Thursday, July 24, 2008

El Fin de Nuestros Aventuras

It is the last night of our time here in the beautiful city of Costa Rica and I think that for many of us it is bittersweet. A few of us were discussing our feelings earlier and the consesus is that we are all ready to be home, but we are not quite ready to leave this place. We have seen and done so much in these few weeks and it will not be easy to physically leave it all behind.

This week we have been spending our days at a place called Funda Vida.
This is a foundation that is spawned from Pura Vida coffee.The mission of Funda Vida is to have centers in the worst neighborhoods of San Jose where nearly
everyone is addicted to crack and other drugs. The drug lords are the
source of extreme and frequent violence and they often dictate the
goings on in these barrios. Unfortunately this type of community and
lifestyle turns many children into addicts and prostitutes, as well as
aggressive and depressed individuals. The children are often mal and
undernourished and many cannot afford to attend even public schools.
Funda Vida gives these children a place to go and eat, use computers
and learn skills, learn English, and they also have six soccer teams
that the children play on. These activities give purpose to these
childrens lives, and they also work to change the paths these youth
are on. Our project is a brand new building that will be used as a
teen and young adult center. They are noticing that as the children
from the program mature it is harder to retain them. Many go back to
the streets and they feel that this new center will help to change
that. It used to be a building that housed crack addicts and was empty
for many years, but we are giving it new life. We did more scraping,
drywalling, and painting as the crack dealers and others circled, but
we also got to meet some of the children of the barrio. It was a
wonderful week of hard work for an incredible purpose.

Tonight we were also blessed with the opportunity to visit one of the youth centers that Funda Vida has very recently opened. We were able to share stories with the neighborhood teenagers and meet the young leaders who are bravely standing at the front of this movement. The center is a humble building in the middle of a rough barrio that was full of activity tonight. These youth gathered together and we sang songs of worship and played ping pong and checkers before having some serious time. It was during the worship that many of us were moved by the emotions of one of the teenage boys who put his head down and cried, and we soon learned that it was because he has just recently found faith and is just now becoming a part of Funda Vida. He looks to be about 17 and apparently his old "friends" from the neighborhood are extremely hard on him for these new changes. It is hard for any 17 year old boy to fight off peer pressure, but I can only imagine what sort of inner strength a young man must have to fight the pressures of the streets of this neighborhood where drugs, violence, and organized crime reign.

In all, I am glad that we were able to end our three weeks at this youth center where we could meet the people who are the reason for our mission. Our stay in Costa Rica is commemorated with the faces of the many people who we have helped and who have taught us so much about ourselves and the world that we live in. Dr. Domin and Dr. Hargrove have been incredible guidance over this time and I think that many of us have learned much and are inspired to continue to do our part to make a positive different in this big world. Thanks again to all the family and friends who have supported us in these endeavors - you have helped us to truly make a difference on our mission to Costa Rica.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Pura Vida!

I wanted to let ya'll know that we are indeed still here and working hard. We finished up last week at Goodwill rather triumphantly, completing our work on the handicap ramp and outside facade (thought it seemed like it might never get finished!) and even having some time to sit and talk with the employees of the affiliate as they worked on their projects. We could really tell they appreciated having us around, they all wanted lots and lots of pictures!

We left Friday for Manuel Antonio and after a long 4 hour bus ride, we arrived at what might be the closest to paradise we've ever been. The beaches were gorgeous, with rocky coastlines and majestic waves. Our hotel had beach access, but no internet access! So that is why we have been M.I.A. lately. It was a well needed respite after a long week. We all enjoyed having beds to ourselves (two to a room instead of three!) for two nights, beachside breakfasts, and even haggling with street vendors for some deals on souvenirs. We toured the National Park on Saturday morning with a very knowledgable guide who had lots to say about all the wildlife we encountered: toucans, land crabs, three toed sloths, leaf cutter ants, tree frogs, lizards and iguanas, snakes, and even monkeys (to name just a few)! Everyone got a kick out of watching a group of white faced monkeys swoop down to grab a tourist's bag from the trees on the beach, one of them even grabbed somebody's camera and scurried into the treetops with it. You could tell they were used to people being around and it was almost as if they were hamming it up for everyone to take pictures. Definitely a fun weekend!

