¡It´s Beginning to Look Like Christmas!

I keep hearing "Este tiempo es tiempo de Navidad!" (This weather is Christmas weather.) What type of weather are they referring to, you might ask. A typical Costa Rica Navidad day is one that starts with the sun shinning in the blue sky with the clouds drapping over the mountain tops that surround our valley. It gets into the low or mid 80´s and there is a slight cool breeze in the morning. As the day passes, the clouds begin to move in, hiding the sun from time to time as the wind begins to pick up. When the sun hides, even behind a small cloud, the wind is rather cold. By nightfall it´s once again cold and I´m frantically wishing I had more than a sleeveless shirt on. That is your typical day that ushers in Navidad.

The decorations are all hung up and the lights twinkle on the palm trees. Tonight as I walked through Parque Chino, they lit the Arból de Navidad (Chirstmas Tree) and a choir sung their heavenly Christmas carols. I even spied Santa Clause handing out little regalos (gifts) to all the little kids. All this made me smile and I began to feel like it could almost be Christmas.

It´s strange to think it´s December. I feel like I have been stuck in eternal May; either at the end of it or the beginning of it for the past four months. I play Christmas music every morning to try to help me realize it´s Christmas time but somehow I always feel strange singing "I´m dreaming of a white Christmas" in a country that has never seen snow!

All in all it´s fun and a new wonderful experiance. I enjoy my warm weather in which I can get sunburned, like I did on Monday! I do have to say I am excited to return to Missouri and see snow but can´t say I´m looking to such freezing weather. At least I will feel right about singing "I´m dreaming of a white Christmas!"

San Carlos Mission Trip

As I was looking through my blog today I saw that I forgot to post on my mission trip to San Carlos. Whoops. So here ya go!

I thought the three hour trip would never end as we twisted and bumped through the mountain roads. I just didn’t know how much further I could make it. Thankfully we stopped just in time to allow my body to regain composure. There were 59 people from ILE (my school) and teens from the AMCA youth group.

Saturday morning we woke up early, crammed 35 people or so into a small van type bus and headed out to El Mirador. This little town use to be full of chicken coops which people lived in. A missionary happened to find this town because his clothes were stolen one day and he followed a path of their old clothes and found the people living in these “houses”. Ever since he has had a passion for these people and have rebuilt their homes and given them a new life. Ever since these changes the drugs and crime have dropped significantly.

Once we arrived we began seeking out the kids and telling them about the VBS that would start in a half an hour. We had about 80 kids show up to learn about Jesus, do crafts, play games, and be loved on. We also did this on Sunday morning. Another group worked at the Methodist camp that we stayed at and helped with construction, painting and repairs. It was a very productive trip and it was great to love on all the kids and actually talk to them in Spanish! Thanks for your prayers.

Just some of the sweet faces that stoled my heart in San Carlos!

Volcan Arenal, one of the most active volcanos in Costa Rica. It is about 2 1/2 hours away (as the bird flies)

Thanksgiving in Costa Rica

I woke up last Thursday thinking it was just another day of classes. This morning was a rare morning in the month of November because the sun was shining into my window. As I was thanking Gof for finally seeing the sun, the first time in weeks. Then I remembered it was Thanksgiving! Yes I still had to go to classes but I sure was looking forward to food! Comfort food that was yummy!

After a full morning of attempting to learn how to speak Spanish it was finally time. I made my trek to Supermercado and bought my new favorite cookes, Chicky´s and Cremas. (Which I do plan to bring to the states with me next weekend! I can´t promise there will be any left but...) Then it was time to go to the AMCA house and eat! There were probably at least 70 or more people there and it was just a sweet time of thanks, food, and hanging out.

I was a little sad that we would not have turkey for Turkey Day but chicken (so we called it Pollo Día). For a 20 lb. turkey it costed almost $70! So you can imagine why we didn´t have turkey. Oh but the chickens were amazing!!! We were blessed by a couple who had gone to another party earlier who brought the left overs of the turkey legs and we all passed it around to have a taste of real turkey. BUT we all thought the chicken was better!

I was overwhelmed at all the food and had a little of all my favorites. Now usually I will only put a little of this and a little of that on my plate and then munch throughout the day. Well that wasn´t an option this year. So I piled the food on my plate. Also to have the chance of eating food with flavor was just too much for me! (Everyday food here is normally blan.) Oh my goodness did I ever eat sooooo much! I really thought I was going to be sick on several occassions! But I still had to have pumkin pie! Which somehow I made room for!

