Friday, November 27, 2009

A Bitter Sweet Goodbye

Where has the time gone?

Today is my last day in San Jose with my tican family! I cannot believe it. I leave tomorrow for Cuba for a week! My tican family has been amazing and I am really going to miss them. They have loved me like no other. I was not just a North American student living with them, but I was taken in as their own daughter and sister, caring for me, providing for me and loving me. It has been amazing for me to see how my family here doesn't have much at all but what they do have is so special. Living with them for 3 months has taught me to appreciate the small things in life. They may not have lots of money or material things but they have love and lots of it!!!!

Dad from the states wrote me, "Your tican parents remind me of a large pitcher that have poured out God’s blessings on you. You have been richly blessed by your tican family and parents being available to bless you. May their example teach us to also pour out God’s love on those around us." This is so true. And I pray that when I return home I can pour out God's love to others just as he has shown His love to me.

My mom last night was giving me a little gift I can bring back to the States to remember them. It was something so small and she apologized that she did not have more money to buy me something bigger. But I did not want anything bigger. I could not have asked for anything else. It was a little picture frame that I could a picture of them in. She knew it wasn't anything extravagant but it was chosen with a lot of love. That has been a big lesson for me. It does not matter the cost value of a gift it matters where your heart is when you give it. I could definitely tell that her heart was in that gift no matter how little it cost. It meant a lot to me and I love it!

So I pulled out my suitcase from my closet and started packing up my room. My closet is just about empty now. Last night I was giving away some cloths to my little sister. My tican mom was so thankful and she couldn't believe I was giving them away. I do not need them. I have way too many cloths and even more at home. They need them more than I do. My mom started to tear up and thanked me many times "wow, serious, gracias" The look on her face was amazing and I won't trade it for anything. She said that it helped so much because she wouldn't have to buy Pamela cloths for a while now. I was glad I could help and explained to her that in the States I have lots of friends, sisters, family to share cloths with so I was just passing on the tradition of hand me downs : )

Saying bye tomorrow will be hard. But I will remember what my Dad wrote me, its perfect advice. "We know that leaving your tican parents and brother and sister will be very difficult but it is not the end – it is the beginning of your relationship. Remember to give thanks to our Lord for all aspects of your trip. This verse may help you get through this difficult transition I Thess 5:18 “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Best Thanksgiving Ever!

So I was totally bummed when I found out that I would be missing Thanksgiving in the States and that Costa Ricans don't do anything to celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a great holiday. What could be better than food, family, food and more food? Nothing right? But yesterday proved me wrong, it was the best "Dia de Gracias" ever.

It started off by going to class and having a great reunion with all the other students from the program that I haven't seen in a month. It was great to see everyone and share with one another about all our different experiences. Some people went back to Nicaragua to work on a business project for their concentration project, others worked on farms shoveling cow dung all day, some worked in flower farms, one worked with the Turtles Conservation Project on the beach and another learned the whole process of how to make coffee and prepare cappuccinos. Everyone did something different so it was fun to share and learn about how everyone's times were.

My favorite part of the day was getting my "Thanksgiving Feast" (as one of my friends called it) in the mail from my brother and sister in law. Not only was it a ton of goodies, junk food and stuff I LOVE but it was also a huge symbol for me of how much my family supports me back home. I am so thankful for my family and receiving that package Thanksgiving morning was just icing on the cake.

Living in a community by myself for a month with everyone being family has taught me a lot about family dynamics. I love my family from the States so much and being away from them this long has been hard and I am guilty of being homesick from them while I was in the mountains. I thought about them a ton! And I am so thankful for them. I also feel that my relationship with my family has also grown. As funny as it may seem, with me being so far from home, I have really appreciated them more now than ever. I have really been blessed by them with their love, support and encouragement from the States. Those little things are the things that keep me going and I couldn't have made it without them. So on this thanksgiving I am extremely blessed and so incredibly thankful for all of my family.

It was also awesome to call my grandfathers on Thanksgiving and not only be passed around to talk to different family members but listen in on the family prayer and toast. It was like I was there with them.

