C.O. Visit

        So this week we had the Spanish C.O. visit. They have been here 6 years, and are missionaries from Canada. Last week one of the local pioneers asked Candace to be on a demonstration at the service meeting. Well Candace was nervous thinking about having to be a Spanish householder at the meeting for service Tuesday morning, when I reminded her that we had the C.O. visit. So she asked the sister she was having the part with if she maybe meant the following week, the sister laughed and said no she meant Tuesday, but not for the meeting for service, but for the service meeting. So needless to say Candace was even more nervous now, but we all know Candace when she put her mind to something she doesn't stop until it is done right. So all day Tuesday she practiced and practiced, and when it came time to do the demonstration she nailed it. Everyone after said that her Spanish was good and couldn't believe she had been holding out on them for so long. I was very proud of her and even shed one single tear of joy as I watched her on stage.

So most of the week we worked Spanish territory, which involved me walking about four miles a day, needless to say my clothes where a little wet by the end of the morning. Good thing everyone else's  were also or I would have been embarrassed. Candace also has a really good bible study, that she will be sad to leave behind. She is turning it over to a new sister from the states, so at least it will continue when we leave. Saturday night the hall had a dance party for the C.O. and his wife at David and Amber's home, everyone here loves to dance, so it was nice to get together. Well we are only a week and a half away from returning and are very sad to leave. We have come to love it here as our home away from home. There is still so much work to be done, that it is hard to leave. So we will use this as motivation to return next year, knowing we have new friends, and family to come back to as well as a hardly worked territory that holds so much promise. With that said we can't wait to see everyone, and be back in Portland for awhile.

                                 Finn tired after dancing!

Zone Visit

So a zone visit is something i have never experienced before. Certain countries get them and basically it is when members of the Governing Body visit other Bethel branches and schedule a special meeting while they're here. Ours was Sunday the 11th in San Jose. It's held in a outdoor stadium and your congregation is bussed to the location. There are two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon and it is for the whole country!

Our congregation was assigned to the morning session and there was 14,000 in attendance. There were 3 talks and the session started at 9 am and was over at 11:30 am. It was all in Spanish but super exciting none the less! After it was over we had to rush through the crowd to get on our assigned bus. It was crazy! 14,000 people and hundreds of busses creating the biggest traffic jam you have ever seen. Once we got on our bus it took 1 1/2 hours to get less then 5 miles. By the time we were getting out of the traffic jam, the other session attendees were arriving in their busses and everyone was waving at each other and yelling"hola"!  It was quite the experience and we were very privileged to be a part of it. We come home in exactly one month and it's going so fast! Tomorrow we pick up Jeanie and Kris and head to the Caribbean, i hope everyone has a great time!

Congregation Get Together and Mapping Trip

So I've mentioned the Oldham's in the past, they have really done a lot to get the English group up and running these past few years. Well they have to move back to California and might not have the opportunity to come back for quite awhile. So of course the congregation threw them a going away party! It was a surprise party at Eric and Anita's house and Eric has a great swing attached to a very high branch on the ancient tree on his property. The kids and adults played on that swing for hours. Of course some of the guys tried to see how close to death they could come, fortunately no one was seriously injured! We all ate a huge spaghetti dinner and Amber made awesome cheesecake for dessert.

Yesterday we also finally took a trip to check out the bottom of the peninsula and see how much English territory would be there. It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive all on dirt roads, with a couple of river crossings. We would only be able to reach this area during the dry season because the rain would make the rivers impassable and roads too muddy. We have already mapped half way down, with pockets of English areas but nothing like we encountered in Manzanillo, Santa Teresa and Mal Pais.  These towns are all English! They will take at least 2 to 3 days to work with one or two car groups. We weren't expecting this at all. I guess this area isn't a "secret" surf spot for Americans any longer!

So now we have to see if we have time within the next month to plan a preaching getaway! If not, we'll probably have to wait until the dry season starts again in December. So realistically this area will be worked at the most once a year for a few days. So if anyone wants to come visit next year we can plan a service excursion! The beaches were more aquamarine then the beaches here and a little more lush and green, they must get more rain during the dry season. We don't get rain in Samara for about 5 months during this season creating a lot of dust, but it's always sunny without a lot of humidity.

Next week Jeannie and Kris are coming to visit and we're going to explore the Caribbean side of Costa Rica for a few days. I hope it's a lot of fun, I'll be sure to write all about it.