Now, we are working with Funda Vida's youth outreach program. They have acquired a building in one of San Jose's poorest neighborhoods (which we defined today in class as a shantytown) to renovate as a teen center (they explained to us that the children that Funda Vida has been working with for the past couple of years are now in need of a place for the older kids to hang out). You can read more about the Funda Vida mission at www.fundavida.org. We have been working at scrubbing the outside walls clean of soot and mold, and just finished putting on a coat of primer -- painting tomorrow! (I have actually been laying in bed sick.... but everyone else is definitely working hard!) Profits from the sale of Pura Vida free trade, shade grown coffees, http://www.puravidacoffeeshop.com, go to help support Funda Vida's efforts to teach empowerment to kids in underserved areas of the countries where Pura Vida gets its coffees from -- they have nutrition education programs, soccer teams to teach teamwork, computer education, etc. It's a really good cause and it will be a good way to send out the trip, though the building will still be far from completion when we leave. We have to trust that other groups like our own will be here to finish the work we started!

Tomorrow is a half day doing work at the site and then we are touring the Embassy here in San Jose. We have a few more assignments left for class and then it will time to head back to the States! I think we are all ready for the comforts of home but I think we would also agree that this has been a great experience. Thanks for your continued prayers and well wishes, we will see you in a few days!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Half way home

Dr. Hargrove and I wanted to update you on the mission. Our students are working incredibly hard both on site and with their academics. They are doing a great job! This week, as Suzanne pointed out in her previous post, we're working with an affiliate of Goodwill. Our mission this week consists of painting the front exterior wall, the rampway for handicap access, the front fence, and the front gate. It's a lot of work but our students are up to the challenge. We have one more day in San Jose before we head off to Manuel Antonio. MA is located in the southwest corner of Costa Rica on the Pacific Ocean. We'll take a tour of the national park on Saturday morning and then turn the students loose for some much needed rest before coming back Sunday evening. Next week we start our project at Funda Vida, which is also located in San Jose. FV is an organization that cares for children from low income families. They've just purchased a building which is in dire need of some TLC. So we'll be doing some more scraping, sanding, and painting, the Lord's work as Pator Dimas calls it.

Let me say a word about the Goodwill affilliate. The Goodwill affilliate is home for many of the disabled adults in the area. They operate as a nonprofit and all the staff volunteer their time to support it. No one is paid a salary. It truly is a labor of love for the volunteers who take care of these adults. Without this facility these adults would have nowhere to go or nothing to do. Here at the affiliate they work on their fine motor skills by putting together games, closepins, and other items which are then sold all over Central and South America. The money they do make from the work goes straight back into the affilliate in order to keep it open on a daily basis. Without such a place, they would not be making the contribution they do. Every morning they greet us with a great big smile and a pat on the back. It's been very moving to work with them.

The building we're working on is in need of repair. Without the help of your sons, daughters, mothers, and grandmothers, they would not be able to do the work themselves since they cannot afford the materials or the workers to complete the task at hand. The work we're doing here is just as important as the work we did at the church last week. It may not seem glamorous or related to the way we understand "mission" work, but it is very important work and we're glad we could support this most worthy cause.

Today was our last full day at the Goodwill affilliate. We got quite a bit accomplished today. We even had time to play a little soccer with some kids from the neighborhood, two handsome boys, Victor and Carlos, and two beautiful little girls, Julianna and Rebecca. We had a blast! At the end of the day we were invited in for a group picture with the staff and the adults. The adults made a sign in Spanish that translated to "Thank you so much and may God bless you"! It was a touching moment and a great way to end the day. I hope we can get that one posted ASAP for you to see.

Please continue to keep Dr. Hargrove and all of our students in your thoughts and prayers. Again, we're very proud of all of them for all their contributions on this mission.

Joseph, Joshua, and Javan I think about you all the time. I miss you all very much. Please continue to take care of your Mom, and Peaches too! God bless.

Buenas noches!

Greg Domin

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Halfzies

Tomorrow marks a halfway point for our group as we are starting to get a little homesick, a little uncomfortable, and a little sick of Costa Rican food. We have been blessed with such an incredible start, and now we face the challenge of keeping our strength and good attitudes up as we cross this threshold. I think that if we can look to what we have accomplished for encouragement, as well as to one another, we will be very successful.