I LOVE MY FAMILY IN THE STATES
AND I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THEM!!!

"Es Como Una Pelicula"

"It's like a movie."

As I was describing my time from the community in the mountains to my tican mother here in San Jose, she was so happy for me and one of her responces was, "Wow, es como una pelicula!" which translates as, "Wow it's like a movie!" And as I have had time to reflect on my time and regroup from the expereince I had in the mountains, I have really realized how much I have been blessed and how awesome of an expereince it really was. Like a movie.

Living in Pacayitas, Turialba, de Cartago for 3 and 1/2 weeks, has been hands down my favorite thing so far about my time here in Costa Rica. The people there were so sincere and so loving. I can't even describe it. I am a people person and the relationships I built their were so special. As I was leaving, I got a glimpse of how I have impacted their lives and how much they have impacted mine.

Living in a tiny community of 800 where everyone is family and everyone knows everyone has been such a blessing. Let alone living in the mountains was beautiful and was such a great breath of fresh air from the city. It was weird for me to transition from living in what is like a prison in San Jose, with lots of bars and locks to get into my house, to living in a community where everyone's doors are left open and they only "security" we had in our house was when we left for Catholic Mass on Sundays, was a rock that was placed behind the door. I am not sure the purpose of this rock because if anyone wanted to come in they very well could have. The closest store was an hour away through the bumpiest roads you could imagine. And people traveled by foot, horse or by motorcycle if you were lucky. This way of life was very different than city life and I loved it!

I am very fortunate for the opportunity that I had, not only living in the community with such a great family, but working in the high school as well with about 80 students. The students were soo great! At first I was worried because the older grades were so close to my age at first I didn't know how to approach them. But the relationships that I formed with these people are ones I will never forget. They were not only my students for 3 1/2 weeks but they were also my friends. When we weren't in class learning English, we were hanging outside of school as well.

Some of the things that I have enjoyed with my students outside of class has been visiting their houses and famlies, going dancing, (they loved it when I would dance, they taught me the salsa, tango and marengee and I taught them some line dances, after dancing in Costa Rica and watching them dance I realize how bad of a dancer I am...) We also enjoyed painting our nails together, talking about our lives together and confiding in one another, taking a hike into the mountains to see the waterfall with a big group of friends, going to one of their parties, one of my cousins taking me horse backriding and having sleepovers together. Not to mention the wonderful surprise going away party they threw for me. That meant so much to me!

I loved interacting with these teenagers. I respected them so much and they in turn respected me. They helped me out when I needed it and I knew I could count on them. Whenever a student would see me outside of class they would love coming up to me to say hi and ask me how I was, just as I would love joking around and talking with them as well.

The last day was extra special. At school the students took their final English exam. After, the principal and other teachers prepared a little fiesta for me with lots of yummy meat, tortillas, nachos, beans and a pinata. Saying goodbye was hard. All the students did not want me to leave. I invited everyone to come to the states and visit me. Some of the girls would just hug me and not let go. The girls also loved my hair. They would play with my curls and ask if they could cut a curl off to remember me. One student as she was showing me the pictures of her family from her wallet was so cute, she let me keep the only picture she had of herself so I can remember her and she told me that next time I come to visit I should stay at her house!

Walking to and from school each day for 15 minutes was nice. I loved it because as the days went on I began to say hello to more and more people that I built relationships with in the community. Actually instead of saying Hola to somebody when you see them, you said Adios, which at first really confused me, but quickly caught on. My favorite was my last day, when I was walking to class in the morning and I was thinking how sad it was my last day there and how the time flew by, when the cutest little boy came running out of his house in his pjs and at the top of his lungs in the cutest voice screamed "BUENAS DIAS JAMIEEE!" (he couldnt pronouce Amy to well) He was so excited to see me and had the biggest smile on his face! So cute. It made my day. I yelled back "BUENAS DIAS SENOR" and smiled all the way to school. : )

I am sure this is against teaching rules but I definitely had a favorite studenet and saying bye to her was tough. There were tears and lots of hugs. Joseth was so fun! We always laughed togther and she made me feel right at home. When we were saying bye as soon as I looked at her with a little bit of watery eyes, I felt the tears coming. Also when I was saying goodbye to my family, my tican mom didn't want me to leave. She made me panckaes to take along the way because she knew how much I loved them. They were the best pancakes ever and ever since I told her how much I loved them, she always made them for me. YUMMMY But when I was saying bye to her, I gave her a little card and gift and before she even opened it or knew what it was, she took it, looked at it and just started bawling. Which in turn made me cry. She left the room and went to drink a glass of water in the kitchen. When she came back she gave me a big hug. They did not want me to leave.

