Though I only have two weeks left in Costa Rica, there is still so much I want to do! This past weekend we went to UGA’s Costa Rica Campus in Monteverde. It was about a five hour bus ride literally straight up the side of a mountain! It was really pretty and freezing! Thanks to Seester Linda’s Raincoat nothing got ruined in the rain and I stayed warm! Friday night we went on a night hike through the rainforest. That was really cool, we saw monkeys and butterflies. Saturday morning I awoke bright and early to milk a cow. It was quite the experience! After we went bird watching in the rainforest! It was so beautiful to see God’s work right before my very eyes. Everything was so perfectly placed! I can’t wait to put up pictures of the experience! Satruday during the day we had lectures about fair trade and other things. Sunday we went zip lining for the second time. I thought the first time was fun, but this was crazy! We were in the clouds for most of the zip-line! We got to go in pairs , which was really really fun! After about two hours of zip lining we headed back to our home sweet home in San Jose de Pinilla.
I found out the best way to describe how small my town is …”Our best driver ask, where do you guys live? San Jose de Pinilla, we answer. San Jose de Pinilla?? Where is that, he asked? Just down this little road about ten minutes, we respond. San Jose de Pinilla , huh..ok, you will have to show me where.” That is just how small our town is! Nobody really knows that it exist unless you just happen to drive through it!
This week is a full week of work, or at least it is suppose to be. You never know what teachers will decide to do here! Today they decided to end school two hours early so that they could have a meeting. It’s crazy how their education system is so different from ours in the states!
I would ask that you would continue to pray for sleep. I am struggling to sleep at least five hours a night, which in turn means I get really tired during the day. I would also ask that you continue to pray for my kids. Many of them come from broken homes with many health problems. Lastly, I would ask that you pray for my host family, Gusto y Lidette. Thanks for all the prayers thus far! 12 days to go…
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Good Morning !
So, I’m in the teens…I have 19 days here in Costa Rica. It still is crazy to me that I have been living here for the past month. This past week and weekend have been a challenging , but good. This past week my kids only had school three days because the teahers had meetings in Santa Cruz. Here, they cancel school for anything and everything and it’s not a big deal at all. We finished learning the body parts, which they really enjoyed! Thanks for all the prayers for my children, they were definitely answered this week. The one child that has been a challenge did great on Friday. Since I have been here Gerald has yet to attempt to write his name on anything . He refuses and says he doesn’t know how. On Friday I was preparing for this weeks activities and had sentence strips . I dotted out his name on a sentence strip just in hopes of him trying in , and he did ! I was so proud of him , and he was so proud of himself ! That has been one of the most rewarding teaching moments since I’ve been here!
Friday night we went to a rodeo and a really nice dinner at the Hacienda. Saturday we woke up to the phone ringing off the hook at five am! There really is NO sleeping in in Costa Rica! Our host dad came in our room and told us that a man from Pinilla had died during the middle of the night. It was really sad because we then went to the local health fair to volunteer at the Hacienda Clinic and that is where the man had died at three in the morning. He was a security guard for the Hacienda. Him and a buddy were riding around on the motorcycle making rounds. The driver feel asleep behind the will and crashed. The other guy went flying off the back into a ditch. His helmet split in two and he busted his head. They got him to the clinic and they tried to revive him to send him to the hospital, but there was no hope, he had already passed away. I would ask prayers for the family because they are having a really hard time with this whole situation. Also, his fellow co-workers are struggling with the loss of their friend. Last night was really fun. We went to Tamorindo , which is like PC but worse. We had a nice dinner on the beach just for fun and then went in search of any restaurant serving brownies. We finally found one , and it was the most amazing brownie I have ever eaten!( Maybe that’s because I haven’t had chocolate in a month).
This upcoming week we are only working four days. On Friday we are headed to the rain forest, Monteverde, for a weekend excursion! UGA has a campus there so that is where we will be staying while we are there!
I would ask for continued prayers about sleep. I still cannot sleep more than three hours at a time , which gets really frustrating when you are tired! Continued prayers for my kids, just that they would have a wonderful week at school and be sponges to learn as much as they can!
Thanks for the continued prayers! Can’t wait to share pictures when I make it home in less than three weeks!!...
