INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION HELP

I've finally decided on my gift for Mexico City's International Convention October 31-November 3.  What do you guys think?

It's a postcard where the front highlights the beauty of Nicaragua and *ahem* yours truly :) and the back gives a Nica recipe and my contact info.

Now here's my dilemma...as you all can see from my picture, I am pretty white with strawberry blonde hair and very obviously NOT Nicaraguan.  However, my congregation REALLY wants me to dress up in a traditional Nica outfit the Sunday of the convention.  What's the consensus on this?  Will I look ridiculous and will all the attendees just think "crazy gringa!"?  Or will I be a proud representative of my adoptive country?  If it helps you make a decision, this is what traditional Nicaraguan dress looks like...just add sandals:

AUGUST TRACT CAMPAIGN

Here we are the first day getting started!!!  We've got 20 publishers (20% of the congregation) auxiliary pioneering this month.

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE

My friends and loyal blog followers, you all know about my beautiful fur child, Ollie, aka Mimi or Mi Niña.  Well, unfortunately, she left us this morning at approximately 10am.  My sweet baby held on for me to come back from the U.S. and we had 1 last good night together.  Yesterday around noon, she started having trouble breathing.  The vet came last night and felt her heart/lungs were failing.  She had labored breathing all last night and then this morning started making her way out to the patio.  She often likes to sit in the sun out there so I put her pillow out and laid her on top.  Shelina and I sat by her and within about 5 minutes she was gone ending almost 11 years together.

Maybe it sounds stupid, but through the years I've often thanked Jehovah for bringing her to me.  The Bible says every gift and perfect present comes from above, and I really can't think of words that could better describe her...gift and perfect present.  There've been times in my life when I truly thought she was the only thing that loved me and that she was my only friend.  I feel so satisfied that for her short life she had it good...bones, walks, and lots and lots of love.  What else could a dog want?  I'll miss my little cheese burrito.  If you're a pet parent, hug your fur child today and thank Jehovah for the chance to be their Mommy or Daddy.

HOW I KNOW I'VE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME IN NICARAGUA

I'm here in the U.S. on another visit and from the time I stepped on the plane, I've been comparing my behaviors and figuring out Nicaragua has weaseled its way further into me than I'd like to admit.  Here are some proofs:

• I thought the airline turkey and cheese sandwich was pretty tasty.  
• I came this close to saving the plastic bag the turkey sandwich was delivered in.  It was such thick plastic and came with a drawstring too!
• It took about a week to stop the automatic action of trying to throw my toilet paper in a bin instead of the bowl.
• I tried the tssst tssst hand wave thing to catch shop owners' and family members' attention...it didn't work.
• I accidentally sat on my sister's remote control so the t.v. went off....I automatically assumed the electricity was out.

AND HERE'S HOW I KNOW I'M STILL NOT COMPLETELY CONVERTED:

• That hot water in the shower?  Ahhhhhhhhhh
• U.S. desserts are life-changing 
• Berries!!!  Oh how I've missed thee!
• I wore high wedges and non-cotton clothing to run errands, did my hair and wore makeup almost every day, and LOVED every minute of it :)     (that's shallow me talking.  I want to be ashamed of her but I'm just not)
• Whoever's shower I used meant I used absolutely every bottle I found in the bathroom...masks, oils, conditioners...everything. twice.
• I felt like a moviestar with that Starbucks mug in my hand.