:) = Seeing my friends, family, food I'm used to, car, cell phone, not having to pick and choose what you can afford to get robbed off of you when you leave the house.
:( = 21 legal drinking age, cold, dark, no more Carlitos and the Gomez family.
Showing posts with label Homesickness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homesickness. Show all posts
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
This is not a happy post
Today was my last day teaching the art class at Alajuelita. On the way home walking to the bus with Lucía, there was a dead body in the river under a bridge we crossed. I looked at the man's body and it didn't process until I saw his mouth and eyes open, and I realized that he looked like he had been there awhile. I cant believe that no one from the community had done anything about it. It is the main river that flows through the slums I am sure that everyone had seen him there.
Also exhibitionism is a huge problem here. Maybe it is just as bad in the big cities in the United States, but I have seen it occurring here on more than one occasion, its really disturbing. On all of the occasions God has protected me by either a bus coming just in time to get away from the man or Don Carlos being there to scare him off. But it was still really disturbing. There is much less respect for women in the culture here. Zero respect. Its also hard because I look so different and it catches attention, and scummy sick men notice I'm not from here also. They say things to me and laugh thinking I don't understand. After these disturbing experiences I have really longed to be in a place where I blend in again. It will be nice to walk down the street without being the "Machita" or being sexually harassed 7 times in a row. Only 6 more days.
This world is messed up. And we all just need Jesus.
Also exhibitionism is a huge problem here. Maybe it is just as bad in the big cities in the United States, but I have seen it occurring here on more than one occasion, its really disturbing. On all of the occasions God has protected me by either a bus coming just in time to get away from the man or Don Carlos being there to scare him off. But it was still really disturbing. There is much less respect for women in the culture here. Zero respect. Its also hard because I look so different and it catches attention, and scummy sick men notice I'm not from here also. They say things to me and laugh thinking I don't understand. After these disturbing experiences I have really longed to be in a place where I blend in again. It will be nice to walk down the street without being the "Machita" or being sexually harassed 7 times in a row. Only 6 more days.
This world is messed up. And we all just need Jesus.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Food
Its all I think about. Sloppy joes, baked beans, potato salad, potato chips, curly fries, cheeseburgers, steak, mashed potatoes, hot dogs. Stuff I didn't even eat much of when I was home, I want really bad. I want venison jerky more than I have ever craved anything in my life. I think I'm going insane.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Pura Vida, Oh Well.
We had all of our backs packed and we were ready to hit the road for Nicaragua. Then we found out that the car needed a special permit to cross the boarder, which we didnt have. So now we have to figure out how to get the permit and we are going to try and go next weekend.
Plans ALWAYS change here. If we plan on something, we can pretty much trust that its not going to happen that way. When I first got here that kind of bothered me. I thought I was a late person, everything is like hours behind schedule here. I had to get used to it. Now I just turn to the phrase "Pura Vida" when I have no clue what the heck is going on.
Plans ALWAYS change here. If we plan on something, we can pretty much trust that its not going to happen that way. When I first got here that kind of bothered me. I thought I was a late person, everything is like hours behind schedule here. I had to get used to it. Now I just turn to the phrase "Pura Vida" when I have no clue what the heck is going on.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Cerca de Regresando
My time in Costa Rica is coming to an end very soon. I wonder how I am going to handle this whole saying goodbye thing. I imagine its going to be extremely bittersweet.
I am unbelievably excited to see my dog (and all of the human beings I love) of course. But as cheesy as it sounds, a part of me will forever remain in Costa Rica. As I drove home from Poás yesterday, I looked out of the window at the rolling hills and misty mountains in the distance, and the endless rows of coffee plants. Even though the roads in Costa Rica are like a roller coaster from HELL and I almost threw up again, I still realized something really beautiful. As we were winding and winding through the hills, I thought to myself, "I wont be leaving this place with my whole heart, some of it is staying here." Not only with the people and relationships I have made here, but with the place itself. The children's faces from the community I worked in will remain in my mind. When I left the beach after the first month I was here, I looked back at the sunset one last time and I knew that I was leaving a piece of myself there and I wont be able to leave completely whole.