So, I’m in the teens…I have 19 days here in Costa Rica. It still is crazy to me that I have been living here for the past month. This past week and weekend have been a challenging , but good. This past week my kids only had school three days because the teahers had meetings in Santa Cruz. Here, they cancel school for anything and everything and it’s not a big deal at all. We finished learning the body parts, which they really enjoyed! Thanks for all the prayers for my children, they were definitely answered this week. The one child that has been a challenge did great on Friday. Since I have been here Gerald has yet to attempt to write his name on anything . He refuses and says he doesn’t know how. On Friday I was preparing for this weeks activities and had sentence strips . I dotted out his name on a sentence strip just in hopes of him trying in , and he did ! I was so proud of him , and he was so proud of himself ! That has been one of the most rewarding teaching moments since I’ve been here!
Friday night we went to a rodeo and a really nice dinner at the Hacienda. Saturday we woke up to the phone ringing off the hook at five am! There really is NO sleeping in in Costa Rica! Our host dad came in our room and told us that a man from Pinilla had died during the middle of the night. It was really sad because we then went to the local health fair to volunteer at the Hacienda Clinic and that is where the man had died at three in the morning. He was a security guard for the Hacienda. Him and a buddy were riding around on the motorcycle making rounds. The driver feel asleep behind the will and crashed. The other guy went flying off the back into a ditch. His helmet split in two and he busted his head. They got him to the clinic and they tried to revive him to send him to the hospital, but there was no hope, he had already passed away. I would ask prayers for the family because they are having a really hard time with this whole situation. Also, his fellow co-workers are struggling with the loss of their friend. Last night was really fun. We went to Tamorindo , which is like PC but worse. We had a nice dinner on the beach just for fun and then went in search of any restaurant serving brownies. We finally found one , and it was the most amazing brownie I have ever eaten!( Maybe that’s because I haven’t had chocolate in a month).
This upcoming week we are only working four days. On Friday we are headed to the rain forest, Monteverde, for a weekend excursion! UGA has a campus there so that is where we will be staying while we are there!
I would ask for continued prayers about sleep. I still cannot sleep more than three hours at a time , which gets really frustrating when you are tired! Continued prayers for my kids, just that they would have a wonderful week at school and be sponges to learn as much as they can!
Thanks for the continued prayers! Can’t wait to share pictures when I make it home in less than three weeks!!...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Hola from Costa Rica!
Things in Costa Rica have been a crazy ride lately! School is going well! Things are definitely different in the school systems here. Some days we have class, some days teachers just decide not to show up. My class is doing wonderful with their English. They have learned colors, numbers, shapes, and family. This week we are going to work on parts of the body , which will hopefully be fun for them!
This past weekend we went on a trip to a Valcano. It was the most adventurous thing I have ever done in my life! We went on a four hour Canopy Tour on horseback . Five minutes into the whole trip it started raining and didn’t stop the whole time we were on the journey. I went zip lining through the rain forest , which was amazing! We also got to go swimming in hott springs ! It was perfect, minus the rain. Unfortunately , my cell phone and ipod were in my bookbag and are now ruined. I’m pretty upset about that, but there is just nothing I can do about it. I continue to remind myself that they are just material things, and not important in the long run! Sunday morning we went on a four hour, 8 mile hike to a waterfall. It was a beautiful hike through the rainforest, but really hard. There was no real trail or anything, just little signs with arrows. It took us 2 ½ hours to find it. On the way back we were so dhydrated and still had a 2 hour hike back , so we drank river water. Yes, I did think about what I was doing before I did it , but I didn’t have a choice. We made it back safely to our house late Sunday night, but we are EXTREMELY sore! Every part of my body hurts!
This coming weekend is a free weekend , so I think we are just going to spend it at the beach !
Thanks for all the prayers ! I can definitely feel them! I have been sleeping better for the most part! Continue to pray for sleep , please. I would also ask that you pray for my kids: Vivian, Emily, Estefania, Roylan, Gerald, and Pamela. Just pray that they would be open to learning and that the Lord would work in me while working with them. Religion here is part of school and ‘important’ , but not sincere at all. There is a church across the street from my house that has services three times a week and I have yet to see the church open in the past 3 ½ weeks. Lastly, I would ask for prayers for positive attitudes. Some days it is extremely hard to stay positive and keep going . I know the Lord is with me , and continues to push me through each day ! Joshua 1:9
See you guys in 24 days!
Things in Costa Rica have been a crazy ride lately! School is going well! Things are definitely different in the school systems here. Some days we have class, some days teachers just decide not to show up. My class is doing wonderful with their English. They have learned colors, numbers, shapes, and family. This week we are going to work on parts of the body , which will hopefully be fun for them!
