El Instituto de la Lengua Española

Our team has been incredibly blessed with the opportunity to study at the Spanish Language Institute in San José, Costa Rica. Everyday we are surrounded by amazing teachers, administrators, and fellow students. In addition, the SLI has programs for the little ones on the team, which allows the parents to focus on language learning while the kiddos learn Spanish from their teachers (and let me tell you, it is really cute to hear the kids use Spanglish). To top it all off, the campus is beautiful, we have worship twice a week, I’ll be going on a school-sponsored mission trip, and they play soccer once a week. I couldn’t be happier. Even though there have been many difficulties that we have faced since leaving the country, God has blessed us richly in so many different ways!

Teatro Nacional

The National Theater, built in 1909, is one of the oldest and most beautiful buildings in downtown San José. Its architecture reflects the huge impact of European culture on Central America that continues today. Located between Avenida Central and Avenida Una, the National Theater is located right in the middle of the all the downtown action. It is one of my favorite buildings in Costa Rica.

Parque España

Parque España is one of my favorite parks in downtown San José. I have absolutely loved exploring downtown, discovering museums, parks, coffee shops, stores, the zoo, restaurants, bread shops, and souvenir shops. In addition, I have been desperately trying to figure out the bus system here in San José. Though I know how to get back to my “neck of the woods”, I still don’t know where the dozens of other buses go. This became especially evident when I hopped on a bus that I thought would take me close to my house. I ended up being several miles outside of San José on top of a small mountain. At least I know not to take that one again Here’s to the adventure of discovering new things!

Loss

Lately, our team has felt a major sense of loss: a loss for words, a loss for easy answers. This sense first appeared when Lee & Stephanie Fletcher discovered that their unborn baby had died nearly 13 weeks into StephanieÕs pregnancy. We discovered the news nearly two weeks ago, and sadness has swept over our team, and the Fletcher family in particular, like a chilly fog, enveloping us with questions, emotions, and, at times, doubts. While the process of healing has begun, the deep wounds will take months to heal. We will miss the child/nephew/brother/cousin that we were eagerly anticipating. Please join us in praying for GodÕs healing hand in this situation; for His grace, mercy, and infinite compassion.

Spanish & Humility

Learning Spanish has been incredibly humbling. Through 28 years of learning English, I have acquired a certain (many would say low) level of competence in speaking my native tongue. Well, all that has changed. Whereas I could express thoughts (some deep, some not-so-much) and emotions, as well as engage in extended conversations, my conversations in Spanish are relegated to simple facts and events. For those that know me well, you know how difficult this can sometimes be for me. Needless to say, these past two weeks of language school have been very humbling. Please pray for our whole team as we learn to express ourselves, and the gospel, in this foreign language.

Hospitality

As I have walked through the streets of Costa Rica – going into the stores, attending church, meeting complete strangers – I have been struck by the kindness and graciousness of the Costa Ricans. They have greeted me warmly and spoken slowly. They explain words, repeat sentences, and use lots of hand gestures (good ones, of course . So, the next time that you meet a foreign person who is struggling to adjust to a foreign society, culture, and language, be as kind and gracious as you know how…and speak slowly. They would be incredibly thankful.

Melancholy Saturday, Marvelous Sunday

As you might guess from the title, Saturday was not one my top-10 favorite days. In fact, it was one of those days where everything seems to be going wrong. As I reflect on the day, it wasnʼt really all that bad. But somehow, being in a strange land with a strange language (where people often look at me in strange ways) didnʼt alleviate the small things that keep going wrong. Saturday was the first of many days in which America seems incredibly appealing.

And then came Sunday: great breakfast, amazing coffee, beautiful morning, fantastic teammates, gracious fellow Christians, decent Spanish, Pequeño Mundo, new friends, hamburgers, great house church, beautiful singing, scripture, prayer, fun walk in the rain, pizza, cute kids, memories, relaxing evening. Today, you couldn’t tear me away from Costa Rica.
Monday = last day of orientation. Tuesday = first day of school. I can’t wait.