I guess that's how experience is. God has taught me so much while I have been here, of course its going to be very special to me. Back in time a little bit: I have been a Christian for about 2 1/2 years now, and I have had huge seasons of growth and failure since then. I was lost, then saved, had the "new Christian spiritual high" (as I like to call it), then had a season of failure and immense stumbling (which is all of the time but this one was really bad), then had a short season of growth again. Then I got comfortable. I was having a hard time seeking God. I have always had a desire inside of me to live in a different country and specifically to learn a new language, ever since I was a child. I went to France for a week, I realized that if I wanted to, it was possible for me to walk on a plane, and leave to a different country. I got to thinking, what am I waiting for? After one message Noel gave at Riverview, It pushed me over the edge. I told Devon later that night at the Price's, "I'm going to Bolivia, Peru, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, somewhere, I don't care and I'm not sure yet, but I'm going!" I planned my trip and got in contact with Carlos Gomez (The GCLA pastor in San José whose family I live with) within a week. My dad flew me down here, then a week later, he left. In Costa Rica I took my first real steps in living out my own faith, I learned what it was like to totally depend on God instead of on myself or other people. I saw God from a whole new angle. I realized that I NEEDED to seek him, not just that it was good for me to do. I came here not knowing a single person. Every face that I saw each day was brand new. It was just me, God, my Bible, and Costa Rica. It changed me so much. I really learned to walk on my own here, of course its going to be extremely special to me. It kicked my butt.
Usually this would be the time of year for me when I would feel like I am going to die of hypothermia every time I would walk outside into the grey sky, dead, cold Michigan winter. Here I walk outside to sun shinning on my face. I look out of the window of the bus to green rolling hills, palm trees, and gorgeous mountains. Now that I speak Spanish everyday, I don't know what it will be like to live in a place where I don't speak Spanish at all throughout my day. I had to adjust so much when I came here, I had to throw myself into a new culture and I couldn't look back because I would have freaked out. That was so drastic, I feel like its going to be really hard for me to adjust back. I do feel warm when I think about going to get coffee with a good friend at Beaner's. And it will be nice to drive past the places where I spent my childhood, or a place that reminds me of when me and all of the guys road our bikes up to Wilcox last summer just to swing on the swing set at midnight. Older memories than four months. But then I think about the park where we take Carlitos to play soccer here, and the place where we always went surfing in Jacó. Those places and what happened there is really special too.
This is the way life goes. And I need to get used to it, because I am beginning to realize something about myself. While I love home, really the only thing I love about it is the people, and the church. I don't think I will be living in Michigan for my whole life, or "si Dios quiere" if God desires, for very much longer. I am constantly thinking about the new country I want to spend time at or the new language I want to learn. I thought that these four months in Costa Rica and learning Spanish would satisfy the desire inside me to experience something totally different and far away, but I am beginning to fear it has only gotten me started. Maybe God made me this way for a reason. Or maybe I will sink my roots in a stop acting like a gypsy. We will see what has in store for me.
I am unbelievably excited to see my dog (and all of the human beings I love) of course. But as cheesy as it sounds, a part of me will forever remain in Costa Rica. As I drove home from Poás yesterday, I looked out of the window at the rolling hills and misty mountains in the distance, and the endless rows of coffee plants. Even though the roads in Costa Rica are like a roller coaster from HELL and I almost threw up again, I still realized something really beautiful. As we were winding and winding through the hills, I thought to myself, "I wont be leaving this place with my whole heart, some of it is staying here." Not only with the people and relationships I have made here, but with the place itself. The children's faces from the community I worked in will remain in my mind. When I left the beach after the first month I was here, I looked back at the sunset one last time and I knew that I was leaving a piece of myself there and I wont be able to leave completely whole.
