New Assignment I Can't Even Find on Google Earth!

Last year, the Mexico Branch sent out an exciting letter.  For the first time ever, Nicaragua is to have a Pioneer Route.  The purpose of the route is to send Publishers to various areas across the country to get an idea of the interest there.  This will help in determining whether there is a need for Special Pioneers and or Missionaries to be sent there to develop groups and congregations.  Some of the areas have not been worked in 7 or more years!  You don't have to be a full time Pioneer to qualify as long as you are serving as an Auxillirary Pioneer while you are on the route.  The routes have proved successful in many countries in the past.   However, this is the first time it will take place simultaneously throughout Central America.  There is actually a very nice article about the routes in the April 15, 2003 Watchtower on page 8.  While I was working in the States, I was excited to receive an invitation to participate and couldn't wait to return to Nicaragua for more details.  I will be serving for 2 1/2 months in a Spanish congregation (gasp!).  SPANISH??!!  Hence the reason for me hurriedly taking a bunch of Spanish classes!  I'm really making this a matter of prayer because foreign language wasn't really a goal and I am terrible at learning languages.  Serving where the need is greater actually was not one of my goals either but when Jehovah sends us in a certain direction, who are we to say, "Wow that's really nice but I think I'll serve over here where I'm comfortable, THANKS!"?  I tried learning some Spanish when I got here thinking that it might be kind of cool to learn a language and also I'd be more marketable when looking for a job back home.  Jehovah seems to be blessing my efforts more now that my motives have changed and the sole reason I'm learning is for the ministry.
I can't find any info on the area I'll be serving in.  All I know is that  a brother serving there described it as not being a city or a town but simply a community.  It's all rural and mountainous in in the middle of nowhere (YES! Yearbook territory!!!).  I'm soooo glad I invested in good hiking boots and a hiking bag on my last trip to the States!  We have a nice list of supplies that are suggested by the branch to help us.  For this particular assignment, the brother has advised us to bring food since the nearest market is in another town.  I've heard that the congregation is on a river and most of the people are rice farmers so there is alot of standing water.  On top of that, I'm going during rainy season  so needless to say, I need to stock up on bug spray so I don't get the "M" word (Malaria)!  I'm sure it will be just fine.  A few friends from my congregation got assigned there and just left a few days ago so hopefully I'll hear from them soon with more details before I leave in April.  In the meantime, things are going great here in Granada.  We've had lots of visitors in the last couple of months so it's been nice meeting more friends from all around the world.