Graduation Celebration / La Celebración de la Graduación

Since Orlando's graduation was on a Sunday afternoon, we decided to celebrate the following Saturday, January 4th. We had a great time with friends and family. We wanted to make the day fun and a little different so we had some games set up on the patio - darts and a throw the ball at the cans game. We also played a game from the time guests arrived until just after we ate -- everyone upon arriving received 4 clothespins; if someone said "Orlando", "Graduation", or "Diploma" they lost a clothespin to whomever heard them say the forbidden word. At the end, the person with the most clothespins won a prize. It was a great way to get everyone to interact. We also had a photo booth set up which was a fantastic way to get photos of all who came. We enjoyed a nice meal of grilled chicken, salad, rice, and tostones and Andrea made an unforgettable dessert of chocolate cupcakes filled with dulce de leche frosted with vanilla frosting and topped with a little diploma and graduation cap.  (Photos below Spanish)

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La graduación de Orlando fue en un domingo por la tarde entonces decidimos celebrar el sábado siguiente, 4 de enero. Tuvimos un gran tiempo con amigos y familia. Queríamos hacerlo un día de diversión y un poco diferente, así que tuvimos algunos juegos en el patio - dardos y tiro la pelota en el juego de las latas. También jugamos a un juego desde el momento en que los invitados llegaron hasta justo después que comimos. Todo el mundo al llegar recibió 4 prensaropas, y si alguien decía "Orlando," "Graduación," o "Diploma" perdían un prensaropa a quien le oyó  decir la palabra prohibida. Al final, la persona con el mayor número de prensaropas ganó un premio. Fue una buena manera para que la gente podrían interactuar. También habíamos creado una área de fotos, que era una fantástica manera de capturar fotos de todos los que vinieron. Disfrutamos de una buena comida de pollo a la parrilla, ensalada, arroz y tostones y Andrea hizo un postre inolvidable de pastelitos de chocolate rellenos de dulce de leche cubierto con glaseado de vainilla y tapado con una pequeña diploma y gorro de graduación. (Fotos abajo)

Two of Orlando's fellow graduates

Our Pastor / Nuestro Pastor

Andrea with Brisa, our niece / Andrea con Brisa, nuestra sobrina

Our friends Rey, Yanzy, and Caleb / Nuestros amigos Rey, Yanzy, y Caleb

Our Pastor's wife, Emma, and their daughter / La esposa de nuestro pastor, Emma, y su hija

Kari with our friend Jenny / Kari con nuestra amiga Jenny

Our friends Luis Fernando and Jenny / Nuestros amigos Luis Fernando y Jenny

Orlando's cousin, Abril / La prima de Orlando, Abril

Roxana

Brisa

Orlando's cousin, Claudia / La prima de Orlando, Claudia

Our neighbor, Douglas / Nuestro vecino, Douglas

Our neighbor's son, Douglas / El hijo de nuestro vecino, Douglitas

Our neighbor, Belsabet / Nuestra vecina, Belsabet

Brisa and Abril / Brisa y Abril

Ofelia

Our friend, Melba / Nuestra amiga, Melba

Orlando's cousin, Sofia / La prima de Orlando, Sofia

Orlando's Uncle, Hermes / El tio de Orlando, Hermes

Orlando's Aunt, Lupe / La tía de Orlando, Lupe

Our friend and the chef, Carmen / Nuestra amiga y la chef, Doña Carmen

Orlando's Uncle, Juan Carlos / El tío de Orlando, Juan Carlos

Orlando's brother, Nani / El hermano de Orlando, Nani

The cupcakes / Los quequitos

Orlando's grandma, Paya / Orlando's abuela Paya

Andrea with some of Orlando's family / Andrea con un poco de la familia de Orlando

Orlando's Graduation / La Graduación de Orlando

He did it! Orlando graduated from University with his degree in Systems Engineering on December 29th. He is one of few in his family to have a University degree; and out of fifty that he started studying with, he is one of the four that made it to the end and graduated. During the course of his studies he overcame his second battle of Tuberculosis, and also had a long walk just to get to class. Not to mention those nights he had to stay up guarding the cows and still go to class the next morning. It hasn't been easy but he persevered and made it to the end. Now onto the next adventure!