We are now out of Alajuela and away from the church, which many people have been talking about. The first week at the Iglesia Metodista was a wonderful way to start the trip, filled with wonderful people and an inspiring mission. It was bittersweet to leave but our new mission is no less important and has much in store for us to learn. We are working at a Goodwill Affiliate in Desamparados, a neighborhood on the outskirts of San Jose. San Jose is a contrast to Alajuela, as there is much more commercialization and wealth, but also much more trash and obvious homelessness and poverty. It is not uncommon to see beggars standing in traffic or to see cardboard boxes that serve as homes. Desamparados is a humble neighborhood and the Affiliate is located on a quiet sidestreet away from the (crazy) traffic. When we say that it is a Goodwill Affiliate, it is because it is not an actual Goodwill store. This is a plant that manufactures board games, but these games are assembled by special needs workers from ages 15 to 70. Dimas, the pastor from the Iglesia Metodista, owns five Goodwill Stores which are supported by donations from the stores in the United States, and now that he is finally making profit, he is able to donate money that can keep this affiliate open. The plant is run by volunteers who work with the staff and make sure that everything is running as it should.

What we have done for the Affiliate so far is similar to our work in the Iglesia. We are outside chipping away old paint, drywalling, and painting the exterior walls and fence of the building. We are not directly working with the staff, but we are doing them a great service. The staff spends some time each day watching us, many of them shyly, from inside and it is so sweet to see how excited they are when we go inside and speak to them. Many of us are capable of just simple exchanges in Spanish and communication is a little more difficult with this group, but the point always gets across. We are hoping to work with them a little more closely on Thursday. For now, I think a lot of us do understand that we are beautifying a building that is a huge part of their daily lives, thus we are really making a difference.

In the meantime, we have all had a great time exploring San Jose and our new temporary home. It is a very exciting city and we are learning a lot about the Ticos and their lives. Most shocking (moms shouldn't read this) is the prominence of private security guards once night falls. Unfortunately night falls around 6 p.m. here, which means that every night when we walk to dinner we cross numerous guards, all of which have weapons which range from bats to handguns to machine guns (Mary Beth and I almost passed out seeing that one). These guards simply stand quietly in front of office buildings and stores, and they do not greet the passerby with a "Buenas noches" as other Ticos do. People have warned us to be careful here at night, but why so many guards? Why not city police? We're still trying to figure it out. I really am so impressed by the friendly manner of the Costa Rican people, but there are still many things to digest and understand about their lives.

Well, I ask that all of our friends and family continue to keep us all in your thoughts and prayers as we are halfway through with our mission. We love and miss everyone very much and are looking forward to recounting our adventures with you very soon!

I'm Still Here! I'm Still Alive!

Hey everyone! I've only got about 20 minutes left on my hour, so I'll write fast. I really enjoyed the church service Sunday. It reminded me so much of Beth Yeshu, so I guess I've made up for one week. You can tell that Dimas has the power of G-d in him. I was moved even though I could barely understand what he was saying. Needless to say, I miss the people already. While we have collective pics up, I think I'll have to wait till I get home to put mine up. Oh! Before I forget! I saw a synagouge on the way to the Goodwill affiliate where we're working now. I tried to get a pic, but I was too far away. How cool is that? I need to correct something though. We didn't fly to San Jose. We drove. It wasn't that far away. Oy veh!(Is that how you spe......oh boy! Here I go again!) I don't have much time left! Um, we'll hopefully be going to Manuel Antonio for a well deserved break this weekend. It's one of the 10 top beaches in the world, so I'll be taking lots of pics. I don't know if I can make it without Rabbi for another week, but I'll try. Ma, I'll try to get a calling card so I can call you, dad, and Aunt Agnes. Relay the message for me, k? I love you guys, and I miss you!!!!!! Only 10 more days till I come home! WHOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!! Tee hee! Peace out!

Mello (I still can't believe I let people call me that!)

Monday, July 14, 2008

Just an update to say we are all still alive and well.... we have made it to San Jose at the Colaye Apartotel and have settled in, it is nice to be in walking distance of so many amenities. They charge for the internet here (by the half hour or hour) so we may not be updating as much....

Dimas and the members of his church gave us a fabulous farewell which we will have to tell you about in more detail later, and I think we were all a little sad to leave and anxious about what was next. There was a sit down dinner for us when we arrived on Friday night and several members of the church approached us to give hugs, kisses on the cheek, or a "God bless you" in English! You could really tell they appreciated our work.

