Well, we made it! Tomorrow we have our last day of Spanish classes. We have not talked very much about the school we have attended since Aug 10th. This first month has mostly been about gaining language skills for our work beginning in September. Our school called Intercultura and is well-known in this area for providing excellent language instruction. We have met people from all over the world who have come to Costa Rica simply to attend this school. In the evenings Intercultural also offers English classes for Costa Ricans who want to learn the language for business and tourism. It has been intensive work for both of us. Our classes were four hours each day, Monday to Friday, with homework afterwards. Both of us have improved in spite of tired brains each night.
Mark can now talk in the past and future tenses and has learned a lot of conversational vocabulary. Emily reviewed a lot of the verb tenses and has gained dozens of new vocabulary words. We would recommend Intercultura to anyone interested in serious study of Spanish. (www.interculturacostarica.com)
We are now very excited for Monday when we will finally begin what we came to do, serve at Roblealto. Beginning Monday we will meet with the Roblealto staff and jump in right away helping with a church group that arrives this week. As of next week we will know much more about what our jobs will entail. We are eager to serve along side Pamela (international department director,) as well as Lisi and Nelli. While we were in school we also did some work on the new Roblealto website anticipating that it will launch in September. Thank you to Steve Hein from Ridgewood for his guidance and hard work to create the website.
We ask for prayers from all of you as we leave behind our month of becoming accustomed to Costa Rica and gaining language skills!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Best Day EVER!
We had an amazing day trip this weekend! We like that on Saturdays we have gone and explored various parts of the country. We have gone to places based on peoples' recommendations and we have not been disappointed! Saturday morning we left around 9 am and headed for the Poas Volcano - about 2 hours of curvy, crazy roads. We drove through some serious road construction due to major landslides when the area had an earthquake last January. It was really interesting to see some of the damage and the way they are terracing the land so it is less likely to create landslides next time. We got up to the National Park and took a short walk to the edge of the huge crater of the Poas Valcano. It is the second largest crater in the world - a mile across! It is considered an active volcano, though it hasn't spewed lava in ages. It is basically a geyser now and you can hear the water bubbling and steam and sulfur pours out of the top. It was great!
Next we headed about a half an hour away to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. They also had major earthquake damage and landslides took out most of their walking paths. Normally there are paths to 5 different waterfalls, but right now you can only walk to two. Even still, this place was amazing. The waterfalls were great, but the highlight was all of the animal preserves they have - birds, monkeys, frogs, a butterfly garden and a hummingbird garden where you can possibly observe up to 26 different types of hummingbirds - more than anywhere else in the world! When we were in the aviary building, we even got to feed the toucans! It was really incredible! We met the builder/designer and the general manager of the place (the wife and kids of the general manager were there and the daughter recognized us from the airport in Dallas - they had eaten next to us at the Bennigans during our layover 3 weeks ago!) We got talking to them and talked maybe about being able to bring some of the kids from Roblealto for free this fall. That would be a great opportunity if we could!
When we were at the Waterfall Gardens, we learned a lot about the area. Because it's in a rain forest, for a long time no one considered the land useful - it was too wet to grow coffee or anything else. Eventually, they built dairy farms and imported cows from none other than Madison, Wisconsin, which we thought was hilarious! And of course, since it is a rain forest, at about 4 pm it started to POUR. We waited it out a bit, but wanted to get down the mountain before it got dark (at 6 pm). Luckily, as we went down, the rain and fog let up a little. No need to add pouring rain to the craziness of driving in the mountains!
We are excited to start our last week of classes tomorrow. We plan to go to the beach again next weekend as we figure we'll most likely never live only 3 or 4 hours from the ocean again! Next Monday we start at Roblealto! We are thinking of you all. Please keep praying for our Spanish - we have a lot to learn! Much love!