This past weekend we went on a trip to a Valcano. It was the most adventurous thing I have ever done in my life! We went on a four hour Canopy Tour on horseback . Five minutes into the whole trip it started raining and didn’t stop the whole time we were on the journey. I went zip lining through the rain forest , which was amazing! We also got to go swimming in hott springs ! It was perfect, minus the rain. Unfortunately , my cell phone and ipod were in my bookbag and are now ruined. I’m pretty upset about that, but there is just nothing I can do about it. I continue to remind myself that they are just material things, and not important in the long run! Sunday morning we went on a four hour, 8 mile hike to a waterfall. It was a beautiful hike through the rainforest, but really hard. There was no real trail or anything, just little signs with arrows. It took us 2 ½ hours to find it. On the way back we were so dhydrated and still had a 2 hour hike back , so we drank river water. Yes, I did think about what I was doing before I did it , but I didn’t have a choice. We made it back safely to our house late Sunday night, but we are EXTREMELY sore! Every part of my body hurts!
This coming weekend is a free weekend , so I think we are just going to spend it at the beach !
Thanks for all the prayers ! I can definitely feel them! I have been sleeping better for the most part! Continue to pray for sleep , please. I would also ask that you pray for my kids: Vivian, Emily, Estefania, Roylan, Gerald, and Pamela. Just pray that they would be open to learning and that the Lord would work in me while working with them. Religion here is part of school and ‘important’ , but not sincere at all. There is a church across the street from my house that has services three times a week and I have yet to see the church open in the past 3 ½ weeks. Lastly, I would ask for prayers for positive attitudes. Some days it is extremely hard to stay positive and keep going . I know the Lord is with me , and continues to push me through each day ! Joshua 1:9
See you guys in 24 days!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
So I have officially finished my second week of work ! It is such a great feeling to know that I have completed two weeks. I have done so much this week I just don’t know where to start. Tuesday night we had game night with some friends, which was really fun and just a time to relax. We went to the local grocery store and got some Mac and Cheese for dinner ..YUM..(I like Costa Rican food, but I can’t wait for some American food again!) Going to the grocery store really made me feel like I was actually living here and a part of the society. While we were at the store we kept running in to people we knew from work and the community , and it people were recognizing us. That was really fun! Wednesday night we went to Santa Cruz and went shopping for a bit. It’s so crazy to see how different towns are here. I live about an hour outside of Santa Cruz and it is so different! Thursday night we decided to stay home and clean our room and workout , which turned out to be a wonderful idea. We went running around the plaza and there were a ton of kids outside playing soccer , so of course I had to join in and make myself look like an idiot. That has probably been one of my favorite things I have done because it was all my kids from school that were out there playing, so I was able to step out of that authority figure teacher role and simply be their friend. It was nice to be able to connect with them on another level! Friday I worked and went to a soccer game. It’s starting to rain a lot here because we are in the rainy season ! It’s really nice when it rains though because it gets cooler. This weekend I went to the mall in Liberia to go shopping which was lots of fun and went to the beach to play BINGO! I am enjoying my time here more and more each day! I am so glad June is almost here ! It’s a wonderful feeling!
As far as prayer requests I would ask that you just pray for my kids in my class and myself. Pray that I would be able to connect with them and that the Lord would through me to work with them. Some days are just really frustrating because I can’t always understand they are saying or simply what is going on. Prayers also for sleep patterns. I have yet to sleep through the night here; I usually wake up 2-3 times on a good night.Thanks for all the prayers , I can definitely feel them ! I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life ! See you in 33 days!
As far as prayer requests I would ask that you just pray for my kids in my class and myself. Pray that I would be able to connect with them and that the Lord would through me to work with them. Some days are just really frustrating because I can’t always understand they are saying or simply what is going on. Prayers also for sleep patterns. I have yet to sleep through the night here; I usually wake up 2-3 times on a good night.Thanks for all the prayers , I can definitely feel them ! I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life ! See you in 33 days!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Hey guys!
