Week of Blessings . . . .

Thank you so much for all of you who prayed for me this past Thursday as I led my first Bible Study completely in Spanish. I don't think I have talked about this on the blog before but each Monday Travis goes to a halfway house for men with drug and alcohol addictions and helps with a Bible Study there and every Thursday I go to a halfway house for women with the same addictions and help with a Bible Study. This Thursday was my first day to lead the Bible Study all by myself!

Obviously, the Lord wanted to work on Thursday because Satan tried so hard to attack all the ladies who lead the Bible Study. Right before the time to meet for the Bible Study, it began to pour buckets of rain. All of us ladies had to each walk about 10 or 15 minutes to the bus stop which made it difficult for us to want to leave the house. I was in tears right before just because I was tired and so discouraged after already having a very long week and not sleeping well for several nights before. Also, two of the ladies were approached by an armed robber on their way to meet the rest of us. Thankfully, the ladies only had bus money and so the robber ran away but they were still very discouraged and shaken. However, they did not let this deter them from the Lord's work and still came to the study. I spent time telling the ladies about Jesus from the book of John. We talked about how Jesus is God's son, the savior of the world and the only way to eternal life. I believe that the ladies understood what I was saying and I understood what they were saying. Hopefully, seeds were planted in some of their hearts to know more about Christ.

We praise the Lord this week that he is giving us more and more opportunities to practice our Spanish and tell others about Him. A couple Sundays ago, a lady passed me a note in church to ask if I would be interested in helping her with her English and in exchange she would help me with my Spanish. Praise the Lord - I had been praying to God and asking for a language helper and he provided! I was able to meet with this sweet lady last week and we had a wonderful time together!

Also, we were able to meet a couple that has been living here in Costa Rica for the past several months while the husband attended graduate school at the University of Costa Rica but they are originally from Mexico City. We were able to have them over to our home this weekend to play games and eat lunch and we had a wonderful time. They are moving back to Mexico City next week. We are so excited because we have our first friends in Mexico City and we haven't even been there yet!

Please pray for us as we continue to study Spanish and as we are counting down the days until we arrive in Mexico City! Only 8 weeks left and counting ! ! ! !

Dios los bendiga!

Travis y Daniela

Story of the week . . .

Travis has a new favorite story of the week and so I thought I would share it with you . . .

Saturday morning, we awoke and when we got ready to take showers realized that the water "se fue." We had plans to go downtown for the day but with no water, we didn't want to go out stinky. So, we hung around the house for a while and just relaxed. That evening, we had plans to go to dinner with friends. Our friends had already found a babysitter for their son and we were so excited about getting to spend some time with them but as it was getting closer and closer to time for us to go out we still had no water and there seemed to be no evidence of it coming back any time soon. We wanted to go but didn't want to go smelly so I decided to take a "bucket shower" in our bathroom. We have a five gallon jug that we use for drinking water. So, I had Travis repeatedly fill up a pitcher so I could pour ice cold water over me as I lathered and rinsed. After taking my ice cold "bucket shower," I was happy to be clean and began to finish preparations to go out and to be the "water runner" for Travis as he took his "shower." A few minutes later, I heard what sounded like running water next door. I ran to the faucet and there was water! Right after I had finished my "shower" and was beginning to blow dry my hair. Since the incident, Travis has said over and over: "Remember that time you took a shower with the bucket and then the water came on? I like that story . . . . "

Prayer requests for the week:

- Danielle is leading her first ever Bible study ( to hispanics ) in Spanish on Thursday. Please pray that God would give her the words to say.

- That our visas come in right on time so we can head to Mexico!

- Travis and his Monday Bible Study

- Continuous growth in language study

Vamos Gringos!

Last night, we had the priviledge of attending the U.S. vs. Costa Rica World Cup Qualifying game with several Gringo and Tico friends. We had a wonderful time!

Even though we lost ( badly - Costa Rica:3 ; US:1), we still enjoyed our time with the chanting and screaming Costa Rica fans. It was so fun to see our normally very composed teachers from school shouting, screaming, and jumping up and down each time Costa Rica scored. Costa Ricans are proud to support their country and they love "futbol!" It was really neat to see the way so many came out to support their team.

We are proud of our team also - even though they did not do as well as we might have liked this go around, they are still doing well in the World Cup standings. One of the most awesome experiences was to be able to sing our national anthem with other "Estadounidenses" . It was neat to see the respect. Even though during the game we were "enemies," during the anthems there was a respectful silence from the crowd. Although we were just a small group of gringos we sang as loud as we could. It is strange the small things that you miss when you live away from "home."