I guess that's how experience is. God has taught me so much while I have been here, of course its going to be very special to me. Back in time a little bit: I have been a Christian for about 2 1/2 years now, and I have had huge seasons of growth and failure since then. I was lost, then saved, had the "new Christian spiritual high" (as I like to call it), then had a season of failure and immense stumbling (which is all of the time but this one was really bad), then had a short season of growth again. Then I got comfortable. I was having a hard time seeking God. I have always had a desire inside of me to live in a different country and specifically to learn a new language, ever since I was a child. I went to France for a week, I realized that if I wanted to, it was possible for me to walk on a plane, and leave to a different country. I got to thinking, what am I waiting for? After one message Noel gave at Riverview, It pushed me over the edge. I told Devon later that night at the Price's, "I'm going to Bolivia, Peru, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, somewhere, I don't care and I'm not sure yet, but I'm going!" I planned my trip and got in contact with Carlos Gomez (The GCLA pastor in San José whose family I live with) within a week. My dad flew me down here, then a week later, he left. In Costa Rica I took my first real steps in living out my own faith, I learned what it was like to totally depend on God instead of on myself or other people. I saw God from a whole new angle. I realized that I NEEDED to seek him, not just that it was good for me to do. I came here not knowing a single person. Every face that I saw each day was brand new. It was just me, God, my Bible, and Costa Rica. It changed me so much. I really learned to walk on my own here, of course its going to be extremely special to me. It kicked my butt.
Usually this would be the time of year for me when I would feel like I am going to die of hypothermia every time I would walk outside into the grey sky, dead, cold Michigan winter. Here I walk outside to sun shinning on my face. I look out of the window of the bus to green rolling hills, palm trees, and gorgeous mountains. Now that I speak Spanish everyday, I don't know what it will be like to live in a place where I don't speak Spanish at all throughout my day. I had to adjust so much when I came here, I had to throw myself into a new culture and I couldn't look back because I would have freaked out. That was so drastic, I feel like its going to be really hard for me to adjust back. I do feel warm when I think about going to get coffee with a good friend at Beaner's. And it will be nice to drive past the places where I spent my childhood, or a place that reminds me of when me and all of the guys road our bikes up to Wilcox last summer just to swing on the swing set at midnight. Older memories than four months. But then I think about the park where we take Carlitos to play soccer here, and the place where we always went surfing in Jacó. Those places and what happened there is really special too.
This is the way life goes. And I need to get used to it, because I am beginning to realize something about myself. While I love home, really the only thing I love about it is the people, and the church. I don't think I will be living in Michigan for my whole life, or "si Dios quiere" if God desires, for very much longer. I am constantly thinking about the new country I want to spend time at or the new language I want to learn. I thought that these four months in Costa Rica and learning Spanish would satisfy the desire inside me to experience something totally different and far away, but I am beginning to fear it has only gotten me started. Maybe God made me this way for a reason. Or maybe I will sink my roots in a stop acting like a gypsy. We will see what has in store for me.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Travel Travel...
I have so many small trips coming up, I turned down an opportunity to go to the Carribean Coast last weekend because I just felt like I needed some chill time. I'm already far from my real home, and then to do so much traveling on top of that, it really wears me out. Blah. There are so many little trips coming up.
Nov 16th, 17th, 18th- Going with a friend Lucia (Korean Missionary that I work with at the Foundation) to Volcano Arenal and hot springs for three days. 4 hour bus ride.
Nov 24th- Going with Lucia and some other friends to Volcano Poas for the whole day. 2 1/2 hour bus ride.
Dec 1st, 2nd- Going with the family to the beach for a few days as a goodbye thing. 2 hours away.
Dec 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th- Going with Val and Steph (my sisters here) to Nicaragua to translate for a mission team from Ohio. 8 hour bus ride.
Dec 12th- Flying home to the United States of America where I will speak English, eat chicken fajita roll ups from Applebees, and have a cell phone once again.
Nov 16th, 17th, 18th- Going with a friend Lucia (Korean Missionary that I work with at the Foundation) to Volcano Arenal and hot springs for three days. 4 hour bus ride.