Memorial

So this was my first experience at a Memorial in a foreign country and wouldn't you know, it was exactly the same. We had a 133 people with about 40 people sitting outside. There were chairs set up outside and a speaker system. All the attendants had to wear suits and i could tell they were all dying from the heat! Here's something funny, Marty was the greeter because he is so smiley and speaks Spanish so well. Yes, I'm being sarcastic, but it was great to see him step out of his comfort zone. The talk was only in Spanish but by now we can at least understand way more then we can speak. Jair gave the memorial talk, he is the Coordinator for the Buena Vista Congregation and a Special Pioneer all at 25! He is the one in the middle between Marty and Kevin in the picture.

Tonight was the first night that we used the new song book!  Costa Rica just received their shipments of the new song books a few weeks ago. We practiced the 2 songs to be sung at the Thursday night meeting last week so that we didn't all sound terrible at Memorial. Of course, we had to sing them in Spanish. A lot of work went into preparing the Kingdom Hall for Memorial and it was a great privilege to feel like we had a full share in the process from cleaning to painting. It was an experience that we will not soon forget.

It's a Party!!

Tim and Adria Oldham were sent here 3 1/2 years ago to help form the English Buena Vista group. To see how far it has progressed I hope makes them realize how much of an impact their sacrifices have meant to all of us. Sadly they will be returning back to California for an undetermined amount of time because of family responsibilities. They will be leaving in less then 2 weeks and Adria still found the time to host a bilingual kid's party for all the young ones in the hall.

Finn made sure that everyone knew that he was at a party. He told everyone that would listen. All the kids were very excited and had a great time. They ate tunafish out of ice cream cones and had a treasure hunt. There was even a cookie decorating table, most just ended up taking frosting by the spoonful and stuffing it into their mouths.

We are all going to miss the Oldham's very much, it was a pleasure getting to know such a wonderful family!

Memorial Cleaning

Starting on Wednesday of this week, our congregation has put extra effort into making sure the hall looks great for Memorial. We needed to paint inside and out, paint the fence, power wash the gutters, and do a general cleaning. Today Amber and I left the kids with the guys and helped paint the inside of the hall.

We got organized and an elder in the hall got up on a ladder to start cutting into the wall so it could be rolled. He hadn't even done one brushstroke before the fan gashed open his scalp! He hadn't realized how low that particular ceiling fan was. Blood was gushing everywhere and he had a 2 inch long, deep gash in his head. Amber and I thought he needed to go to a hospital for stitches….oh but wait, the closest hospital is about an hour away. So they went to a brother's house and super glued the wound shut! The picture is after the super glue, I guess it works pretty well. Good to know. Bill came back after his head was glued back together and finished painting. Did I mention this brother is 70 and surfs everyday possible?

We finished painting in about 4 hours and have the deep cleaning before Memorial on Monday. I'm really excited to attend Memorial in a foreign country and it's only going to be in Spanish. Our congregation got a very limited amount of Memorial invitations, but I still think the attendees will fill the hall and be spilling into the street.

Finn was so excited, last week he got to finally ride a motorcycle! It was a dream come true for him.

Exit Trip

So we got back from Granada Nicaragua last night with the Jackson's. We have to leave the country every 90 days to stay legal and this week worked out best for all of us. We had so much fun! Nicaragua is a very poor, war torn country but it has a great culture also. Granada is one of the oldest towns in Latin America, and there is so much history and great sights. We even took a colonial style carriage ride throughout the streets. It's on the lake and you can see the volcanoes in the distance. I wanted to see that floating Kingdom Hall, but that will take more research and another trip.

The food was my favorite part, all the restaurants were so cheap! It was like a vacation within a vacation, I know, we have it rough! We all decided to stay an extra day because we were all having such a great time.

I'm such a proud mommy, Noah and Finn joined a kid street gang. They danced around the streets after dark and performed for all the tourists. Alex was the leader and he was 13. His brother was 8. They all became fast friends and don't worry, we kept a close eye on them! But the kids were good kids, Granada isn't as poverty ridden like some other areas and it's good for the kids to see how other people live. Lots of children are begging in the streets, but they have parents that feed them at home. They just have a taste for what the tourist eat, not the rice and beans that their parents provide. It's a terrible cycle though, because the parents see how much money the kids can make in an evening and it's more then the father makes all week. The children we met had an act where they played the drums and a costumed 7 foot lady and a little pretend man danced to the beat.

Finn in the picture against the wall thinks he's now a model. Every time we ask him to pose he gives us his "I'm cool" look. So angry blonde child is his money maker.

