This will be brief. I promise.
Roman and I have decided to leave Pacuare Viejo and head out on our own. Today we met with a man with a house for rent in Corales 3, a nice neighborhood close to our favorite resort. An hour later we were scheduling times to sign contracts and imagining ourselves in our "first home."
Of course, I use the expression lightly. This is a rental property, with three large bedrooms and a nice living space/kitchen, but it´s safer than our previous locale and gives us the opportunity to truly experience life as citizens of Limon. We are being given the ability to paint and decorate as we see fit, and neither of us can deny the excitement we feel over this new development.
Last night we stayed up late watching HGTV, and in particular "House Hunters." The premise of this show is that a couple declares their budget and then they visit three houses that are in the ballpark. The excitement of this is that we, the viewers, try to guess which house the couple will choose. Then they show the selected home a few months later and you can see how the couple has transformed the space. I always thought that the level of excitement these people display was contrived and false, but alas, after realizing that we had a place of our own, Roman and I were much the same.
This decision is rather sudden, although I don´t think anyone on the Provincial Elders Conference here in Costa Rica was caught by surprise. In fact, I get the feeling that they expected the call to come sooner. In reality, they´re right. If left to my own devices, I wouldn´t change a single thing... but that´s acting out of a fear that I choose not to clarify in a public forum. We needed to move, but it took Roman´s confidence before I agreed to see the vision through. I am, however, extremely thankful. I am hoping that this new change will be all that I need to begin my recovery from the illness that has been plaguing me for the past month.
This new change, of course, brings many prayer requests. First and foremost: we need furniture. As I am writing this now, we have just gotten a call that one of our churches is donating a sofa and chairs, and another family is donating two single beds without mattresses. That still leaves a need for said mattresses, refrigerator, stove, microwave, and pans/plates. We really don´t have anything except a pair of fans for our bedrooms. Please be in prayer for these needs to be met- and quickly. We move in tomorrow.
The other major prayer request is for my relationship with Sara. As I mentioned before, I would not be moving if it weren´t for the counsel of others whom I not only trust, but know are right in their perceptions. I know that I need to move for many reasons, but I don´t relish the thought of hurting her feelings or taking a much needed source of income from her. There are, of course, many other factors at play that I do not wish to disclose, but suffice it to say that I am worried about what this will do to our relationship. Please pray for a peaceful "passing of understanding."
Otherwise, once Roman and I are established in our ¡NEW HOME! we will be sure to upload some great pictures... and maybe a video or two. ( I have LOTS of good videos to share...)
I love you all, and will have more news for you later. Stay safe in the face of Hurricane Gustav!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A note of explanation
Hello everyone. Obviously, it's been awhile since I last posted. There is good reason for this- I don't have regular internet access. Instead of hauling my laptop all over the city, I made the decision to wait until I knew I was going to be able to have some time with a wireless internet connection to post the blogs I'd been saving.
That said, you should know that three posts preceding this message are dated 7.27.08, 8.2.08, and 8.19.08. That should help you with figuring out the chronology of the events I wrote about weeks ago.
In the meantime, we are expecting to have internet in our home within a week or so, so I believe that the posts will return to their original regularity. Until then, however, please accept my apologies. I hope you enjoy the posts anyways. :)
As for the way things stand at the moment, Roman and I are enjoying an afternoon at Maribu Caribe, a local resort with free internet by the poolside. The two weeks since he arrived have been a blessing. It feels so nice to have someone from home right down the hall, and it helps that he is such a gentleman and is of such good character. It is a reassurance, to say the least.
We are working in two different churches, so on Sunday we don't see one another, but otherwise we are together most of the time. This means that I have more freedom to come and go as I please. I've already taken him to the beach last week, and who knows what we'll do next.
Personally, I need prayers for my health. I had my first (and hopefully my last) visit to the emergency room here at our local hospital on Sunday afternoon, where I was told that I can't digest most foods and needed to be on a primarily liquid diet. In addition, I had to receive three shots and a variety of pills to help towards my recovery. Right now I feel well- I miss eating meat, but I can eat soft foods like Jello and potatoes easily, so I think I'll be able to make the dietary transition without problem.
