Still here...

I've been contemplating these past few days if I needed to change the title of my blog. After coming back from Waspam, Tony and I had a decision to make. Do we leave Costa Rica that has been so kind to us and come to Nicaragua, or do we go back home as if we weren't greatly moved by being here.

Well, after a few heated and many calm discussions, we decided to move to Nicaragua.
Tony took on a volunteer position at the New Hope Christian school and I took on the job of helping to care for the children at the orphanage and our very special pregnant teen due April 27th.

We decided that it would be a great learning experience for the children to attend the school. This would not only speed up their Spanish speaking and comprehending skills, but it would give them a chance to be amongst the local children in town. As far as the US is concerned they are still considered homeschooled and I will continue the file their reports at the end of the year.

After the first day of school during lunch Chantell recounted how Tony had asked her classmates what they had for dinner the night before during his music class. She was shocked when most students shook their heads to say that they had not eaten anything for dinner. These children get a lunch after school everyday and for most, it is all they have to eat... all day. God is so good to have provided this place for so many of these children.
After the first two weeks of school it was imperative that we head back to Costa Rica to tie up some loose ends. We headed for Tica Bus and slept most of the way there. The ride took longer than usual but I was excited to see Costa Rica again. When we finally arrived, we walked to the nearest bus stop and hopped on. We got off near Central Park in San Jose and got something to eat. I wanted to do a bit shopping but it was late and frankly I wanted to get to the house.
After another 30 minute ride on our third bus for the day, we arrived in Guatuso down the hill from our house. We waived at a few people going up the hill and I forgot how horrible that walk up the mountain was until I was half way up.
The house was quiet and dark, kind of sad really. We decided that we would all take a long hot shower one after another as we have no hot water in our room in Nicaragua. But wouldn't you know it, not only did we have very little water coming out of the faucets, but the hot water was also not working....figures.

The next morning we packed and cleaned, then we cleaned and packed. Our mover/driver was to show up at 6pm Saturday night so we made sure that we were ready by then. As 6pm rolled around, he didn't show up. We called and he assurred us that he was on his way. We waited... 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm, 11pm then midnight. By this time, Tony and we beginning to worry. What if he doesn't show up, what will we do? It was too late to call someone else and our flawless plan of bringing the things we wanted back with us to Nicaragua and packing the rest in the storage room of the internet cafe would be ruined. We would miss our bus and have to pay for new tickets. Just when we were about to give up hope, we heard his horn outside. Tony worked for the next 5 hours driving back and forth, loading and unloading. The last load was to drop us off at the bus stop.
Well, now that we are back and here to stay, we are getting settled in. The kids are used to the school routine now and I enjoy the time with the two youngest during the day.
Yesterday was frightening as Jocylin went into premature labor. We weren't sure if it was really labor or not but from the look on her face and the tears in her eyes, we didn't need a Miskito translator to tell us that something was wrong.
When we arrived at the hospital after first visiting the clinic, the doctor informed us that there were 20 other patience in front of her and she would just have to wait. Well, thank goodness Charity made the call to move her to a private hospital instead. They were able to stop the labor progression and put her on bedrest.
Pray for her as we are believing that she will be able to deliver naturally.
More to come...

Feliz Navidad!

So yesterday was Christmas, I was going to wait to post until I had gathered the information needed to write about homeschooling but thought I'd share how our day went. On Christmas eve, eve we set out early in the am and spent hours shopping for presents and ingredients.

 (See our bus coming?)

We decided that we would give out loaves of banana bread to our friends, neighbors and local merchants. For two days straight my 15 year old baked a whole lot of bread, don't worry she loved every minute of it. On Christmas eve hubby and a few of the children set out to deliver these treats wrapped in clear bags, tied with bows and mini xmas cards. The recipients would not let them walk away empty handed, so they returned home with two bags full of Tamales! They were banana leaves stuffed with masa or rice, chicken or turkey, carrots, garbanzo beans, raisins, etc. depending on the person who made it.