One of my cousins Annya and I got really close while I was there. She wrote me the sweetest letter and gave it to me when I left. She told me to read it later. It was so sweet and it made me feel so loved. She wrote how much I meant to her. She called me her sister and how much she loved me and that she wants me to be her guest of honor for her quincenara (party for when she turns 15). She also said how here dream is to come and to visit me in the states and that she is saving up money to come visit me. This meant a lot to me.

I love the relationships that I built in this community and even though at times I was not easy being away from everything that is comfortable and being the only English speaking person in the community for 3 and 1/2 weeks, I learned a lot and I am very grateful for the time I have spent in the mountains.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Surprise!

Right now I am sitting in the classroom while the whole high school is taking their final English Exam for the year. I really hope they do well!!!! considering I was the one who taught them this past month and I wrote all the exams for 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th graders. Writing the exams took longer than I thought. Teaching here has been a really great experience. I got a great taste of what it is like to be a teacher. Including all the awesome parts and some hard parts as well. One of my favorite parts has been getting to know the people here, the students and the teachers. This past weekend another teacher invited me over her house for the weekend. And I love hanging out with the students in and out of the classroom. They are so fun!!!! Yesterday we just spent a 1/2 and hour throwing lemons around and today I was chasing students around with water....some of the hard parts have been trying to plan what I was going to teach in the classroom and what materials I would go over and what would be the best way to present the new material so the students wouldn't be bored. I love laughing with the students. They are all so sincere.

Today is my last day at the school and living in the mountains. I am sad to say goodbye to them. Everyone keeps asking me when I will come back. My response has been, "after you come to the states and visit me I would love to come back and visit you." They smile and say they would love to come visit!!!!

Yesterday was such a great day. Woke up at the crack of dawn like always, went to school in the morning and in the afternoon I went horse back-riding! My tican dad here has three horses, lots of cows and bulls. I loved it riding the horse. My favorite part was that all the little kids in the neighborhood were following my horse around and laughing the whole time. It was so cute. Then at night my family and friends here surprised me with a going away party. I was totally not expecting it. It was so sweet! Lots of yummy food, dancing, music, volleyball, presents and games! All the love that the people has showered me with here has made me not want to leave these people. I love the hearts of the people here. I am bad at goodbyes.

From here I am heading back to my family in San Jose, I am so pumped to see them again, it has been a month!!! But I really don't want to say goodbye to them! I will be with them from Wednesday to Sunday. Then on Sunday we are heading to CUBA!

I have no idea what to expect in Cuba but I am excited to see what God has in store for me there.
I can't believe that this is my last week in Costa Rica. Time flies!

Embrace every second you have!!!

Monday, November 16, 2009

My First BULL FIGHT!!


Lassoing the Bull...It's harder than you think it is.
In the center of the bullring
A bull, right before they released him....poor guy

Ever since the moment my Tican dad told me he was going to take me to a bull fight I was so excited! I couldn't wait to go.
Yesterday I went to see a bull fight with my Tican dad and two of my tican sisters. Wow those people who run with the bulls are crazy. How scary! There are two really famous bulls here in Costa Rica. One of them has killed 2 people. It's pretty intense. First they let the bull loose and chased it around in the ring with red banners. Then people rode the bulls. It was a cool experience. My tica family even dressed me for the event. Boots and all! I was a cowgirl for the night.
: )
Here are some pictures and a video of the first guy to ride a bull...

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

A Blessing in Disguse










Who would ever have thought that a trip to a waterfall could be such a blessing?!