Next we headed about a half an hour away to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. They also had major earthquake damage and landslides took out most of their walking paths. Normally there are paths to 5 different waterfalls, but right now you can only walk to two. Even still, this place was amazing. The waterfalls were great, but the highlight was all of the animal preserves they have - birds, monkeys, frogs, a butterfly garden and a hummingbird garden where you can possibly observe up to 26 different types of hummingbirds - more than anywhere else in the world! When we were in the aviary building, we even got to feed the toucans! It was really incredible! We met the builder/designer and the general manager of the place (the wife and kids of the general manager were there and the daughter recognized us from the airport in Dallas - they had eaten next to us at the Bennigans during our layover 3 weeks ago!) We got talking to them and talked maybe about being able to bring some of the kids from Roblealto for free this fall. That would be a great opportunity if we could!
When we were at the Waterfall Gardens, we learned a lot about the area. Because it's in a rain forest, for a long time no one considered the land useful - it was too wet to grow coffee or anything else. Eventually, they built dairy farms and imported cows from none other than Madison, Wisconsin, which we thought was hilarious! And of course, since it is a rain forest, at about 4 pm it started to POUR. We waited it out a bit, but wanted to get down the mountain before it got dark (at 6 pm). Luckily, as we went down, the rain and fog let up a little. No need to add pouring rain to the craziness of driving in the mountains!
We are excited to start our last week of classes tomorrow. We plan to go to the beach again next weekend as we figure we'll most likely never live only 3 or 4 hours from the ocean again! Next Monday we start at Roblealto! We are thinking of you all. Please keep praying for our Spanish - we have a lot to learn! Much love!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Our first "normal" week
We just finished up what felt like our first "normal" week here. We feel more established now that we have a car, bank account, and a cell phone. Our second week of Spanish classes went well. We continue learning and being a little overwhelmed by all that we don't know, but it's coming... we are glad we have another week coming up. We've thought about possibly doing another week mid-year around Christmas, but we're not sure if we'll do that. We will see how we feel later this fall. It's hard to know how much of the language we will just pick up once we start at Roblealto.
This week we enjoyed a couple of dance classes, a cooking class and an outing to go dancing with our school. It's fun to get to be a part of the Costa Rican culture in these ways! We rented a couple of movies from our local video store, which we are discovering are mostly "bootleg" - copied - but here it is legal to copy up to 20 movies from the original, apparently. We did laugh when 1 hour into one of the movies, it switched from English to Russian for just 5 minutes and then switched back! So apparently the movies come through Russia!
We are off tomorrow to venture out on the roads of Costa Rica to see a volcano and a Waterfall Garden (at least that's the plan!) We enjoy just getting out and seeing the beautiful country. Check back to see pictures later!
This week we enjoyed a couple of dance classes, a cooking class and an outing to go dancing with our school. It's fun to get to be a part of the Costa Rican culture in these ways! We rented a couple of movies from our local video store, which we are discovering are mostly "bootleg" - copied - but here it is legal to copy up to 20 movies from the original, apparently. We did laugh when 1 hour into one of the movies, it switched from English to Russian for just 5 minutes and then switched back! So apparently the movies come through Russia!
We are off tomorrow to venture out on the roads of Costa Rica to see a volcano and a Waterfall Garden (at least that's the plan!) We enjoy just getting out and seeing the beautiful country. Check back to see pictures later!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Visiting Cartago
HI everyone! We are warm and dry inside our house while it is pouring rain outside. We experienced our first real rain Costa Rican style this weekend. It is very typical for this time of the year to be very rainy, but I've never seen SHEETS of rain like this - it poured for 2 hours straight yesterday and looks like it will do that again today. Luckily, it's started later in the afternoon once we were home from our adventures. The rain is so loud when I was talking on skpe with my (Emily's) folks yesterday, I felt like I had to yell!
