Ephesians 3:20-21

Well, I have survived my first week of classes in Costa Rica. The way they do classes here is a little different than in the US. For one thing, instead of having class for an hour three times a week, they have class once a week for 2-3 hours. And I have trouble sitting through an hour and a half class at North Park... My schedule is really spread out, too. I only have one class each day, expect for Wednesday when I have two classes; my Spanish class meets Mondays and Wednesdays for an hour and a half.

So Tuesday morning I had my first "real" class, Anthropology and History. I was super nervous, but the profesora was really nice and told me I could meet with her after class if I didn't understand something. Wednesday afternoon I had World Literature of the 20th century, which I think I'm going to like. Granted, it's going to be a lot of reading that will take me forever, but the professor seems good and I like literature. Thursday morning was Appreciation of Theater. My professor was interesting. He told us he's an actor, not a professor, and he's really funny, when I can understand him. He kept asking me questions, but I could never understand what he was saying when he talked to me. At one point he was talking about practicing diction, and he went into this thing where he talked really loud and fast and ended by pointing at me and asking me to repeat what he said. I just smiled and shook my head, knowing there was absolutely no way. Finally, today I had Oral and Written Expression. My teacher is pretty easy to understand; I think she used to teach Spanish as a Second Language. It seems like an interesting class: we're going to learn about Spanish grammar and punctuation, how to write essays well and speak in public. Hopefully it will help my Spanish a lot.

I have also been to two movies this week. Wednesday afternoon I went with four other girls and we saw "The Karate Kid" (in English with Spanish subtitles), and this afternoon I went with another girl to see "Despicable Me" (dubbed in Spanish and renamed, "Mi Villano Favorito," or My Favorite Villain). Movies are really cheap here, which is great. My movie today cost 2,500, which is about $5, and it's a Friday night and a 3D movie! Wednesdays are 2-for-1 or half price, so it was only 1,300, or less than $3.

Last night I attended a Bible study here at my house. I didn't understand everything that was said, but I got enough to know what they were talking about, which was holiness and how we are called to be holy. We sang at the beginning, and one of the songs I knew in English, which was really cool. It felt really good to be part of a Christian group and read Scripture and worship together. Before I left home, I asked God for at least one Christian friend here, and He has blessed me with a Christian family, plus a few Christian friends among the ISEP group.

Immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine... to Him be the glory.

...and then it started raining, part 2

I am now attempting to load my pictures from the past week onto facebook. There are 200 of them, and my internet is being spotty, so I'm hoping it will work.

Today I had my first class, but it was my Spanish class with all the other study abroad students, so it wasn't very different from my Spanish classes in the States. But tomorrow I have "Anthropology and History," so we'll see how that goes.

To pick up where I left off:

Thursday morning we had to be at school by 7 am--super early. We had a mini tour bus that held all 17 of us students, plus the two women who were our guides/chaperones, and of course the bus driver. We drove for about an hour and a half to this huge pineapple farm, where we toured the fields and the plant. It was really neat to see how they grow, sort, and package the pineapple, all by hand. We got to eat some pineapple straight from the field, and it was delicious! After the tour we got to drink pineapple juice from a hollowed-out pineapple, and eat more slices of pineapple and pineapple bread. Muy rico.

After we left the pineapple place, we drove to where we'd be staying for the next two nights, the Tirimbina Field Station. To get there, we had to leave the main road and drive on this windy, dirt-and-pebble road that was barely more than one lane. I wondered where in the world we were going, but the station turned out to be really nice. The food was excellent, and the view was beautiful. After a siesta, we had a workshop about interacting with our host families and safety in Costa Rica. That evening we played a big game of Phase 10, which was really fun.

Friday morning we got up early and went to the other side of the forest, to the national park. There we got to take a "Chocolate Tour" and see how they grow and make chocolate. We crossed over this huge suspension bridge, walked through the rainforest a bit--watching out for snakes and bullet ants--and finally reached the chocolate trees. Our guide pointed out the tiny flowers that would eventually turn into giant yellow pods. Under a shelter built there, our guide and a man that was working there took us through every step of the chocolate-making process, from the opening of the pod to drinking hot chocolate and eating candy. It was quite delicious! We walked back through the forest, ate lunch at the main headquarters for the park, and then got back on the bus. Back at the field station, we changed into our suits and headed down to the river to cool off. It was amazing, walking in this river through a rain forest. It felt like something out of a movie, with huge trees and vines and the sound of insects and birds. Later we had more workshops about adjusting to culture and taking care of your health.

