Christmas Costa Rican Style

This Christmas provided us with many new experiences.  

We didn't quite feel like it was Christmas, and we missed our family deeply.  

However,  it was a grand party here in San Francisco de Dos Rios that felt much more like a 4th of July celebration back home.

The party started the first weekend in December with a street fair in the park located one block from our apartment.  There were people selling crafts, food, and live music all afternoon and evening.  With a cool breeze wafting through the open windows, we enjoyed listening to the music each evening.  The festivities ended on Sunday night with a grand fireworks show.  

No matter where you go in San Jose, you will find manger scenes in all the public places.  The grocery store near our house has a big manger scene right in front of the giant Christmas tree.  

One interesting fact - Baby Jesus isn't placed in the manger scene until Christmas Eve, so up until Christmas Eve the mangers are usually empty.  

Making tamales is another Costa Rican Christmas tradition.  Jim along with our new teammates, Dave  and Angie, were invited to a Tico family tamal-making evening (I was with the girls and grandbaby in AL).  Tamales here are a bit different in that they are square and wrapped in plantain leaves.

After attending services at our church, Christmas Eve was spent with just the two of us in our apartment.  I'm sure you are picturing the two of us celebrating quietly at home, but your picture isn't correct.  Nope, we were introduced to another Latin American tradition - fireworks to celebrate Christmas Eve.  We're not talking about a few sparklers and black cats in the backyard, but real honest-to-goodness fireworks.  After eating with the family on Christmas Eve, the Costa Rican families celebrate with their own fireworks shows.  It started about 8:00 p.m. and lasted until well after midnight.  In addition to fireworks, we experienced dogs barking at the fireworks, and car alarms being set off by the fireworks. 

Our new experiences continued Christmas Day.  A fellow ReachGlobal missionary, Judy, invited Dave, Angie, Jim  and me to Christmas dinner.  We had delicious grilled pork with mango salsa along with other great food on the patio in 70 degree weather. 

Need to wash your hands?  Here you go!

Our celebration culminated with a trip to the fiesta in Zapote - another Christmas tradition here.  Many families spend the evening of Christmas Day at the opening of the fiesta.  Again, it felt more like the 4th of July with tons of carnival rides, food venders, and carnival games.  The highlight of this fiesta is the bull fighting that takes place throughout the entire week between Christmas and New Years Day. We didn't go inside the ring to watch, but we were able to watch all the action on a giant TV screen outside the bullring.

Christmas is a celebration here, and we look forward to having friends and family come celebrate with us next year.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!

Fun Stuff

The day after graduation, Jim left for Nicaragua, so I decided to try to fly stand-by to Alabama where I could see several of my favorite people at once.  I was successful in securing a seat on both planes, and I arrived to a house full of loved ones.  

I planned to take many pictures, but playing with Baby Wilson was a much higher priority. 

I'm having to get all my silliness out now, because in just a few short years my granny games will cause Wilson terrible embarrassment.  However, we had a great time being silly!

I had a bit of culture shock returning to the U.S.  When I deplaned in Atlanta, the number of white people was shocking - there were so many!  This is not my new normal at all.  I also found myself struggling to remember that I could flush the toilet paper.  It's amazing how quickly you can adjust to a new way of living.  I know that prayers of friends and family have helped with the transition in Costa Rica, and God has graciously put us in a place where we feel at home.

Costa Rica is an amazingly beautiful country.  We accompanied a team from Dallas to a retreat in Quepos, and the team spent a few hours at the beach one afternoon.  This is a pic I took, so you can imagine how much more beautiful it was in person.   This was our first time at the beach, so we look forward to visiting again when we can stay longer and enjoy the beauty.

We Are Officially Graduates

Instituto de Lengua Española

Although our language learning is far from over, we have completed our time in language school.  YAY!!  We have benefitted tremendously from our time at the language school, and we have had amazing teachers.  We are thankful for the opportunity to spend focused time learning Spanish. 

However, we are excited to be able to engage more actively in ministry.

Our graduating class

Our Costa Rican pastor - speaker @ graduation

We are deeply grateful for the prayers and support during this past 11 months.  The difficulties we have faced have and the opposition from the enemy have given us assurance that learning Spanish is critically important to our ministry here in Latin America.  

  We were blessed to share our celebration at the language school with most of our ReachGlobal teammates, and . . .

they took us to lunch at a soda (small restaurant) owned by one of Jim's ESL students.

Again, thank you for being a part of this journey with us!