We were told to boil them in water for about 15 minutes and enjoy. We had never eaten them before and enjoyed every bit of them! We went to church that night and enjoyed a wonderful service. One of our fellow sisters in Christ walked half way home with us as we discussed how chilly it was that night. She spoke of her home being very cold as it was made of mostly metal and right beside a river. She said that she was believing that the Lord would provide a better home for her and her children. So for my believers out there, please keep Marisol in your prayers.
When we returned home, the older kids began their tradition of baking sugar cookies as I read Christmas stories to the younger kids and put them to bed. We were up cleaning the house around 11:59 when all of a sudden a myriad of fireworks began to go off. We looked outside of our windows to see the most spectacular fireworks show I had ever seen. It was beautiful! From the view in our dining room, you could see miles and it was a grand way to bring in Christmas day!
Christmas morning was wonderful as we celebrated not only the birth of Jesus but of my 10 year old daughter also. The kids were up at the crack of dawn as usual. Didn't matter that I told them that santa made Costa Rica his last stop, so they were welcome to sleep in a bit. (smile)
We kept gifts to a minimum this year and I was happy to see them enjoy the little that they did receive.  Though we could have, we saw no need to give ipods, ipads, laptops or cellphones. Instead they received much wanted clothing items, journals, craft items, beaded jewelry and the most prized gift of all... an am/fm/cd radio. I'm not bashing anyone who did opt for the more high tech, expensive gifts... but for us, we have decided that there are way more important things for them to value.
What an awesome day God gave us.
As we near our time to travel to Nicaragua next month, I am increasingly excited to see what God will do. We have been in touch with an orphanage with 14 children, of which 6 are babies! If the Lord wills it, we will go and minister to them in whatever way we can. I pray that we stay in God's will now and forever, Amen!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
More to come...

Hola Morena!

December 15, 2010

I did it. I went to the fiesta with the ladies from church this past Saturday! It was awesome. I spent an entire Saturday with about 22 woman of which not one of them spoke English. Well, you know what that meant, I spent my day butchering Spanish. I was anxious that whole morning while I prepared to go. I showered, pressed, dressed and headed out the door reciting memorized words over and over again in my head. As I turned the corner of our gate I waved to our Tico neighbor who called out “Hola Morena!” (Does that mean that I have been accepted as Latina? Probably not, especially since he has never heard me butcher his native tongue).

I walked down to the bus stop and was happy to see a few familiar faces there to greet me. We waited another half hour or so for the rest of the ladies and a few babies to show up and we boarded the next bus. I still had no idea of where we were going but I knew this bus and its route so at the moment I was relaxed. We rode all the way to San Jose and got off together. The woman took turns holding the 3 babies that were with us, giving the moms a break. There were merchants everywhere selling every and anything. Watches, gloves, toys, dvd's, food and kitchen sinks...literally.

We made our way through the busy streets and met up with a few other ladies and hopped on another bus. This time the ride was shorter and when we got off I was certain I had no idea of where I was. I followed the woman past stores, bakery’s and a playground that I swear looked exactly like the one I frequented as a child.

When we arrived at our destination I was starving but knew that the chit chatting was about to begin, so I sighed and thought... bring it.

After reading a few passages from the bible and praying together the Pastor's wife arrived, she announced that we would be pairing up in twos to get to know as much as we can about each other then standing in front of the other ladies to report our findings. 

Amazingly I carried on a conversation. I learned that my sister in Christ Haylee lives very close to me with a gorgeous view of a waterfall behind her home. We talked about our family's and where I lived in the US. As my confidence grew, I stood and spoke to the other woman about her.

We were served a delicious meal of grilled chicken, sausages, steak, rice and black beans. My foolish eyes said that I could finish the whole plate while my conservative belly begged to differ.

As I stuffed my face I could hear one of the babies getting fussy in the corner. Her mom was eating and she was being held by another one of the mothers in the group. Her mom looked over at her shrugged and said that she might be hungry and without blinking an eye the other woman whipped out her breast and fed the baby. Now, I am a huge advocate of breast feeding but I have never seen a woman breastfeed another woman's baby! Sure, moms and I have joked about it..but there it was in broad day light. Ha! I love these people.

After eating and playing a few more games which were all geared towards teaching us to work together, we enjoyed cake and coffee. 

The day was winding down and I truly felt like I was connecting with these woman. I didn't feel like much of an outsider, just someone who needed ever word articulated...and...said...very...slowly.

I shared a cab home with 3 other ladies and was happy to have had the experience I had. I was able to see these woman in a more relaxed environment and I dropped the constant worry of saying something wrong. I just spoke and when I was unsure I asked and they helped.

Back on the homefront, Christmas is creeping up on us and we are so unprepared. We finally have a tree, a live one I might add, but I have no idea what we'll do for presents. We have prepared the children to receive less this year so that we may have more to give to others to which they were less than thrilled about. I'm pretty certain that the Lord will direct us, even if its on the 24^th...