Saturday morning we left the field station and drove a ways to a place where we got to ride horses! I was excited, since the last time I'd ridden a horse I think I was about 8 years old. They gave me a nice horse, whose name was Gitana (Gypsy). I found out later that she was 7 months pregnant! She was very sweet, and kept a pretty steady pace for the most part. A few times she would break into a run, which was a little scary, but fun too. I'd let her run a bit, and then slow her down. At one point we had to cross a river that was pretty deep, and the water came up to my knees. Needless to say, we were all hot, sweaty, muddy, and sore by the end of the ride.

After riding, we got to cool down with cas, which is juice made from the cas fruit. I don't know what the fruit looks like, but the juice is really good. It's a little acidic, and very sweet. Then we got onto the bus and drove to El Hotel Tucana, the Toucan Hotel--a very nice hotel. When we arrived we ate lunch first, since our rooms weren't ready. It was a little weird walking into a super nice restaurant/dining room in our muddy, smelly clothes. The food was excellent, and afterwards we got to go swimming. There was a pool and several hot tubs, as well as hot springs in the river. I went down to the river with April, my roommate, and we sat in the river for a while with some other students. The water was weird, because when I sat on a certain rock, the water on my right was scalding hot, but the water on my left was freezing cold. We had to keep changing positions and stirring the water so we wouldn't burn ourselves. After swimming I took a hot shower (it felt sooo good, the field station only had cold water) and relaxed a bit before dinner.

Sunday morning we got up, ate breakfast at the hotel, then drove to a zoo/animal rescue center. We got to see a jaguar, a tiger, some snakes, monkeys, parrots, ostriches, and these weird animals that looked like giant hamsters. We spent about an hour there, and then started for home. We ate lunch at a restaurant along the way, and finally arrived back at the University in Heredia around 3:00. It had rained a bunch on our trip back, but when we got to Heredia it wasn't raining. I was glad, because I had to walk back to my house, not having any cash on me to take a bus or a cab. Unfortunately, just as I started walking, it began to rain. And it kept raining most of the way home. Since I was wearing flip-flops, this made the sidewalks even more treacherous, since there are slippery parts. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, with my huge backpack and bright green rain jacket, slipping along down the sidewalk in flip-flops, absolutely drenched. But, gracias a Dios, I made it home before the rain began to fall even harder.

My host mom was getting ready to leave for church, so I had most of the evening to unpack, rest, and skype with my family. It felt wonderful to be able to talk to them.

Well, that about sums up my weekend. It's only 9:00 now, but I'm already tired. I have class tomorrow morning at 8, which means I need to leave here around 7:15, since it takes about a half hour to walk to school. Hopefully from now on, I'll be able to keep up to date with this a little better so the entries don't have to be so long. :)

Until next time!

...and then it started raining.

Okay, I know I haven't written here in almost a week, and I've gotten several messages asking how my first week was. Sorry I haven't updated. Tuesday the internet wasn't working, Wednesday I got home late, and Thursday morning I left with our group for the weekend and just got back. But now I will try to give a full update of my week (it's going to be long, so hang on).

Monday my host mom walked me to school, where I met the other students in the ISEP group and we had a full day of orientation lectures (which were really boring). But after a cafecito (an afternoon coffee break) we got to go to a dance class for two hours where we learned to salsa, merengue, swing, and more. None of us were very good, but it was fun because we all tried. The room was super hot, so we were all sweaty and exhausted afterwards. Ana picked me up and we walked home.