We had a fun day yesterday. We left earlier in the morning to head toward Irazu, a volcano near our house. We used the GPS and headed up the mountain in our car, which we now know can handle the mountains! We got to overlook the whole central valley as we drove up - it was amazing! We didn't make it all the way to the volcano as it started to cloud over later in the morning. We will try again in the "summer" months (Dec. and Jan.) when the skies are typically clearer. We headed instead down into Cartago, which was the capital of Costa Rica for about 300 years before they moved it to San Jose. So it's a city full of history. It was Mother's Day yesterday here and it is typical that Catholics go to church on that day, so a lot of people were out and about. We really enjoyed seeing the ruins of a cathedral built in 1575 which was seriously damaged by an earthquake in the 1800s. They've created a beautiful garden inside now and the area is kind of a public park/square.
We also visited the basilica in Cartago which has a very interesting history. The story goes that a young Indian girl, walking through the forest, found a black stone figurine of a woman holding a baby. She brought it home to keep and the next day, found the doll had escaped and was back in the forest. She went through this routine for a couple of days and finally told her story to the priest and gave the doll to him. The doll disappeared from his office as well and returned to the forest. They decided this was a sign from God. As the story spread, the Costa Ricans adopted this as a vision of the Virgin Mary and call her the Negrita - the little black girl. People come to the church to pray to the Virgin for healings and give thanks for successes and miracles they've experienced. They bring charms of their body parts they want healed or tokens (sports medals, notes, etc) and leave them at the church. It was fascinating to see the thousands of tokens that people have left behind.
We also stepped into the mass that we just finishing up. Mother's Day in Costa Rica coincides with the Day of the Assumption of Mary. There were many in church and at the end of the service, people got on their knees to crawl down the aisle to the altar. We learned they were asking something of God or had promised God this act of contrition. It was incredible to see and to imagine how painful this would be! Every August 2, people from all over Costa Rica come to this church (some walking all the way) as a pilgrimage to worship and ask things of God.
We really enjoy learning about and seeing various parts of the country. Spanish classes are going very well. Mark did EXCELLENT on his test and can now talk in the past tense quite well :) We both passed into our next levels which we start tomorrow. We are feeling a little more confident as each day goes by and it feels a little more like "home." We miss you all, however! Thanks for your prayers!
We had a fun day yesterday. We left earlier in the morning to head toward Irazu, a volcano near our house. We used the GPS and headed up the mountain in our car, which we now know can handle the mountains! We got to overlook the whole central valley as we drove up - it was amazing! We didn't make it all the way to the volcano as it started to cloud over later in the morning. We will try again in the "summer" months (Dec. and Jan.) when the skies are typically clearer. We headed instead down into Cartago, which was the capital of Costa Rica for about 300 years before they moved it to San Jose. So it's a city full of history. It was Mother's Day yesterday here and it is typical that Catholics go to church on that day, so a lot of people were out and about. We really enjoyed seeing the ruins of a cathedral built in 1575 which was seriously damaged by an earthquake in the 1800s. They've created a beautiful garden inside now and the area is kind of a public park/square.
We also visited the basilica in Cartago which has a very interesting history. The story goes that a young Indian girl, walking through the forest, found a black stone figurine of a woman holding a baby. She brought it home to keep and the next day, found the doll had escaped and was back in the forest. She went through this routine for a couple of days and finally told her story to the priest and gave the doll to him. The doll disappeared from his office as well and returned to the forest. They decided this was a sign from God. As the story spread, the Costa Ricans adopted this as a vision of the Virgin Mary and call her the Negrita - the little black girl. People come to the church to pray to the Virgin for healings and give thanks for successes and miracles they've experienced. They bring charms of their body parts they want healed or tokens (sports medals, notes, etc) and leave them at the church. It was fascinating to see the thousands of tokens that people have left behind.
We also stepped into the mass that we just finishing up. Mother's Day in Costa Rica coincides with the Day of the Assumption of Mary. There were many in church and at the end of the service, people got on their knees to crawl down the aisle to the altar. We learned they were asking something of God or had promised God this act of contrition. It was incredible to see and to imagine how painful this would be! Every August 2, people from all over Costa Rica come to this church (some walking all the way) as a pilgrimage to worship and ask things of God.