Today we started work at the Goodwill affiliate and we are scraping and painting again... we should be experts by the end of the trip, we'll make sure to give out our phone numbers if any of you need your houses done. I charge a million dollars an hour, and I expect a tip. ;)

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Pictures of the canopy tour are up! We had SO MUCH FUN!!! Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Check them out:

http://s340.photobucket.com/albums/o330/merceronmission/

Friday, July 11, 2008

First Week

So, I just got done looking at the pictures, and I´m amazed at how much work we did in one week. It was tedious, but we stuck with it, and we´re finally done. I know I´m not in any pics with the kids. I was actually scrubbing rust off of one of the gates near la cocina (the kitchen. Look at me, practicing my Espanol. Oo! There I go again!). I finally went in and took pics with my camera. I´ll see if Claire can get them off of it. If not, I´ll upload them the day after I get home, ´cause I know I´m going to want to rest. So, we´re gonna be doing the canopy tour tomorrow. I´m still a little nervous, but I guess I can do it. I´m going to be really homesick around noon my time, ´cause it´s gonna be Shabbat, and I´m not going to be there dancing or hearing Rabbi tell us we have Chaka Khan-itis, or doing liturgy, or going out to O´Charley´s with the YHO. I guess I´ll make it through. I´ll have to, unless I smuggle myself onto a plane home. Nah. That´s too many details to work out. I´d have to call a cab (I don´t wanna be no cab! I wanna be an ambulance! That´s for you, Daddy! lol), sneak out of my room, get to the airport, get a new ticket, go through customs and immigration, and get on the plane. Actually, that doesn´t sound as hard as I thought it would. I might be able to......oh what am I saying? Sheesh! You´d think I was actually planning this out to the last detail. Hmmm. Could be. Could be. Kidding! Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. We´re also attending services at the church Sunday morning. Then from there we hop on a plane to San Jose where we´ll be working at the Goodwill affiliate. That should be fun too. I heard that San Jose is absolutely beautiful. I can´t wait to see it. I´m not going to write as much tonight because I´m gonna go finish my journaling, but I´ll be sure to keep you posted for as long as I can. And again, I´ll see about getting my pics up here soon. Please pray that we can do it. Also, thanks to all the people at CBY that donated stuff and money. The kids loved it. Thanks for your prayers as well. Shabbat Shalom!

Mello

P.s. That thing about me not writing a lot pretty much flew out the window, ´cause I actually added some things to the middle of my blog. Never believe me when I say I´m not going to talk for long, ´cause it never happens. I end up........great. I´m doing it now. I´m going, I´m going! Bye!
Ok, new website for the pictures!!

http://s340.photobucket.com/albums/o330/merceronmission/

No account required to look....
if it asks, though, the username for the album is merceronmission
password is costarica

Enjoy!
The children have been lots of fun and Dimas has lent us his memory card reader and computer to upload some pictures. We have created a Snapfish account to better facilitate sharing these and we will post the link to that account so you can check pictures!

http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=40111215803120910/l=399189720/g=136960985/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

That link SHOULD work. When I get a chance later, on a computer that isnt entirely in Spanish, I will try to work out the logistics so it is easier to access. As of right now the site the pictures are on requires you to either have or create a Snapfish account to log on and see the pictures. I made an account for us at a different website that should be easier to view but will have to upload to that site later, and hopefully others can share their pictures as well. Hope is well at home!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

I will just update briefly since there seems to be a fiesta going on in the lobby here that I am missing (: --- to piggyback on Melody's post.... Stacy and I talked to Dimas today after we (finally) finished painting and he was so grateful. It felt so good to get the chairs set back up in the sanctuary, clean up the paint splatter, and see that the place had been brightened by our paint job... it looks much crisper and cleaner.

It has been hard for some to not get to see the people we are helping with our work at the church but we have become increasingly closer to Marie, Dimas, Ani and the people at the church whom we have worked with on a daily basis.
Everyone is looking forward to Sunday when we will get to participate in regular service with the parishioners. Dimas told me today they have a membership of over 200! He talked with Dr. Domin, Stacy, and myself at the end of the day about how the government's new regulations about the proximity of churches to the residences (it is packed in here! Costa Rica is comparable in size to West Virginia, so you can imagine the issues with population and industrial growth, which we have of course been discussing in detail with Dr. D and Dr. Bob). Apparently in two years, the church will no longer be able to occupy its present space and will have to come up with the money and manpower to build or renovate a new space. He shared this with us and told us that Mercer students are welcome to come back to help in the future with this "problema" for the growing church and it felt good to know that he had appreciated our group and felt confident in our work. The language barrier makes it harder to assess how these people are reacting to our presence and our work but it truly feels like each day we learn a little more about each of them and feel more and more like we have made connections.

