"Pelon" they say. My new haircut (or lack of hair) has also given me a new name by which they know me by here in Cusmapa. Tack "Pelon" onto the list that includes "Patricio", "Patri", "Pato", "Profe", "Copetin", "Esteven", "Chele", "Gringo", the list never seems to end. I think that it's a good sign that they've given me a bunch of different names, and now I turn my head at almost anything!

Exhausted. That is how I must describe how I feel after this past month. Work has given way to little relaxation, and last week when I actually had a few days to relax down in Managua I only return here feeling more tired than before.

March 18th the high school choir was invited by the old priest here to a town called Quilali to perform. This was to be the first time I have directed in front of a large group of people, and I must say it went well. Although I still feel a bit weird about waving my arms around, I'm starting to get used to it.

On March 22nd we celebrated the 16th anniversary of the death of Fr. Rafael Maria Fabretto, the Salesian priest who started these centers here in Nicaragua so many years ago as a refuge for children. The evening of the 21st we performed a concert for this event and the people of Cusmapa, ending with all 3 of the choirs, nearly 100 kids, singing "Padre Fabretto Tu Vives Siempre", or "Fr. Fabretto You Live Forever". How beautiful to see so many kids between the ages of 6-20 singing for this man that impacted all of their lives. The morning of the 22nd we woke up and met at 4am to sing in the streets of Cusmapa, something Fr. Fabretto did quite often with the kids when he lived here. A beautiful experience to be a part of.

Finally able to rest a bit after all of this, the next month passed rather tranquilo. La Semana Santa (Holy Week) was very hot and it's tradition for everyone to head down to the river for a swim. It's the only time of year they do so.

This past Friday I left Nicaragua to head to Gonzaga for a few days and then to Seattle for Mike and Shannon's wedding. A week that was supposed to be happy and fun with reunions and the joining of two lives has now changed for me. Friday evening after I landed in Seattle and was preparing for my overnight bus to Spokane, I received word that Manuel, one of my students in the high school choir, passed away Thursday afternoon. This came as a complete shock to me, his family, and all of the community. Nobody knows for sure still what happened. He woke up just fine on Thursday morning. Sometime later he told him mother he had a headache and started to vomit, even vomiting blood. They left for the hospital at 3:15pm and he passed away at 4pm. A smart, driven, kind young man in his last year of high school, his life was taken away from him way too early. He was the hope for this family to break through the mold. He will be missed, but never forgotten. Please pray for him and his family.

UNTIL NEXT TIME.....