Homeschooling has taken on a mind of it's own as I went from a classical educator to an eclectic homeschooler. 

My kids have been doing what some may call un-schooling. I wouldn't call it that as I still give weekly assignments, but if they have an interests that I feel is relevant and will keep them engaged in learning they are encouraged to pursue it. That doesn't override all essential learning such as math, literature and science but I have definitely taken a more relaxed teaching style this year. Next blog post will include a “Day in the Life of ” just for homeschoolers. That was always very helpful to me as a new homeschooler and I hope that it will help, encourage or drive fear into someone out there... (smile)

more to come...

Saving a buck or two...

I really didn't have much to talk about this week. Things were pretty normal and I spent lots of time keeping house. I shopped, cooked, cleaned, homeschooled, bathed children, kissed booboos and entertained guests from the states.

Last night I went to church with the children, Tony had not gotten home from the cafe in time to go with us. I knew that the women were expecting me at a function next Saturday but I prayed that they would not try to ask me questions about it without Tony being there to help me with words I didn't understand. Well, right in the middle of service I heard my name and looked up at the woman at the podium asking if I would be there on Saturday. I quickly ran the days of the week through my head, smiled and said "Si, Sabado."

After church one of the ladies came to give me some more information to this event that I was clueless about. All I could catch was, San Jose, McDonalds, party, taxi or bus, 2 not 11, and will be fun. I thought that it was  in the catholic church in Guatuso at 11am?!? Oh boy, once again I smiled and said "Si, Sabado." I will not cower behind my Spanish/English dictionary (Tony). I will go on Saturday and sit next to all of my sisters in Christ, smile and try my best not to say anything stupid, so help me Jesus!

Since we have been here, our whole motto have been to live on a shoe string. No extravagances like we had in the US and absolutely no complaining about it out loud. My children have adapted very well to my surprise, even commenting on how clean they are able to get their socks by washing them by hand. (Is it weird to love seeing them scrub their socks in the laundry room sink?)

We came up with lots of ways to save money and not all include manual labor. We downloaded Skype and have used it daily as a tool to keep in contact with friends and family members. What an economical way to keep in touch. No cost involved other than your internet connection. We also purchased a device called Magic Jack. Now, I'm going to tell you all right now. I paid a minimum of $39.95 per month before taxes and fees for telephone service back in Maine. This was with the promise of caller ID and unlimited long distance. Magic Jack cost $39.95 for the purchase of it with the first year being free. After that you pay just $19.99 per year. It took literally 5 min to install and I was able to make my first test call to my mom in Florida who asked "Where are you calling from with that 305 area code?"
Nothing else is needed but your home computer and a phone. What a whopping amount of money I could have saved if I had not been too afraid to switch from AT&T and try a different company. (Don't worry, I have already taken the liberty of kicking myself.)
There are many different ways we have significantly cut down on our cost of living. We no longer have vehicles, we take the bus like most locals and the cost just cannot be compared. We can get from our home to the major city of San Jose for less than .45cents, not to mention the exercise that our bodies so desperately craved.
We hang our clothes out to dry on a line after washing which saves on electricity costs. Our cell phones are now powered by pre-paid cards with an average cost of $10 per month. We have become accustomed to eating the local food here which is very economical. (Rice and beans, fresh fruits and veggies, fresh baked bread, coconut water which seems to be all the rave in the US now, fish and unbelievable coffee.)
We have ditched the television and though we have a small flat screen sitting in our linen closet, the kids barely remember that it is there. We do love movies, always have. We used to have cable until we found out that Netflix offered instant movies online and lots of them. We ditched the cable a few weeks before we came and do not have any plans on having cable here.
When the mood strikes, we all sit around together and watch a show/movie online with our $8.99 per month membership.
If you enjoy books like I do, you can download kindle for PC from Amazon.com on your computer for free, then download a ton of free books.
Now I know that some of these money saving ideas are not possible or realistic in the US, but a few certainly are. Give one or two a try, thank me later and save a buck or two...
more to come...

I kill them every time I see them, What would you do?