Thanks to everyone who has called or emailed about my blog. Remember, I have a local NC phone number that can be used to leave me voicemails or call. It connects to my computer and if I'm online I can answer it like a regular phone. That number is 336-685-3118. Feel free to leave me a message- I appreciate the feedback.
Until next time!
“Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love.
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
We share our mutual woes;
Our mutual burdens bear.
And often for each other flows
A sympathizing tear.”
Our hearts in Christian love.
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
We share our mutual woes;
Our mutual burdens bear.
And often for each other flows
A sympathizing tear.”
-- Jon Fawcett, 1782
Well, thanks be to God, Roman has arrived in Limon. And, perhaps by heavenly design, he managed to arrive during one of the most incredible weeks I’ve had here yet.
This week was hectic- I had enrolled in a course on Worship that was being offered in town, and it was also the week of Mother’s Day- which is one incredible holiday here in Costa Rica. It is always celebrated on August 15th, and it is one of their most important holidays. So between my trip to Panama last weekend, going to classes here in Limon, riding to San Jose to pick Roman up, and celebrating Mother’s Day, I was running on fumes!
Let me begin by recapping my experience in Panama. Last Thursday, the 7th of August, I spent the night with a woman from the provincial board and her family. Early on the morning of the 8th, we set out for Panama on the 5:30 bus from Limon to Sixaola- which is essentially a tiny outpost on the Panamanian border. The bus let us off at around 9am, and I was immediately impressed by the crossing between the countries. In Sixaola, the town lies along the sides of the main road, but the main road is highly elevated. There are stairs and bridges connecting the neighboring barrios and homes to this main road. We climbed one such set of stairs to walk from where the bus let us off- at the local Soda, or snack shop- up to the border crossing, where there is a singular sign much like our own signs back in the States, that reads “Panama.”
From there, we got in line at the customs office to have our passports stamped. As an American, I was required to pay an extra tax for crossing- it was $7 for a year’s pass across the border. After we were stamped, we walked across the border, which in this case was an old abandoned train trestle crossing a major river. Buses and Eighteen-Wheelers regularly cross this bridge in their progress towards Panama City and the Canal, but I can assure you that the experience was terrifying, as there were expansive gaps between the wooden slats covering the bridge, and it would’ve been very easy to fall through or lose your luggage through them.
After crossing over, we went through customs in Panama, where they stamped our passports again and we caught a very cramped Taxi to Changuinola, Bocas Del Toro. It was only a short ride from the border to Changuinola, but it seemed much longer with six of us crammed into a pickup truck with our luggage. After arriving we decided to take advantage of the extremely inexpensive shopping available and went through all of the old Banana Stores, where they still sold machetes right beside children’s toys. It was incredible to see the influence of Chiquita Banana everywhere we turned- I have been reading a great book recently called “Bananas” that talks about the history of banana companies in Panama and Costa Rica- this experience seemed to jump right off the pages.
After lunch at the Restarante Chiquita Banana, we took another short cab ride through Changuinola and several Banana plantations to Chiquita Banana Park, where we were warned of the severe legal consequences of catching Manatees and caught our boat, or Panga, to Bocas Island. Despite being sick to my stomach- it’s true that whenever you visit another country you can expect to be sick for a day or so- I still managed to enjoy the hour long ride through the Soropta Canal and across the incredibly clear waters of the Caribbean to the bay of Bocas. You could see straight to the bottom, where there were Sea Cucumbers, Starfish, and Sea Urchins resting happily. Not to mention some of the most beautiful fish I’ve ever seen!
