San Jose

San Jose was founded by Agros in 2007. There are 29 families, about 150 people total, currently living in this village. There is so much to say about this village-- the challenges they’ve overcome and the ones they still face, but I’ll start with what makes San Jose what it is, the people. 

Let me introduce you to Moises.

Moises has vision.  Of the 29 families that live in San Jose, only 3 families commercially grow vegetables. And Moises is one of them.  He’s taking a risk as an entrepreneur, away from the security that growing coffee has provided. Vegetables require irrigation, and water is precious.  There are many unknowns in growing vegetables, but there is also opportunity.

So what motivates Moises?  This guy. Jefferson is one of Moises’ three children. And when Moises’ pays off his loan and finally owns his own land, it is this little guy who will reap the benefit.

This is Terencio. Although he is nearly 70 years old, this man has spunk. During our time in the village, Terencio participated in everything.  He attended every devotional, craft, work party, and celebration that was had during our time in the village.

Meet Urania and Julio (wearing the red shirts).  They are in-country staff for Agros and work with the 4 Agros villages in the area. Each lives nearly 3 hours away and commutes to this area for the week. Leaving their own families behind, Urania and Julio provide agricultural technical assistance, and human resources for villages like San Jose. They live an incredibly sacrificial life.

Rosa teaches preschool in San Jose. She also lives there, is mother to three children, and helps her husband (Moises) tend their vegetable crops.  Most of the women in the village stayed in the background during our visit, as is the cultural norm. Not Rosa. She led games with the children, danced traditional Nicaraguan dances for us, and engaged us in conversation.  This vitality reflects her optimism and is another example of the hope that Agros provides.

Then there is this abuela (grandmother). Every day she walks up the steep mountainside to collect firewood to fuel the stove that she uses to cook for her entire family.

Here she is in her kitchen.

No village could be complete without a band.  San Jose’s band lovingly played music for us each morning as we arrived in the village.

And then there are the children. So many precious faces. They were the most beautiful, yet also the most heartbreaking, aspect of the village. Through them, I was reminded of God’s goodness, that there can be happiness, laughter, and hope,  despite circumstances that might seem otherwise.