Gearing up for school:
Today we spent time meeting with Anna at El Puente about the upcoming semester that starts on February 11. Exciting things are happening as new families express interest in enrolling their kids for the new school year and the school’s construction project will likely start this semester too. Details are still being worked out about who will teach what and what our exact roles will be for the coming semester. We covet your prayers for:
*Director Anna as she has lots of details to organize in the next two weeks regarding returning students, new students, and how to divide students/classes according to available teachers, schedules and space
*Three days of teacher training that Jane is helping out with on Feb. 6-8
*Continued progress in El Puente’s building campaign and upcoming construction project
Gearing up for Kids Camp:
We also spent time today buying and organizing supplies for Kids Camp. We leave tomorrow at 1pm and will return Thursday evening. We covet your prayers for:
*Safety and good health for all campers and helpers
*The adjustment of sleeping away from home without a parent - this will be the first time for most of the campers
*Campers’ hearts to be open to what they hear about God’s love for them and His promises
*Lots of energy and patience for the cabin leaders and adult helpers and that the children can see our love for Jesus through our actions and words.
*The 7-9 year old girls in Jane’s cabin: Albrisia, Alexa, Yatziry, Tracy, Wendy, Ashley and Sophia
*The 7-9 year old boys in George’s cabin: Deylan, Miguel, Daniel, Nikson, Sebastian, Emanuel
Update on Seeds of Hope:
Anna has graciously allowed me to leave El Puente by 11:30am on Tuesdays so I can spend the afternoon out at Seeds of Hope (see this previous blog post if you don’t know what I’m referring to). Since we had already committed to the Kids Camp this week, I will not start until next week Tuesday.
Smile of the day:
Hearing this prayer at lunch from one of our kids: "Thank you, God, that
we can splurge and have dill pickles for lunch". I love how going
without some of our ‘normal’ things from back home can give a new
appreciation for the little things :)
1/28/13
1/26/13
January 26: The Week in Review
This was a typical week of summer vacation: hot and sweaty, some boredom, some time with friends and some things checked off the 'to do list'. A look at our week:
- Passing the time: the kids often complain of boredom (no neighbors their age, best school friends live 20-45 minutes away, no yard to play in and their parents don't let them sit in front of a screen all day!). So, it means lots of card playing (we have built up quite a list of possibilities!) and a few other games we have, reading, crafts, and some Polly Pockets and Littlest Pet Shop for Sophia. A nice break in the routine this week was that the girls had a friend from school over on Monday and Nathan had one over today.
- Kitchen help: One of the positives for the kids not feeling like there's much to do....they help me in the kitchen more! Nathan, especially, has shown more interest than ever to help with food preparation. Recently, he commented: 'I seem to spend a lot more time in the kitchen here than back home. (After a pause) Maybe that's because our house here IS a kitchen.' Which made me laugh out loud....he was referring to the small size of our living area which is one room for kitchen, dining and living room. It has given us all plenty of opportunity to bond :)
- Animal lovers: the kids continue to look for opportunities to enjoy pets and beg daily for their own. They have gone to the animal shelter this week with George and also have started walking the neighbor's dog a few times a week which they love (now that he is no longer totally out of control thanks to their training)
- Sore muscles: Our missionary friend, Laura, invited me to join her for a couple hours of kayaking in a nearby wildlife-filled, mangrove-covered estuary. Glad I did it but it was definitely not relaxing!
- Internet frustrations: We've had numerous visits from 'tech' guys trying to help us figure out why our internet isn't working very well - we've had problems ever since returning from Panama
- Visitors: George has been organizing details for more visitors! His brother Pete and niece Janelle plan to visit us in three weeks.
- Common chores: like any other week, some common chores just take longer to accomplish here. Grocery shopping is rarely done in just one store....normally, we need to walk to at least 2-3 places (besides the produce market) to get what we need (either because of availability or pricing). Also, laundry is a four step process: American washer first but the spin dry cycle doesn't work well so we move everything over to the less efficient Costa Rican washer that has better results spinning stuff dry. Then out to the line to dry although many days the stuff can be out all day in the bright sunshine and in the evening it's still damp because of the humidity! We then move it all to Nathan's room that doubles as a dryer since it's tiny and we turn on the dehumidifier to finish the drying process.
- Lesson Prep: George has also been preparing for another Bible lesson at Casa de Amor tomorrow night.
- Kids Camp Prep: We've spent a bunch of time as a family preparing for the 3 day/2 night Kids Camp we're helping with next week through our church. George will be co-leading the 7-9 year old boys' cabin and I will be the same for the 7-9 year old girls. Our family is in charge of the 'Rally' - that means we need competitive team games organized for an hour. The kids helped us brainstorm and had some great ideas from their experiences at Zeeland Christian's Family Day activities. We feel good about the plan! This afternoon the girls and I spent a few hours helping Laura organize and prep for the four different crafts that she's in charge of at camp.
- Teacher Training Prep: I've been spending time prepping for three days of upcoming training with El Puente teachers February 6-8 (classes start again Feb. 11).
- Ending on a high: We had a fantastic evening tonight of socializing not just with the 5 of us!! We invited Laura, her son Gabriel (10) and Laly (church staff member in charge of children's ministry and organizer of the Kids Camp) over for lasagna dinner. We laughed (almost cried) as we brainstormed ideas for the Talent Show at Kids Camp and we had fun introducing Laly to a number of English campfire songs. She's asked Laura and us to be in charge of that too at camp. We are super excited to help out with the church's first ever camp - many of the children come from difficult home situations and just need to be loved on and affirmed that they are loved by the One who is their Superhero (camp's theme). Please pray for energy for leaders as it will be exciting but t i r i n g!! It's next week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
1/25/13
January 25: Confession, Countdown, Challenge
Anything that tends to make you anxious is a growth opportunity.
Instead of running away from these challenges, embrace them, eager to gain all the blessings
I have hidden in the difficulties....
Don't waste energy regretting the way things are
or thinking about what might have been.
Start at the present moment --accepting things exactly as they are -- and search for My way in the midst of those circumstances.
-- Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
True Confessions:
I have wasted energy regretting the way things are here. I'm especially guilty of comparing this experience to our year of volunteering in Morelia, Mexico in 2003-2004 when I often felt like I was 'living in a bubble' because life just seemed so good. One of the biggest blessings of that experience was the sense of community we felt with so many different people: the girls and staff at the Victory Center where we volunteered, our neighborhood where we had daily significant interactions with three different families, a missionary couple who became quick friends and helped keep our sanity by taking turns with childcare so we could enjoy regular date nights out, and an incredibly loving and welcoming church body that invited us into their homes for coffee, meals, cell groups, birthday parties and celebrations like weddings, baby showers and quinceañeras. All these different groups made us feel like we were family and made it easier to be away from our own family and friends.
