La Mariposa Nicaragua The Benefits

The view that greets me every morning.

I have never had an airport pick-up on a trip. I have never stayed at the same hotel for the duration of a trip for that matter. I have definitely never been on ‘excursions’ like we’ve done as a group clambering into the hotel van. I was afraid I would hate it but with the three kids and their dad working hard back home it’s been nothing but a treat so far. Our trusty psychologist friend Patrick remarked with an edge of dismay on me taking the kids solo on this trip the evening before we left. Somehow coming from him I really did worry it might be a little crazy. I kept telling people it would either turn out to be a deranged decision to spend 3 weeks in Central America with the kids without their Dad or it would be a break from the treadmill that is life at home.

I’m happy to report that at least for now it absolutely feels like the latter. There is a certain nurturing that goes on in developing countries that is completely absent in our world. Melba, the head day cook, room keeper, laundry washer (in a basin outside) and to Baby-O knower of all questions (she took a fruit that fell from a tree in front of her feet today all the way to the kitchen looking for Melba to ask what its name was) is constantly saying, “Lisa. . .” with a pregnant pause as she stares into my eyes with the kindest eyes in the world before asking, ‘Is your room ok? Is the bed working for you?’ and so on. And as far as I can tell she absolutely means it. I would venture to guess not many American moms feel anyone cares how it’s going for them amidst the rat-race of being chauffeur, cook, market person, toilet-bowl cleaner and so on. Here, the list of jobs each person done is dizzyingly long but they are not alone. 


In the kitchen there are a good core of 3-4 folks cooking and washing and their laughter sprinkles out of the kitchen. The night shift is equally cheery and fiercely protective of making sure the kids are getting what they need. Nothing is too much trouble.

A monkey escaped yesterday and the men quickly assembled to help Oscar. When I saw a kind father of four who is always tickling Baby-O getting the puppy food in the evening I knew the monkey hadn’t been caught. When I asked if there was anything to be done he looked at me with the most somber and sincere expression and said, ‘We will help Oscar.’ with a pause he took my hand to shake it and gave me the most grave expression of thanks I have ever received as he told me he would let me know if there was anything we could do. 

Kind Oscar in a quieter moment before the monkey escape

La Mariposa is a beehive of activity from dawn through dusk from the grounds to the teaching shelters on to the kitchen and numerous animals with cages and without. But there appears to be joy and purpose about the work with the day full of chiding and laughter. Paulette meets with the staff each morning but other than that everyone seems to know exactly what’s to be done. Because many of the guests are here working side by side with the staff as volunteers or spending hours in the huts hard at work at their language studies it doesn’t have that normally very awkward division of labor that truly can feel like the divide that it is. On the contrary, as a guest I too have felt a real sense of contribution to the hive just by being here. Paulette integrates so many opportunities to help out in small ways (buying the pineapple juice from the poorest community or going to pizza with the street boys an experience that I’ll post about later) that you feel like you have something to give. The place is FULL. Chris and his Mom have come two other times. Paulette has created something unique and meaningful and it’s palpable both on the outside and the inside.