Farewell to Costa RIca

This will be my last post from CR, although I still plan to put a few more pics here (and of course we will have my "best of" on my website). I can't believe I am leaving tomorrow - wait, a sec, yes I can! I have loved my time here, but I am ready to be home. I am kinda dreading the flight home (at least all the airport stuff). I have three bags, plus my backpack and I am hoping to pass one of the bags off as a checked carry-on size so I don't have to pay. One of my bags may be overweight as it is. Weeell, we will just have to see, won't we?

Margarita threw a farewell cena for me last night and it was beautiful. She gave me a few presents, and also a few things for Adia. I hope and pray this family comes to Jesus, they are such dear people. It makes me hurt to see them in pain and grieving with nowhere to turn for comfort except the saying "si Dios quiere." This statement amazes me because of the truth of the situation - whatever God wants. But when I hear it, I don't hear any of the hope Christians have. We trust God because we know He loves us for who we are, and not what we can do for Him. It makes such a difference.

Graduation was great today. It was all in Spanish and I followed along really well! Wahoo! Also, I got a diploma - that's right. I have officially graduated from ILE! Gabi told me that I only lacked one point to make the grammar requirements, and on my conversational skills I scored above their minimum requirements. So, she went ahead and graduated me! :) Que funny.

Tonight I am going to another get-together with 4 other girls. It is in the home of 2 missionaries here who work with student life at ILE. The Dudney's are wonderful people, and I am so thankful to have this time with them before I leave. I would LOVE for God to open up some doors into Santa Cruz for this couple. They are incredible.

There is a part of me that really wants to be sappy about this last journal article. :) Even though I am thankful for my time here, and I will miss the people - I am READY to get home and then get to Bolivia. So, it is hard to be sappy and emotional, no matter how much I have loved being here. My room is all packed (except for bedding, pillow and my monkey) and things just look bare). I will be seeing some of you very soon!

Butterflies Everywhere!

Well, I just wanted to let everyone know I was alive after experiencing my first canopy tour. Let me just tell you, it was so much fun! I will have more pictures and maybe even some video later. Everyone on the group is combining pics and video and making a CD. So, I am waiting to see if there are better shots than what I took. But, I had to share this one with you. After the zipline we took a nature walk and also went through a Mariposario (butterfly garden). I have seen my share of these, but there were more Blue Morphos than I have ever seen! I kept trying to get a picture of one in flight, but they were too fast for me! However, two little guys decided to test out the sweat on my hands. They must have liked it because they were sucking away at my skin. It felt like a very tiny cat tongue (kinda scraping) and was awesome! I walked around with them on me, and when I tried to move them to a plant, they both jumped back on me! Finally after about 5 minutes, I moved them again and they stayed on the leaves. If it had been a blue morpho, I don't think I would have let it go! They are about the most beautiful butterfly God has created.

So anyway, I had a blast and arrived home safely. I had a sore throat Friday and Saturday, and we ended up walking through a downpour on saturday so now I have a cold as well. But it was more than worth it!

Conversation is Better

I took my conversation test on Friday, and it went so much better than the grammar test. I still don't know what my score is, but I came away feeling like I had given an accurate representation of what I could do. Some of the questions I was asked I am not even sure how I feel about in English, much less Spanish! My opinion is more like a mix of jumbled thoughts in my head - For instance, we covered the war in Iraq and America's Involvement and we also covered homosexual marriages. Whew! I am pretty sure it came out jumbled, but at least something came out. Oh and my teacher knew about the Indy 500! How random is that?!

I ended up finishing the test and then hanging out with Nancy and Nicole. Singles had one last dinner together at Fortuna Inn (an INCREDBILE chinese restaurant here) and then we all slept at Nancy's apartment. We had to be at the school at 7:15 Saturday morning to leave for Turubai (a nature park and canopy tour). I had a sore throat on Friday and it was still there on Saturday, but I still had lots of fun!

So, I am done with my tests, and everyone tells me this last week should be fluff, but both of my teachers are still giving homework, so we will have to see how that plays out! :)

Failing my first test EVER

Well, it had to happen sometime in my life I suppose. By God's grace I made it through college without an F, but I am pretty sure I made up for it today. I took a three hour grammar test that was hideous! I did my best, but realized how much I still have to work on Spanish. Will I never get this language?! Everyone came out of the test completely exhausted (which made me feel better - misery loves company, yeah?)

The upside to this is that it doesn't matter what I get on the test, I am still leaving Costa Rica and going to Bolivia (after a much needed time with all of you!) So, I can flunk this test without any fear of punishment!! The goal is to get a 70% at least (as well as score an advanced low in the oral exam tomorrow) in order to graduate with a diploma from ILE. At this point, I am happy just to get a certificate - which is what happens to everyone else who leaves before the year is over.

So, I have had an incredibly long day & I am looking forward to another long one tomorrow. After that I should be able to breathe a little. One of my friends looked at me today and said "You've already left haven't you?" And I realized she was right. Aside from my friendships here, I have mentally disengaged from most things. Too bad I still have another week to live here. Pray I keep my wits about me for the ECO (oral interview) tomorrow at 12:30 CR time. But, even if the worst happens and I can't even remember present indicative conjugations - God is still God, and I am still going to Bolivia!