One of the greatest challenges we've faced here is the lack of sense of community. This was highlighted for me last month when we went to talk to our neighbor about leaving for Panama and seeing if she could keep a close eye on our house. We were talking to her in the doorway. As I walked away from that conversation I confess I didn't 'embrace the challenge, eager to gain blessings'. I walked away from that conversation frustrated and quite frankly, ticked off. Not at our neighbor, Francisca, for she was very willing to be extra vigilant in our absence, but at the realization that stepping into her doorway, was the first time in our nearly 6 months here that we were taking a step into a Tica (Costa Rican) home. Other than our American missionary friend, Laura, and her kids, who have warmly invited us into their lives and home, we have not received a single invitation by a Costa Rican to do anything. It's just a completely different experience than what we experienced in Morelia, so it's been hard to deal with that reality.
Counting Down:
Yep. Rather sad to admit but our kids have started the countdown to our departure day from Costa Rica....5 months from today (they could tell you the day count). Another aspect that is way more challenging for us here than in Morelia is doing this with kids who are 12, 10 and 7. When we left home with a 3 and 1 year old like we did in 2003 they adapted super quickly and didn't ask too many questions as long as mommy and daddy were there and they had a daily routine they were used to. Whoa!! I guess we shouldn't be surprised but we have certainly felt drained and overwhelmed at times as we try to respond to our kids' emotions, frustrations, and complaints. We want to let them be honest about what they're feeling, yet at the same time encourage them to see what we can learn and how we can grow through the challenges.
Living in the present and embracing the challenges:
Today I received an email from a dear friend who is experiencing many of our same challenges this year: moving to another state, living in very small living quarters while they search for a permanent home, dealing with childrens' emotions of missing friends and the difficulty of going six months without feeling connection to a church body.
Her words so eloquently restate Sarah Young's wise thoughts above:
Amen, sister!
Living in the present and embracing the challenges:
Today I received an email from a dear friend who is experiencing many of our same challenges this year: moving to another state, living in very small living quarters while they search for a permanent home, dealing with childrens' emotions of missing friends and the difficulty of going six months without feeling connection to a church body.
Her words so eloquently restate Sarah Young's wise thoughts above:
My prayer underneath all the others
continues to be that the time here
won't be merely a time of waiting
but a time of truly living.
Amen, sister!
Would you please pray that for us? Would you please pray that our time here - especially for our kids - would not just be a time of waiting to get back to Zeeland, and Sanford St, and Zeeland Christian but that it would indeed be a time of truly living in His presence. That we would search for God's way and direction in each moment, whether it feels like we're living in a bubble of goodness or confronting a challenging hurdle.
A personal challenge:
I know not everyone feels like their gift is hospitality but is there someone in your life that you could consider inviting 'past the doorway'? Is there someone in your school, neighborhood, church, or job that you could give a warm welcome to? I encourage you to reach out to that person who will probably be greatly blessed by experiencing a sense of community.
1/21/13
January 21: Coincidences or Confirmation? Part II
Reflections from George:
I knew that something interesting was underway when I began to feel convicted of wrongdoing during our family devotions. Sometimes we linger around the table and talk about concerns, how we are feeling and what we are thankful for. At other times, often after supper, we read and discuss a meditation from one of the devotional books we have along with us. In this case we read from “Jesus Calling”, by Sarah Young after our Sunday breakfast, knowing that we would be participating in worship and dinner at Casa de Amor, the men’s rehab center, later in the day and would not have our family devotions then.
During the meal our children had been talking longingly about some foods and activities they miss from “back home” in Michigan. Jane and I have been trying to impress on them that while we look forward to things that we are missing, including family and friends, we also do not want to miss out on what God has in store for us NOW and HERE in Costa Rica. The theme of the devotional seemed to reinforce our perspective.
“Try to view each day as an adventure, carefully planned out by your Guide. Instead of staring into the day that is ahead of you, attempting to program it according to your will, be attentive to Me and to all I have prepared for you . . . a thankful, trusting attitude helps you to see events in your life from My perspective.”
At least that was the way my thoughts were headed until some lines from the following paragraph jumped out at me.
“ A life lived close to Me will never be dull or predictable. Expect each day to contain surprises! Resist your tendency to search for the easiest route through the day. Be willing to follow wherever I lead. No matter how steep or treacherous the path before you, the safest place to be is by My side.”
“Expect . . . surprises” and “resist . . . the easiest route” definitely resounded loud and clear in my mind. Why were those phrases so sharp and pointed for me, I wondered? Was I wresting with some cloaked guilt? As we began discussing what had struck us about the reading, I began some internal pondering, clearly feeling I had been spoken to.
I was reminded of a conversation from Saturday afternoon in which I had told our friend Laura that it would be fine with me if someone else wanted to bring the message for our “family afternoon” at Casa de Amor on Sunday afternoon. After all, we had just returned from our time away in Panama and were hardly settled back in . . . and I had not had time to do any preparing. That was justified and OK, right? Hhmmm, I felt a sudden pang of conviction. Had I given in to my tendency to “search for the easiest route” rather than being “[attentive to God and to all He had prepared for me?]”
After sharing that I felt convicted by those words in the text I left the breakfast table feeling uneasy. What was it I needed to do? While doing the dishes I muttered a prayer for forgiveness for my inattention and began to think about a possible message I could bring that afternoon if I were called upon.
I was still pondering these things as we arrived at church for the morning service. The worship team was busy warming up and gathering to pray so I decided to sit down and look up some of the scripture passages that I had been thinking about. I have been teaching on “Heroes of the faith: ordinary people called to extraordinary works” using the list found in Hebrews 11 as a general guide. We had been discussing the life of Moses and his leadership during the Exodus. Background and context . . . covered. Early years . . . done. Call to service . . . check. Return to lead . . . yes. Plagues and Passover lessons . . . done. Red Sea miracle . . . check.
It appeared obvious that I would proceed to talk a little bit about the complaint sessions of the people, how they griped that slave life in Egypt was better than current circumstance. In spite of all God had done for them they lacked faith in Him and His plans. Aren’t we like that sometimes? Isn’t “going back” to a known circumstance in the face of new challenges, while using selective memory concerning its difficulty, a temptation we all face? Even more so for addicts, right?
As I read through the scriptural accounts I thought of the ultimate challenge to their faith which came a little later in the story when they were on the edge of entering into the land of promise. Numbers chapter 13. The spies went in and came back with their unanimous report of a good land flowing with milk and honey . . . but a badly split report on their ability to vanquish the inhabitants and possess it. Which report would you believe? And again the people moan like they had done previously . . . and decide poorly. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”, begins the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, which I refer to in each session.
The praise team struck up the first chorus and we entered into worship. I closed my Bible and joined in. Soon I was lost in giving glory to my maker through song, leaving message planning behind.
It was after the choruses had quieted and the children had shuffled off to children’s church that I was snapped back to attention by the pastor. He was making some introductory remarks about the general theme of obedience and how faith precedes obedience. Then he instructed the congregation to turn to the scripture passage he was going to teach from. Numbers chapter 13! At first I thought “No Way, that is too strange!” but then I almost laughed out loud at how God was affirming what I had been meditating on. I listened intently to the message which spoke of the two conflicting reports and how the minority report was the one brought in faith and obedience to God’s promise that He was giving the Israelites the land. We want to be those type of faithful followers walking in obedience and following God’s directives in spite of perceived obstacles. The pastor even mentioned Hebrews 11:1 at one point!
