  There is a number that you can call to request an ambulance, but they cannot guarantee that one will be available to come.  And I can guarantee that there is no way I would be able to tell them how to get to our house.  So, we won’t be relying on that service. One of our options were the public hospitals and clinics that I have already talked about.  There are also many little private clinics and diagnostic centers that you can go to and pay to have whatever test—x-ray, EKG, ultrasound, lab work—done that you want for fairly cheap (to have an x-ray done costs about $15).  The clinic that I volunteer at, Clinica El Samaritano, is a small private clinic where you can get quality health care for less than $5/visit (which unfortunately is too expensive for many Nicaraguans). 

The place we ended up taking Mae is called Metropolitano, which is JACHO accredited (held to the same standards as hospitals in the US), and by far the nicest hospital in the country.  I have heard that the president had this hospital built so that his family could have a place to go for quality health care. This hospital is interesting because it also does “Medical Tourism,” which I had not heard of until recently.  Basically the hospital offers packages to foreigners who want to travel to Nicaragua to have procedures done at a much cheaper rate than in the developed world.  They make it sound all cushy by offering to plan a Nicaraguan vacation for you while you are here getting your knee replaced or whatever.  I’m not sure yet if I recommend it or not, but just in case you’re curious, here is the link to their website: http://www.metropolitano.com.ni/internationalpatients/

As you can see, there are a wide variety of health care options available here is Nicaragua, which unfortunately translates into a huge disparity in the care people have access to and receive.  As my eyes are being opened to the different ways that people live, I am experiencing a mix of emotions.  Selfishly, I am so thankful for the many blessings and options that I and my family have (we even have evacuation insurance that would pay for us to travel back to the States should there be a problem that can’t be dealt well with here in Nicaragua), but the injustice of it all makes my stomach sour.  I don’t understand why in our world the presence or absence of money has so much power, and especially the power to dictate the quality of health care that we receive.  So, for now I look for ways to get involved with offering quality care to those who might not otherwise get it, and I pray.  I pray that God will find a way to redeem this broken and unjust world.  And I usually have faith that He will do it…. but it isn't always easy.

Costa Rica? Nah. . ..Nicaragua!

School has been out for a few weeks now, and the other ministries in which we are involved (AMOS Clinic, Tesoros de Dios) also closed for the holidays. Many missionaries and expats head "home" to the USA for a few weeks to be with family for Christmas, but we stayed around in Nicaragua. . .both to avoid paying for five plane tickets and also to enjoy some free time exploring this beautiful country. Ruth's parents and our nephew are spending time with us over the break, so we've enjoyed seeing some of Nicaragua with our guests that we've not seen before. It's hard to believe sometimes that a) we actually live here and aren't just tourists! and b) it is Christmas time and we are enjoying places like the rainforest and the ocean! Nicaragua is a beautiful country. Yes, Nicaragua is poor and developing and the roads aren't always great and there are many needs here, but there is amazing natural and cultural beauty in this place that is only beginning to be discovered by outsiders. So. . .planning a trip? Skip Costa Rica--everyone goes there! Head on down to Nicaragua, spend some much needed tourism dollars here, and the Ippels will help plan your itinerary and give you a free place to stay! Here are some places we've tested out for you this Christmas break--much thanks to our guests and Christmas gift money for helping to pay for some of our explorations!


1. Los Cordones Surf Lodge--Driving time from Ippel house--1.25 hours

Relax under palm cabanas while watching the beautiful waves on the Pacific ocean. Take surfing lessons or just enjoy body surfing in the warm waters. Find great shells and abundant sand dollars. Eat local, healthy food--don't miss the ceviche, Henry's favorite. Get a massage. Try out the slackline, ping pong table, or hammocks.

2. Masaya Volcano Night Tour--Driving time from Ippel house--50 minutes (Steve's pick)

Enjoy a guided tour of a nearby active volcano, exploring dark lava tunnels, inhaling dangerous gases from the billowing smoke, and watching large bats fly out of caves for their nighttime feeding! Mae and Charlotte don't recommend the part in the caves where the guides make everyone turn off the flashlights.

3. Redondo Bay (San Juan del Sur region)--Driving time from Ippel house--2.5 hours (Andrew's pick)

Rent a house or hotel room in this region known for beautiful rocky bays and sandy beaches. Enjoy the water, snorkeling, sunbathing, kayaking, and exploring rocks for sea creatures! Look for monkeys hanging out in the trees near the beach between 10-11am. Of course, you can't miss the sunsets.

4. Mombacho Zip-lining and Cloud Forest Hiking--Driving time from Ippel house--1.25 hours (Micah and Henry's pick)

Swing through the trees on 14 zip-lines, going from platform to platform . Ages 2-70 are okay--even Charlotte had a great time, strapped to a guide. The guides are funny, knowledgeable,  and make you feel safer than you probably are:) Then board a large truck to ascend Mobacaho volcano, stopping by a coffee plantation on the way for a cup of hot or cold locally grown coffee (Café Las Flores). As you head up to the top of the volcano, watch out for the eminent rain and prepare for cloudy, cold weather. Bring a sweatshirt! Enjoy hiking around the cloud forest, lush with plant and animal life, before heading down in the truck again.

5. Masaya Artesianal Market--Driving time from Ippel house--1 hour

Nicaragua's finest tourist market, enjoy pursing incredible handmade arts and crafts to remember your journey with. From pine needle and wooden bowls, brightly colored paintings and jewelry, to hammocks and slingshots, there is something for everyone.  Listen to loud mariachi bands play, drink fresh fruit smoothies on chairs 20 feet in the air, and enjoy a snapshot of life in a busy Nicaraguan town.

6. Managua Explorations--Driving time from Ippel house--Varies

We have malls, movie theaters, McDonalds and Pizza Huts with play places, and modern grocery stores. We also have local fritangas (roadside food stands), boat tours of Lake Managua, zip-lining over crater lakes right downtown, and plenty of cultural and historical things to explore. Don't forget the zoo, where you can get so close to the monkeys and tigers that they can pee on you. A good quarter of Nicaragua's population live in or near Managua, so it is busy, but the roads are good and you can find pretty much anything you need. You'll fly in and out of this city, too. . .the airport is about 45 minutes from our home.

We are grateful for these few weeks to relax, rejuvenate for ministry, and enjoy time with family even while we are away from so many we love. I hope this post inspires a few visits; Nicaragua really is a great place to explore and enjoy and we'd love to show you our "backyard" and introduce you to some wonderful people as well. Service opportunities abound as well--it is very feasible to do some short-term projects at NCA, Tesoros de Dios, AMOS, and many other ministries around Managua.

Book tickets today; we'll see you soon!