We really enjoy learning about and seeing various parts of the country. Spanish classes are going very well. Mark did EXCELLENT on his test and can now talk in the past tense quite well :) We both passed into our next levels which we start tomorrow. We are feeling a little more confident as each day goes by and it feels a little more like "home." We miss you all, however! Thanks for your prayers!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
New Car!
Yay! We got a car this week! It was quite a process... after looking at one car (a 91 Nissan Sentra that was in bad shape), our friend Mike took us to look at a 93 Corolla that was for sale by his house. We liked the look of it right away. Lower miles, in good shape, ran pretty well... we've learned that cars and other electronics are very expensive here so we were happy with this car and the cost - just what we budgeted! Once we made a deal with the seller, Mike went to the bank to get cash for our traveler's checks, and then we had to go before a lawyer. He filled out some official forms and collected the fees and watched Mark as he paid the seller. Very different process! So we our now proud owners of a Costa Rican car (which is actually a car from the US that was brought down here)!
Spanish classes continue to go great! We are learning a lot and really enjoying getting to know other students. By the end of the 4 hour morning our brains are hurting, but it feels great to be surrounded and immersed in the language. We are glad we have 2 more full weeks of the classes. This weekend we plan to take a little trip to the south of San Jose to see a volcano and Cartago, which was the capital of San Jose from the mid-1500's to the 1800's. We continue exploring on new home. Pura Vida!
Spanish classes continue to go great! We are learning a lot and really enjoying getting to know other students. By the end of the 4 hour morning our brains are hurting, but it feels great to be surrounded and immersed in the language. We are glad we have 2 more full weeks of the classes. This weekend we plan to take a little trip to the south of San Jose to see a volcano and Cartago, which was the capital of San Jose from the mid-1500's to the 1800's. We continue exploring on new home. Pura Vida!
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Coast!
Hello everyone! We just got back from the most wonderful weekend! To celebrate our first anniversary (on the 8th) we went to Manuel Antonio beach which is on the Pacific Coast. We had a chaotic time getting into San Jose to catch our shuttle (traffic is terrible as you may have gotten by now), but thanks to our dear friends Mike and Kathy, we were able to form a plan to meet up with the shuttle at a later stop. Lesson #1 of the weekend: leave very, very early!
We were very glad we took the shuttle for the 4 hour drive through the mountains so Mark didn't have to drive the windy, bumpy, hilly roads. It was very beautiful and kept getting sunnier and warmer as we approached the coast. It really felt like we were in Costa Rica! To celebrate, Mark made reservations at a fancier hotel called "The Mansion". It was beautiful - with an amazing view of the coast line and wonderful service, very friendly people worked there who Mark befriended practicing his Spanish. We got a cheaper reservation because this is the off-season. Lesson #2 - go to the touristy places in their "winter." We spent the weekend relaxing by and in the pool (it was VERY hot and humid - in the 90s), down by the beach (the water was so warm!), walking through the rain forest (where we saw many monkeys, sloths, iguanas and geckos, a sleeping snake, raccoons and an armadillo!) and just enjoying ourselves! We even got "star" treatment for our anniversary dinner. Initially, we were the only ones in the restaurant so they gave us a special table on our own private deck to celebrate. We felt like we were on "The Bachelor!"
After the wonderful weekend, we were ready to jump into Spanish classes today. We left really early this morning to get tested to see which classes we should be in. We both are very impressed with the program. The classes are very small (6 students or less) and interactive. We are meeting people from around the world who come to learn Spanish. It feels great to be back in school and to learn the language since we have such a "need to know" being in this country. Our classes are an easy drive - about 25 minutes away. On Wednesday we plan to take dancing and cooking classes - a perk to this program.