Costa Rican Beauty

Volcán Arenal 

Hope came for a visit to Costa Rice at the end of June.  It was a time a of joy for us, 

and we were able to travel to Volcán Arenal.  While staying at Arenal, 

we were struck with the incredible beauty of Costa Rica.

                            

Look at the size of this fern leaf

Now that rainy season has started, the plants are lush and bright.  

La Fortuna Waterfall

We hiked down about 500 hundred steps to the bottom of the waterfall.  It was breathtaking! The beauty and the roar of the waterfall captured us, and we were in awe of the artistry and power of God.

It felt surreal being in the midst of all this!  Although we don't get to enjoy nature like this in the city where we live, we are blessed to venture out once in a while to enjoy it.

In an area that's part of the compound where we stayed, we were able to see some interesting creatures.  One evening just before dark a howler monkey made quite a racket.  

Glad there was fence around this guy!  He was just cooling off.

Come visit and we will enjoy together!!!

It's Been A Long Time

Granada, Nicaragua

It's been so long since we have posted as life has taken us on a whirlwind ride the past few months and we've hardly had time to catch our breath.  

So . . .  here is a brief recap of the whirlwind.

MARCH

We made a visa trip to Granada, Nicaragua at the end of March, and look who we found!  Our dear friends from Esteli, Nicaragua met us one evening for a special time together.  Also a short-term team from Alabama arrived in Managua, and made the trip down to Granada for a visit.  It was encouraging and uplifting to see dear friends!!

They actually ate this!

APRIL

We returned to the U.S. in April to meet with family to make long term plans for Jim's parents.  We were in Alabama for a week, and then we traveled to Texas to meet our new grandson.

Wilson Joseph Hancock

April 2, 2011

6 lb. 7 oz.

19 1/2 inches

It was a joy to spend time with Wilson and his mom and dad!

First Easter

Wilson's visitors at Easter - Tia Hope, Great Granny, and Great Papaw

MAY

We returned to Costa Rica, and 10 days later received word that Jim's dad was hospitalized and not expected to live.  We rushed back to Alabama, and Mr. Wilson passed away on May 13 from heart failure.  We will miss him even though we know he is in a much better place.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/adn/obituary.aspx?n=james-wilson&pid=151096521

We were overwhelmed by the love and support we received from everyone during this difficult time.  We are so grateful for the love and prayers sent our way!  Our hearts were wrapped in comfort from the love and prayers.

JUNE

At the beginning of June our daughter, Candace, suffered severe complications from mastitis.  She was hospitalized for a few days, so I returned to the U.S. to help with the baby and other things around the home.  Thankfully, Candace has began to get better and will soon be back on her feet.  While she has been recovering, I have enjoyed this precious time with little Wilson, Candace and Mark.

Until next time - blessings to you and your family!

Reality Check



Caño Island

All the photos in this post were taken a few weeks ago when we visited the southern part of Costa Rica.  We had the opportunity to go with a group to the little fishing village of Sierpe.  I chose these pictures that display the beauty of God's creation in contrast with the ugliness we sometimes see & experience.  The uninhabited island we visited is part of a national preserve, and the beauty was unbelieveable!  I've also included a couple of pictures that I hope will bring a smile to your face.



The Local Sierpe Ferry


Reality check:  We have recently been reminded of the fact that we need to be careful.  We need not be fearful for we are in the hands of God, but neither can we be careless.  As with any big city around the world, there are always people looking to gain at expense of others.  Whether in the halls of the politicians or on the streets, it is the same everywhere. 


A couple in my grammar class fell prey to a scam on the city bus, and the gentleman was pickpocketed.  A lady dropped some magazines as they were exiting the bus, and as the couple helped her retrieve the magazines the thieves struck silently and effortlessly.  Within the hour it took for them to get home and call the credit card companies, over $8000+ had been charged to their cards.



I had a experience that hopefully will fulfill my quota for the rest of the time we are here. J   Thankfully I was not the target, and I was not involved in any way except as a witness to an assault.  While walking home from school one afternoon, I stopped at the intersection in front of our apartment to wait for traffic to pass.  I waited and waved to friends across the street while one car pulled up to the stop sign and another car pulled quickly in front of the first car.  As I started across the street, a man jumped out of the second car with a gun and ran to the passenger's side of the first car.  At that moment I was only inches away from the guy with the gun.  Talk about a heart attack!!!  I took off running, and I'm sure it is the fastest I have ever run in my entire life.  The friends across the street took off running at the same time, and we all ran inside our gate.  The guys from the second car robbed the first car, and they were already gone by the time we got inside the gate.  Our Tico (what Costa Ricans call themselves) neighbor called the police, and we later learned that the guys in the second car had been following the first car since it had left the bank.  We are thankful no one was hurt in the incident!  This scare reminded us that we always need to be aware and watchful.  We had become a bit too comfortable with our surroundings, and we weren't as watchful as we should have been.  We now take much more care when out and about.  We are also grateful that this isn't a regular occurence in our neighborhood! 

