Vitamin D- Light

The buzz word in vitamins these days seems to be Vitamin D. Every MD we've seen in the past year has recommended that we take a Vit. D supplement. Certainly, we are getting enough sunlight here in Costa Rica to absorb the necessary daily requirement. But, we are also soaking in Vitamin Delight as everything around us continues to astonish and amaze us. This morning, Rob and I stopped in a local coffee shop, Cafe Cafe. As we sat on the front porch, at least five hummingbirds fed at the feeder right above our heads. Last night, as we sat on the porch of our casa, we saw an armadillo cross the yard!

Tonight, we've been invited to have dinner (la cena) with a Costa Rican family. I look forward to comida tipico (home-cooking, Costa Rican style) and practicing my Spanish.

O taste and see that the Lord is GOOD!

PS--No more scorpions last night.

The Eyes Have It/Paradise Lost

In this tropical paradise, the eyes have it! As do the ears and nose et al. Surrounding us is a feast for the senses and we've gained a heightened awareness of the treasures and terrors around us. Sunsets, flowers, birds, monkeys (outside our bedroom!), chiles, avocados, beans and more beans, volcanoes, crabs, iguanas, and SCORPIONS! Yes, scorpions. We've killed four today, our second day in our second home, which is an older cottage and in the woods --a part of the original ranch. We're told these are not the deadly type--just give a bad sting and some numbness. UGH! The ranch hands sprayed and we sprayed--we'll see.

Anyway, on a positive note, we visited the elementary school in Villa Real and helped with a kindergarten class. I was able to teach them one of my old Kindermusik songs, "Little Mister Robin." Only nine children out of the usual 30 were there and we were told that because of the heavy rain last night some of the children could not/would not walk to school. There is no truancy policy in CR. We will go back tomorrow and work again with Sharon, the student from Berry College.

Bars

Costa Rica is a country full of bars. No, not the wine, whiskey, pour-your-heart-out-to-the-bartender type of bars but the metal-rod, saw-through-only type of bars. Every home, business, church, and school not only has bars on the windows and doors but are also behind high fences with barbed wire across the top. Security guards stand vigilant in front of many of these. We pay someone to watch (guard) our car everywhere we park. And this occurs in the safest, most developed, highest-rate-of-educated-people country in Central America. I recall fences and bars and guards in Mexico when I visited fourteen years ago and Rob says the same is true in South Africa, where he's done mission work twice in three years. It's disconcerting and, no matter how nice the people are, how delicious the food is, and how beautiful the countryside--there is always a slight gnawing tension that says, "You're not safe!"

Will it come to this in America, the home of the FREE and the BRAVE? To some degree, it has. Many homes have security "systems." I hold out, and pray, that we are strong enough, with a firm foundation, to prevent this from happening--at least to the degree I see in CR. Without getting philosophical about freedom, I am reminded that true and lasting freedom only comes in Christ, our Prince of Peace. No gnawing tension, there. Praise the Lord!

Yesterday, Rob and I met with Ray Zirkel, the Methodist missionary. He showed us several projects that are developing and ministries that are on-going. We were blown away by the Children's Home project: the acreage is beautiful countryside with a creek on one end. A mission team from Chattanooga was pouring concrete for the floors of one building. Two

houses for children and house parents are almost completed, There is a wonderful field for soccer and other sports. They hope to have the first children come to live with them in October and eventually they will house 60 children!

After that, we visited the Colegio de Metodista (Methodist school), an outstanding school for pre-K through 11th grade with 1150 students. It is highly respected in CR and all of its graduates go on to college (which is rare in CR-- most children are fortunate to complete high school and many only go through 6th grade).

I need to say something about the food. Yes, there are rice and beans at almost every meal but there is also a wonderful variety of fruit and delicious spices for the meats. Ray took us to a great "fast-food" place for lunch, the Rosti Pollo. La comida es muy delicioso!

Off-beat

After Mr. Toad's wild ride through the mountains of central Costa Rica, we finally arrived at Alajuela, a "suburb" of San Jose. Here, we have joined with the mission team from mid-TN and are staying in the Methodist Seminary here. We are helping renovate a Methodist church and to conduct VBS at an elementary school in a very rough area of town, a.k.a. Little Hell. The children there are beautiful and patient with our lack of command of the Spanish language! It was hard to believe as I looked at them that they live in such a rough barrio, with murders, prostitution, and drugs on every corner.