I feel like this post cannot possibly give justice to the very nature of the game . . . the stands were packed out - picture everyone ( and I do mean everyone ) around you dressed in red and blue ( Costa Rica's colors) with flags, noisemakers, balloons, and homemade signs; singing, chanting, and doing the wave all in unison. The crowd jumped up and down with such force and unison that the concrete bleachers were bouncing up and down. To see the passion for their team and their country was amazing. They were throwing toilet paper rolls and balloons on the fields, sprinkling confetti and just generally getting in the spirit of the game. It was truly an experience to be had - it was like nothing we'd ever seen before at sporting events in the states. At this stadium, because so many people "get into the game" they did not allow change ( yes, I do mean coins), batteries ( they made us through the ones in the camera away but we had an extra pair that we were able to smuggle in), water bottles ( they didn't even sell water because they said you might throw the bottle at someone), or umbrellas. Luckily, we did not witness any "violent" displays of energy only lots of fun among all!

Here is our revised version of a song they chanted many times during the game only they didn't say "Gringos" but instead "Ticos."

Vamos vamos los gringos esta noche tenemos que ganar!

Praise the Lord for fun times with new friends!

Watch for us tonight!

You may see us tonight if you watch the U.S. / Costa Rica World Cup qualifying game. We will be there! Keep your eyes open and root for the U.S! WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! We will give you the inside scoop directly from the field when we get home!

"Life Lessons from Costa Rica"

So, I know everyone thought that we were coming to Costa Rica to learn Spanish - This is true. However, there are also a few things we have picked up since we have been here.

For instance . . .

Directions are relative. Most houses do not have house numbers and most streets do not have names or signs. Our address (in English): Near the gum factory, 100 meters west, 50 meters south, the house with the green gate on the right side of the street. When we tell the taxi driver our address, he may drive straight to the house or he may drive around in circles for about ten minutes until he can figure out exactly which pink house on the street with the bakery yours is. It seems to work well for them - most of the time anyway.

You never know exactly what you will find here . . . Monkeys outside your hotel . . . iguanas on the side of the street. . .or millipeeds in the kitchen or tarantulas at school! I am just glad Travis found it before I stepped on it!

"Panaderia" does not only mean bread store. It also means "Danielle magnet." - There is a Panaderia (Bakery) on just about every corner and we think they put some kind of addictive substance in their bread and pastries - We always want more and it is all we can do some days not to eat our weight in empanadas and sweet rolls!

Ticos definitely know how to party - This past weekend we were invited to a birthday party at our Tico home. The son and daughter in the family were born on the same day three years apart and they had a combined party on Saturday! We went to the party and were served a wonderful lunch and then our Tico mom said it was time for dessert. There was a beautiful cake sitting out on a table all during lunch and we were so excited thinking this was what we were being served. Well, instead all the guests were brought out wonderful pieces of a lemon cheesecake type dessert. Then, a little while later when we thought the party was ending, they offered their guests coffee. We decided to stay and enjoy a cup to stay out of the rain and they brought out a chocolate cake and cut it and the pretty fondant cake giving their guests TWO more pieces of dessert! Three desserts in one party! We decided we like the way they do it here!

Our version of parallel parking does not compare - I don't know if you can tell in this picture but this truck is literally parked within inches of these two trees right here. Truly incredible! We wish we could have been there to seen the driver pull this off!

Gringo means "Go" in Costa Rica - Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way here, in fact, Travis and I have decided that cars actually speed up when they see non - Ticos attempting to cross the street. We have been told that it is against the law for cars to speed up when pedestrians cross, yet, we have seen NO evidence.

Here, electricution is not something to be concerned about - Yes, this gentlemans ladder is leaning against only the wires - and he is just working away.

Latinos will always make the best arroz y frijoles. Period. You may have been taught to make them by a Latino, you may have the exact recipe, you may make them with a Latino but it will still never compare - Yours can come close, but theirs are always still better.

Gringo trap does not mean an armed robbery or a kidnapping - it means an open storm drain in the sidewalk that can be up to 4 feet deep that unsuspecting Gringos often do not see.