What a week...
Thanksgiving came and went without much ado here. It is not celebrated and it took us several days just to find a turkey. We made do with what little traditional food we could find and gave thanks to the Lord for his provisions.
Christmas on the other hand is serious. Trees and nativity scenes are up everywhere. Banks, grocery stores and front lawns. I am told that there is much celebration to be had in the weeks leading to Christmas day. Can't wait to experience it all though I'm not sure how it will feel hanging out at the beach near Christmas time.
We have filled our house in these last couple of days with things that have made it feel more like home.
We finally have a washing machine and boy do I appreciate it. It is not a Maytag or Whirlpool or even a GE. This is a top of the line Sankey. The left side is for washing. The top is removable so that the water can fall into the bin. The right side is where you would transfer the clothes for spinning after they are clean. Sounds like a lot of work?

Try washing by hand the way I have been doing the past month and this bad boy becomes a dream come true. 

We bought sofas, beds, kitchenware and a table that our church gave us the night before Thanksgiving day. While setting up the beds last night, I thought of how sad it would be to have to leave here in 11 more months. I can't dwell on the future however, it is all in the Lord's hand. 

The children are making friends at our church and picking up the Spanish more and more. The family that owns the Panaderia down the hill asked us if we would allow our girls to hang around their 18 year old granddaughter in hopes that they could teach each other Spanish and English. We of course agreed and they spent their first day on Friday talking, laughing and taking pictures together.

 It was the cutest thing hearing them in the kitchen touching and naming all the things in the cabinets and fridge to each other. 

Tony has partnered with his brother (from another mother) in an internet cafe, which has kept him busy lately. This in turn has made it impossible for me to continue using him as my crutch in the language barrier. So the girls and I have decided that we will have to venture out on our own during the week and figure out what they are saying, no matter what. If we get lost on a bus and end up in Panama...well, at least the fare to get back won't break us. 

I wish I had more pictures to show all of the unusual yet beautiful things that we see. The other day, two big, gorgeous white horses were standing by the bus stop. They were so pretty, too bad I was too afraid to walk up to them and pet them. Enormous butterflies fly into our home daily and get trapped which provides hours of entertainment for the little kids. Birds, all colors of the rainbow hang out in  my back yard. They fly into the trees and hop from branch to branch. Hummingbirds visit me daily outside my bedroom window and lets not forget the friendly neighborhood dogs that come sniffing by my door as I cook dinner. Ha!

There's really only one thing that bothers me and its the huge disgusting spiders! They are large and in charge. Someone here said that the biggest one they saw had a face! I believe them....

(The picture does not do that monster justice, it was huge)

Not a day goes by without me destroying one of these nasty critters. Tony keeps telling me that they are going to gang up on me for killing so many of their family member and I swear the other day Catia was crawling on the ground with a jacket on. I saw her from the corner of my eye and almost jumped out of my skin thinking she was a grandaddy spider coming for me. Well, I haven't stopped killing them, so I guess my luck hasn't run out yet. 

Prayer and bible study has been really important to me lately as the Lord has been revealing himself in different ways to me and my family. These people are not afraid of the gospel and talking about the Lord with neighbors and store clerks is not taboo. Everyone is not saved, but they do not deny God. As I look around I wonder how anyone can with all of the beauty that the Lord has around us. Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Just looking outside my window at the sky, the clouds and the mountains and I revel in the Lords greatness. 

Yes, man is without excuse, but we as Christians are also without excuse when it comes to spreading his word. Join me this week in making a point to speak to someone about our God. 

more to come...

Getting to know you...

So it's been almost a month here in Costa Rica and yes, I still love it. Don't get me wrong, there have been hiccups. The church that I wrote about last post supposedly started at 1pm, right...Wrong! Either the neighbor gave us the wrong information or we just didn't understand what he was saying but we were just shy of 3 hours late. Ha!
On a positive note, we absolutely adore this little Pentecostal church called "Eglesia de Guatuso". The beginning of every service (4 days a week) consists of 45 min of prayer. Yes, I said it, 45 minutes of non-stop, get on your feet or stay on your knees, kneeled at the altar or in your seat prayer! Yes!

Everyone and I mean everyone comes over and kisses you on the cheek with a "Dios Vendiga" (God bless) after service. They are very friendly, so if you are not the touchy type.... stay clear! Two nights ago we had the Pastors over for coffee and I actually got the kids to come out and sing for them in Spanish. Ok, so I paid them 100 colones each, but it was worth it. (smile)

 What a blessing it is to know that the family and fellowship of Christians can be found no matter where you set your feet... Amen!

Water is shut off here every once in a while for various reasons. We didn't know this until we turned on the faucet to have some tea and realized... oh, just like that huh? I thought, no problem. Landlord said that we have a reserve tank, that should get us through. Tony went out back to check it and yes, you guessed it, empty. Water must have been out for a while and we used up all of the reserve.
"No prob" said our friendly neighbor the next morning. He told Tony to follow him to his house and he can use all the water he wanted from his faucet out back.
"Gracias Senor! You are so kind." and hence came our water for the next 2 days.