Nov 24th- Going with Lucia and some other friends to Volcano Poas for the whole day. 2 1/2 hour bus ride.
Dec 1st, 2nd- Going with the family to the beach for a few days as a goodbye thing. 2 hours away.
Dec 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th- Going with Val and Steph (my sisters here) to Nicaragua to translate for a mission team from Ohio. 8 hour bus ride.
Dec 12th- Flying home to the United States of America where I will speak English, eat chicken fajita roll ups from Applebees, and have a cell phone once again.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
I wanted something from The States...
So I walked to Taco Bell and got a chalupa. Now I feel like I'm going to throw up.
Aye no.
Aye no.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
No more rice and beans for awhile POR FAVOR.
I am house sitting for another missionary family while they go to San Fransisco for a wedding. I am also taking care of their puppy.
It is so nice to cook my own food for a few days. I need a break from Latin food, I have had an overload. If I have to eat any more rice, beans, and tortillas soon I think I might throw up. I went to lunch today with some friends and they asked me where I wanted to go... I could only think about a cheeseburger. We went to McDonald's... YES, FAMILIARITY!
This week was the first week I could actually notice that my Spanish has really improved, and it was an amazing feeling. Its such a slow process, so discouraging and humbling. So many times feeling like an idiot after you give someone a blank stare for the hundredth time in 3 minutes. It is amazing when you can actually see a little bit of progress. My English is starting to suck though. Today I seriously said "I didn't went there yet". WOW.
I can't wait to speak to the people at the bank in English again. That seriously sounds so exciting. My freaking ATM card wont work in the ATMs here, so I have to go into the bank and wait in line for 40 minutes every time I want to take out money. Then I have to have a long conversation with the teller and then be escorted to a desk where I have to answer other questions. Where do I live? why am I here? Where am I from? How long am I here? How am I here that long without a visa? Why wont my card work in the cajero automatico? Its like they think I am a drug lord or something, understandable because I REALLY look like one. It's so tiring to try and understand what they are saying. Sometimes I just give a random answer, brace myself pray that it made some sort of sense to whatever they just said to me. Going to the bank has never taken so much out of me. When I get home it is going to feel like pure joyness to just go to an ATM, take out my money, and leave. Pure joyness.
I am seeing a lot of cool stuff here, the problem is that I cant take my camera out in public because I will get robbed. So that is why I have not posted many pictures of San José. Someday I will go with my whole family and it will be safe for me to take it out in public. I really want to show everyone how beautiful this place is, but I also dont feel like getting shanked... so I'll just go ahead and be smart about it!
It is so nice to cook my own food for a few days. I need a break from Latin food, I have had an overload. If I have to eat any more rice, beans, and tortillas soon I think I might throw up. I went to lunch today with some friends and they asked me where I wanted to go... I could only think about a cheeseburger. We went to McDonald's... YES, FAMILIARITY!
This week was the first week I could actually notice that my Spanish has really improved, and it was an amazing feeling. Its such a slow process, so discouraging and humbling. So many times feeling like an idiot after you give someone a blank stare for the hundredth time in 3 minutes. It is amazing when you can actually see a little bit of progress. My English is starting to suck though. Today I seriously said "I didn't went there yet". WOW.
I can't wait to speak to the people at the bank in English again. That seriously sounds so exciting. My freaking ATM card wont work in the ATMs here, so I have to go into the bank and wait in line for 40 minutes every time I want to take out money. Then I have to have a long conversation with the teller and then be escorted to a desk where I have to answer other questions. Where do I live? why am I here? Where am I from? How long am I here? How am I here that long without a visa? Why wont my card work in the cajero automatico? Its like they think I am a drug lord or something, understandable because I REALLY look like one. It's so tiring to try and understand what they are saying. Sometimes I just give a random answer, brace myself pray that it made some sort of sense to whatever they just said to me. Going to the bank has never taken so much out of me. When I get home it is going to feel like pure joyness to just go to an ATM, take out my money, and leave. Pure joyness.