After 5 days we headed back to the border. It all went very smoothly and we loved the experience. As soon as we crossed the border into Costa Rica, we felt like we were going home. We love Portland, but Costa Rica definitely pulls you in! We love it here but definitely miss everyone, see you all soon!

Thursday Night Meetings

So I wanted to tell you a little about our routine on Thursday night. This is a good week to do it since both David and Marty had a part on the meeting. 

It starts with song and prayer in Spanish then the English group gets up and leaves to a brother's and sister's house next door. We have the Congregation Bible Study and Bible Highlights in English under the covered driveway which is what the picture is of. We set up plastic chairs before meeting so that everyone has a place to sit. This is all very informal. Finn has a hard time because there is so much usually going on outside. The meeting starts at 6 pm and that's when it gets dark. Costa Rica is so close to the equator that we have 12 hours of light and 12 hours of night. By then the cows in the field across the street usually need to be moved to a field further down the road. The dogs are barking the cows are mooing and the mosquitos are biting and soon they are all in the street in front of the Kingdom Hall moving to their other pasture for the night. This is all part of life here but we are trying to listen to the information being presented! Last night I was hoping that things were calmer because Marty had the Bible Highlights on Ruth. We just started Bible Highlights in English the week before the assembly, so it was really encouraging to have all the comments presented in English so that I could get more out of it. He did a great job, I was really proud of him! Afterward we all had to run into the Kingdom Hall because David was doing the bible reading in Spanish!! He was perfect, one sister we all love told me she was looking for a mistake in his pronunciation but could find not a one. Everyone clapped afterward, he was new to the school here in Buena Vista. The school is all in Spanish and so is the information presented in the Kingdom Ministry, which is sometimes different material from that of the English Kingdom Ministry. Soo...last night was very encouraging to all of us! 

I also posted a few pictures from service today, we worked right on the beach. The kids played in the sand and we talked to all the English people renting houses on Playa Samara. Sometimes I have to stop and take it all in, I'm out in service on the beach in Costa Rica!!

Circuit Assembly!

Well it's monday night and we just got home from our Circuit Assembly in San Jose. It's about a 4 hour drive from Samara and we arrived in time for the Friday afternoon cleaning of the assembly hall. Finn did a great job helping out, he sprayed down chairs and we would come behind him and wipe them clean. The assembly hall and the San Jose Kingdom Halls are all connected to the Costa Rica Bethel, so it is a very special experience.



The English circuit and district is the whole country. Each day there was just shy of 600 attendees. There are 32 missionaries in the country, 16 sent within the last 3 or 4 years, showing that there is a great need and growth in this country. Most of the attendees are people from other countries wanting to serve in a foreign land where english is a growing need. The needs of the circuit were solely directed at keeping everyone positive and upbuilt while they are helping out, no matter what the time period. It was also very targeted at giving commendation and advice on how to stay for as long as possible.

Two sisters from our group were interviewed and our coordinator was the chairman for Sunday, so our little group in the Buena Vista English represented! Unfortunately after the Jackson's, us, and visitor's that come during the dry season leave, the group will be too small to support their own meetings. So there is a great need for anyone who can to come down and help out our English brothers and sisters! We were so encouraged this weekend that without a doubt we will make it happen again by December or January. I can't even describe the encouragement we have felt  and the satisfaction that has been experienced by stepping out of our comfort zone.  We have met so many wonderful people from all over, that the international brotherhood has never felt so real to me as it does now. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and believe me, whatever hardships or trails that stand in your way to expand your ministry, i promise you that it's worth it!

This Week

A few of you have asked to see a picture of where we are staying now. It's a crazy little cabina with a mural covering the whole outside. It would fit in perfectly in Portland...oh but wait, there's tropical plants and the beach is 5 minutes away - but we still like it! Finn has a little sandbox he can play in and thanks so much to his grammie! The other day he came in the house to tell me a snake was also playing in the sandbox but that he hadn't touched it. His grammie drilled into his little brain that he wasn't allowed to touch snakes, frogs and spiders in Costa Rica. So Janice, thank you for your dedication to Finn's safety!

Today I worked a few little towns way south of here, about a 2 hr drive. There wasn't much in the way of a break spot, but when you have coconuts you can have a snack and you can refill your water bottle! Lesson learned - always bring a machete with you! This weekend is our circuit assembly in San Jose, I will definitely have more to post next week.