When our friend Laura came over to inform me that the other speaker would not be able to bring the message at Casa de Amor in the afternoon I simply said “That’s OK, I’ve got something.” All the indications from the day, from the admonition not to look for the easy route . . . to the confirmation of the passage had been leading me to trust in the message I was to bring even if I had not had the time to polish its preparation. I would walk in obedience.
That afternoon I shared the message with the recovering addicts at Casa de Amor. We discussed why the Israelites might look back longingly to where they had come from . . . simply because it was known and the unknown seemed more daunting. It related to some of their friends who have left the rehab program. Then came the challenge “Which report will you believe?” The world’s report that there are too many challenges, too many difficulties, walls, giants, warriors . . . for anyone, let alone an addict, to succeed? Or the report of the faithful that their God has promised to heal, walk alongside, restore, rebuild and grant Shalom in His presence if we walk in faith and are obedient? Several men thanked me for the message and its challenge. One even commented that he felt it was meant directly for him in his present struggle. Coincidence or Confirmation?
I knew that something interesting was underway when I began to feel convicted of wrongdoing during our family devotions. Sometimes we linger around the table and talk about concerns, how we are feeling and what we are thankful for. At other times, often after supper, we read and discuss a meditation from one of the devotional books we have along with us. In this case we read from “Jesus Calling”, by Sarah Young after our Sunday breakfast, knowing that we would be participating in worship and dinner at Casa de Amor, the men’s rehab center, later in the day and would not have our family devotions then.
During the meal our children had been talking longingly about some foods and activities they miss from “back home” in Michigan. Jane and I have been trying to impress on them that while we look forward to things that we are missing, including family and friends, we also do not want to miss out on what God has in store for us NOW and HERE in Costa Rica. The theme of the devotional seemed to reinforce our perspective.
“Try to view each day as an adventure, carefully planned out by your Guide. Instead of staring into the day that is ahead of you, attempting to program it according to your will, be attentive to Me and to all I have prepared for you . . . a thankful, trusting attitude helps you to see events in your life from My perspective.”
At least that was the way my thoughts were headed until some lines from the following paragraph jumped out at me.
“ A life lived close to Me will never be dull or predictable. Expect each day to contain surprises! Resist your tendency to search for the easiest route through the day. Be willing to follow wherever I lead. No matter how steep or treacherous the path before you, the safest place to be is by My side.”
“Expect . . . surprises” and “resist . . . the easiest route” definitely resounded loud and clear in my mind. Why were those phrases so sharp and pointed for me, I wondered? Was I wresting with some cloaked guilt? As we began discussing what had struck us about the reading, I began some internal pondering, clearly feeling I had been spoken to.
I was reminded of a conversation from Saturday afternoon in which I had told our friend Laura that it would be fine with me if someone else wanted to bring the message for our “family afternoon” at Casa de Amor on Sunday afternoon. After all, we had just returned from our time away in Panama and were hardly settled back in . . . and I had not had time to do any preparing. That was justified and OK, right? Hhmmm, I felt a sudden pang of conviction. Had I given in to my tendency to “search for the easiest route” rather than being “[attentive to God and to all He had prepared for me?]”
After sharing that I felt convicted by those words in the text I left the breakfast table feeling uneasy. What was it I needed to do? While doing the dishes I muttered a prayer for forgiveness for my inattention and began to think about a possible message I could bring that afternoon if I were called upon.
I was still pondering these things as we arrived at church for the morning service. The worship team was busy warming up and gathering to pray so I decided to sit down and look up some of the scripture passages that I had been thinking about. I have been teaching on “Heroes of the faith: ordinary people called to extraordinary works” using the list found in Hebrews 11 as a general guide. We had been discussing the life of Moses and his leadership during the Exodus. Background and context . . . covered. Early years . . . done. Call to service . . . check. Return to lead . . . yes. Plagues and Passover lessons . . . done. Red Sea miracle . . . check.
It appeared obvious that I would proceed to talk a little bit about the complaint sessions of the people, how they griped that slave life in Egypt was better than current circumstance. In spite of all God had done for them they lacked faith in Him and His plans. Aren’t we like that sometimes? Isn’t “going back” to a known circumstance in the face of new challenges, while using selective memory concerning its difficulty, a temptation we all face? Even more so for addicts, right?
As I read through the scriptural accounts I thought of the ultimate challenge to their faith which came a little later in the story when they were on the edge of entering into the land of promise. Numbers chapter 13. The spies went in and came back with their unanimous report of a good land flowing with milk and honey . . . but a badly split report on their ability to vanquish the inhabitants and possess it. Which report would you believe? And again the people moan like they had done previously . . . and decide poorly. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”, begins the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, which I refer to in each session.
The praise team struck up the first chorus and we entered into worship. I closed my Bible and joined in. Soon I was lost in giving glory to my maker through song, leaving message planning behind.
It was after the choruses had quieted and the children had shuffled off to children’s church that I was snapped back to attention by the pastor. He was making some introductory remarks about the general theme of obedience and how faith precedes obedience. Then he instructed the congregation to turn to the scripture passage he was going to teach from. Numbers chapter 13! At first I thought “No Way, that is too strange!” but then I almost laughed out loud at how God was affirming what I had been meditating on. I listened intently to the message which spoke of the two conflicting reports and how the minority report was the one brought in faith and obedience to God’s promise that He was giving the Israelites the land. We want to be those type of faithful followers walking in obedience and following God’s directives in spite of perceived obstacles. The pastor even mentioned Hebrews 11:1 at one point!
When our friend Laura came over to inform me that the other speaker would not be able to bring the message at Casa de Amor in the afternoon I simply said “That’s OK, I’ve got something.” All the indications from the day, from the admonition not to look for the easy route . . . to the confirmation of the passage had been leading me to trust in the message I was to bring even if I had not had the time to polish its preparation. I would walk in obedience.
That afternoon I shared the message with the recovering addicts at Casa de Amor. We discussed why the Israelites might look back longingly to where they had come from . . . simply because it was known and the unknown seemed more daunting. It related to some of their friends who have left the rehab program. Then came the challenge “Which report will you believe?” The world’s report that there are too many challenges, too many difficulties, walls, giants, warriors . . . for anyone, let alone an addict, to succeed? Or the report of the faithful that their God has promised to heal, walk alongside, restore, rebuild and grant Shalom in His presence if we walk in faith and are obedient? Several men thanked me for the message and its challenge. One even commented that he felt it was meant directly for him in his present struggle. Coincidence or Confirmation?
1/18/13
January 18: Coincidences or God's confirmation?
Where to begin????
Let me first take you back to the summer of 1998. George and I were out in British Columbia, Canada for his brother's wedding. While we were out there, we also had the wonderful opportunity to be adult guests at a Young Life Camp called Club Malibu. It's in a beautiful remote setting, allowing visitors to arrive only by float plane or by boat.
