Esté Preparado

As I write this post, Karen and I are packed to take a short trip to Jarabacoa Republica Dominicana for 5 days to get housing finalized and sign Janae and Marcy up for school. We will also be doing a few other things to get ready for our move there the end of April. There is no school all next week as it is Holy Week (Semana Santa) , so it seemed like a good time to get some of this done. There are a couple of students in the school here that will be staying with the girls while we are gone. Marcy could not understand why they can’t just stay by themselves, “Janae knows how make food for us!!!”  We will be coming back on Thursday evening and then there are only two weeks of classes left for us. It hardly seems possible that our time here is nearing the end, yet so much has happened since arriving.

The title of this post “Be prepared” was the theme of my devotional on March 29^th from Luke 12:40. In short, the verse talks of always being prepared for Christ’s returns. But it goes deeper than that. I mentioned before that during our orientation here at language school, they impressed on all of us that most likely God has much more for us to learn here than just another language. We need to be constantly looking for him at work in our lives and “always be ready” for him to show up in the most unlikely places. Over the last number of months here, that has been so true. He has shown up when we least expected it and yet when we thought he should show up, it seemed He was so distant. Some of the ways he has shown up in our lives here are: the way all 5 of us so easily adapted to the life and culture here in Costa Rica, the way that we have not felt cramped in our seemingly small apartment here. The patience that all of our teachers have shown us during class time (giving me 7 months without falling asleep one time in class J), providing us with the two tutors for that little more teaching and practicing that we needed during this last couple of months, and surprising us with such a strong support base that allows us to be here and then on to the Dominican. God is good, All the time. All the time, God is good.

Karen and I both feel good at where we are in our Spanish now and we are ready to move on and keep learning once we have moved. We will need to check out what kind of options are there to continue learning once we get there, but for now we feel like we are where we need to be.  Thanks again for all the prayers, notes, emails, packages, calls, ……….. THANKS.

March activities

   Life in Costa Rica is flying by faster and faster. Just as the seasons change and move on to the next stage, we are also beginning to think about what our next step will look like for our lives. In just 3 short weeks, Karen and I go to Jarabacoa to locate housing for us at the end of April. We will also be talking to the school about Marcy and Janae and getting that all lined up. We will be doing a few other small things as well.

         School continues to go good for all of us as usual. Janae is learning many new words and phrases in her Mandarin Classes on Tuesday afternoon. Marcy enjoys her weekly spelling words (NOT). And Nina knows all the other students by name as she meets them in the halls and everyone knows Nina. Karen has been helping with the worship team during chapel on Tuesday and Thursday morning sometimes. 

Karen and I have begun working with another tutor, in addition to the teacher that we continue to go to at 12:15 each day. We are reminded daily of how much we have learned already and yet we want to get as much as we can before we leave the end of April.

      There are several feria’s in the area. They are the equivalent to a farmers market but somewhat larger in size. They are generally on Saturday or Sunday, depending on which one we go to. Normally Marcy and I go to one on Saturday mornings that is only about 1/2 - 3/4 mile from our apartment so it is closer than any of the others. Last Sunday we were all out walking and ended up at a different one that was set up on Sunday’s. As we were in the middle of it, I had the idea of showing you what they look like.

                                       

                                                                                               

It really isn’t as bad as it appears; it is quite a challenge though to get what you’re after without being taken advantage of. It is a great place to practice Spanish with the venders. Since we normally go at 6:00 am before they get busy, they enjoy talking with me and helping me out. Following that weekly trip comes the time to soak it all in a bowl with some bleach to kill all of the …….. Well, let’s just say it helps to remove some of the “foreign matter”. Much of the fruit does not really have a season, so it is always available and fresh. Pineapples, bananas, strawberry’s, avocados, and potatoes are just a few of those. With the help of my sister Barb in Angola Indiana, I was able to make a batch of strawberry jam this week. Thanks Barb for sending the Certo Pectin. Fresh made Banana Bread has become an item that is readily available on our dining room table. (It has even come in handy for bribing teachers once in a while!).

     As we begin planning to move on to the DR, we would like your prayers for our time left here in Costa Rica. That we would finish strong in class and that we could continue to focus on our learning and not be distracted as we get closer to moving. Also be praying for those in Jarabacoa Republica Dominicana as they prepare for our arrival there.