Sunday, May 31, 2015

!Más Diversión!

This is a baby shower I attended with my host family last night.  About 50 people came, all from family of both parents and included a disc jockey, table served comida for 3 hours then a full course buffet meal with tres leches for dessert.  Games were hysterical and hosted by this guy in the red shirt.  We arrived early with many others (2:15 for a 3pm event)to get a good table then didn't leave to come home until 8pm. The families are sweet and the cousins run free and behave.  I never saw the kids fighting or being ugly to anyone. I sat with Felsie and her daughter in law, her daughter and her 2 grown kids. Very sweet and loving family.  Mariela is one of Felsie's grandaughters and is a microbiologist, not married and can speak English. She loves to read so I gave her some suggestions. We exchanged emails so she can practice English and I can practice Español. More fun than Bingo!

 This morning I took the bus with the elders to church. It dropped us at the foot of this driveway and we walked almost straight up to the mansion where the branch meets in the mountains of Santa Ana.
Glad I brought flat, comfortable shoes!
This is Elder Black from Payson, Utah.  He is a twin, his mother just finished her education degree and has been teaching 3rd grade for 6 months, and he sings in a trio at home for events like Jazz games where they do the National Anthem. He has been out 6 months and speaks well, taught Gospel Principles and did a great job! This is the house where church meets. The upstairs porch on the left was the classroom for the combined 5th Sunday meeting. The view and breeze was wonderful! Elder Black usually plays the keyboard for meetings but doesn't really music so he asked me to play which I did. Then, in the 3rd hour, the Branch President asked me to give the opening prayer and let me do it in English (no comment Jeffrey Lynn, I'll pray in Spanish soon enough) and I immediately choked up and needed a kleenex when I sat down.  The Spirit was strong in all the meetings and I felt welcomed and loved by all. Sweet experience.
View from the church driveway where Elder Black is standing in the last picture.  Turns out my school, Conversa, is very close, on the same road to church! I will go to FHE with the elders tomorrow at the mission leaders home at 7pm.  His wife speaks English and he is a young man with a firm, strong testimony who served in Honduras I think, on his mission.  I will ask him tomorrow if he knows David. Wouldn't that be amazing? The gospel is true and wonderful in all the world - changes lives and blesses all who embrace its gifts. I love its message of joy, salvation, love and hope. So grateful to be here - growing pains and all!

Saturday, May 30, 2015

 This my host madre, Felsie. We played Bingo last nigt for 3 1/2 hours on a hard bench and didn't win any canastas :/ I was muy cansada and decided Bingo is too boring for me.  Felsie and her sisters love to come and we were there with about 250-300 other people - most of them reminded me of Grandma Margie. They are all very serious about the game and were careful to point out to me where I missed a number on my card. We got there an hour early so we could save seats for her family so I actually sat there 41/2 hours!


No ganas (wins) for me. I had a refresco to drink - usually juice. This one was apple. 

 This morning my compañera and I walked to la feria to see what there was to buy.  Only a few street venders with cheap trinkets but I saw the elders walk by and chased them down. I was so happy to see them!  We arranged to meet at the bus stop to go to the branch in the morning at 8 for church at 9. They said the Santa Ana branch has only 50 miembres and they meet in a house.
This was the view from another walk we took this morning so she could show me the rio. Not much of a river but pretty.

We spent the afternoon playing UNO outside on a picnic blanket on the patio and I will go with Felsie to a baby shower at 3pm. Hace calor hoy (the weather is hot today) and sticky. The nights are cool, though.  ¡Hasta luego amados!


Friday, May 29, 2015

¡Salud de Costa Rica!


These are my friends Sebastian and Fabiola in front of the house where I am staying in Santa Ana. They live in the house directly behind this one with their parents but my host madre is their grandmother and she cooks and care for them. This porch is cool and pleasant, soft breezes blow as we rock in the rocking chairs. Fabiola is a good guide and has walked with me to the Supermercado and the Libería.  This morning she took me to the plaza to see the 100 year old church and we walked about an hour. She is only 8 years old and is smart and sweet. My host madre is Felsie and she talks and talks to me to help me learn to hear the Spanish. I understand about half of what she says and she is very patient with me. We are going to go to Bingo tonight and play for 3 hours!  Hmmm . . .


This is a view from the school - Conversa- where I went from the airport yesterday. I got a tour of the school and met the director and others who work there. My class doesn't arrive until Thursday so I am on my own with my host family but will attend class on Monday with another group, probably from Baylor.
So far, I am doing well and can feel my Spanish improving already. I still get lost in the conversation easily but feel braver all the time.
The weather is nice, not too hot and humid yet. No air conditioning in the house but I slept well last night anyway. This is a view from the porch where we sit and talk and watch the cars and motorcycle go by. I listen to the birds sing constantly, especially in the morning as they greet the day with me.