We plan to do a little visiting of the day care centers this week with Pame, with whom we will be working directly. We have homework each night and got a TV from our landlords so we can keep working on our Spanish (though there are many English-speaking channels). We are also in the process of buying a car with Mike's help. We'd appreciate prayers that we would buy a reliable car that we could resell after our year.
We are adjusting well and though we miss you, friends and family, we have enjoyed hearing from you and, or course, our families are just a skype call or email away - thank goodness! Much love!
We were very glad we took the shuttle for the 4 hour drive through the mountains so Mark didn't have to drive the windy, bumpy, hilly roads. It was very beautiful and kept getting sunnier and warmer as we approached the coast. It really felt like we were in Costa Rica! To celebrate, Mark made reservations at a fancier hotel called "The Mansion". It was beautiful - with an amazing view of the coast line and wonderful service, very friendly people worked there who Mark befriended practicing his Spanish. We got a cheaper reservation because this is the off-season. Lesson #2 - go to the touristy places in their "winter." We spent the weekend relaxing by and in the pool (it was VERY hot and humid - in the 90s), down by the beach (the water was so warm!), walking through the rain forest (where we saw many monkeys, sloths, iguanas and geckos, a sleeping snake, raccoons and an armadillo!) and just enjoying ourselves! We even got "star" treatment for our anniversary dinner. Initially, we were the only ones in the restaurant so they gave us a special table on our own private deck to celebrate. We felt like we were on "The Bachelor!"
After the wonderful weekend, we were ready to jump into Spanish classes today. We left really early this morning to get tested to see which classes we should be in. We both are very impressed with the program. The classes are very small (6 students or less) and interactive. We are meeting people from around the world who come to learn Spanish. It feels great to be back in school and to learn the language since we have such a "need to know" being in this country. Our classes are an easy drive - about 25 minutes away. On Wednesday we plan to take dancing and cooking classes - a perk to this program.
We plan to do a little visiting of the day care centers this week with Pame, with whom we will be working directly. We have homework each night and got a TV from our landlords so we can keep working on our Spanish (though there are many English-speaking channels). We are also in the process of buying a car with Mike's help. We'd appreciate prayers that we would buy a reliable car that we could resell after our year.
We are adjusting well and though we miss you, friends and family, we have enjoyed hearing from you and, or course, our families are just a skype call or email away - thank goodness! Much love!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
End of our first week
We just came back from a great afternoon at Roblealto! We were able to meet with Pamela who we will be working with the International Department. We were able to learn more about Roblealto and some of what our positions may entail. It was great being there and getting to meet some of the staff members and a few of the kids. We even went with Pamela to the supermarket to get food for a small group of volunteers from Minnesota that are coming this weekend. Even though we weren't planning on starting with Roblealto until September it looks like we may be able to spend some afternoons visiting the day care centers in the next couple of weeks, as long as our Spanish classes are in the morning (which we will find out on Monday).
Driving continues to be interesting ... the GPS has become our very best friend. Mark drives and Emily tries to navigate. The problem is, at times, what seems like a road on Genevieve (our GPS) is actually a dirt road to no road at all so that makes it interesting! This morning we headed toward what we thought was Roblealto, but what we had marked incorrectly and ended up in the middle of some random town ... we were able to find our way eventually - only 45 min. late for our meeting with Pamela! Mark's favorite aspect of driving was this afternoon on our way home from Roblealto when I was looking at the GPS and said, "OK, turn right here" and before us was a 55 degree hill that we zoomed up in first gear- crazy! We did find what we think is the best way to Roblealto - it will take about 40 minutes from our house.
Yesterday we also went to where we will take Spanish classes so we could make sure to find it Monday morning. Every little task we accomplish, we feel so proud of ourselves! We made it to the hardware store for a bolt and space heater (it's chilly here!), opened a PO box and found a HiperMas (Wal-mart) close to our classes. So overall, we are figuring it out!