Our mouths will always get in trouble . . . We were walking down the sidewalk a few days ago and some Tico gentlemen were walking in the grass pretty close to us. One of them said something to us in Spanish and we laughed, feeling a bit of comraderie with the gentlemen. Then, Travis said something back to the gentleman in Spanish - the man looked very suprised for a second and then said to his friend who was with him - "Aww they are Gringos!" I think if we just kept our mouths closed all the time we might fit in ! - There is just no way to deny that deep Southern drawl that creeps into our Spanish pronunciation!

Just a few "Life Lessons from Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!

Travis and Danielle

. . . You've come a long way baby . . . .

The other day, I started thinking back to when we first arrived in Costa Rica.

I refused to walk anywhere by myself because I was convinced that everyone I met was out to get me. After our little encounter with the “ladrones,” I believed this was true for a long time. I also remember how I cried and cried because there was no hot water in my sink and because I wanted to wash my face with hot water and not the iceburg that comes out of my faucet. I wouldn’t get my haircut for a long time and had a stringy mess because I was convinced that "these people here" couldn’t do it right. I longed for Jessie at Hairbenders and thought of flying her down here on occasion. I was ashamed of myself as I had these thoughts but - Oh, how things have changed!

Last Sunday morning, I got ready to get out of bed and realized the power was out in our home. Looking back at that moment, I remember, I didn’t flinch but rather just laid back in the bed realizing that without power there would be no hot ( I use “hot” very loosely) shower ( our shower is a “widow maker” for those of you who know what that means – there is no water heater and this little gadget will not work without electricity). I laid in bed for a while praising God for the beauty of the morning as I stared out my bedroom window. A few hours later, the electricity returned and I went on with my shower and my day.

A few days later, I woke up and went to get in the shower only to discover there was no water - making it quite impossible to take a shower at all. Travis and I just shrugged our shoulders and hung around the house until the late afternoon when the water returned.

Many times, I would walk by the beauty salon and look in and ponder about getting my hair cut. Last week, I got fed up. My hair was driving me crazy. I wanted to be a “Linda Tica” and I was tired of the long haired look. I walked into the salon just hoping I could explain: “ A little off the ends and keep the long layers.” Well, my Spanish is getting better and better but my “shop talk” when it comes to hair is minimum. Entonces, I went in and basically told him to do whatever he wanted. I remember praying as I was in the chair: “Lord, PLEASE let this turn out well. I really need this to turn out well.” I determined myself not to cry no matter what it looked like. All this to say, the guy knew what he was doing and now I am sporting my new cute hair in Costa Rica.

Something else to be proud of - I have now ridden the bus, in a taxi, walked to the grocery store and to school ALL BY MYSELF. I have finally realized that I am to seek the Lord for my protection and while I don’t need to make unwise choices or decisions, I still need to grow up and get out on my own if I want to meet ladies in my community.

I am bragging on myself because I am amazed at how beautifully God has worked in my life – previously the princess in me would have been stomping my feet and complaining about the lack of water or electricity. However, I am now beginning to see a new me. God has given me grace to get beyond my entitled attitudes and to praise him for the times we do have electricity or water – which is most of the time.
As I was taking my lukewarm shower yesterday - I thought to myself – “You’ve come a long way baby!” Instead of complaining to the Father for my lack of warm water and morning shower, I was praising him for the times when I have received hot morning showers and apologizing for taking them for granted. Sporting my new hairdo, I am praising the Lord for the small ways he works in our lives and I when I do get discouraged, I continue to remind myself to keep on trekking because: " You've come a long way baby!"

. . . it has begun . . .

They say that there are only two seasons in Costa Rica - the rainy and the dry. Dry season is from about mid - December until mid - May and the rainy season is the rest of the year. It is said that during the dry season it never rains and during the rainy season it rains almost every single day. There has been some debate on exactly when the rainy season would begin this year. Our Tico family told us the end of May. My teacher at school said May 15 was a good date. Others have told us other things. We were never quite sure what to believe.

For the past week, it has occasionally rained off and on. Dark clouds have covered the sky in what we thought were fluke events. This morning, the sky was bright and pretty when we left for school. Only a few white fluffy clouds to see - a slight breeze blowed through our classrooms at school. No rain today - or so we thought.

This afternoon, we decided to take a walk to a grocery store about 30 minutes from our house. On our way, it began to sprinkle. As we left, it was a torrential downpour. You may not be able to tell by this picture but by the time we returned home, we were absolutely drenched!

We are here to let you know . . . we have found the beginning of the rainy season . . . it has now begun!