Let's Pretend...

This was actually posted 3 weeks ago when I wrote it :).  It's been a little hectic with the end of the semester, moving to a new apartment, not having internet, getting ready to come back to the USA.. etc.  So here's my Thanksgiving blog...

Thanksgiving…

A time when the United States remembers to be thankful. 

A time when people fill their bellies with turkey, potatoes, vegetables, and pie.

A time when consumerism takes over the human body and people go insane at stores.

This year my Thanksgiving looked a little different.  The weather didn’t feel like Thanksgiving.  I was unable to see my family.  I got to have a Thanksgiving lunch with my students which consisted of Popeye’s chicken.  Although Costa Rica doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, they do have Black Friday, Black Weekend, or Black Month, which I thought was interesting!  I also was able to have a Thanksgiving lunch with all the faculty and staff at my school.  And lastly, I was invited to join one of my bosses at his house for dinner on Thanksgiving Day.  Although it was very different, I am so thankful for the week I had, and wouldn’t change it for the world!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight” –Proverbs 3:5-6.  This bible verse has been surfacing in many ways since I’ve been in Costa Rica.  It’s on the journal I got from my mom before leaving… I’ve posted it in my classroom in both Spanish and English… It’s been in many of my devotionals… It’s been part of sermons I’ve heard.  From the very first moment I was even seriously considering teaching abroad, I’ve had to place all of my trust in the Lord.  It is very clear that if I had only trusted in myself, I would not be here today.  The beginning of my time here was very challenging for me, for many reasons.  However, I kept trusting the Lord, and his plan for allowing me to be here.  And by trusting in his plan, I have been able to relax (most of the time), and enjoy my time!  I am constantly surprised in the ways God has been blessing me. 

The most recent blessing has been the apartment I was offered.  In my previous apartment, there was little ventilation, and with rainy season, it was very moist.  These conditions made it perfect for the development of mold.  Mold was growing everywhere.  I am slightly allergic to mold, therefore I have been sick for a total of about 8 weeks, and I’ve only been here for 15.  But, I am now residing in a new apartment, in a great location, within walking distance of my crossfit gym, next to a mall, yet a little further from school.  When I first took a tour of this apartment, I was considering if I was dreaming.  This place is beyond what I ever expected, hoped for, or thought I would have.  I’m beyond thankful for this incredible new place to live.

It’s amazing… the way God works.  My life in Kansas was so good, so comfortable, I was so happy.  Two years ago, when God called me to teach abroad, I was excited, yet scared.  As that calling became a reality in August, I was still excited and still scared.  I was leaving my comfortable bubble that I knew so well, to go to a new country I’d never been to, teach in a school I’d never seen, communicate only with Spanish (outside of school)… yet I knew that if I put my trust in the Lord, everything would be okay.  There were times in my life in the States when I did whatever I wanted, not what the Lord wanted me to do.  I was selfish, ungrateful, and disobedient at times.  But being here in Costa Rica has led me on such an incredible spiritual journey.  I’ve learned to communicate more with my Heavenly Father.  I’ve learned to depend on Him every single day.  I’ve learned that He is truly ALL I need.  He has made my faith stronger in places that I didn’t even know needed to be strengthened.    I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else right now.  I’m exactly where God needs me to be, and I’m incredibly feliz J  

Still Catching Up!

So my last blog ended with the weekend before Halloween, so I still have about a month to catch up on.  Halloween night... Not the usual Halloween night for sure.  Some people celebrate, but my school doesn't celebrate at all.  Therefore, we took the opportunity to go out for dinner and try chifrijo- a dish I'd been wanting to try since I saw it on the back of my tortilla chip bag the first week I was in Costa Rica.  It is a dish that is made of chicharron, pico de gallo, black beans, and rice.  It is served with chips, lime, platano and avocado.  Que rico!! We traveled up into the mountains for this adventure.. and boy was it cold!  I didn't pack much clothing for cold weather so I know now what I need to bring back with me at Christmas time.

Chifrijo

Seeing as Thanksgiving is a US holiday and all, I was surprised to hear that we are having quite the celebration at school with our kids.  The planning began way back in October, on a Friday after school.  I'm thankful to have a few moms who love being crafty and have been such a huge blessing.  We decorated the classroom just in time for November to begin, and have planned for our lunch of Popeye's chicken.  After spending many hours decorating, the next morning was a much needed trip to the beach!