I am seeing a lot of cool stuff here, the problem is that I cant take my camera out in public because I will get robbed. So that is why I have not posted many pictures of San José. Someday I will go with my whole family and it will be safe for me to take it out in public. I really want to show everyone how beautiful this place is, but I also dont feel like getting shanked... so I'll just go ahead and be smart about it!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Bummer
So a hard situation got even harder. I went to write some emails on Sunday and my lap top wouldn't turn on. I freaked out because the only thing keeping me sane was being able to talk to everyone at home. I took a bus into San Jose and met Carlos and he took me to the toshiba store. They said that my mother board was shot and it will be ready next Monday. Luckily it was under warranty. Feel free to keep sending me emails, and I will try to make it to an internet cafe as much as I can but I'm not sure how that will all work out. So if I dont email you back for awhile then that is why. Please pray for me.
-Fran
-Fran
Friday, August 24, 2007
Costa Rica la Pura Vida
OK! So I have been in Costa Rica for a little over a week so far. My dad flew down with me, and we had a small vacation before I started school. Saying goodbye to him was really, really hard. This has all been a lot harder than I anticipated. It is teaching me to seek God in a way I never have before. In Michigan I was home safe with all of my friends and family. Since I have been here, there have been moments where I have felt like I cant physically go on unless I reach out to God to help me. So far, this experience has been good, but extremely difficult, if that makes sense?
My roommate is a surfer chick from San Diego. A really cool girl. We have weekends off and she is going to the south-western tip of Costa Rica for the weekend, where there is the longest surf break in the world. I guess you can just ride the waves forever and its sweet. I'm going to lay in the sun, read, and sleep!
There are people here from all over the world. I have spent a lot of time with these two people from Germany. They are really nice. There are two guys from Switzerland and one from Brazil, but mostly everyone else is from California or Canada. I had a conversation with a friend named Marek a couple of nights ago, he lives in Canada. His Polish parents were doing medical mission work in north Africa so he was born in Tunisia. Then Poland wouldn't accept them back because this was before the fall of communism in Poland. They were political refugees so they were "forced" to move to Italy for a year, and then ended up in Canada. He speaks Polish, French, English, and Spanish. His dad speaks 7 languages. I felt like a very boring person after that conversation.
I have been surfing for two hours every morning, then studying Spanish for 2-4 hours every afternoon. Surfing has been amazing, I'm really glad I decided to do it. It is such a good work out. You have to paddle out as fast as you can while getting the crap kicked out of you by breaking waves. You then sit on your board and rest while you wait for a good wave to come. I really like that part. There is just you, God, the ocean, and islands in the distance. When a good wave comes you paddle as fast as you can to catch it and then you either wipe out really hard or you get the best rush ever! I am getting a little better each day, although I drank like a gallon of salt water when I wiped out today. Even if I have had a rough morning missing home or feeling lonely, surfing takes all of the tension away from me. It wears me out so bad I am then too tired to miss home.
When I was waiting for a wave a couple of days ago, there were stingrays jumping all around me. I am scared to death of getting stung by one. They stick these two barbs into your body and inject venom. The wound swells up and you get dizzy and throw up for 30-90 minutes. Today I saw one swimming through a wave and I freaked out. Then my instructor Carlos proceeded to tell me about how when he got stung by one, he couldn't cry, couldn't breath, couldn't scream... because the pain was so great. Hah, please pray for me...
Spanish has been really good, I am learning a lot. I haven't had much of a chance to use it outside of the grocery store, but I am learning. My teacher is Sergio from Colombia. His style of teaching is very conversational, which is good because my weakness is comprehending what other people say to me. I can't understand what people say to me half of the time in English.