Sorry I really haven’t gotten to write on here. I only get internet for about twenty minutes at a time maybe two times a week if I am lucky. Things so far have been good. I have been really homesick and just having a hard time with things, but hopefully things will get better the more I am here and the closer I get to coming home. I live with a wonderful older couple who loves to take care of us. We sleep in this little wooden room is a fan and a nice tv that gets English channels!!...The bathroom is well, it works!.. Cold showers still haven’t become my friend, maybe because I have to take them at six in the morning. I have finished my first week of work and have never been so thankful for my education. The system here has a ton of problems , but the kids are super sweet. I work in a really small school that only has about 60 students. I work with kinder in the morning , and I only have five kids. This week we learned colors and how to say ‘My name is”. They love to play games, so we basically do that everyday. I live in an extremely small community where nothing really goes on. All the people are really nice, but not much to do. The days are EXTREMELY long here. The sun comes up at five and it is dark by six at night. Since I have been here I went to a beautiful beach and I went to a bull riding show, which was quite an experience. This weekend we are going to Santa Cruz to hang out and also this pottery place called white teal. Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement! I will write again , when I have the chance!
Sorry I really haven’t gotten to write on here. I only get internet for about twenty minutes at a time maybe two times a week if I am lucky. Things so far have been good. I have been really homesick and just having a hard time with things, but hopefully things will get better the more I am here and the closer I get to coming home. I live with a wonderful older couple who loves to take care of us. We sleep in this little wooden room is a fan and a nice tv that gets English channels!!...The bathroom is well, it works!.. Cold showers still haven’t become my friend, maybe because I have to take them at six in the morning. I have finished my first week of work and have never been so thankful for my education. The system here has a ton of problems , but the kids are super sweet. I work in a really small school that only has about 60 students. I work with kinder in the morning , and I only have five kids. This week we learned colors and how to say ‘My name is”. They love to play games, so we basically do that everyday. I live in an extremely small community where nothing really goes on. All the people are really nice, but not much to do. The days are EXTREMELY long here. The sun comes up at five and it is dark by six at night. Since I have been here I went to a beautiful beach and I went to a bull riding show, which was quite an experience. This weekend we are going to Santa Cruz to hang out and also this pottery place called white teal. Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement! I will write again , when I have the chance!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Hey guys~
I made it to Costa Rica safely. When we got here there was a mini earthquake. I didn't feel it, but they said it happened!Crazy! It is raining here ! We ate Costa Rican food for lunch and I'm feeling it, pray it doesn't make me sick! I go to my family on Saturday ! Thanks for the prayers! I must run before it pours down rain!
I made it to Costa Rica safely. When we got here there was a mini earthquake. I didn't feel it, but they said it happened!Crazy! It is raining here ! We ate Costa Rican food for lunch and I'm feeling it, pray it doesn't make me sick! I go to my family on Saturday ! Thanks for the prayers! I must run before it pours down rain!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Less than 24 hours...
So my plane leaves in less than 24 hours!I can't wait to update you with everything that is gong on down there. Please pray for safe travel for my team tomorrow. Our flight leaves at 10:10 and should arrive in Costa Rica at 2:10 ATL time, noon Costa Rica time!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
What Exactly will I be doing ??
I created this blog in hopes of keeping in touch with you guys back home. Since, I will have VERY limited access to phones and internet I felt this was the best way to communicate with friends, and keep you guys updated!
I'll be in Costa Rica for seven weeks this summer. I am traveling with my teacher and his family along with eleven other classmates.Though I will be there with a team we will each be living in a different 'pueblo' (town)! My friend Teresa and I will be living in a small town called San Jose de Pinilla. There Teresa and I will be living with a local family for the next seven weeks! I will be teaching in the town school. From what I have learned so far my school has around 30 students total. It is an extremely small school, but very interesting from what I hear. I hear there will most likely be chickens in my classroom everyday while I am teaching...that should turn out to be interesting!... My job in the school is to help teach the children English. I will be a full time teacher there.
Since I won't have much access to internet I am going to try and write on here at least once a week while I am there and post a few pictures to keep everybody updated on how I am !I would love to hear from you guys too!
I'll be in Costa Rica for seven weeks this summer. I am traveling with my teacher and his family along with eleven other classmates.Though I will be there with a team we will each be living in a different 'pueblo' (town)! My friend Teresa and I will be living in a small town called San Jose de Pinilla. There Teresa and I will be living with a local family for the next seven weeks! I will be teaching in the town school. From what I have learned so far my school has around 30 students total. It is an extremely small school, but very interesting from what I hear. I hear there will most likely be chickens in my classroom everyday while I am teaching...that should turn out to be interesting!... My job in the school is to help teach the children English. I will be a full time teacher there.
Since I won't have much access to internet I am going to try and write on here at least once a week while I am there and post a few pictures to keep everybody updated on how I am !I would love to hear from you guys too!
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