I was fortunate enough to take two final beach trips with my dear friend Stephanie before she had to return to the United States.  We made it to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and woah was it 'tan linda!'  The water was so clear, the food was delicious (cooked in coconut oil) and the weather was fantastic!  We were so blessed to be able to ride with one of our bosses and his wife to the beach, and we even were able to stop at the Sloth Sanctuary on the way.  I never knew how amazing sloths could be.  They're pretty interesting creatures!  Since we had a ride to the beach, that also meant we had a way to go down to the beach called Punta Uva; one I had heard was amazing.  And it was.  So serene, with not too many people, no vendors, and beautiful sand and water.  Such a blessing of a weekend!

Puerto Viejo

Sloth Sanctuary- Featured on Discovery Channel

Punta Uva, Puerto Viejo

Lunch on the beach in Puerto Viejo

The next weekend we headed back to Tamarindo for one last beach vacay together.  We stayed right near the beach in a pretty nice hostel/hotel private room.  Within walking distance of Tamarindo beach, we decided to continue walking to the next beach, Playa Grande.  The only problem is you have to cross a river with crocodiles. So naturally, being the thrill seeker that I am, we swam as fast as we could across the river and only saw two crocs.  Just kidding!  There are many people with little boats that will take you across for a small fee.  The beach was much nicer on that side since there weren't as many people, and no one to bother you to buy things.  It was a much needed relaxing place to lay next to the ocean.  However, it was a good 45 minute walk to the spot of the beach we wanted to get to.  But SOO worth it!

Playa Grande, Tamarindo

Sunset in Tamarindo

Now I've caught up to this weekend... the weekend of Stephanie's departure.  I can't express how much she has meant to me the past three months.  She has been more than just a roommate.  She has been a true friend, spiritual companion, trusted listener, co-cucaracha killer, laughter pal, "sister/twin" (according to all my students), amazing chef, music DJ, accountability partner, and so much more.  I will truly miss her, and already do!  She had such an impact here in Costa Rica and I am so glad she followed what God put on her heart while she was here.  I can't wait to see her again, whether its in Costa Rica or if I make it to Brazil to visit!  She's irreplaceable but I know God will lead me to more friendships here in Costa Rica.
 

Stephanie and I before she left...

It's not goodbye... It's see you soon!

How Time Has Flown

Its true that time can truly fly when you're having fun.  It has been a whirlwind of an adventure so far in Costa Rica, but I wouldn't change any moment of it!  I have officially been here for 3 months now, completed one whole quarter of teaching, and am about halfway through the second quarter.

As far as school goes, the biggest challenge lately was Parent-Teacher Conferences.  The only experience I had with true Parent-Teacher Conferences was during student teaching because I had only had Student-Led Conferences the past three years:).  In addition to the newness of Parent-Teacher Conferences, the added challenge was that most of the parents only speak Spanish.  However, I took the time to prepare notes in Spanish so I was ready to discuss everything with the parents.  It was a very neat experience to get to host conferences in Spanish and English.

The challenges of adapting to teaching here have slowed down as I am learning the ways of the school.  I absolutely adore my class and am learning a lot from having a class that is full of ELL (English Language Learners).  After I finish my MS in Education, Reading and Literacy this year, my next goal is to get my ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) endorsement.  Therefore, this year has helped me learn a lot about teaching ELL students.

And of course I have had a blast exploring Costa Rica!  The country is so diverse and has many different ecosystems to explore.  Living in the valley of San Jose, I am experiencing the wet, rainy season, but having the opportunity to travel on the weekends to see other parts of the country.  Below are a few photos from my adventures since the last blog!

Zoo Ave Field Trip

Tamarindo, Guanacaste Beach Trip

Catamaran Ride in Tamarindo

Playa Avellanas, Tamarindo

2nd Saprissa Game-- vs. Sporting KC!

Day Trip- Stopped in Sarchi- The Artist Town

And home of the largest carreta (ox cart)

Volcan Arenal

 Natural Hot Springs

Almost...

finished with Quarter 1 at school!  I can't believe it!  The past week and a half I've felt somewhat like a chicken with my head cut off.  I've had lots to do and not much time to do it, so it's been interesting.  But I did take last weekend to rest and relax on the beach.  This was my first beach trip, and it definitely won't be my last!

 

 

A few of my coworkers and I drove to the coast right after school on Friday.  We went to Manuel Antonio, which was about 3 and a half hours away.  Of course it was raining, with traffic, so it took a little longer.  Nevertheless, we arrived and found a hostel for the weekend. 