On the positive side - one of our classmates who was VERY ill, seems to be on the mend from her latest bout of pneumonia - she has lung disease and severe asthma and gets sick often. But this last time was the worst I have seen. We are so thankful that God is giving Kathy strength to keep going. And I think she is starting to realize that people here really do care about her.

Well, TTFN - I will try to write more later about my ECO and also the canopy tour I am going on this weekend! VERY excited about Saturday!

Love you,
Em

Just to give you an idea

So, this is what I look like most of the time when I am sending you an e-mail or working online. I get the best signal in the weirdest positions. I will be so happy to get cable internet actually in my apartment instead of trying to capture a passing signal. I still have no idea where this signal comes from! Sometimes it is there, sometimes not.

Speaking of being online- make sure you check out the newest page on my .mac site (remember to look under Tica Times).

The Drama Continues . . .

Not only am I teaching 9th, 11th & 12th grades of English, as well as 2 hours of theatre, BUT I also am teaching 3 hours of Junior High Beginner Spanish. NOBODY TOLD ME THAT WAS COMING! I got my class schedule today, as well as 4 class rosters (still missing the Spanish one), and I just about freaked. You have got to be kidding me, I can't teach Spanish! Here I thought I was escaping it by getting out of language school and moving to a south american country! (You better hear the sarcasm in that statement, I am laying it on pretty thick) I am concerned that I have 5 preps (all of you non-education people, preps are not snotty students, they are different subjects to prepare) this first year with no ability to pre-plan. This is going to be one rocky first year of teaching. "What does not kill us only makes us stronger!"

I jokingly e-mailed back to Steve (HS principal) that although I wasn't sure I could do it, I know God could, and HE would just have to do it through me. My stomanch is in knots just thinking about this. Also, I have had really weird muscle twitches in my lower abdomen today and I am not sure why. My uterus is learning how to jump rope I guess.

Well, I am off to a Ladies Night Out in about 15 minutes, so I better go!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Freaking Out Emily!

Last night I received an e-mail from the choir teacher at SCCLC, who sounds like an absolute sweetie. Anyway, she is putting on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and wanted to know if I would consider letting my Theatre students be involved as well. I have no idea how this is going to flesh out. Joseph is a huge show, that can also be done in a small space, but those are two completely different production styles. I know my kids will be acting, but I don't know whether I will be blocking, directing, or what (if anything). I also don't know if Jackie wants me to be in charge of lighting & scenography, or if she is going to handle everything. She sounds like she knows what she is doing. So I am praying that is true! :)

Needless to say, I did not sleep much at all last night. My mind kept whirring with all sorts of possibilities and I had to make a few more purchases on Amazon. I pray this is the end of it, I don't know if I can take much more spending. I am not usually a big spender, and if I do need to make a big purchase, I usually only do one for the whole month, and make myself wait for other things. Well, eso es imposible when you have to leave in less than a month, and need to have everything packed. :) This is absolutely crazy, and I pray that I won't have many more terms like this first one. Hopefully I can leave things in storage (school stuff at least), the next time I come back.

YIKES!

By the by- if anyone has any DVDs they don't want anymore and think I would enjoy them, I am willing to give them a comfy south american home. :)

La Negrita

Imagine having a festival day where thousands upon thousands of people walk in the streets towards the same destination. Some go as a pilgrimage, others walk for the novelty. Here in Costa Rica, the day is August 2nd. Some people started walking last thursday (depending on how far they came) to arrive in Cartago at the church of Los Angeles to petition the Black Madonna. Some people who come from the coasts, like in Guanacaste, rode in on horseback. Those with serious needs and concerns, after walking the whole way (from San Jose it is 4 hours), enter the church on their knees, and crawl to the front of the church.

This kind of devotion humbles me and breaks my heart. I live with a family who believes in the miracles of La Negrita. My tico mom's daughter Teres) and granddaughter (Michel) walked four hours yesterday to attend the mass today. I see the stress of life on Teres' face and I wish I could help her. It's strange - for being such a relational culture, I feel such a tension to talk to her about Jesus. She thinks there is nothing wrong with her life and her religion. She won't even show me she is hurting, but everyone can see it. Her mother is such a devout catholic, and even though she loves Jesus, she has yet to see that He is the only way to get to God. So, Teres sees her mother, and relies on her religion to save the whole family.

So, I listen to their stories and feel useless. And I wonder why God has brought me here, and what He will bring me through so I can speak the truth with a loving boldness, and not shy away because I am scared of what people will think. In reality, I am scared of what I don't understand - catholism, and a desire to live life in whatever way someone chooses even though he or she is miserable. I know Jesus wants this family. They have had 4 Christians before me, living in their house, sharing in their lives. I pray that they will turn to Him and understand what it means to have a relationship with Him. To serve others, not so they can get to heaven or because it is the right thing to do, but because we have been served by the Son of God. I have much to learn from Margarita and her family, even in the last few weeks. And I pray, God will use me so that they may learn something from me as well.