Upon arriving in Granada, Dora and Joe learned that Francisco had kidnapped the grandson whose mother refused to return to Nicaragua. Now he wanted Joe to move on for he just wanted Dora and the children. That night, helped by two servants, the young Wagner family "escaped". Getting a job was difficult for one who did not speak Spanish. With the help of a cousin, Joe became foreman of a sugar plantation in La Pante, Nuevo Segovia. This remote area was a hide-out for General Sandino's men who were constantly under gunfire by U.S. Marines.

This was an important turning point for me. Armando, the kidnapped grandson was kept in Nicaragua until manhood. He did not get an adequate education for he stayed home most of the time and was constantly ill. Would this have happened to me?