It was in this beautiful setting that I was crying out to God. The year leading up to our time at Club Malibu was the hardest of my life up to that point. I had experienced a horrendous year battling depression and anxiety and had suffered mental, physical and spiritual fatigue. Sitting on a hill during a quiet time at Club Malibu, I was yearning for healing. I didn't know how much longer I could take of not feeling myself. I heard a gentle voice that quietly repeated, "just look up". I didn't right away because I admit I was a bit skeptical, thinking my mind was playing tricks on me. I'm not one that walks around frequently declaring, "and I heard the voice of God saying to me..." Of course, I believe that God speaks to His children in different ways but I was hesitant at that moment to believe it was God's voice. However, as I sat there with my head bowed and eyes closed I heard it repeated over and over, "just look up". And so I did. I fixed my eyes on the graceful white seagull that was circling above me.
Now, some people might say that was just some corny coincidence....there just happened to be a white bird overhead when I decided to look up. I, however, clung to that image as a sign of hope and restoration. It served as a reminder to me that despite the 'cage' of anguish I had found myself in for months, God could see me through the hardship and ultimately set me free from that agony. For me, the white bird at Club Malibu was part of my healing process and ever since then I am reminded of God's presence whenever I see a white seagull or dove.
Fast forward to last month. Christmas break wasn't all great. The first week off of school was fun - we left town and enjoyed a wonderful week away with our family. Then we were home...alone. No gatherings. No parties. No church services (our church here had a Sunday service like normal but nothing during Christmas week). Most Americans we know were back in the States. No Costa Ricans invited us to any family gatherings. It was a long week. Kids complained it was their worst Christmas ever. And that was after hearing them say every week of last semester that they want to go home. Hearing that gets old and tiring. I admit I let myself ask the question, 'what are we doing here?'
Then a couple of 'break-through' moments this week: While we were eating our weekly ice-cream treat, Nathan announced, "I guess this place isn't all that bad". I'll take that as a little victory! On Sunday night when George was leading the Bible study at Casa de Amor, Angelina participated (¡en español!) for the first time ever and was offering answers to some of the questions George was asking the group (almost all adults). At one point she even leaned over to me and whispered what her teacher, Maestra Durán, would always tell her and her classmates last year at Zeeland Christian: Detrás de la obedencia está la bendición (after obedience is the blessing). It fit beautifully with what George was talking about. And it made me think....obedience isn't always easy but if we're patient there is blessing.
And then this Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.....I had the wonderful honor and privilege of being invited to teach English classes to groups of girls at Seeds of Hope ministry. We had met the staff members through our church earlier this fall, and as we got to know each other better on Thanksgiving Day, they asked if there was any way I could come out and teach some sample English lessons using TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) which I told them about and they thought it sounded perfect for their girls. I told them I would have time during summer vacation (now).
On Tuesday afternoon I bussed out the 45 minute ride out to Parrita where Penny picked me up from the bus station. As she was driving me to the ministry's Clubhouse, she was telling me about how the afternoon classes run. First, she does a Bible lesson and then English, repeating both for two different groups of girls (mostly 12-17 years old). She started to tell me that last week instead of a Bible story she introduced the idea of trying to listen to God's voice: "I played music, we closed our eyes and listened. I told the girls to see if they heard any word repeated or any image repeated in their mind. Sometimes this is how God can talk to us and it's especially confirming when more than one person hears the same word or sees the same image. Last week, Jane, it was so cool because it was the first time we had ever done anything like it and as some of us shared afterward what we had seen or heard another girl had the exact same image as I did. At first I thought it was corny and didn't want to say it to the girls but as soon as I did another girl burst out, 'I had the same image!'......of a paloma blanca (a white dove).
Really?! The image that for me has signified God's presence and care over me is what's being described to me as I approach a new setting with a bit of apprehension. Even after years of teaching, I still get nervous teaching a new group, not knowing exactly how it will go or how the students will respond. As Penny continued to share more about the girls and the ministry, I felt a peace and confirmation about why I was on my way to Seeds of Hope that afternoon.
Is that it you ask? Nope! Believe it or not, Tuesday morning we had gone to school to use internet because ours at home was not working. I had only a few minutes to quickly scan Facebook which I hadn't done in a few days. Although I didn't think that much of it at the time it did bring back good memories when I saw this picture posted by Ben, who is renting our house with his wife, Stacie.
Let me first take you back to the summer of 1998. George and I were out in British Columbia, Canada for his brother's wedding. While we were out there, we also had the wonderful opportunity to be adult guests at a Young Life Camp called Club Malibu. It's in a beautiful remote setting, allowing visitors to arrive only by float plane or by boat.
It was in this beautiful setting that I was crying out to God. The year leading up to our time at Club Malibu was the hardest of my life up to that point. I had experienced a horrendous year battling depression and anxiety and had suffered mental, physical and spiritual fatigue. Sitting on a hill during a quiet time at Club Malibu, I was yearning for healing. I didn't know how much longer I could take of not feeling myself. I heard a gentle voice that quietly repeated, "just look up". I didn't right away because I admit I was a bit skeptical, thinking my mind was playing tricks on me. I'm not one that walks around frequently declaring, "and I heard the voice of God saying to me..." Of course, I believe that God speaks to His children in different ways but I was hesitant at that moment to believe it was God's voice. However, as I sat there with my head bowed and eyes closed I heard it repeated over and over, "just look up". And so I did. I fixed my eyes on the graceful white seagull that was circling above me.
Now, some people might say that was just some corny coincidence....there just happened to be a white bird overhead when I decided to look up. I, however, clung to that image as a sign of hope and restoration. It served as a reminder to me that despite the 'cage' of anguish I had found myself in for months, God could see me through the hardship and ultimately set me free from that agony. For me, the white bird at Club Malibu was part of my healing process and ever since then I am reminded of God's presence whenever I see a white seagull or dove.
Fast forward to last month. Christmas break wasn't all great. The first week off of school was fun - we left town and enjoyed a wonderful week away with our family. Then we were home...alone. No gatherings. No parties. No church services (our church here had a Sunday service like normal but nothing during Christmas week). Most Americans we know were back in the States. No Costa Ricans invited us to any family gatherings. It was a long week. Kids complained it was their worst Christmas ever. And that was after hearing them say every week of last semester that they want to go home. Hearing that gets old and tiring. I admit I let myself ask the question, 'what are we doing here?'
Then a couple of 'break-through' moments this week: While we were eating our weekly ice-cream treat, Nathan announced, "I guess this place isn't all that bad". I'll take that as a little victory! On Sunday night when George was leading the Bible study at Casa de Amor, Angelina participated (¡en español!) for the first time ever and was offering answers to some of the questions George was asking the group (almost all adults). At one point she even leaned over to me and whispered what her teacher, Maestra Durán, would always tell her and her classmates last year at Zeeland Christian: Detrás de la obedencia está la bendición (after obedience is the blessing). It fit beautifully with what George was talking about. And it made me think....obedience isn't always easy but if we're patient there is blessing.
And then this Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.....I had the wonderful honor and privilege of being invited to teach English classes to groups of girls at Seeds of Hope ministry. We had met the staff members through our church earlier this fall, and as we got to know each other better on Thanksgiving Day, they asked if there was any way I could come out and teach some sample English lessons using TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) which I told them about and they thought it sounded perfect for their girls. I told them I would have time during summer vacation (now).