Beautiful Tamarindo

This has been a full week for us, lots of new sights and experiences! For all of you who know Jeff and Carlee Snethen, we finally drove up to Tamarindo to visit. Tamarindo has a Spanish and English Congregation and it was so fun to spend the day in a new environment. Before the Samara English group started, Tamarindo English was responsible for the whole Nicoya Peninsula. Now we have partnered up with them and are responsible for the lower half of the Peninsula from Samara down to Mal Pais. They started their mapping project close to a year ago and are now old pros! So Marty and I went up to learn all the tricks of the trade and report back their method to the group here.



We also met some of the other brothers and sisters at lunch and had a fabulous time, thanks so much guys for a wonderful day and all your hospitality!

Mapping Punta Islita

The other day a group of us piled into "baby blue"

 and headed south to do a day of mapping. We were sent to Punta Islita which is a resort town about an hour south of Samara. Our territory incompasses the entire south end of the Guanacaste peninsula, which makes mapping English territory a hugh job. We have to drive up and down every road we come across looking for people that speak english in order to map their location for a territory to be made so the preaching work can be acomplished thouroughly. It is a long and dusty process, but very fulfilling knowing we are contributing to the organizing of Costa Rica. I went with  some of the pioneer brothers and sisters from Michigan { I still have no idea where that is, supposedly it looks like a hand, I can't find a hand on the map, so your guess is as good as mine. } We spent all day driving and barely put a dent in the territory, we have so much work ahead of us.

What's a Cloud Forest?

The cloud forest in Monteverde is a pretty amazing place. Instead of being a rain forest it's a cloud forest because of it's high elevation. It is green, cool and rainy and eerily hidden in the actual clouds. This is one of the most eco diverse areas of Costa Rica and a 3 hour drive from us. In the early afternoon, before all the clouds come rolling in, you can also see the volcano from this elevation.

Yesterday a group of us went up to Monteverde to explore this beautiful reserve. Of course, we had to do the zip line! This is one of the highest and longest zip lines in Costa Rica. On one line we got to fly like Superman high above the clouds and forest, so fun and exciting!

I also posted a picture from this past weekend, Ruby and Finn are so cute! The congregation always seems to have an impromptu beach party after Sunday meeting and I can usually get some great pictures of the kids.

I hope everyone enjoys them!

Difference Between English and Spanish Service

Sometimes it's easy to forget the different lifestyles that the Ticos have from the Americans. The Americans here have all really simplified, but at least we all have cars for our long service days. English territory usually requires a lot of driving since our territory covers neighborhoods in many different towns. The Spanish brothers and sisters have one motorbike between them. They walk ALOT. We meet for service at different locations throughout the area so that it isn't such a hardship for the brothers and sisters who don't live near the Kingdom Hall. Many times the English car group will fit as many Spanish brothers into their cars and drop them off in the territory they are working, then come back through at noon to take everyone back home.

Yesterday was quite an eye opening experience for me! I usually get assigned to work with and English car group since that's where I'm going to be the most useful because i'm not fluent in Spanish. Yesterday though, Emily and I (a sister visiting) got the privilege of just working with 5 of our Spanish sisters. I came home exhausted! I think I walked about 4 to 5 miles in the hot blazing sun and got totally sunburned on my arms and chest.   Everyone who knows me knows I love to walk, but I think I met my match!

The day was very encouraging, the Spanish culture has a great respect for the Bible. Almost every householder asks questions and allows you to read at least one scripture. Usually you have to kiss them first on the cheek then take a seat on the porch before you begin your presentation. The Truth Tract is a great introductory publication because it allows the householder to point to the question that interests them the most. It seems to me that "what happens at death" is the most popular. Depending on interest, many publishers come back with a Teach book on the next call and go right to the chapter the householder was interested in and start their first bible lesson ...or start it right there that day on the porch.

English territory too is very exciting. It is different don't get me wrong, but it amazes me how many people will talk to you in their "vacation home" that wouldn't give you the time of day back in the states. Some  are still rude, but I also think they are curious how we found them, they thought they were safe in Costa Rica! There have been no bible studies started in english...yet, but the english group has placed a bible, a ton of magazines and quite a few books these last few weeks. It's an exciting time to be here because the English territory is just starting to open up and there is a lot of work to do! I feel that we are in an extra special position because we can continue to learn Spanish and progress with our language skills and also work a territory that the local brothers and sisters cannot reach. I hope I have encouraged some of you to come visit me, I miss you all!