And finally . . .

You never know when you will find English - this is on the Sierpe River.

 Next week I'll share some more beauty of Costa Rica.

Melanie





Saturday Mornings

Every Saturday morning, I walk to the Feria (Farmer's Market) here in San Fransisco. Usually the sun is bright and warm, and the rows of fresh produce line both sides of the walkway. Even if I don't buy a thing, it is a delightful experience. People are buying fresh produce for the week, visiting with acquaintances, and enjoying the beautiful morning. The Feria takes place in a local park, so the sound of children playing provides background music.  

The vendors are helpful and patient with me and my poor Spanish.   The first week I took off to the Feria  by myself, I had to ask for the price of items at least three times before I could understand  the cost.  One vendor finally gave up and asked me to hold out my money so he could take the proper amount. After he took the right amount and said it again, I finally understood. (Well, duh!)   After a month of Saturdays, it now only takes one repetition for me to get the right amount, and if it is an even amount I might even get it on the first try.  It's the cincuenta (50) added to the end of something that always messes with me! 

Fresh vegetables for the week are purchased and taken home to be cleaned.  Here is this week's supply:
papaya (la papaya) (for a friend)
bananas  (los bananos)
Clementines (las mandarinas)
watermelon (la sandia)
cilantro (el culantro)
new potatoes (las papas)
pineapple (la piña)
lettuce (la lechuga)
carrots (las zanahorias)
oranges (las naranjas)
broccoli (el brocoli)
cauliflower (la coliflor)
honey (miel)

After getting everything home, the fruits with peels get a good washing.  Then the veggies get a special bath to kill little organisms that might make us sick.  After an hour or two of soaking, everything is washed thoroughly.  Needless to say, it is an all morning affair to purchase and clean the week's produce.  Although it takes quite a bit of time, it is well worthwhile.  Everything is so fresh and tasty, and hopefully the pesticides are mostly gone!  Generally, food is quite expensive in Costa Rica, but most of the things purchased at the Feria are reasonable.  Just to make you jealous, the pineapples are usually about $1.25-1.50 each.  However if it isn't grown here, the price is at least double the price in Texas or Alabama. 

If you ever visit, I'm sure you will enjoy a trip to the Feria! 

Have a wonderful week!

(Next weekend we will be out of town, so check back late Monday for pictures of our trip.)

Until next week,

Melanie

Multicultural Day

Jim, Samuel, Hae Su



Friday was a relaxing holiday from class at the Instituto Lengua de Español (the Spanish Language Institute).  We spent the day seeing sites around San Jose with our new Korean friends, Samuel and Hae Su.  Let us introduce you to these gentlemen.  Samuel is originally from Korea, and he has been a missionary in Argentina for the past 13 years.  He doesn't speak any English.  Hae Su is a 23 year-old young man from Korea, and he has been in Costa Rica for about 2 months.  He speaks a tiny bit of English and he knows only a few words in Spanish. 

Cafe Brit Coffee Tour

Samuel and Jim have struck up a friendship because of the bond between their pastor hearts. They have enjoyed getting to know one another by communicating in Spanish. Although neither is quite fluent in Spanish, they manage to talk and share with each other.

Hae Su is living with his uncle here in Costa Rica while he studies Spanish for his future international job in Korea. He is one of my classes where the teacher mothers him and is always calling him, "Little Chiquito."

Hae Su, Mel, Jim, Samuel

Picutre this - two Korean gringos accompanied by two U.S. gringos sightseeing in a Latin American country with a bit of Spanish, Korean, and English being spoken throughout the day.  We caught ourselves laughing at the conversations that were a mix of Spanish (Jim-Samuel), Korean (Samuel-Hae Su), and English (Jim-Melanie). 

Bouganvilla at Cafe Brit (it's so beautiful in person)

However, as the day came to a close we were touched by the kindness, love, and frienship we experienced.  The love we share through the bond of Christ is overwhelming and amazing no matter where we are or what language we speak.  We are so thankful that God has allowed us to have many brothers and sisters in Christ.  As we begin this journey to work in Latin America, we are reminded that no matter where we or how far apart we may be, we are united with bonds of love that are strong and deep.