On Tuesday afternoon I bussed out the 45 minute ride out to Parrita where Penny picked me up from the bus station. As she was driving me to the ministry's Clubhouse, she was telling me about how the afternoon classes run. First, she does a Bible lesson and then English, repeating both for two different groups of girls (mostly 12-17 years old). She started to tell me that last week instead of a Bible story she introduced the idea of trying to listen to God's voice: "I played music, we closed our eyes and listened. I told the girls to see if they heard any word repeated or any image repeated in their mind. Sometimes this is how God can talk to us and it's especially confirming when more than one person hears the same word or sees the same image. Last week, Jane, it was so cool because it was the first time we had ever done anything like it and as some of us shared afterward what we had seen or heard another girl had the exact same image as I did. At first I thought it was corny and didn't want to say it to the girls but as soon as I did another girl burst out, 'I had the same image!'......of a paloma blanca (a white dove).
Really?! The image that for me has signified God's presence and care over me is what's being described to me as I approach a new setting with a bit of apprehension. Even after years of teaching, I still get nervous teaching a new group, not knowing exactly how it will go or how the students will respond. As Penny continued to share more about the girls and the ministry, I felt a peace and confirmation about why I was on my way to Seeds of Hope that afternoon.
Is that it you ask? Nope! Believe it or not, Tuesday morning we had gone to school to use internet because ours at home was not working. I had only a few minutes to quickly scan Facebook which I hadn't done in a few days. Although I didn't think that much of it at the time it did bring back good memories when I saw this picture posted by Ben, who is renting our house with his wife, Stacie.
With the posting of this picture, Ben asked his Facebook friends, 'wanna work at this Young Life camp this summer?' And what YL camp is that you wonder??? Club Malibu in British Columbia, Canada!! The camp that 14 years ago, I felt God's presence and confirmation after responding to the voice, 'just look up'.
A symbol from over 14 years ago. The question 'why are we here?' (admittedly, tempting to ask when things aren't necessarily easy). An invitation to do something I love. A 'random' picture posted on Facebook which has connection to details in a story I'm hearing from Penny on a bumpy dusty road later that afternoon. Two afternoons with beautiful young ladies eager to learn English.
Are these merely all coincidences? Or is this God's amazing plan of piecing together years of His Story in a way that answers the question: why are we here?
Detrás de la obediencia está la bendición (after obedience is blessing). Obedience isn't always easy, but this week's experiences have blessed us and confirm for us why we're here. This area of Costa Rica has a deep deep need for a Christian school like El Puente. There is much evil and brokenness that affects children at very young ages. There is a great need for ministries like Seeds of Hope to reach out in Christ's name to broken and hurting girls. It is an honor to be a part of how God is at work in this area of Costa Rica....and we wouldn't be here without all of your support in so many ways. So once again, His Story is your story too.
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| The Seeds of Hope Clubhouse is on top of a small neighborhood store - it has room for a staff member to live and this large classroom space. |
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| For the girls' protection, their faces are not photographed. Despite their beauty, smiles and laughter, they carry very heavy burdens. Click here to read their stories (if you are younger than 13, please check with a parent first) |
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| The girls have learned how to make beautiful earrings and bracelets. The older girls are given the supplies to make 50 pairs a week. If they do so and attend classes, then they can receive food for their family. Click here for info on ordering jewelry to support the ministry. |
Prayer request:
I have been asked to come back to Seeds of Hope each week to teach English to the girls and to train the staff in TPRS. I am really excited about this opportunity but it would mean missing an afternoon at El Puente. Please pray for clarity and confirmation as we discern whether this could be a part of our ministry the next few months.
1/15/13
January 15: Not twiddling our thumbs
We still don't have internet working at home so we're at school this morning to get caught up on email, online billing, and yes, some Facebook too. Going five days without easy online access has really reminded us how grateful we are for normally being able to stay connected with family and friends.
We are settling into our summer break in Quepos but we're not twiddling our thumbs with boredom yet. On Sunday, we returned to Casa de Amor (drug and alcohol rehab center) for another afternoon of fun, fellowship, worship and food. George and the kids played games with the guys and some other members from our church while I helped with meal preparation in the kitchen. Our friend Laura led the singing, George led the Bible study and I supplied dessert after our meal. It was another wonderful afternoon with the guys who always make us feel right at home. We all look forward to these bi-weekly gatherings.
Yesterday, George and the kids spent the morning at the animal shelter where the guys from Casa de Amor help each morning. Our kids are very sad that since returning from Panama, a cat who they named Oreo and who came by our house numerous times every day (and offered free entertainment!), has not been around. They really miss him so they were very eager to see what dogs and cats were at the shelter since it always changes from week to week.
While the rest of the family was at the animal shelter, I went to school to meet with director Anna to talk about goals and teaching assignments for next semester. It is really exciting to hear that construction for El Puente's new building MAY be able to start next month. $40,000 has been raised so far and $50,000 is needed to start on the pre-school building (click here for more info on the construction project)
Praises:
1. Good health and safety through all our travels in the last few weeks
2. A working washing machine!! I know I've mentioned this before but it really is a huge blessing to be able to put a load in and have it go through the whole cycle without having to manually change the settings during each stage of wash (which we had to do for a couple of months before it all of a sudden started working correctly again)
3. Christmas cards and letters - it's been a wonderful encouragement to receive so many cards from family, friends and church members
4. A care "suitcase" from our church, Maple Avenue Ministries, and a few other friends. We just got it yesterday and spent the whole afternoon reading cards, doing crafts, and enjoying some very special treats that we miss. Thank you so much, MAM, for blessing us in this way and to director Anna who delivered the suitcase to us!!
Requests:
1. That El Puente staff can be enjoying a refreshing summer break and be excited to return for the new semester in February.
2. For construction project funds to continue to grow so that El Puente can be able to educate more children of Quepos in a Christ-centered learning environment
3. For a three day children's camp that our family has agreed to help out with through our church - it's the first time the church is organizing an overnight camp and many of the children attending are not from Christian families. It will be Jan 29-31.
4. For me (Jane) as I've been invited to teach English classes this afternoon and Thursday afternoon at Seeds of Hope ministry. We met the staff through our church's English service that meets once a month. When they heard I'm a language teacher they wanted me to come do a couple of sample lessons for them since they are currently giving the girls English classes but aren't trained language teachers.
We are settling into our summer break in Quepos but we're not twiddling our thumbs with boredom yet. On Sunday, we returned to Casa de Amor (drug and alcohol rehab center) for another afternoon of fun, fellowship, worship and food. George and the kids played games with the guys and some other members from our church while I helped with meal preparation in the kitchen. Our friend Laura led the singing, George led the Bible study and I supplied dessert after our meal. It was another wonderful afternoon with the guys who always make us feel right at home. We all look forward to these bi-weekly gatherings.
Yesterday, George and the kids spent the morning at the animal shelter where the guys from Casa de Amor help each morning. Our kids are very sad that since returning from Panama, a cat who they named Oreo and who came by our house numerous times every day (and offered free entertainment!), has not been around. They really miss him so they were very eager to see what dogs and cats were at the shelter since it always changes from week to week.