 

I'd heard such great things about Manuel Antonio, because they have a national park as well.  Therefore, we were able to wake up and go to the national park, walk a little bit, see some wildlife, and go to a more "private" beach inside the park.  My goal was to see monkeys... and all I saw on the beach were some iguanas, and lovely raccoons that were trying to open our bags and steal our things.  They were sneaky, even after we moved our bags... twice.  Besides the raccoons and iguanas, we didn't see much on the way in, or at the beach.  However, on the way out we were able to experience the capuchin monkeys swinging and running across the street, while a howler monkey climbed as far away as he could from the flock of humans staring at him.  We also spotted a snake, some birds, a frog, and a deer.  So overall, I'd say it was a success :)

 

Wildlife in Manuel Antonio National Park

 

 

 

 

 

And praise the Lord Almighty because we get 2 days off of school the week after next :)  They normally have a week off after the end of the quarter, but they took that out.  Luckily, they decided to add a 2 day break for us, so I'm looking forward to that weekend so we can take another trip... somewhere!  Stay tuned :)

Viva Costa Rica!

It has been an exciting, fun week to celebrate the independence of Costa Rica.  Each day this week at school, we had a program in the morning.  Each grade level in Primaria performed a different part of Costa Rica's history.  We, the 2nd graders, had the privilege of sharing about the national tree, Arbol de Guanacaste.  Throughout the week, I became more familiar with the National Anthem, the Independence Day song, and learned about faroles and BOMBAs! 

 

-- Mi Clase :) --

 

 

 --2nd Grade Team--

On Friday, the students got out of school at 12, and the teachers had the afternoon off as well.  We were going to return on Friday evening at 5:30 for the Acto Civico program, so the principal invited us over to his house for the afternoon.  We had a nice relaxing afternoon up in the mountains... a home very opposite from mine in the city.  Then we returned to school for the Acto Civico.  The students performed musical pieces, and there were traditional dances as well.  After the program, 6th grade and 11th grade students provided the meals.  I had a tamale y arroz con leche.  Que rico! 

 

 

 

-- 3 of my chicas during the Acto Civico Friday night --

 

 

-- Un baile tipica --

 

 

-- At the principal's house --

 

 

On Saturday morning, I could hear bands playing starting around 8:00 am.  So no sleeping in at this house! We had decided we were going to take the bus into San Jose, because my roommate hadn't been yet.  So I showed her what I knew about downtown San Jose, and was excited to eat Pollo Campero since I hadn't had it since El Salvador 2013.... Unfortunately, the sandwich I got wasn't quite what I had remembered about Pollo Campero, but oh well! After lunch another teacher joined us downtown and we walked about a mile to find the Parque Nacional.  On our way to Parque Nacional, we stumbled upon another park that was filled with craft stands, tents where you could sit and play chess, areas where people were salsa dancing, playing futbol, or hula hooping!  We walked through, as it started to rain, so we decided to continue on to the park that was our destination.  We got to the Parque Nacional, and it was beautiful!  There were hardly any people there, and it seemed like a nice calm, serene area to rest and enjoy the beauty of Costa Rica.  We took some pictures, and as it started to rain harder, we decided to walk back to the main part of town.  As we walked back, and were pretty much soaking wet, we passed through the park that had activities.  We decided to join in the dancing, as now it was more of a latin line dance class.  We had a blast, dancing in the rain, and found out that she is there every Saturday teaching dances!  So now we know where to go on Saturdays:)  We also stopped and hula hooped for a minute before heading back.  As we were getting back into downtown San Jose, we went to a coffee shop to rest, and wait out the pouring rain.  We were just getting warm and dry when we realized it might not stop, and it was starting to get dark.  So we headed back to the bus stop in the rain!

 

-- Parque Nacional--

 

 

-- Bailando en la lluvia --

-- Parque Nacional --

 

Sunday was quite an eventful day as well.  After church and lunch, we were invited to join the Nazarene Missionary family for a "Tarde Tipica" (Typical Afternoon) at a local Nazarene church.  The church had traditional food for sale, and music playing while we enjoyed the food.  The food included empanadas, picadillos (ground beef, potatoes, and vegetables in a tortilla), a variety of postres (desserts), coffee, and agua dulce.  After most people had eaten, a man was walking around with strips of paper.  I politely accepted, then realized it was a BOMBA! and I was going to be expected to say it in a microphone for the whole church to hear.  I wasn't so sure about that.  A BOMBA! is a type of oral expression that is quite witty or funny, and rhymes.  The kids had been saying BOMBAs all week so I was used to hearing them, just not used to reading them.  But I made it through my first (and possibly last...) BOMBA! Some of the young ladies were dressed in the typical dresses, yet they hadn't planned on dancing.  When we asked, however, two of the girls were willing to dance for us.  After the "Tarde Tipica" ended, we got dropped off at home, and then went to church, a little late, but we can blame that on tico time :)  After service, there was more traditional food to celebrate Costa Rica's Independence Day.  I definitely haven't gone hungry at all this weekend!