I went with a group of people from the school on a kayak trip two nights ago. We got in the vans and drove about 30 minutes north up the beach. We took the road on top of the mountains so we could see the ocean the whole time, it was beautiful. We drove up this little farm road that was lined with huge trees that the farmer used as fence posts. There was cattle on both sides of the trees. A little down the road there were two ticos (Costa Ricans) carrying machetes, walking with a horse. Interesting. We kept driving up to the beach where the kayak place was. We got in our Kayaks and paddled a mile 1/2 up the Gulf of Nicoya, passing huge rock cliffs with lava tubes all over them. It was so cool. I saw an iguana that was so big it looked like a dinosaur. We got to this secluded beach and played soccer, hiked up to a waterfall, ate pineapple, and watched whales jump in the distance. It was a pretty cool experience.
I like living so close to the beach and everything, and its beautiful here, but I really don't like Jacó very much. Everyone stares at me like they want to eat me because I have blond hair. I don't really go anywhere other than the school and the supermarket and I never go anywhere alone. I can't wait to move to San José. It is the capitol and biggest city in Costa Rica. I really liked it there. It is really diverse and liberal, reminded me a lot of Europe.
When I move there I will live with a GCLA (Great Commission Latin America) pastor (Carlos Gomez) and his family. They are Honduran. They are going to speak to me only in Spanish when I return to their house. They are the most amazing God centered family, I could not even dream up a better family to spend my time with while I am down here. I am really excited to live with a family again, to have sisters my age and a little brother. They have a Miami phone so I can call home (YES). I will be moving to San José just before the Costa Rican independence day. Valerie, Stephanie and I will take a bus downtown and watch the lantern parades. I guess they are a big deal, I'm excited to take lots of pictures. I will be doing mission work for the three months I am in San José. Most likely at an orphanage, or something else with kids. Kids who don't speak English. They said that the places I will be working there will be no way I will be able to speak a word of English. I can't wait.
I have found Costa Ricans to be very proud. They remind me so much of Europeans because they are extremely liberal and people are kind of ok with not having God. They just go about their day without a real interest in the purpose of life.
So God is shaping me quite a bit. "Knocking me on my ass" is the best way to put it into words I believe. And it has only been a week. I will keep updating about my little adventures.
Ok, here are some picures of inside and around my school:
My spanish classroom.
One of the dogs that wanders around the school.
The other dog that wanders around the school, Figi.
Miyah and Simon, speaking German in the Kitchen.
The spot where we have been surfing, on a cloudy day.
If I'm not surfing, studying or sleeping then I am here. Please send me emails, All of you, I seriously don't care who you are. I have a lot of time to sit in this little hammock chair thing, read books, and check my email, and feel lonely when I have no email in my inbox. It is easing the homesickness to hear from people at home. FrannyDeJongh@gmail.com
Take care wherever you are, ¡Pura Vida! as they say here in Costa Rica...
My roommate is a surfer chick from San Diego. A really cool girl. We have weekends off and she is going to the south-western tip of Costa Rica for the weekend, where there is the longest surf break in the world. I guess you can just ride the waves forever and its sweet. I'm going to lay in the sun, read, and sleep!
There are people here from all over the world. I have spent a lot of time with these two people from Germany. They are really nice. There are two guys from Switzerland and one from Brazil, but mostly everyone else is from California or Canada. I had a conversation with a friend named Marek a couple of nights ago, he lives in Canada. His Polish parents were doing medical mission work in north Africa so he was born in Tunisia. Then Poland wouldn't accept them back because this was before the fall of communism in Poland. They were political refugees so they were "forced" to move to Italy for a year, and then ended up in Canada. He speaks Polish, French, English, and Spanish. His dad speaks 7 languages. I felt like a very boring person after that conversation.
I have been surfing for two hours every morning, then studying Spanish for 2-4 hours every afternoon. Surfing has been amazing, I'm really glad I decided to do it. It is such a good work out. You have to paddle out as fast as you can while getting the crap kicked out of you by breaking waves. You then sit on your board and rest while you wait for a good wave to come. I really like that part. There is just you, God, the ocean, and islands in the distance. When a good wave comes you paddle as fast as you can to catch it and then you either wipe out really hard or you get the best rush ever! I am getting a little better each day, although I drank like a gallon of salt water when I wiped out today. Even if I have had a rough morning missing home or feeling lonely, surfing takes all of the tension away from me. It wears me out so bad I am then too tired to miss home.