While the rest of the family was at the animal shelter, I went to school to meet with director Anna to talk about goals and teaching assignments for next semester. It is really exciting to hear that construction for El Puente's new building MAY be able to start next month. $40,000 has been raised so far and $50,000 is needed to start on the pre-school building (click here for more info on the construction project)
Praises:
1. Good health and safety through all our travels in the last few weeks
2. A working washing machine!! I know I've mentioned this before but it really is a huge blessing to be able to put a load in and have it go through the whole cycle without having to manually change the settings during each stage of wash (which we had to do for a couple of months before it all of a sudden started working correctly again)
3. Christmas cards and letters - it's been a wonderful encouragement to receive so many cards from family, friends and church members
4. A care "suitcase" from our church, Maple Avenue Ministries, and a few other friends. We just got it yesterday and spent the whole afternoon reading cards, doing crafts, and enjoying some very special treats that we miss. Thank you so much, MAM, for blessing us in this way and to director Anna who delivered the suitcase to us!!
Requests:
1. That El Puente staff can be enjoying a refreshing summer break and be excited to return for the new semester in February.
2. For construction project funds to continue to grow so that El Puente can be able to educate more children of Quepos in a Christ-centered learning environment
3. For a three day children's camp that our family has agreed to help out with through our church - it's the first time the church is organizing an overnight camp and many of the children attending are not from Christian families. It will be Jan 29-31.
4. For me (Jane) as I've been invited to teach English classes this afternoon and Thursday afternoon at Seeds of Hope ministry. We met the staff through our church's English service that meets once a month. When they heard I'm a language teacher they wanted me to come do a couple of sample lessons for them since they are currently giving the girls English classes but aren't trained language teachers.
1/12/13
January 11: Safely in Quepos
We are extremely grateful to have had a smooth day of travel, a pretty easy border crossing, and we found our house and belongings safe and secure. Many reasons to give thanks - we appreciate all your prayers while we were in Panama!
However, our internet is not working at home so we hope to get that figured out soon. If we don't, there may be some blogging delay.
However, our internet is not working at home so we hope to get that figured out soon. If we don't, there may be some blogging delay.
1/10/13
January 10: Leaving island life
This morning we packed up and bid farewell to our brief stay on Bocas del Toro island. We have really enjoyed getting a peek at what life is like in these Caribbean island communities.
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| After taking the boat taxi back to the mainland, we picked up our rental car and drove through the cool mountains again (at times the clouds around us made for very poor visibility) on our way back to David. |
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| Green dots marked our travel today. Lord willing, we'll leave David tomorrow at 8:30am on a bus for Quepos (about a 6 hour drive we think) |
1/9/13
January 9: Starfish Beach
When we were eating breakfast this morning overlooking the water, we considered leaving the islands a day early. It was totally overcast, drizzling and looking miserable. When we asked the hotel manager what the forecast was he laughed and said, 'there's no forecast for Bocas del Toro. You look out and that's what the forecast is'. So he told us it was raining.
We decided to wait a couple of hours before we made our decision to leave early or not. Glad we waited! It cleared up beautifully so we packed a picnic lunch and caught the noon bus that took us 35 minutes out to a beach (Bocas del Drago) and then trekked 25 minutes more along the palm-lined shore to Playa de Estrellas (Starfish Beach). We spent the afternoon lounging around under the palms and searching for beautiful starfish in the crystal clear water. We don't have an underwater camera but a couple of shots hopefully can give you an idea how beautiful they were.
Click here for slideshow.
We decided to wait a couple of hours before we made our decision to leave early or not. Glad we waited! It cleared up beautifully so we packed a picnic lunch and caught the noon bus that took us 35 minutes out to a beach (Bocas del Drago) and then trekked 25 minutes more along the palm-lined shore to Playa de Estrellas (Starfish Beach). We spent the afternoon lounging around under the palms and searching for beautiful starfish in the crystal clear water. We don't have an underwater camera but a couple of shots hopefully can give you an idea how beautiful they were.
Click here for slideshow.
1/8/13
January 8: On the islands
Yesterday we left the mountainous town of Boquete with a rental car, and descended 5,000 feet down to the Caribbean side of Panama to the port of Almirante (formerly a large port for Chiquita banana). From there we left our car in a guarded lot and took a 30 minute boat taxi to the town of Bocas del Toro on the island of Colón (named after Christopher Columbus).
We are definitely 'feelin' the groove' of island life....very laid back, lots of surfers and hammocks, LOTS of backpackers at hostels, and lots of signs for bicycles to rent (not a lot of vehicles on the island). The tropical Caribbean vibe is very different from the modern, cosmopolitan feel of Panama City and also very different from the quaint, cooler Boquete area. It has been neat to experience Panama's diverse regions.
Today, we went for a six hour boat tour to other islands. We started by going to Dolphin Bay (where we did see some dolphins!), then stopped at another island to put in our lunch order while we snorkled elsewhere for an hour, then returned to the lunch island. Kids decided to snorkle some more right off the dock by the restaurant and then we were taken to another island for some time on the beach (beautiful but with the strongest waves we've seen yet).
Click here for slideshow.
1/7/13
January 6: On the road but thinking of home
Such mixed emotions this Panama trip is producing. We have been delighted by these special treats so far: hot water out of the tap, a counter in the bathroom, ample kitchen counter space, lots of space outside our cabin these last couple of days for kids to play and run around, American foods at reasonable prices and my special moment of bliss today: feeling like royalty standing in front of a washer and dryer realizing how easy it was to have just washed and dried a large load of laundry. Yes, we are very grateful for these blessings and conveniences that we've enjoyed these last few days.
However, it has not all been blissful. Especially for the kids. Being in Panama has reminded us a lot of being home and has brought on homesickness, even more than before.
According to the kids, our hotel in Panama City smelled like a neighbor's home on Sanford St. They really miss their neighborhood friends a lot. Taking a hike down to the river yesterday and the smell of the soap at the café today reminded them of Grandma's house. The sign Angelina saw today with 'Durán' on it reminded her of one of her teachers at Zeeland Christian and she declared, "I wanna go hoooome!"
We have heard the kids' frequent comments about wanting to go home ever since we arrived in July. Honestly, it can get tiring trying to stay as positive as possible and to encourage them to see the positives during our year away.
We began this Sunday morning with a family time of worship in our cabin; we needed a time to think beyond ourselves and our own emotions. We started by choosing to praise God for who He is: We declared Him to be our life-giver, our provider, faithful, loving and patient and tolerant of our shortcomings. We read from the Jesus Calling devotional:
We talked about how important it is to go to God with positive expectations of what He can do for us and through us. That it's important to maintain this attitude because otherwise grumbling and negativity can blind us from seeing Him at work.
However, it has not all been blissful. Especially for the kids. Being in Panama has reminded us a lot of being home and has brought on homesickness, even more than before.
According to the kids, our hotel in Panama City smelled like a neighbor's home on Sanford St. They really miss their neighborhood friends a lot. Taking a hike down to the river yesterday and the smell of the soap at the café today reminded them of Grandma's house. The sign Angelina saw today with 'Durán' on it reminded her of one of her teachers at Zeeland Christian and she declared, "I wanna go hoooome!"
