¡Ando preparada!

Confianza- The dictionary translates confianza as trust, in confidence or friendly. I can´t say we have a word in English that truly means the Nicaraguan sense of confianza. When I use it here I mean that I have a bond with someone, maybe the girls in my youth group for example, and I believe that they know they can ask me anything at anytime. We have confianza. With confianza comes trust. As a Peace Corps Volunteer I think confianza is probably the single most important thing I need in order to really do community development work.

So, when do I know I have confianza?

When someone tells me, ´´ando preparada.´´

Bored and not ready to buckle down and study for the MCAT yet, I wandered over to the Casa Materna. I was there on an errand; pick up laundry*. But, I also knew I could blow off an hour or so chatting up the women. Marta and Luci love to talk! While sitting there whiling away the morning, Marta looks around the room, giggles and pulls her purse behind the desk. Shifting in her seat she looks at me, wide eyed. ¨Lorena,´´ see says, ¨ando preparada´´ and then she proceeds to pull out a string of condoms from her bag. ´´Lauren, I´m prepared.´´ All I can say is fabulous! This is what I work for.

I think maybe this is confianza.

*I do most of my laundry by hand. Sheets and towels are unruly horrible things to wash in a sink though. Thank God the Casa Materna has a washing and drying machine!