After a 2 hour walk by myself in the mountains of praying and reflecting on my life and time here in this town I began to think how this was going to be a long 3 and a 1/2 weeks without much contact to other Americans or much to do. Yet the very next morning while I was getting ready for another walk my tican cousin came over and gladly invited me to go see a waterfall. Without knowing what a great time was to come I gladly said yes, quickly accepting any invitation I could got to do something different, get out of the house and spend time with other people other than my family.

Wow and I am so glad that I did! We had a blast! My cousin is great and I love how she has reached out to me here. We ending up going with a group of 8 other kids. While I was crawling through the river in the mountain I was thinking to myself, "this is the kind of activity that I enjoy and I am so glad that God gave me this opportunity to hang out with these people." The whole time we spent walking to the waterfall we were laughing, jumping in the mud and having a good time together.

When we got to the waterfall it was so beautiful....we took some pictures. However it is hard for pictures to do a justice of the beauty and true experience.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Me...Teach?!

Right now I am living in a small pueblo, near Turialba, of about 800 people in the mountains of Costa Rica. Life in Turialba is beautiful, the people here are so sincere, I love it! All the people in my community are family. My father here is one of 22 sons and daughters, all from the same mother and father!! So incredible, I am still amazed by this! I am teaching English to 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th graders. All the students in my class are relatives and there are only 2 last names in the high school.

When the principal first picked me up from the bus station on Monday I had no idea what to expect. However, my professor of this program told me that my time here is more about living with the people, than doing work. So I had the idea that I would only be "helping out" in a school. Yet the principal brought me right to the school, introduced me to the other teachers and my classroom. Here he gave me material and basically left the rest to me to teach the class starting the next day because he wouldnt be there to teach for the rest of the week. .....WOAH talk about being overwhelmed. I have never taught before let alone in a different country and language. I tried not to be too caught up over it. I just kept thinking about when I was younger, I loved playing school with my little sister. I forced her to play school with me and of course I was the teacher....with these memories and my desire to be a teacher in the future, I told myself, "it couldn't be too bad."

And I was right! Its not bad at all! Besides the few nerves that I had for the first day and the little bit of instruction that I had, I love it here! The school is great! It's only a high school of about 75 students and 4 teachers. The kids are all well behaved and I love interacting with them in and out of class. I try to make class fun for them, so I have to be creative and come up with different games that they can play incorporating English.

It's only my 3rd day teaching....but so far so good! : )
Let me tell you, it is really weird to be in the teachers position. All this time I have been in school I was always in the students position and now here I am assigning homework, creating lesson plans and telling the students when class is over! Its really weird and I'm not sure if I can get used to it anytime soon.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Next Step of my Journey

Here are some pictures from my trip to Osa Peninsula with Lyn and Jaguar Man : )
This horse and cart is the only form of transportation on parts of the Osa.
A baby turtle we saved from a crab and put back into the ocean.
Jaguar man leading us in the jungle. Here he is cutting open Caco (chocolate before its roasted) for Lyn and I with his machete.



What an awesome cousin I have!
Our tiki tent we stayed in for 3 nights, right in the forest!!
In front of the little plane I took there and back! I was one of 8 passengers.

Where has the time gone?! I can't believe its already November! I miss family and friends from home but I am trying to embrace every moment I have here, because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I need to live it up! I can't even think about saying goodbye to people here especially my Tican Family, that is going to be hard. My Tican parents don't want me to leave either. They said I can just live here with them, but we still have time left and I shouldn't be thinking about goodbyes yet....

Today I've been packing up my belongings to head out for my next step of my journey. Tomorrow I will be leaving my family in San Jose at 4 am to catch a bus to Turialba, Cartago. Here I plan to live with a new family and help teach English in the High School for a month. I will be by myself during this time and I am pumped to see what God has in store for me! Right now I am nervous and excited! I feel like I am starting all over again. I was told the pueblo of Cartago is very beautiful. I will be living in the mountains. The pueblo has about 500 people. It's small and it will be a good change for me from the city atmosphere. Other than this I am not sure what to expect yet I am trusting God that He will guide me on this last leg of my journey abroad.