Dimas told us that the children of the church are very important to him and seemed very excited when we told him about the games and toys we had brought to share with them tomorrow --- thank you to those of you reading who sent things along with us! They will come in handy! There are lots of children playing around the church every day who smile at us and seem curious and it will be nice to interact with some of them tomorrow! We are going to throw a little party and possibly use some Mercer funds to purchase almuerzo (lunch) for them while they are with us. I'm excited because kids are my favorite. (: It's great that while we are here there will be different kinds of work as the trip goes on, because I really feel like everyone has (or will have) a chance to be "in their element" and we are even learning that some of us have skills we didn't know we had! (Me?!?! A painter?!?! A wall scraper?!?!)

Perhaps that wasn't so brief.... we get to sleep in tomorrow a little bit because there is going to be a barbeque at the church and we are staying later there. So we are off to catch up with each other and on our sleep! Adios amigos.

Fin

Well, we just finished with our Environmental Science class, and everyone else is at dinner. I didn't feel hungry (shocker!), so here I am. It's not like I can't get something later. It's only 6.48 (Sorry. I can't find the colon on this keyboard.), even though the sky is totally dark. And it's raining, which it's been doing everyday like clock work. Is that two words or one? Clockwork? I don't know. My body's telling me it's ten even though it's not, so I'm a little sleepy. Before I totally fall out, let me tell you about our day. We got there and painted. And painted. And painted. But, we're finally done. Since we don't really have anything to do tomorrow as far as work is concerned, Dr. Domin suggested that we ask Deemas, the pastor, if some of the kids could come so we could work with them. Thanks to our fellow student and translator, Stacy, we're going to do just that. It's going to be a celebracion. Sorry. Celebration. Since we've been here I've been going back and forth between English and Spanish. I'll think one and say the other sometimes. Anywho, that's what we'll be doing. Then Saturday, we're doing a canopy tour on a zip line. For those of you who don't know that means we'll be flying through the tops of the trees in the forest from platform to platform attatched only to a harness and the wire or whatever that connects the platforms. Now, normally, I like to keep my feet on solid ground, unless I'm in an airplane, which, strangely, I feel safer in. But, I'm going to try it. It's kinda like when I went rafting with the YHO, and Rabbi, and I said, "Black people don't raft!" I'll probably end up loving it and wanting to go again. Oh yeah. Did I mention that we'll be 60 feet in the air? I didn't? Well, now you know. So, my fears are not unfounded. Well, I think I'm gonna take a siesta. (Nap, Ma.) Before I go, since it looks like I'll be a regular on here, only guaranteed (did I spel...oh, who cares?) for the next day and a half, tell me what you want to hear about. Like, the sights, sounds, smells (of which there are plenty). Normally when I write it's about what I'm feeling, not what anybody else to hear. So, let me know. This might be your only chance to have me not tell you all about me, so I'd jump on it if I were you. lol Well, I'm going now. I'll ttyl. Shalom Aleichem

Melody

Mercer students make a difference

To all back home you should know that your sons, daughters, and mothers are doing a great job here in Costa Rica. They are incredibly hard workers and Dr. Hargrove and myself have nothing but the highest regard for each of them. I´m sure they´re all a little tired but they greet each day with great optimism and determination that they can make a difference in the world. And, they are! If we can ever get the pictures uploaded you´ll see just how much they´ve accomplished. We´re very proud of them. I know you are too! Please continue to keep them in your prayers.

PS: I love and miss you Joseph, Joshua, and Javan. Take good care of Mommy.
It has been an adjustment process over the past few days but it feels like everyone is finally settling in. We have made several Tico friends, Alonso who is working with us painting the church, Marie, our cook, our driver, and even Paul(o) and Diego --- the waiters at the hotel!! We have a feeling they are getting just as big of a kick out of us as we are out of them! We had another dinner with mucho conversation tonight and everyone spent the rest of the evening catching up on homework and talking about our day. It seems a lot of people have a new favorite food.... Cerdo de Chicharron (pretty sure I spelled that wrong) which is a delicious smoky, glazed pork. So, we all have full bellies and are ready to turn in for the night before finishing up work at the church tomorrow.

