Fun with Friends!!

Amanda and Clint were here for 8 days total, and it was simply a delight to have them and show them my life here in Costa Rica. We kept things very simple, and cheap, but it was tons of fun to spend so much time together.

We went into San Jose and did the touristy shopping, and they got some little trinkets and bracelets, but the winner of the items they bought was something for their baby girl on the way!! It was a little white shirt and diaper cover that had a little frog on it and says Costa Rica. When Amanda showed my host family I'm sure you could have heard the screeches down the street, they thought it was so cute!! And it was! But Amanda said, "it's for our little girl, because she was in Costa Rica, but she won't remember it!" So cute!

We borrowed Emi's car (my host mom), and went to Cartago to the Basilica, and then we headed out to volcano Irazu! The drive was steep, we just kept going up and up!! We were above the clouds in the end I think! We saw the crater in the middle, not fully, but it was clear enough to see the green sulfuric acid.

We went to the ferria (farmer's market) so they could see all the fruits and vegetables, and they shared a Pipa water! Then I brought them up to the comedor to meet my friends up there, and they were so helpful! Clint even snuck in a game of fooseball with a little tico boy, he was pretty excited about that! And that night we all went to a soccer game!! This time it was the FIFA Costa Rica team playing against New Zealand!! It was very cool to watch, and Costa Rica won 4-0!!

One of the most memorable times was one night, after we had had a pretty long day, and were all exhausted, I left so they could go to sleep, and as I was washing my face and brushing my teeth, I heard this trumpet blare! So I started laughing, because random stuff like that happens all the time, and I was laughing just thinking what Amanda and Clint were probably doing!! We always talk about how loud the neighbors are, the dogs of the neighbors are, the cars, the horns honk, etc... and here at 11:00 at night, we start to hear a band play!!! So I went back to check on them, and check out what was going on outside with them. Then my host sisters started putting on their shoes to go outside and watch! So we went out with them... and here there was a Mariachi Band playing at the next door neighbors front gate because their daughter was getting married the next day!! It was so funny, because something like that definately would not fly in our culture!

It was SOOOOOOOOOO wonderful to have them here. I haven't spent hardly anytime with them in the last few years, and I feel like I got to know them better! I loved just hanging out with them, playing cards, laughing, and talking about everything! It was so fun!! So fun to feel their baby girl kick too, and just experience that with Amanda! Their going to be parents in just about 2 months! How exciting!

Minnesota Friends reunion in Costa Rica!

Erin was here for two days before some more of our Minnesota friends flew into Costa Rica!! Amanda and Clint McAlpine! I just love these two, and I was so excited to have them come to spend some good quality time with them, becuase normally when I am home, we have dinner together, and then I leave! AND Amanda is 7 months pregnant (I found out she was pregnant just before I was going to leave), so I was so excited to see her preggo!

Since all 4 of us only had a few days together, we decided to hit the beach!! But this time I was bringing my guests to what is said to be the most beautiful beach area! The only downfall, it was a 7 hour bus ride, or a 5 hour drive. We opted for the drive (as it has taken me 6 months to get brave enough to drive here), rented a car and set out bright and early for Guanacaste, where we would stay at Playa Brasilito for the night.

We got there around 11am, and had the whole day to enjoy there! So we got in that ocean as soon as we could, because the heat was increadible!! We had so much fun swimming and suntanning together! After we were tired out from the sun and water, Erin and I took a drive north to Playa Flamingo. We did some hiking around there, and then some swimming on that beach too. We did some wave jumping, and photo shoots. As well as made some new friends. On the 5 minute drive back, we were amazed at the most beautiful sunset!!!! It really was postcard worthy! I think that made my day, it was BEAUTIFUL!

The next day we went south to Playa Conchal. This means Seashell beach, and we had heard it was claimed to be the most beautiful beach here in Costa Rica... so we had to check it out. The sand was made out of small seashells, it was so amazing!! So we spent the rest of our last day on that beach, because it really was very pretty.

We only had one night there, but could have easily stayed all week. The drives to and from the beach were fun, and we all got to know eachother better too. Erin left the morning after we got home from the beach. It was sad to see her go, but it was AWESOME to have her here for that time!

A breath of Fresh Air!

My friend Erin Florell came to visit me on my last day of school on her way home from 2 weeks in Equador... how nice right?
She was there for my sweet graduation, and then there were a couple days that we had tour around Costa Rica before our other friends arrived!
So I brought her to the comedor, and then I remembered that I had heard that the San Jose Provincial soccer team had a game in San Jose, and we found out that it was against their biggest rivals... La Ligua. SO... that made Erin even more determined to get to the game!

This is at the Saprissa game, and Erin made a friend on the bus on the way there named Joseph. He was so great to have with us, helped us buy tickets, sat with us in the crazy section, taught us sweet Saprissa chants, and made sure we got into our taxi after the game safe!
The game was one of the funnest experiences here in Costa Rica. I was so happy to share it with Erin for sure! It was SOOOOO crazy, and a very great time.
Oh... and Saprissa won 3-0, so that was even more great!

Graduation

This is my class from the one month intesive course that I took from the middle of February to the middle of March. A good group for sure, fun to get to know them, and learn Spanish with them and from them! :)

The little pic on the left is of the girls in my conversation class with our teacher (she's in the middle), and then the one on the left is me getting my certificate! It was all very special!!

beach bum

i know, i know... you're all thinking, what's this... all her trips to the beach! when you're so close, and for bus tickets for $3, why not! I've recently gone to Jaco beach again for the third time with my friend Kerri before I started classes. It was just a day trip... and it was VERY hot, and very fun!

Then I went on a trip to Beach Manuel Antonio which was absolutely beautiful! I went with some of my classmates from ILE. There is a national reserve park there with 5 private beaches. This I heard is the only place where the jungle comes right down to the ocean. So you hike through a little bit of the jungle to the beaches, and we saw monkeys on the way! A tico was feeding them watermelon ( a big no-no), and he got in trouble for that, but since he did it we got to see white faced monkeys at arms reach! Very cool!

so please spare me the guilt trip comments of why i went to the beach as a missionary, we need breaks too! and instead, comment on how tan i look! :)

comedor kids.

I have been going up to the "Comedor" now for about 4 months off and on. I love going up there so much. Here are a few pictures of some of the kids. I love them!

This picture is when we fed over 65 kids in the area.

The picture of the four boys I just love. If you remember my first post of the comedor, I was trying to find out a little boys name, well I did, and this is him here with his 3 older brothers. The little guy's name is Micheal. I don't know the other 3, because it's sometimes hard to understand them. I have such a heart for them. They come every Saturday, and hear God's word. I pray that they will become great Christian leaders.

bienvenidos a mi casa.

I live with the Campos family. Carlos is the father, and only male. Emiliana (Emi) is my tica mama, and their daughters names are Karla (20) and Mariela (Mari, 25). We all live in this nice humble orange home. I have my own room, and pretty much own bathroom. A very nice family, who has taken me in as their own, and showed me amazing love. I have various pictures on earlier posts about them, but this is my house. The three little windows on the right hand side are my room.

The picture below is of when I broke the far right window on my first day of school trying to kill a mosquito. Mosquitos here are carrying Dange Fever, and I DON'T want to get it, so whenever I see a mosquito, I go to desperate lengths to kill it!

This was at like 6 in the morning, so I had to wait for my host dad to wake him up, and with my head down I told him. I had a new window that night. Pretty funny.