After dinner and the forever long game of Phase 10 we went over to a friend´s apartment and chilled out. We began to watch one of the best movies, Elf, but there were no spanish subtitles for our Tico friends. Instead we chatted and were entertained with break dancing by Brenden Blowers.

Overall it was a great day! I was so thankful for my new family to spend Thanksgiving with. I am truly blessed by those here and by God. What a great day.

Myself, Jamie, and Amanda so thankful for the food that was infront of us! Myself, Amanda, Jessica, Amanda, and Amanda and what was left of stuffing of the chicken after we devoured it and cleaning the plates for dessert! This is how we all felt after eating more than our bodies could physically hold!

Brenden and his funky break dancing!

The Dance of the Raindrops

As we repeated words with r and rr sounds in Phonetic class today, I drifted away from the harsh rolling rr´s and became captive to the soft music of the rain. Staring out the window I watched the raindrops splash in the puddles on the concret stairs. What´s so captivating about that you might ask. Oh let me tell you.

First I was captured by how the splash of the drops flew upward once they hit the puddle. They were so random and beautiful. I wished I had my camera to take what could be an incredible picture. As I slowly tuned out more of the rolling rr´s and stared outside the Dance of the Raindrops began.

They would hit randomly and send their splendor straight upwards, some to the side, and some only a little splash. It was almost a strobe light effect at times as I never knew where they would spring up from. Sometimes they seemed almost perfectly insync and then they would separate and move around so beautifullygracefully. The more I became intrigued by this the more quiet the harsh rolling rr´s were. Then the beautiful music of the pitter patter grew. I could almost hear the softness of the splash falling around the drop. I could hear the bass of the plump raindrop that fell with such force all the way to the soprano who lightly hit and slid down the metal railing.

Oh how beautiful it was. I had never heard the rain like that before. The sad thing is that the raindrops do this dance every time but too often we never hear because we are so focused on all our sounds around. We never take the time to hear the softness of the most beautiful parts of life.

It makes me think about how I do this with God. His voice at times can be as loud as a thunderstorm but then at times His voice is that ever so quiet compostion of music for the Dance of the Raindrops. How many times I have missed out on what God was telling me or wanting to show me just because I didn´t take the time to just leave myself and be absorbed with Him.

The Dance of the Raindrops gave me so much joy today but how much more joy does He my Daddy give me when I hear Him wishpering His love to me. Nothing can be sweeter. I must learn to silent myself and enjoy Him becasue I know that I am missing out on a lot of opprotunities to experiance His soft, loving, gentle voice.

The Normal Things of Life

It´s December and I can´t believe it at all! First it´s still realtively warm here however, we all think it´s cold here now because it´s only in the high 60´s. (I´m going to freeze back in the states!) Secondly, there´s still flowers everywhere. Thirdly it does not seem like I have been here for more than 3 months. I was thinking about how life now feels so normal and how things don´t suprise me anymore. Here are a few things that I now consider to be normal and don´t think twice about.

• Seeing random people digging in people´s trash to see what they could use or sell to gain some money. These people normally aren´t even homeless and may be nicely dressed.
• Walking across the streets - you go when you got the chance even if it means only making it half way and then waiting in the middle of the street to cross the next side. I´m so Tica now when it comes to crossing the streets!
• Public transporation. Infact I really like it. I don´t miss driving at all. I miss the convience of it but not actually driving.
• Not having hotwater. I actually get excited and sound amazed when I do go to the random house that hotwater comes out of the facuets.
• Not always having water or electricity.
• The hooting and hollering that the men do here. I have learned to ignore any guy who walks past and says something and have tuned out the honking of the cars.
• I have also become a pro at sidewalk-walking. Pretty much I walk in the street as much as possible!

In less than two weeks I will be returning to Missouri to see my dearly beloved friends. I am sooo excited to return. So what, besides my friends, am I most excited for in the states?

• I can´t wait to have a fountain 32oz Pepsi
• A hot Krispy Creme Donunt
• Andrea´s sugar cookies
• Heather´s cooking (especially chili)
• I can´t wait to cook Chicken Cordon Blue and Beef Stew
• A great haircut from Ryan at Karma Salon
• Chicken Crispers from Chili´s
• And good Chicken Alfredo from Olive Garden or Zio´s
• And last but not least a hot, full water hot shower without flip-flops.
• And can´t forget the SNOW!

How exciting to anticpate these things yet at the same time I´m sadden to leave Costa Rica even for three weeks. It´s a strange new world I am in...missing my old home but not wanting to leave my new home as well.