Last night at the church, we worshiped with the people of the church and community. During the opening praise songs, as the band played enthusiastically, I began to clap my hands to the songs. Now, in the US, we clap on beats 2 and 4. Philip, Lana, and I have a standing joke in the family that Rob will invariably clap off-beat (beats 1 and 3) and someone has to get his attention and set him straight. WELL, guess who was off-beat last night? Rob took full advantage of the situation and told me that all those times that I had demonstratively tried to get him to clap on the "right" beat, he was actually rehearsing for worship in Costa Rica, where they clap on beats 1 and 3! It got me to thinking about differences, or should I say, diversity, in cultures and people and about my own efforts to "colonialize" everyone to my way of thinking, acting, and, yes, even clapping rhythm. The Body of Christ is beautiful, like various threads in a tapestry that make the whole so much greater than the parts. So-- all of us seem a little off-beat to someone else. I'll swallow my pride and keep clapping.

Infinity ... That's what it seemed like until we got to Costa Rica. That's how long we wish this magical dream could continue. Interesting, too, that most of the pools here are infinity pools- giving the illusion that you are somehow participating in a natural phenomenon and an everlasting, monumental event.

Yesterday, we worshiped at Beach Community church, an outdoor church-non-denominational, that meets under a beautifully constructed thatched roof. The time of praise and worship was beautiful--hope to try sing some of the songs we learned there back at home. We then celebrated Father's Day and treated Rob to lunch at the Happy Snapper, a wonderful restaurant--again, outdoors-- in Brasilito. After that, we spent the afternoon at Playa de Flamingo, an amazingly beautiful beach. We returned to Hacienda Pinilla and skyped the kids and grandkids back home.

Today, we traveled four hours to Arenal Volcano. We hope we we see it erupt while we are here but the weather is rainy and the skies are cloudy. We hiked in the rain forest and then rested in the hotel jacuzzi.

Philip bought himself a new camera before we left home and has taken some amazing pictures. Can't wait to share them all.

Thanks be to God whose love is eternal-- to infinity and beyond!

La Pura Vida

We're here! I'm sitting by the infinity pool, looking through the palm trees, at the waves crashing in the Pacific ocean. We just returned from a two-mile hike to Lola's, a cantina on Playa Avellanas, where we sat under the coconut and palm trees and ate the best nachos I've ever had. Played in the ocean a bit, slept in the hammock, and watched the variety of people who trekked their way to this slice of paradise.

Yesterday, one of the hacienda pinilla employees took us to the Auto Mercado for groceries. It was wonderful to have him explain the products, and the cost (!)--saved a lot of time. At the top of our grocery list was CR pineapple--had it for dinner last night and were not disappointed!

We called Ray Zirkel, the CR missionary we will work with and he gave us directions to Alajuela (outside San Jose). We plan to visit the Arenal Volcano on Monday, get up early Tuesday to go to San Jose from there to work with the mission team from mid-TN and Ray.

The fruit of the Spirit for today is peace. Thanks be to God!

When I figure out how to upload pics, will do!

Practice run

We've been told that we will be awakened VERY early in the mornings by the monkeys and birds in Costa Rica. God wanted to give us a practice run this a.m. Daddy Robin, whose nest is built under the eave of the roof of our back porch, decided to do his part to "shout with joy to the Lord all the earth" at 5: 30, right outside our bedroom window.
Less than one day, and counting ... So many details and things-that-can-only-be-done-today to take care of today. Haven't nailed down lawn care but have a strong lead.
What a blessing-- this opportunity, this adventure! Our anticipation is multi-fold: rest (oration), re NEWal, bonding, service, listening to God speak in and through it all, and FUN!
In everything, give thanks.
Hasta Manana!

Costa Rica or Bust

Why is it that when you are waiting for a trip, or any anticipated event, the days drag on till Y-day (Yeah-day)? Then, once the event begins, time exponentially increases speed, barreling through to bring the joyride to an end, much too soon? Right now, I feel like I'm moving in slow motion, wading through a foot of mud, but, HANG-ON, Wednesday's comin'.
For 11 months, we have dreamed and planned our family trip to Costa Rica. Since last July 15, a day that will forever live in infamy, our family has yearned to get-away, re-connect, de-stress, "re-perspectivize," and re-fuel the JOY tank. Despite the looooong winter and spring, we are thankful and, even giddy, that God has provided this opportunity. This Wednesday, we head to Hacienda Pinilla, Costa Rica for R&R, with some M&S (missions and service), and a lot of NS, NS, & NP (no shirt, no shoes, no problems --Rob's favorite daydream)! La Pura Vida--here we come!