Tomorrow morning we are headed to the beach to celebrate our first anniversary. We can't believe it's been a year since we got married and celebrated with many of you! We are so thankful for a wonderful marriage, a great first year, and the excitement the next year in our new country! We'll post when we get back! Thinking of you all!
Driving continues to be interesting ... the GPS has become our very best friend. Mark drives and Emily tries to navigate. The problem is, at times, what seems like a road on Genevieve (our GPS) is actually a dirt road to no road at all so that makes it interesting! This morning we headed toward what we thought was Roblealto, but what we had marked incorrectly and ended up in the middle of some random town ... we were able to find our way eventually - only 45 min. late for our meeting with Pamela! Mark's favorite aspect of driving was this afternoon on our way home from Roblealto when I was looking at the GPS and said, "OK, turn right here" and before us was a 55 degree hill that we zoomed up in first gear- crazy! We did find what we think is the best way to Roblealto - it will take about 40 minutes from our house.
Yesterday we also went to where we will take Spanish classes so we could make sure to find it Monday morning. Every little task we accomplish, we feel so proud of ourselves! We made it to the hardware store for a bolt and space heater (it's chilly here!), opened a PO box and found a HiperMas (Wal-mart) close to our classes. So overall, we are figuring it out!
Tomorrow morning we are headed to the beach to celebrate our first anniversary. We can't believe it's been a year since we got married and celebrated with many of you! We are so thankful for a wonderful marriage, a great first year, and the excitement the next year in our new country! We'll post when we get back! Thinking of you all!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Pura Vida! (Pure life)
Hello! Pura Vida! This is what the ticos (Costa Ricans) say all the time. It means life is good. We heard it a lot today from our guide, Warner, in the rain forest! It has been a life-long dream of Emily's to see the rain forest and it was unbelievable! We left early this morning and drove about 45 minutes through the mountains - it was foggy and so very green. We saw lots of little waterfalls as we drove. The driving was precarious with so many huge trucks and cars passing, zooming by - this is the main road that goes to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Our landlord's daughter, Stephanie, had recommended a place to see called the AerialTram. It is a ski-lift-like ride that takes you through all three parts of the rain forest. At times we were just a few feet off the ground. At most we were 120 feet up! It was so amazing! Warner was so knowledgeable about the various plants and animals. We saw a tarantula, a huge walking stick, a poisonous snake, many butterflies and other insects (including the largest ant in the Americas - it was over an inch long! - it's bite can hospitalize a person). We saw beautiful flowers and HUGE plants and one of the highlights was seeing a rare Snow-capped hummingbird, named for it's white head. We've posted some pictures here.
Tonight we talked with an English teacher who is from Tahoe and is working at the school that Wendy, our landlord, started and runs. He's sure that we fall in love with Costa Rica as he has :) We are continuously grateful for Mike and Kathy who brought us to their church yesterday. We enjoyed talking with people there and seeing the large library of English books they have created over the years. This was good news for a bookworm like Emily! We ate lunch with them and good friends of theirs and Mike took us to the equivalent of Wal-mart so we could outfit our home and buy groceries. We didn't know that we could get anything we may need there and all the brands that we are used to including Jiff peanut butter! :)
Tomorrow we plan to go to the Museum of Gold in San Jose... now that our GPS is up and working we feel like we can explore and at least get home! This is a GREAT help! We continue thinking of you. Thanks for your continued prayers!
Tonight we talked with an English teacher who is from Tahoe and is working at the school that Wendy, our landlord, started and runs. He's sure that we fall in love with Costa Rica as he has :) We are continuously grateful for Mike and Kathy who brought us to their church yesterday. We enjoyed talking with people there and seeing the large library of English books they have created over the years. This was good news for a bookworm like Emily! We ate lunch with them and good friends of theirs and Mike took us to the equivalent of Wal-mart so we could outfit our home and buy groceries. We didn't know that we could get anything we may need there and all the brands that we are used to including Jiff peanut butter! :)
Tomorrow we plan to go to the Museum of Gold in San Jose... now that our GPS is up and working we feel like we can explore and at least get home! This is a GREAT help! We continue thinking of you. Thanks for your continued prayers!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
We are here!