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Él lo hizo! Orlando se graduó de la universidad con su título en Ingeniería de Sistemas, el 29 de diciembre. Él es uno de los pocos en su familia que logro tener un título universitario; y de los cincuenta que comenzaron a estudiar esa carrera, él es uno de los únicos cuatro que llegaron al final y se graduaron. Durante el transcurso de sus estudios, se sobrepuso de su segunda batalla contra la Tuberculosis, y también caminó un largo camino para ir a clase. Y sin mencionar esas noches que tuvo que quedarse despierto cuidando las vacas y todavía ir a clase al día siguiente. No ha sido fácil, pero perseveró y llegó hasta el final. Ahora ¡vamos con la próxima aventura!

Bayardo Needs Our Help

***Update 1/17/2014***
We have confirmations of enough funds for Bayardo's operation. If anyone was still planning on giving, it will be used to help with transportation costs for the operation as well as helping Bayardo's family since he has been out of work for 6 weeks and will have another 4-6 weeks recovering.

**Update 1/14/2014**

An anonymous supporter has offered to match all donations, dollar for dollar, 
up to $1500 if donated by the end of the week.

The Story…

One day while Bayardo was at work in the market he was lowering merchandise from high up and the rice sacks he was standing on gave out and he fell 9-12 feet. Everything came falling on top of him and he broke his lower right leg. He went to the local hospital where they grabbed and twisted his leg all to tell him that they couldn’t take an x-ray. He then went to the hospital in a neighboring town where he found out both bones were broken and offset; he was admitted to await surgery. The following day the hospital lost his file and according to them he wasn’t really there. In waiting for his operation, he was told that there were no materials, as he would need screws to hold his two broken bones in place. A few days later they decided to go ahead and just put the bones together and cast his leg, hoping that it would fuse itself together. He was sent home to wait for a month. He recently went back to see how his bones were healing and the bones had pulled away from each other. The doctor even asked if it they had taken a new x-ray or if it was the original one from a month ago because there was absolutely no progress. This time they so kindly told him to take a pill because it was going to hurt and began manipulating his leg trying to get the bones back together; then they re-casted it. He was sent home with a very unassuring “We think we felt it go into place”. He was told to wait another month to check on the progress. 

Who is Bayardo?

Bayardo is a very well respected man in our church as well as in the community at large. He is only 36 years old and has a wife and daughter. They have a small business – a venta (small mercantile that is run out of their house) – but with him not being able to work it is not doing well and they are struggling to support their family. He is a deacon in our church and he is also entering into his second year of seminary studying Visión Pastoral (Pastoral Vision) with the purpose of learning how to preach. With his broken leg he is unable to travel to Managua for class and may have to suspend his studies. 
 

How we've responded...

When Bayardo shared with us that his leg was not progressing, we felt moved to try and help him. So this morning we took him to a private hospital in Managua to be checked out by an orthopedist. They took a new x-ray which showed that his bones are touching, but not aligned. (They look like they have just been jammed together.) One has a 15 degree angle and the other a 20 degree angle. If it is left as it is within a few years he will not be able to walk. The doctor says since it has now been over a month since the injury, we only have about 15 days to do something. 

 

How you can help...

Bayardo needs a very special and extensive surgery where they will re-break his bones and put a plate on both bones so he will be able to walk again. The cost of the operation is going to be $2,500 - $3,000 (much more than we anticipated). He needs this operation as soon as possible (within 15 days). We know that all of us go through difficult times, and we also know that the Lord uses these trials to grow us. We can testify to a huge growth we have already seen in Bayardo through this process. We are also called to help those in need and so we ask you to prayerfully consider helping in some way so that Bayardo may be able to have the operation and walk again. We are also trying to raise money here locally in Nicaragua, but it would be impossible to raise all that is needed especially in the limited time of 15 days. If twelve people give $100, eight people give $75, nine people give $50, and ten people give $25 we will reach the minimum of $2,500 needed to help Bayardo.
 
Donations may be sent to Str8way Ministries with a note attached indicating that it is for "The Silvas to help with Bayardo’s operation":
 
Str8way Ministries
4300 Paradise Valley Road
Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805
 
If you would like information for direct-deposit donations, please contact us for more information. 

Thank you for considering helping Bayardo, may the Lord bless you for your contribution.
 
with love,
Andrea and Orlando