We have heard the kids' frequent comments about wanting to go home ever since we arrived in July. Honestly, it can get tiring trying to stay as positive as possible and to encourage them to see the positives during our year away.
We began this Sunday morning with a family time of worship in our cabin; we needed a time to think beyond ourselves and our own emotions. We started by choosing to praise God for who He is: We declared Him to be our life-giver, our provider, faithful, loving and patient and tolerant of our shortcomings. We read from the Jesus Calling devotional:
Come to Me with positive expectations,
knowing that there is no limit to what I can accomplish.
Ask My Spirit to control your mind, so that you can think great thoughts of Me.
Wise words, and quite in contrast to what seems to consume our minds at times: now that we're in the second half of our year in Quepos, the kids want to start counting down the days until we leave. Again, thinking and dreaming about what's back home in Zeeland but not entering each day with an eagerness to think great thoughts of our Provider and for what He may want to teach and show us each day.
Instead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying
[or complaining],
try to view them as setting the scene for My glorious intervention. Keep your eyes and your mind wide open
to all that I am doing in your life.
We covet your prayers for continued strength - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Please pray that we will come to God with positive expectations, that we will invite the Spirit each day to control our mind and that we can trust God for what He is doing in and through our lives this year.
1/5/13
January 5: Panama's Alpine Village
We thoroughly enjoyed our first day in Boquete, which is located in a 'valley of flowers and eternal spring'. It's cooler temperatures and strong gusty winds offers us a chance to put on long sleeves - at least in the evening - something we never feel like doing in Quepos. The quaint charm of the town gives off an alpine feel.
After a hike down to the river by our cabin, we explored the town for a couple of hours and stopped at quite a few market stalls. The kids were disappointed at Christmas that they didn't have any presents to open but were delighted today when we let them spend some money on souvenirs. Nathan and Angelina both picked out soccer jerseys and Sophia found some new sandals.
Our cabin isn't fancy but it's spacious and bigger than our Quepos house, which is a special treat. It also produces some conversations that make us realize a new appreciation for some things:
After taking a look at the bathroom, Nathan reported excitedly: "Mom, the bathroom has a COUNTER!"
After noticing that the wastebasket wasn't right next to the toilet, I said to Sophia, "you can put the toilet paper in the toilet." Her response was simple, "Oh, WOW!!" I'm noticing though a lot of it is still going in the garbage out of habit.
This afternoon we spent a couple of hours in the pool. There they met the two daughters (ages 4 and 5) of the maid that works here. The girls came to our cabin later and all the kids played tag together. It was so fun to watch the kids be able to run around outside with other kids - something they have REALLY missed a lot. Then tonight after dinner, we had a blast watching the five kids dance. Ken, the Canadian owner of the cabins, used to be a DJ and has a large selection of old records here along with a great stereo system and disco lights in his house (which is also the office for the cabins and open to guests).
Click here for today's slideshow.
After a hike down to the river by our cabin, we explored the town for a couple of hours and stopped at quite a few market stalls. The kids were disappointed at Christmas that they didn't have any presents to open but were delighted today when we let them spend some money on souvenirs. Nathan and Angelina both picked out soccer jerseys and Sophia found some new sandals.
Our cabin isn't fancy but it's spacious and bigger than our Quepos house, which is a special treat. It also produces some conversations that make us realize a new appreciation for some things:
After taking a look at the bathroom, Nathan reported excitedly: "Mom, the bathroom has a COUNTER!"
After noticing that the wastebasket wasn't right next to the toilet, I said to Sophia, "you can put the toilet paper in the toilet." Her response was simple, "Oh, WOW!!" I'm noticing though a lot of it is still going in the garbage out of habit.
This afternoon we spent a couple of hours in the pool. There they met the two daughters (ages 4 and 5) of the maid that works here. The girls came to our cabin later and all the kids played tag together. It was so fun to watch the kids be able to run around outside with other kids - something they have REALLY missed a lot. Then tonight after dinner, we had a blast watching the five kids dance. Ken, the Canadian owner of the cabins, used to be a DJ and has a large selection of old records here along with a great stereo system and disco lights in his house (which is also the office for the cabins and open to guests).
Click here for today's slideshow.
1/4/13
January 4: A long day of travel
Step #1 of today's travel: Our alarm went off at 5:25am with the plan to be out at the bus stop by 6:15. There is no bus station in Valle de Antón so we had to rely on the knowledge of locals to help us out. They're friendly and all but everyone seemed to have a different idea of when the bus passes for the town of Penonomé, where we needed to head first in order to catch a different bus for the larger city of David. After hearing a lot of different answers, we decided we'd rely on the information we got from the guy at the tourist kiosk in the market. We assumed his information was most accurate because we were there when he phoned 'the guy in charge of busses': be at bus stop at 6:15 in time for the 6:30am bus (because the next one isn't until 8am).
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| So we got there at 6:15am and waited. And waited. Asked some folks if we had missed the bus. Some said it had already passed. The gas attendant across the street said he was there by 6:05 and didn't see it. So, we have no idea whether we missed it or it never came but we sat at the bus stop for 2 hours watching the town 'wake up'. |
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| People were waiting for rides and this mini supermarket to open. Once it did at 7:30, I went to buy milk and we had bowls of cereal at the bus stop....providing free entertainment for the locals I'm sure. |
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| The many bicyclists that passed had to maneuver around this pack of dogs that was roaming around. Very common to see two or even three people on one bike. |
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| We saw more of the colorfully painted school busses |
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| The bus stop is adjacent to the market that's open every day. On weekends it's much bigger with a number of indigenous groups selling their artisan crafts. |
Step #3: Got off the bus in the large city of David (once again, not at a bus station because this particular bus was en route to the Costa Rican border and would keep on going). We got dropped off on some random city street and immediately found a taxi to drive us the 15 minutes to the airport where we could pick up our rental car.
Step #4: Drove to the town of Boquete (after dinner at McDonalds!!!! and a stop for milk at another large grocery store!) and found the cabin we reserved for three nights. George had read in our travel book that the bus takes 90 minutes to get to Boquete. Both our taxi driver and the worker at Dollar Rent-a-Car told us to take the 'new' road to Boquete. We were thrilled to find out it only took 30 minutes to get us to our cabin and we were expecting 90. That was a great way to end a long day of travel....we arrived about 13 hours after we started this morning, very thankful for each safe step along the way.
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| Our drive to Boquete gave us some nice views of the Barú volcano |
1/3/13
January 3: On Bike and on Horseback
After breakfast in our room today (definitely not the same as the last three mornings!), we decided to rent bikes from our hotel to go check out a few places around town. The kids were begging to go horseback riding again since they loved it so much a couple of weeks ago at Playa Grande. We actually had some unexpected money in our spending budget because when we got to the hotel yesterday the room we had reserved was not available so we agreed to a smaller and cheaper room - less space but some extra money. We decided to use it for an hour of horseback riding this morning.
Praises:
1) safe travels so far & good health
2) Great prices!!!!! Panama is so much cheaper than Costa Rica!! It's much more similar to back home. Tonight, for example, we enjoyed delicious homemade oven-roasted pizzas in an Italian family's pizzeria...for $20 (including pop!). It's impossible to do that in Quepos.