Today was a little less grueling than yesterday (which we spent the entirety of scraping paint) -- we finished putting the first coat on the walls a little after lunch and were even able to break early for the day and enjoy some time on the church porch before our driver arrived to take us back to our hotel. We also discovered the radio, and found the funniest station playing American music -- everything from oldies (lots of Beatles -- Dad you would be so proud, I of course sang all the words, to everyone's dismay... haha) to current Top 40 hits, it was as if every genre you hear on a separate station in the U.S. was conglomerated into one. We enjoyed singing along and having a little bit of a beat to work to much more than working without it, it definitely changed the atmosphere! The station kept announcing that it is "the only English music station in Costa Rica!" and we found it interesting that they are so proud of the American music.

Several of us also got a chance to practice some Spanish, which those of us who have taken Spanish courses at Mercer enjoyed greatly -- though I will say knowledge of how to take a Spanish test in college is very different than speaking with a native! I wish now that I had listened when my professors told me conversation was so important to practice. I feel a little embarrassed knowing I sound like a goofy American but I also know if I don't practice I really will never get better at it. People have been very patient and gracious about the language barrier and seem very willing to help us learn, which I appreciate and enjoy.

We held class at our dinner table tonight before ordering our meals and playing a little "trivia bowl", and it was interesting to hear everyone's reflections on how our work here has influenced how we look at our course material (even in a few short days).

People are looking forward to seeing the finished product of our work when the walls are finished tomorrow (the paint had been largely damaged due to the high humidity and frequent rainfall here, and the church does not have the manpower to complete the project on their own) -- and many are busy looking forward to our exciting canopy tour this weekend!

We are working on getting other people logged in to write as well and also trying to figure out how to best handle the picture uploading process on a computer we don't really know how to use. (: Hopefully we will have some different perspectives and pretty things to look at for you soon.

Buenos noches!

P.S. Rice and beans are getting old already....

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Another tiring but fulfilling day for us in Costa Rica. I write to extend my apology for any concern or offense I may have caused by a previous post. I forget that not everyone understands my not so humorous sense of humor. Our knuckles are raw, we are tired, but no, no crying from Dr. D or anyone else for that matter. My point was, we had an exhausting but rather fulfilling day, of which we should be very proud. We've got some hard workers in this group. Here's to day three!

Signing out,
Rachael

Painting!!

Today was a very good day. We finally finished scraping all the stuff off the walls, and we got to paint. We were going to do more painting after dinner, but the consensus (Did I spell that right? Oh, who cares?) of the class was to come back to the hotel and have dinner so we could have some time before our Political Science class. So, I'm writing my blog for the day. I'm about to go get me un hamburgesa con queso (Cheeseburger, Ma.) I'm really missing my Lilliana and Annabelle. My babies are growing up so fast! Oh, and I miss you too Angela and David. lol Poston, I miss you so much and we're gonna have to make the most of our time we have before you leave. You too Hills. Lauren, I love you and miss you and I wish I could be there for your graduation. To all my fellow royals at Cair Paravel, I'm taking the room closest to the ocean. I need a nice view. And to all mi familia (Family, Ma.) that're keepin' up with me, I love you and miss you. To all my BY ppl, Gina, Lisa V. and W. (I guess Jason too), Cheryl, Rabbi and Ms. Bernadette, Kat, and many others, I miss you too and I can't wait to come back home and dance up a storm!!! I'm gonna go do some reading now, and we're working on getting pics up here soon. Love you guys, and thanks for the prayers!!!!!!!! G-d knows we need 'em.
Mello (a.k.a. Princess Melody the Loyal, a.k.a. Princess Melody the Loud)

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Day Two

Ok, so the title's not original, but oh well. We're getting ready to head out to Iglesia de Metodista, the church we'll be working at. I'm really excited about getting in there and working with my hands. I think it's going to be a fun and long day. Yesterday was kinda tiring. And, I'll admit unashamed that I miss my Mommy and Daddy. But, I'll be ok. Dinner was a blast, and I'm pretty sure we won't eat that well for a couple of days. Well, I'm gonna sign off for now 'cause I forgot my stinkin' bug spray. I'll be updating this as much as possible. Oh, and if you think about it, pray for us and our protection. We need Abba to keep us under His wings here. Love ya!

