Ovide Bastien

History of Zelaya Blandon Family Ovide Bastien

Telling the story of a Nicaraguan family, especially one as impressive as the Zelaya Blandón family, represents a daunting yet rewarding task. When writing their autobiographies and recalling the trials and hardships, as well as the profound joys of the Nicaraguan Sandinista revolution, all were emotional. During our interview with Nellys, a beautiful and amazingly powerful exchange, she broke into tears from time to time; and some of us were also in tears. When Thelma wrote her testimony, she could not, at times, hold back her tears, so deep and moving were her memories. "Our parents taught us the basic tasks of rural campesino life: hoeing, weeding, carrying firewood, gathering cattle, cutting sugar cane, transporting water, going to school, beating beans, cutting wheat and hitting it to remove the chaff, taking care of rice and corn, planting vegetables, planting trees, etc. They instilled in us from very early the love of work, respect for others, responsibility, and honesty, and a deep love of nature. Even though they were of evangelical tradition they never pressured us to follow their beliefs." (Elmer Zelaya Blandon)