2) George's dad is out of the hospital!
Requests:
1) Long day of travel tomorrow that includes a couple of bus rides (one about 5 hours), taxi, and finally a rental car
2) That our house stays secure in Quepos
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| All smiles before we started....didn't take long for that to change. Sophia wanted to ride on her own for the first time but her horse was of the 'independent' personality and didn't follow the others. It went off the road and over a ditch and Sophia was freaking out. The guide quickly came to her rescue and she rode the rest of the time on her own but her horse was tied to the guide's horse so he could better control it. |
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| This afternoon we went to a small zoo where they allowed people to feed many of the animals - probably not approved of in most US zoos but the kids enjoyed feeding a variety of birds and monkeys. |
Off to bed early tonight...we're hoping to catch a 6:30am bus tomorrow which will be the first of many parts of our travel tomorrow. Our final destination is Boquete...
Praises:
1) safe travels so far & good health
2) Great prices!!!!! Panama is so much cheaper than Costa Rica!! It's much more similar to back home. Tonight, for example, we enjoyed delicious homemade oven-roasted pizzas in an Italian family's pizzeria...for $20 (including pop!). It's impossible to do that in Quepos.
2) George's dad is out of the hospital!
Requests:
1) Long day of travel tomorrow that includes a couple of bus rides (one about 5 hours), taxi, and finally a rental car
2) That our house stays secure in Quepos
1/2/13
January 2: Biking and Bussing
We spent our last morning in Panama City enjoying the beautiful views of the skyline from the Calzada de Amador, a causeway constructed in 1913 by using the rock extracted during the excavations from the Panama Canal. The 3 kilometer palm-lined causeway links four small islands to the mainland and acts as a breakwater for ships entering the canal. To explore this route, we decided to rent bicycles: a normal one that Nathan and Angelina took turns on (they loved being able to bike again!) and a four person bike that the rest of us were on with two of us at a time taking turns peddling.
After a quick lunch back at our suite (we are really gonna miss this place!), we taxied to the bus terminal for the next leg of our journey. It's HUGE and it felt like we were in an airport. We walked up to the counter to find out the next bus that could take us the 2.5 hours to Valle de Antón was leaving in 5 minutes so we hustled to catch it in time.
Our bus driver was definitely a fan of speed but thankfully safely delivered us to the small mountainous village 20 minutes earlier than scheduled. We had time to walk the downtown loop before dusk. We found the artisans' market, church, grocery stores, a bakery and a few restaurants open (many are still closed from holiday). We can tell already that it's a way different pace and cooler climate than Panama City.
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| Angelina declared she's ready for driver's training :) |
After a quick lunch back at our suite (we are really gonna miss this place!), we taxied to the bus terminal for the next leg of our journey. It's HUGE and it felt like we were in an airport. We walked up to the counter to find out the next bus that could take us the 2.5 hours to Valle de Antón was leaving in 5 minutes so we hustled to catch it in time.
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| Many busses at the terminal are brightly painted school busses...ours ended up being a smaller mini bus with cushioned seats which made for a pretty comfortable ride. |
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| Starting out from the terminal: I counted 27 seats but I think we had close to 40 people on board at one point. The bus was a colectivo, which means it's cheap but stops numerous times to drop off and pick up passengers. The extra ones crammed in and stood in the really narrow aisle. |
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| The back seat crew ready for another adventure |
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| Definitely didn't take long to leave the cosmopolitan (and comfy pillow) city life we enjoyed in our suite. While I'm writing this blog in the open-air WiFi spot, Nathan came out of our room all upset and said he couldn't sleep because 'his pillow feels like it has rocks in it'. I told him he could switch with mine but he can't blame me in the morning if I'm grumpy :) |
Our bus driver was definitely a fan of speed but thankfully safely delivered us to the small mountainous village 20 minutes earlier than scheduled. We had time to walk the downtown loop before dusk. We found the artisans' market, church, grocery stores, a bakery and a few restaurants open (many are still closed from holiday). We can tell already that it's a way different pace and cooler climate than Panama City.
1/1/13
January 1: Panama Canal and Old Town
Happy New Year!! Today was definitely not a day for us sitting around munching on snacks and watching football games - although the kids would have probably chosen that if given a choice over the 'boring' walking tour of looking at old buildings and watching mom takes pictures (Sophia's description of our morning). Good thing we don't take democratic votes in our family or us parents would have lost out on a great experience :).
There's many great places to visit here in our three night stay in Panama City. We (at least George and I!) had a lovely morning exploring Casco Viejo, which is also known as 'Old Town'. The kids said it reminded them of Quebec City which was a good comparison. It's the part of the city that dates back to colonial days so some of the buildings are worn and crumbling while others are getting beautifully restored. Its character and charm stands in great contrast to the sleek and modern skyline of Panama City which you see looking out over the water from Casco Viejo.
After a couple of hours strolling the narrow streets under the hot sun, we headed off to the air-conditioned Miraflores Visitors Center at the Panama Canal. We watched a 3-D movie on its history, toured the four floored museum, ate our picnic lunch and spent time out on one of the terraces to view the canal action. We were able to see a yacht pass through and also a large ship. The canal really is an engineering marvel and a fascinating place to visit.
We all enjoyed a dip in the pool this afternoon along with a very special treat: sundaes and flurries from McDonalds (still livin' large!). We took the scenic way to get to McDonalds so we could pass by a lovely cathedral (last three pics in the slideshow). We made our own dinner in our hotel suite, reflected back on 2012 since we were too tired last night, and played a family game of Fish Bowl.
Today brought some simple pleasures, extraordinary sights, and continued enjoyment of our spacious hotel suite which is bigger than our Quepos house. We missed gathering with the rest of our family but we're grateful for a wonderful day together with the five of us.
Click here for today's slideshow.
There's many great places to visit here in our three night stay in Panama City. We (at least George and I!) had a lovely morning exploring Casco Viejo, which is also known as 'Old Town'. The kids said it reminded them of Quebec City which was a good comparison. It's the part of the city that dates back to colonial days so some of the buildings are worn and crumbling while others are getting beautifully restored. Its character and charm stands in great contrast to the sleek and modern skyline of Panama City which you see looking out over the water from Casco Viejo.
After a couple of hours strolling the narrow streets under the hot sun, we headed off to the air-conditioned Miraflores Visitors Center at the Panama Canal. We watched a 3-D movie on its history, toured the four floored museum, ate our picnic lunch and spent time out on one of the terraces to view the canal action. We were able to see a yacht pass through and also a large ship. The canal really is an engineering marvel and a fascinating place to visit.
We all enjoyed a dip in the pool this afternoon along with a very special treat: sundaes and flurries from McDonalds (still livin' large!). We took the scenic way to get to McDonalds so we could pass by a lovely cathedral (last three pics in the slideshow). We made our own dinner in our hotel suite, reflected back on 2012 since we were too tired last night, and played a family game of Fish Bowl.
Today brought some simple pleasures, extraordinary sights, and continued enjoyment of our spacious hotel suite which is bigger than our Quepos house. We missed gathering with the rest of our family but we're grateful for a wonderful day together with the five of us.
Click here for today's slideshow.
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