After an evening of good food and good fellowship, we were prepared for the fun of the weekend. We booked a private cruise through the islands and spent much of Saturday lounging in our private speedboat, dolphin watching, snorkeling, and hiking through the rainforest. Although it was really cool to see dolphins somewhere other than Sea World, I’d have to say that snorkeling was by far the coolest experience of the day. While I had been enchanted by the fish at Puerto Viejo, I was unprepared for the excitement of snorkeling in a true coral reef. To be face to face with sea anemones and reef fish was like swimming in a giant fish tank. I will be doing that again soon. In fact, I may be dragging Roman to the beach tomorrow.
After returning to Limon, I had one day to rest before the Worship Workshop began. I slept hard, determined not to get up unless I had to. For those of you who know about my passion for Powerpoint presentations, don’t worry- I spent that afternoon composing my coolest slideshow yet, complete with theme music.
The Workshop, held at the Centro Teologico del Caribe, was incredible. For those of you who haven’t had the chance to talk to me person-to-person about my experience here yet, let me say that CTC is a fabulous school here in Limon, created to allow the community churches to come together and share in programs to enrich their community. Because CTC is already established and offer a similar program to our own, there has been a little smidgeon of tension between us. I am working to try to find common ground with them in hopes that we can finally work together collaboratively. They really are amazing, and this program offered this week was no exception.
Although I hadn’t planned on fully joining in with the courses, I found myself at the school day and night for classes in Worship Modification (how to help assess and motivate your congregation to accept change in worship styles), Worship for Worship Leaders (where we re-assessed our rolls as figures in the church and discussed what the true meaning of worship is), and a great Black Gospel choir to round out the day. Needless to say, two days after our concert, I am still hoarse! I have never felt so loved and encouraged in my life- people actually referred to me as a member of the Limonese community! In addition, there were a lot of people there who had been in the Limon Music Institute back in July, so many of them knew me already. It was like a family reunion…only in Spanish! Add to that the fact that Roman didn’t hesitate to join in once he arrived, and you can see how I’d be incredibly joyful after the experience.
Speaking of my Spanish, it is really coming along! I can converse with almost anyone, although my vocabulary is still quite small. This week I had the blessing of meeting the young girls that live in my neighborhood- Genevieve, Jennifer, Tiffany, and Carolina- and they come to the house most evenings to talk to me and Roman and ask questions. They don’t speak English, except for Genevieve, so I have really busted out my Spanish skills. Today I took Roman, who is also learning his first bit of Spanish, to the bank. It was thrilling to be able to be his translator! I’d never have thought I could do it before today- I even found myself speaking in Spanish without having to think it through first! The night before last, I even dreamt that I was back home and could only speak in Spanish- no English! At one point, while I was speaking to one of my many “Spanish Only” friends at the workshop, one of the clinicians from New York even told me that she thought I was from Limon!
At any rate, this week has been a blessing and I can’t say enough how much it means to have Roman here with me. With his arrival I gain a fair bit of freedom, as well as a friend and confidante. He is so very generous with his time and talent, and- when it comes to me, anyway- his patience. I’m glad it is he who has come to work with me, because he is just the right type of person to encourage me and at the same time keep me firmly rooted in reality. I think it will prove to be a good partnership.
This week is the first week of lessons, and so far no one has remembered that we were meeting, so perhaps next week will be full of encouraging tales from those one-on-one encounters. At any rate, we should have internet in the house by then. If so, it may be then that I post the last three or four blog entries, because Heaven knows it’s been awhile! Thanks for hanging with me despite the delays, and please post comments- I have been told that people read this here blog, but I myself can see no evidence! Let me know you’re out there! Leave me a comment or send an email so that I know you’re following me. J
Well, thanks be to God, Roman has arrived in Limon. And, perhaps by heavenly design, he managed to arrive during one of the most incredible weeks I’ve had here yet.
This week was hectic- I had enrolled in a course on Worship that was being offered in town, and it was also the week of Mother’s Day- which is one incredible holiday here in Costa Rica. It is always celebrated on August 15th, and it is one of their most important holidays. So between my trip to Panama last weekend, going to classes here in Limon, riding to San Jose to pick Roman up, and celebrating Mother’s Day, I was running on fumes!
