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Sister Parish/San Sebastian de Yali Archive

Hello!!
I hope you are all doing well. Just wanted to share a few pictures of the school supplies distribution. We were able to have 34 packages ready for students in need around Yali. Each package contains three notebooks, two pens, and a pencil. Most of them have to spend their vacation working on coffee plantations. No time to play, only when they get home if they have the energy of course.  Some like to learn English and told me one of the notebooks is going to be for the English Subject, so happy for that. Thanks a lot for your support. I still have more to deliver because some are outside Yali, but will be returning to school on January 24th. These kids are amazing!! 
Thank you!! Keyla
As we start the new year, I wanted to thank you all for your hard work supporting the poorest in our Parish. We can´t fully say thank you!! I have seen the smiles on people's faces when they receive something they need, and I personally think this experience is teaching me a lot and it is also helping me to get closer to God. 
 
I have received the newsletter, thank you so much, for your hard work!! I am really impressed, I will try to print it and take it to the parish so there is a special place for it. We distributed toys for children at the parish, their smiles say a lot!! Some of them started to play right away. This year we distributed toys a bit differently taking precautions for the new variant. Kids and parents were asked to go to the office individually to avoid gathering.  We want to buy notebooks and school supplies as the new school year approaches and many kids have not earned a lot working at the coffee plantations. Thank you in advance.
 
I also wanted to let you know that I am able to watch mass through YouTube, I guess this is something positive about the virus, I have also shared the link with people I know who speak English. Today is a special day, the solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, it is a day to ask for peace also, what we need in our country and many countries around the world. 
 
Happy New Year to you and your families!! 
-Keyla
I am sharing pictures of some of the altars that we have in honor of the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated in Nicaragua on December 8th, all over the country there are what we call Purisimas, a tradition that comes from our ancestors. I grew up celebrating Purisimas with my family. My great-grandmother started the tradition. Homemade candies are distributed among the people who accompany the family to pray the rosary and also agualoja, a drink made out of corn and a root called Gengibre. Here are some pictures of the Catholic School in Yali and also the Public School. Families gather in the church all wearing face masks, I am attending with my son also. The priest who you see in the pictures is our new Parish Vicar his name is Ricardo Rodriguez.
-Keyla Rivera from Our Sister Parish, San Sebastian de Yali
Hope you are all doing well!!
 
We finished delivering food packages and helping people with medicine last week. There were also 200 packages of face masks and hand soap distributed among three schools, Los Rodeitos, Enmanuel Mongalo, and  Rubén Darío High School. Also, seven people were helped with medicine and the doctor´s assistance. A young man who needs to be helped with transportation to Managua received a monetary contribution. He will be having lip surgery. Special milk for people with diabetes received milk also.
 
So sad to say, Mrs. Severa a lady from whom I shared a picture once passed away, had diabetes and her condition had gotten worse. His son is so thankful to the people from OLL who helped out with milk for her mother. I can´t describe the feeling of gratitude I was able to see in his eyes. While his mom was with us, she was a devote to Saint Sebastian and Virgin Mary. She died on October 13th when we celebrate one of the appearances of Our Lady of Fatima.
 
Tomorrow I will be in Los Rodeitos, face masks will be distributed there tomorrow.
Thank you so much!!
 
-Take care, Keyla Rivera
Our Sister Parish, San Sebastian de Yali
I am so happy for myself and for all the people who received the vaccine this last Monday. I can´t describe the feeling of gratitude I had after receiving it. The vaccine is called AstraZeneca and there were thousands of people standing in line. We left our houses a day before the application to assure the availability of the vaccine and to wait for our turn. We stayed in line overnight until the next day. Finally, I got mine at 2:00 a.m. Only people who are thirty years and over can get the vaccine. Next group will be pregnant women and people over 18 who have a disease.
 
-Take care, Keyla Rivera
Our Sister Parish, San Sebastian de Yali
Hope this message finds you all well. I am sharing with you this video recorded by a musical group. The song talks a little about the history of the municipality and natural beauties we have as well as some of the economic activities we have in Yalí. There is also an old picture of the church. The name of the song is Qué Bonito Es Mi Yalí = How Beautiful Is My Yalí.
 
Hope you are all healthy. We are trying as much as we can to stay healthy, but we have seen lots of coronavirus cases, this is because people forgot about some of the measures and started to go out without masks. Now we have the Delta Variant which is causing more deaths, we have seen so many priests and doctors who have passed away. Also, teachers whom I know have gotten very sick. A lot of them work with me at the school. Face masks are starting to disappear and alcohol and other cleaning products have increased in price. As I always say we have three pandemics in Nicaragua. Pray for all of us as we continue praying for you also.
 
Take care, Keyla
 
Please watch video linked HERE
Hello!! Thanks to you and your hard work one hundred people were helped with food items, medical appointments and  medicine. Thank you for your support to the people in Yalí. We ask for prayers so Nicaraguan families can be together wherever they are. In recent days, there has been an increase in migration. Children are being left alone at home just with their grandparents because parents have to leave. The social conditions have gotten worse. We are also starting to see families who decide to migrate. Prayers for them, we know there is a lot of danger when you decide to go illegally. Young people are deciding to leave, this represents that older people have to stay alone. 
Hope you are all doing well. I am sharing a few pictures of our celebration for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Other days at the church are difficult to find people inside the church, but people lose fear and decide to participate in special celebrations like this one. There is so much faith and people believe God has the answer. Since yesterday, we are celebrating and nine days ago we started the Novena. I should say that people are very close to this celebration.

Take care, Keyla from San Sebastian de Yali
Twenty-One households joined us in June for a informative and heartfelt exchange to learn more about our Sister Parish. A special thank you to Father Tim, Doug Ward, Keyla Rivera, Father Arsenio and Margaret Portelance for updating us how things are going for our Sister Parish in San Sebastian de Yali! Father Tim let us know his top 3 priorities that we can all consider doing today for our Sister Parish: 1) Prayer for San Sebastian de Yali. 2) A Monetary Donations. 3) Participate in our Sister Parish Committee. If you interested in joining the Sister Parish Committee, please email the parish office.

A recording of the meeting, if you didn't have a chance to join us, is HERE. 
Our support is now able to help some of the parishioners of San Sebastian de Yali travel to Managua to receive medical attention. The lady and her young son have an appointment there so her son can have surgery on a tumor he has. The lady holding the food package sells vegetables from house to house in Yalí. Despite her age, she has so much energy to do that. It doesn't matter if there is too much sun or rain, she needs to work. They were also able to help people who live outside Yali by providing them food packages. Keyla, our main contact in Nicaragua, says, "My people are suffering two pandemics as I call them. But we have friendly hands."
Our contributions were given to the parish to distribute food packages outside Yalí and help children in need. Father Arsenio wants to reach people in the outlying communities.
Our support helped provide gifts for 80 children of San Sebastian de Yali. Below is a video from the Epiphany.
Fifty people received food in small containers that can also be used to collect water to wash hands. Fund were also used to repair part of the roof that was destroyed by two hurricanes. 
Our support helped provide medication packages for the people of San Sebastian de Yali. Below is a thank you created by our main contact, Keyla. 
March 2020: Our support helped provide food packages for the people of San Sebastian de Yali. Below is a thank you created by Keyla. 
Letters, pictures and sunglasses with the OLL School Theme, "See God in All Things” received in San Sebastion de Yali school from OLL Students.