Day Two!

It seems like everyone slept well, our hotel is cozy and comfortable which seems to have eased some fears.

We are getting used to little differences.... I was excited, for example, to have "Coke Light" last night --- Costa Rica's version of Diet Coke, which some have said I have a borderline addiction to. I actually think it tastes better than American Diet Coke... but I could be imagining that, it might be the same thing. Some of us had never tried to make international calls before.... so that was interesting, and I think a few lucky Ticos ended up with some confused Americans on the other end of the phone in the process. Like Suz said, the hotel is mostly open-air, we have doors on our rooms but otherwise everything is subject to the whims of Costa Rican weather. There is a small little alcove with two computers that we are sharing with a large group of high school students from across the country, also here to do service work. Many of us have been checking email, etc. but the keyboards are different and all the prompts on the computer are in Spanish! We are going to try to figure out how to post some pictures, but we're not sure how much internet access we will have once we leave this hotel.

We had a great (but long!) meal last night, and we all agreed that we are probably spoiled now -- we will be eating lunch and dinner at the church we are working at for the rest of the week. Breakfast this morning was provided by the hotel, and it was an odd mixture of things -- but very yummy. Beans and rice, eggs, some obviously homemade marmalade of a mixture of fruits and cinnamon and spices --- so good!! And please let me tell you... I'm pretty sure none of us will ever want pineapple from Kroger again. There was also some orange juice that puts even the Florida fresh squeezed stuff I have had to shame, and some mango juice and of course, Costa Rican coffee. In a few minutes we are heading to the church to see what they have in store for us. Everyone is excited to jump in and get started and to meet some locals. It was nice to have yesterday afternoon off, though, and several of us decided that later in the trip we might be longing for a similar day off!! Dr. Hargrove and Dr. Domin discussed plans with us yesterday for a class schedule, and it looks as if we will be eating dinner at the church this week then returning to the hotel for an hour or so of class each evening.

Hope all is well where ya'll are... (they definitely don't say ya'll here...)

- Claire

Monday, July 7, 2008

The Troops Have Landed

Today is the day that many have been waiting for these past months as we are finally in Costa Rica! It has taken months of planning and two weeks of very hard work, but the payoff is already sweet. Costa Rica is even more beautiful than many of us had imagined, despite the fact that all we have really seen is our Hotel Aeropuerto and the surrounding grounds. We landed on the runway of the humble San Jose airport to the welcoming sound of steady rainfall, but it did not dampen our spirits. We briefly met Dimas, the minister of the Iglesia Metodista where we will be working the remainder of the week, as well as our driver, Alfonso, and guide, Luis. All were so kind and friendly to our group, obviously glad to have us here. The rest of our afternoon was devoted to exploring our hotel. It is not particularly large, but the grounds are covered in lush vegetation and beautiful flowers and fruit trees, which were especially beautiful after this afternoon's rain. We settled in among our gorgeous surroundings, many of us taking time to read or journal on an outdoor patio. The hotel is largely open to the outdoors, which is a new concept for many of us. It is striking that all of the Costa Rican people I have encountered thus far have spoken English, and a few of us are hoping that this will not be the case for much of the trip so that we can use our Spanish language skills. Aside from all things in the hotel, however, we did take time this evening to share our thoughts and feelings as we are so close to entering the field tomorrow morning. Our group is very ready to get out into Alajuela and to the church so that we can really start to make a difference. It was so wonderful to hear about each person's commitment to helping others and loving people, and I know that we are truly going to accomplish great things and hard work while we are here. We will set off tomorrow morning at eight thirty in the morning to begin our work. No one is quite sure what exactly we will be doing, but that is part of what is so intriguing and exciting about this mission. The sovereignty of this adventure and the promise of helping others and changing our own perspectives will be a continual gift over these three weeks.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Welcome to our blog

Faculty and students who are part of Mercer on Mission Costa Rica 2008 want to welcome you to our blog. We'll spend roughly three weeks abroad in this tiny, but beautiful Central American country where we will support the Iglesia de Metodista in Alajuela and the Goodwill affiliate and Funda Vida in San Jose. Hopeflly, our efforts will make a diference in the lives we touch while we are abroad. Conversely, I'm sure all of us will be impacted by the souls who touch our lives in Costa Rica.