Tuesday was a VERY long day. You know how, in the movies when things are bad, someone will say, "At least it can't get worse," and then it starts raining? That kind of describes how Tuesday went. Not that it was all bad. It was sunny in the morning, the first time I'd seen the sun here, and we got to tour the campus (it's huge). We took our Spanish placement tests, and then in the afternoon signed up for classes. That was really frustrating because the whole process is confusing, and then I found out I couldn't take half the classes I wanted to because I can only take one general course. Then later I had to go to the bank to make these deposits for my visa, only my credit card wasn't working, and I didn't have cash.... Eventually I got most of them paid, and we left. But by then it was pouring rain. So we went around to this shopping area and stood under cover while my host mom tried to call a taxi and her sister and different people trying to get a ride home. No dice. Then there was this HUGE thunderclap and lightening flash and all the power went out. The thunder was so loud it set off a car alarm. So we go up these stairs and cross the parking lot to the McDonalds (yes they have American fast food here) to wait, but their doors are locked and they won't let us in. We try Taco Bell next door, but same thing. So we stand under the overhang of the Taco Bell drive through for about twenty or thirty minutes. At one point the power came back on. Finally Ana decided we weren't going to get a taxi, so we sloshed up the hill to the bus stop and stood there for a while until our bus came and took us to the Hiper Mas and then we walked two blocks home. So we were soaked. Because not only does it rain here, it pours. And it's not like at home, where when it rains really hard it stops after a few minutes. When it pours, it pours for a long time. The whole time we were out in the rain, it did not let up at all. I just stood there amazed that the sky could hold that much water. When we finally got home and after I'd eaten and taken a hot shower, I tried to get online, but the internet wasn't working. It was a very long day.

Wednesday was fun. We toured the main part of Heredia and then took a bus to San Jose, where we walked around a bit and then ate lunch at Pizza Hut; it was the nicest Pizza Hut I've ever been to. After lunch we went to this big, beautiful cathedral, and then took a tour of the National Theatre, which was also gorgeous. Then we took the bus back to Heredia. After that two other girls and I walked to the mall to buy cell phones. We had to wait in line for about an hour, which is normal in Costa Rica, but eventually were able to buy pre-paid phones for pretty cheap. We took a taxi home, and the ride from the mall to my house was only 2,000 colones, or about $4.

This entry is getting super long, and I'm about to Skype with my parents, so I'm going to stop here and write about our weekend trip later. Hasta luego!

Guacamole for Breakfast

¡Hola de Costa Rica!

It's still hard to believe I'm really here! Yesterday was a long day of traveling, but I made it through with no problems, and met some really nice people traveling to Costa Rica for various reasons. My host mom Ana picked me up at the airport, and we took a taxi to her house. She runs a party rental store out of the front of her house--a garage-like room--that rents out chairs and tables and things for parties. I have my own room and my own bathroom. I even have a t.v. in my room. Last night she asked me if I liked television, and I said yeah, so she said, "Ok, we'll put a tv in your room." I watched some last night while I was unpacking. They have several channels from the US that are either dubbed in Spanish or have Spanish subtitles, as well as lots of Costa Rican channels. I saw a bit of "Phineas and Ferb" in Spanish, which made me laugh. The best part is that this house has internet, so I'm able to check my email and everything, which is great.

Last night Ana and I went to the supermarket (think a slightly smaller version of WalMart in Spanish) and ate at the little cafeteria there, then went shopping for some fruits, veggies, milk, and other stuff. We came home and I unpacked, and then hung out with her and her sister, who I think runs the business with her, while they set up for a party. Normally she just rents party stuff, but her sister's son is getting married soon, and they're having a party for his engagement? wedding? (I haven't quite figured it out yet) here this afternoon.

I understand about half of what people are saying. Sometimes I understand more, and usually I can figure out what they're talking about, but not really what they're saying about it. Like the party thing. I know that it's this afternoon, it's for Ana's nephew, and it has something to do with the fact that he's getting married.

It's a little overwhelming, knowing that I'm really far away from home, and I'm going to be here for almost five months, and not being able to fully communicate with anybody. It's intimidating, and God is good. Everyone is really nice, and they're patient with my Spanish and very helpful.

I almost forgot to tell you what I had for breakfast: Pan, or bread, that was kind of like French bread, with guacamole, tomato, and deli ham. Not necessarily what I would have chosen to eat for breakfast, but not bad. I think that sums up my experience so far: a little different, but not bad; something I think I'll get used to. In the words of Annie, "I think I'm gonna like it here." :)

Until next time,

Holly

Last Minute

It's 1:15 in the morning, and I have to be up in less than 4 hours to leave for the airport, so I'm going to be brief. :)

Today was a crazy day of running around, trying to finish up all these last-minute projects and making sure I have everything I need. Now, several hours and two-or-three-tries-at-packing-the-suitcase later, I am ready to go. Or at least, as ready as I'm going to be.

It's starting to sink in, that I'm actually going to Costa Rica. My mind keeps going back and forth between being excited and thinking, "What in the world am I doing?!" Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me over the past week, as well as to those who have promised to pray. That means a lot to me, and I am so grateful.

Well, I should get to sleep. My next post should be from Costa Rica!