--Tarde Tipica en La Iglesia Nazareno de Los Angeles--

Finally we arrive to Monday, the actual day of Costa Rica's Independence!  I got up this morning to walk down to Tibas to see the parade.  The streets were full of people and performers, ready to march the streets of Tibas.  The parade consisted mainly of school groups, bands, "drill team" like dancers, and a few children dressed in traditional dresses and outfits.  Red, white, and blue filled the air, and all were happy and proud of their country.  It's been a very energetic week, and I have loved seeing the loyalty ticos have to their country! 

 

-- Independence Day Parade --

 

 

-- Independence Day Parade --

-- Representing the Province of Guanacaste --

 

-- Representing the Province of San Jose --

When Oceans Rise...

I've been listening to Oceans by Hillsong, and the Spanish cover, Océanos, a lot lately.  God called me out upon the waters to Costa Rica, and now he's calming me through the storms I'm facing.

 

"When oceans rise my soul will rest in your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine"

 

"Descansaré en tu poder Pues tuyo soy hasta el final"

 

This week has not been the easiest of weeks since I've been in Costa Rica.  There were many challenges at school, and it left me feeling exhausted and put down.  However, as I prayed, peace and joy filled me, and I was reminded that God has placed me here to fulfill His plan in my life.  It's not always filled with easy, pleasurable moments, but as we live in God's will, He will continue to strengthen and bless us. 

 

I have already begun to see the unexpected blessings in my life.  As I said, last Sunday, I moved.  Luckily, we only moved a few blocks from where we lived before, so we still know the area.  We are now living in a house that has been renovated into two separate two-bedroom apartments.  My roommate and I occupy one side of the house, and two male teachers from the school occupy the other side.  Everything is brand new, and I'm enjoying living here so far.  We are on a busier road now, but the noise doesn't compare to the loud talking and music of the taxis outside our old place.  I'm getting to sleep in past 5:30 am now, so that's definitely a blessing :)

 

Enjoying an iced cafecito for our last day in our house!

 

 

Mi Casa Nueva!

 

 

Still waiting on the bathroom mirror to arrive...

I was blessed to be able to make it through the work week, all the way to Friday, which happened to be Children's Day in Costa Rica!  That meant that every grade level got to go on a fun field trip!  The 2nd and 3rd graders went to the cine (movies) together.  The movie theater had cute little trays and provided popcorn and drinks for all the kids.  We even got to ride to the movies in style in a nice coach bus.  It was a very fun, but exhausting day!

 

Another blessing that has come into my life are the people the Lord has placed in my life.  At the beginning of this adventure, when I was living alone, and didn't know anyone, it was a little lonely.  As time has gone on, I have gotten a roommate, and developed some strong relationships with those in my school.  I am very thankful for my tico dad, and his family as well.  Even though we don't live with him, he has taken on the father role here for my roommate and I here in Costa Rica.  On Friday evening, he invited us to El Teatro (The Theater) with him and his wife.  The play was called "Ese Hombre" (That Man), and depicted various miracles that ese hombre performed in his life (Jesus' life).  It was such a beautiful depiction of the kind of man that Jesus was while here on Earth. 

This week, my roommate and I had begun to build relationships with the guys on the other side of our house.  Since being here, I've wanted to go and explore, but didn't necessarily have someone who was very adventurous like me to go with!  Therefore, the guys that live right next to us have been a huge blessing.  This weekend, they suggested we go whitewater rafting.  I was thrilled to hear that was what they wanted to do, because I have always wanted to go whitewater rafting, but have never gone!  It was an all-day experience, beginning at 6 am with a 2.5 hour bus ride.  They fed us an amazing breakfast, and put us on the bus again to travel 45 more minutes to the Pacuare River, where we'd be dropped off for the rafting experience.  As it is rainy season, the river didn't necessarily look as pleasant as I'd expected.  It was very brown from the mud and rain.  They said in dry season the water is a greenish blue color, which we were able to see flowing out from many waterfalls along the trip.  However, the color of the water didn't detract from the thrill of the day!  The whitewater rafting we did was classified from Level I to Level IV rapids, whereas a Level VI is the highest.  It was quite possibly the most fun I've ever had! 

 

Our group!  (Administrator and his wife, my roommate and I, and the two male teachers who live next to us) 

 

 

 

 

Navigating the rapids

 

 

Our celebration after surviving the rapids... Pura Vida!

 

The largest of the waterfalls we saw on our 18 mile trip

With all the excitement I had on Friday and Saturday, I decided a restful, relaxing Sunday was just what I needed to be prepared for the week ahead!  Next week is an eventful week as well, with a 3 day weekend.  Stay tuned to see what adventures happen next weekend!