Thank you for all of your prayers! We arrived in San Jose last night with no complications. Emily got to use her Spanish with immigration and convinced the agent that we were OK to enter the country :) We were so happy to see our friends Mike and Kathy on the other side of the door. They brought us to our new home which is BEAUTIFUL! We feel unbelievably blessed. Emily is especially happy with the kitchen which has so many more cupboards than our condo in Edina! Kathy was kind enough to supply us with kitchen essentials, some food and a lovely orchid.
Our morning: We initially woke up to roosters crowing at 4:30 a.m. as well as other birds. We've been assured that we'll get used to that. Later this morning, we looked out the window to see lemon and lime trees in our back yard. Mark proceeded to make fresh lemonade. Emily killed one ginormous spider and we've found many others - a natural part of living in the tropics. We also realized our neighbors have cows, ducks, horses and a turkey! Our landlords also grow eucalyptus, kumquats, mint, huge hydrangeas, sugar cane and blackberries to name a few. We aren't in Kansas anymore, Toto.
We feel very safe and cared for as our landlords (who live next door) speak English and are so helpful and friendly. They know Roblealto mission very well and have invited us to their church. This morning, Mike returned (he's letting us use his car this week) and took us on our tour of the area. Mark got to experience Costa Rican driving (it's incredibly chaotic!) and we ate authentic Costa Rican food for lunch - beans and rice, meat, plantains, yuca (like a potato) and Pepsi, of course - YUM! We were thrilled to drive up to Roblealto and talk to some of the kids and staff there. Emily had tears in her eyes to see this place we've heard so much about and planned for so long to see - especially the buildings that Ridgewood Church has helped repair and build.
As for tonight, we were happy to skype with Mark's parents and so grateful for technology and wireless internet! It was dark by 6 pm so we cooked some comfort food (mac and cheese and hotdogs) and listened to Minnesota Public Radio since we were feeling a little homesick. Please continue praying as we acclimate. We look forward to visiting Mike and Kathy's house church tomorrow. Many adventures lie ahead!
Our morning: We initially woke up to roosters crowing at 4:30 a.m. as well as other birds. We've been assured that we'll get used to that. Later this morning, we looked out the window to see lemon and lime trees in our back yard. Mark proceeded to make fresh lemonade. Emily killed one ginormous spider and we've found many others - a natural part of living in the tropics. We also realized our neighbors have cows, ducks, horses and a turkey! Our landlords also grow eucalyptus, kumquats, mint, huge hydrangeas, sugar cane and blackberries to name a few. We aren't in Kansas anymore, Toto.
We feel very safe and cared for as our landlords (who live next door) speak English and are so helpful and friendly. They know Roblealto mission very well and have invited us to their church. This morning, Mike returned (he's letting us use his car this week) and took us on our tour of the area. Mark got to experience Costa Rican driving (it's incredibly chaotic!) and we ate authentic Costa Rican food for lunch - beans and rice, meat, plantains, yuca (like a potato) and Pepsi, of course - YUM! We were thrilled to drive up to Roblealto and talk to some of the kids and staff there. Emily had tears in her eyes to see this place we've heard so much about and planned for so long to see - especially the buildings that Ridgewood Church has helped repair and build.
As for tonight, we were happy to skype with Mark's parents and so grateful for technology and wireless internet! It was dark by 6 pm so we cooked some comfort food (mac and cheese and hotdogs) and listened to Minnesota Public Radio since we were feeling a little homesick. Please continue praying as we acclimate. We look forward to visiting Mike and Kathy's house church tomorrow. Many adventures lie ahead!
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