When I was waiting for a wave a couple of days ago, there were stingrays jumping all around me. I am scared to death of getting stung by one. They stick these two barbs into your body and inject venom. The wound swells up and you get dizzy and throw up for 30-90 minutes. Today I saw one swimming through a wave and I freaked out. Then my instructor Carlos proceeded to tell me about how when he got stung by one, he couldn't cry, couldn't breath, couldn't scream... because the pain was so great. Hah, please pray for me...
Spanish has been really good, I am learning a lot. I haven't had much of a chance to use it outside of the grocery store, but I am learning. My teacher is Sergio from Colombia. His style of teaching is very conversational, which is good because my weakness is comprehending what other people say to me. I can't understand what people say to me half of the time in English.
I went with a group of people from the school on a kayak trip two nights ago. We got in the vans and drove about 30 minutes north up the beach. We took the road on top of the mountains so we could see the ocean the whole time, it was beautiful. We drove up this little farm road that was lined with huge trees that the farmer used as fence posts. There was cattle on both sides of the trees. A little down the road there were two ticos (Costa Ricans) carrying machetes, walking with a horse. Interesting. We kept driving up to the beach where the kayak place was. We got in our Kayaks and paddled a mile 1/2 up the Gulf of Nicoya, passing huge rock cliffs with lava tubes all over them. It was so cool. I saw an iguana that was so big it looked like a dinosaur. We got to this secluded beach and played soccer, hiked up to a waterfall, ate pineapple, and watched whales jump in the distance. It was a pretty cool experience.
I like living so close to the beach and everything, and its beautiful here, but I really don't like Jacó very much. Everyone stares at me like they want to eat me because I have blond hair. I don't really go anywhere other than the school and the supermarket and I never go anywhere alone. I can't wait to move to San José. It is the capitol and biggest city in Costa Rica. I really liked it there. It is really diverse and liberal, reminded me a lot of Europe.
When I move there I will live with a GCLA (Great Commission Latin America) pastor (Carlos Gomez) and his family. They are Honduran. They are going to speak to me only in Spanish when I return to their house. They are the most amazing God centered family, I could not even dream up a better family to spend my time with while I am down here. I am really excited to live with a family again, to have sisters my age and a little brother. They have a Miami phone so I can call home (YES). I will be moving to San José just before the Costa Rican independence day. Valerie, Stephanie and I will take a bus downtown and watch the lantern parades. I guess they are a big deal, I'm excited to take lots of pictures. I will be doing mission work for the three months I am in San José. Most likely at an orphanage, or something else with kids. Kids who don't speak English. They said that the places I will be working there will be no way I will be able to speak a word of English. I can't wait.
I have found Costa Ricans to be very proud. They remind me so much of Europeans because they are extremely liberal and people are kind of ok with not having God. They just go about their day without a real interest in the purpose of life.
So God is shaping me quite a bit. "Knocking me on my ass" is the best way to put it into words I believe. And it has only been a week. I will keep updating about my little adventures.
Ok, here are some picures of inside and around my school:
My spanish classroom.
One of the dogs that wanders around the school.
The other dog that wanders around the school, Figi.
Miyah and Simon, speaking German in the Kitchen.
The spot where we have been surfing, on a cloudy day.
If I'm not surfing, studying or sleeping then I am here. Please send me emails, All of you, I seriously don't care who you are. I have a lot of time to sit in this little hammock chair thing, read books, and check my email, and feel lonely when I have no email in my inbox. It is easing the homesickness to hear from people at home. FrannyDeJongh@gmail.comTake care wherever you are, ¡Pura Vida! as they say here in Costa Rica...
Friday, August 17, 2007
Muchas gracias to the toad
Last night I had a five minute freak out attack where I realize that I am far away from what I call home and I am staying this far away for 4 months. Then, a toad the size of my dog hopped by and everything was ok.
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