Introductions: Familia Sierra Quirós

Two months ago, Roberto knocked on the door of house in León, not too far from the Pali supermarket. The woman of the house was in the midst of preparing for church, but she answered the door. Roberto was a familiar face for Idalia Quirós because he had been a responsible person for the Dordt student she had just hosted in the fall semester. Roberto and his wife visited with Idalia and asked if she would be willing to have another young woman from the United States living with her family. She hesitated only because she didn't know which room to put the girl in.

Idalia's husband, Mario, who works on a Carnival cruise ship 10 months of the year, was home on vacation, and they were in the master bedroom. Rebecca, 9 years old, was in the other large bedroom with a bathroom.  Samuel, 12, and Albert, 17, share the room that adjoins so they can all share the bathroom. The family rents 15 rooms to people in their patio, but Idalia felt uncomfortable about putting a young American outside of the house and sharing a bathroom with the other tenants. No worries, Roberto and his wife said, this girl is all-terrain. She can live any way she needs to. So the Sierra-Quirós family said yes, and two days later, I moved in with them. Unbeknownst to me, they had a flurry of activities changing rooms and giving me the boys' room with a separate bathroom in the kitchen. When I arrived on January 6, I found a comfortable house, and they told me that in a month when Mario went back to work, I would change rooms to the master bedroom because Idalia always shared with Rebecca so neither would feel alone. 

(from left to right: Idalia, Albert, Rebecca, Mario, Samuel)

The story above is a picture of the heart of this family. They are generous and open, willing to adapt and welcome people into their space. Idalia is very active in their church - she is the church secretary and treasurer - and visitors always come to the door asking for her. They always receive something to drink as they sit in the rocking chairs in the large front room. The kids are respectful yet playful. They help their mom (though not always) and generally get along with usual sibling bickering.

This is a great place to live. Idalia makes the best gallo pinto, and I love her beans especially. Sometimes she makes special Nicaraguan dishes, like tacos or empanadas. 

The food is great, the house is comfortable. We have internet, private bathrooms, and a wonderfully open and cool back yard. I get along with the family, and they allow me to be independent. They also invite me along to their activities, but if I can't go, they don't pressure me. Mario has lots of cross-cultural experience, and the family is aware that I come from a different place and different way of doing things. (Below, we are hanging out at a restaurant, and Idalia's brother is in the picture instead of Idalia.)

The thing I love most about this family is their genuine heart. I'm not tossed back and forth by inconsistencies. They don't ask me to keep secrets from other family members or lie to each other. They treat each other with respect, and they respect God. Everyone in the family goes to church, and Jesus is important to them. They are a moderate family as far as doctrines, and I feel comfortable to ask questions and to disagree with them. It's a healthy spiritual and emotional environment.

We also have a lot of fun together. We've gone to the beach, visited family members, helped a local ministry move from one house to another. We eat together, watch TV together, and hang out in the backyard together. The kids laugh at me when they notice that I'm watching to see how to eat something or stumble over Spanish words. I laugh at them when they pronounce "I'm bilingual!" after I affirm that they used an English word correctly or when they are surprised that I want to ride in the back of the truck. I help the kids with homework or pick up Rebecca from school sometimes. They lend me their bicycle to go to meetings or run errands. 

I'm very thankful for my host family. I didn't know them three years ago, and I could not have imagined such a good fit before I came. Living with Idalia, Mario, Albert, Samuel, and Rebecca has been a blessed experience thus far, and I trust that our good relationship will continue.