If anyone is wondering, we do not have a washing machine as of yet. I can't really blame anyone but myself since I would never buy one brand new and used ones on craigslist seem to go pretty quickly. So, I have learned the art of handwashing. Thank goodness for a lovely, bright laundry room with a built in washing bin and a covered area for the clothes to hang. Honestly, a little bit of music in my ear and willing kids to hang the clothes makes the chore... not so bad.

There is no doubt that things are different here. Portions are much smaller at the grocery stores. I have seen just one gallon of milk since I've been here. All the rest are sold in quarts. No huge tubs of butter or half gallons of creamer. Neither are there huge boxes of laundry detergent or gallons of fabric softener.
The first time I purchased bananas at the farm stand I asked for 12. The young man behind the counter opened his eyes wide and said "doce banana?!?" I felt odd, so I explained to him that we have 8 children. He then smiled and shook his head ok. Now, they are happy to see us coming down the hill with our shopping bags.

As we become more and more familiar with the merchants here, they are eager to help us learn the language while learning a bit of English themselves. My spanish is still pretty rough, but at least now I can go out alone and not feel totally lost in translation.

Homeschooling is up and going. Kids are back into the swing of things and hating it! Ha! I try to tell them that they have it easy. I only require Bible study, journaling, math, literature, writing, science, history and a generous amount of Costa Rica study which can all be done in their pajamas. Younger kids spend a lot of time outdoors discovering new bugs, plants and birds. The worst has been a big black hairy spider that I dare call a tarantula. Yuck!

I'm ready to be settled so we can begin some missions work. I know that the Lord has the timing in his control and when we begin, it will be amazing!

More to come...

We have internet!

Almost 2 weeks since we've been here and internet has just arrived. We were fortunate enough to have been able to borrow our friendly neighbors wi-fi in the meantime. A few days after our arrival we took a bus down to the ICE agency to obtain internet. The agent told us that we needed a phone line, a new one, not the one we already had. We said "OK, no problem can you give us a phone line?" He replied "Sure, it will take 6 months." So with our heads hanging low, we left the office and headed back home. We eventually decided to call the landlord and ask if there was any way to get the internet sooner. He said that he had a personal friend at ICE and he would call in a favor. Less than 3 days later, we had internet. I guess it's all about who you know.... and a bit of 'Favor'   ; )

I'm surprised that I have not missed having a truck to get around. The bus rides are a trip! One evening after shopping in the city of San Jose, we were on a bus going up the mountain. The curves were sharp and the bus was taking them better than a Mazda Miata! It was pretty full and there was a passenger hanging outside the bus door, waving to various people we passed. The driver smiled the whole time and people thanked him as they got off. At times, I had to look around to see if anyone was frightened by how fast the bus was going but they all looked pretty relaxed, so I figured this must be normal. As we exited the bus there were 4 huge cows standing around the bus stop eating grass. They must have gotten out of the yard nearby...I'm not scared of cows or anything, but thought it best to cross the road and walk away slowly.
(smile)

We have befriended the local people at the panaderia (bakery), carneceria (butcher), and ferria (farmers market). We stop in and buy baguettes, bananas, plantains, chicken, eggs, etc. and chat for a while before we move on. Conversations are light since my spanish is so rough, but they are patient and kind to me and the children. Tony does well in speaking and translating for me. The local fruit and vegetables are really inexpensive. Bananas are a dozen for a little less than $.80 and Pineapples are $.50 each. The bakery sells all sorts of bread with our without cheese. We have taken a liking to the flaky pastry bread with ground beef and spices which sells for less than $.50 each.

One thing that was not expected is that it gets chilly in the mountains. There are 12 different ecosystems in Costa Rica of which we happen to be in the cooler highlands. It has been cool the past few days with all of the rain and the sun not being able to warm the house through the sunroofs in every room.
Other than needing a few extra sweaters and blankets (that we were not expecting to need), we are adjusting. It sure beats winters in Maine.

(Roses in the front yard)

We woke up this morning expecting to make it to church at about 9am. Tony walked to the church first and called to let me know that church does not start until 1pm... Yes!  I sure hope I love it, it is only a 10 minute walk down the hill. Will let you all know next blog.

More to come...