Let me begin by recapping my experience in Panama. Last Thursday, the 7th of August, I spent the night with a woman from the provincial board and her family. Early on the morning of the 8th, we set out for Panama on the 5:30 bus from Limon to Sixaola- which is essentially a tiny outpost on the Panamanian border. The bus let us off at around 9am, and I was immediately impressed by the crossing between the countries. In Sixaola, the town lies along the sides of the main road, but the main road is highly elevated. There are stairs and bridges connecting the neighboring barrios and homes to this main road. We climbed one such set of stairs to walk from where the bus let us off- at the local Soda, or snack shop- up to the border crossing, where there is a singular sign much like our own signs back in the States, that reads “Panama.”
From there, we got in line at the customs office to have our passports stamped. As an American, I was required to pay an extra tax for crossing- it was $7 for a year’s pass across the border. After we were stamped, we walked across the border, which in this case was an old abandoned train trestle crossing a major river. Buses and Eighteen-Wheelers regularly cross this bridge in their progress towards Panama City and the Canal, but I can assure you that the experience was terrifying, as there were expansive gaps between the wooden slats covering the bridge, and it would’ve been very easy to fall through or lose your luggage through them.
After crossing over, we went through customs in Panama, where they stamped our passports again and we caught a very cramped Taxi to Changuinola, Bocas Del Toro. It was only a short ride from the border to Changuinola, but it seemed much longer with six of us crammed into a pickup truck with our luggage. After arriving we decided to take advantage of the extremely inexpensive shopping available and went through all of the old Banana Stores, where they still sold machetes right beside children’s toys. It was incredible to see the influence of Chiquita Banana everywhere we turned- I have been reading a great book recently called “Bananas” that talks about the history of banana companies in Panama and Costa Rica- this experience seemed to jump right off the pages.
After lunch at the Restarante Chiquita Banana, we took another short cab ride through Changuinola and several Banana plantations to Chiquita Banana Park, where we were warned of the severe legal consequences of catching Manatees and caught our boat, or Panga, to Bocas Island. Despite being sick to my stomach- it’s true that whenever you visit another country you can expect to be sick for a day or so- I still managed to enjoy the hour long ride through the Soropta Canal and across the incredibly clear waters of the Caribbean to the bay of Bocas. You could see straight to the bottom, where there were Sea Cucumbers, Starfish, and Sea Urchins resting happily. Not to mention some of the most beautiful fish I’ve ever seen!
After an evening of good food and good fellowship, we were prepared for the fun of the weekend. We booked a private cruise through the islands and spent much of Saturday lounging in our private speedboat, dolphin watching, snorkeling, and hiking through the rainforest. Although it was really cool to see dolphins somewhere other than Sea World, I’d have to say that snorkeling was by far the coolest experience of the day. While I had been enchanted by the fish at Puerto Viejo, I was unprepared for the excitement of snorkeling in a true coral reef. To be face to face with sea anemones and reef fish was like swimming in a giant fish tank. I will be doing that again soon. In fact, I may be dragging Roman to the beach tomorrow.
After returning to Limon, I had one day to rest before the Worship Workshop began. I slept hard, determined not to get up unless I had to. For those of you who know about my passion for Powerpoint presentations, don’t worry- I spent that afternoon composing my coolest slideshow yet, complete with theme music.
The Workshop, held at the Centro Teologico del Caribe, was incredible. For those of you who haven’t had the chance to talk to me person-to-person about my experience here yet, let me say that CTC is a fabulous school here in Limon, created to allow the community churches to come together and share in programs to enrich their community. Because CTC is already established and offer a similar program to our own, there has been a little smidgeon of tension between us. I am working to try to find common ground with them in hopes that we can finally work together collaboratively. They really are amazing, and this program offered this week was no exception.
Although I hadn’t planned on fully joining in with the courses, I found myself at the school day and night for classes in Worship Modification (how to help assess and motivate your congregation to accept change in worship styles), Worship for Worship Leaders (where we re-assessed our rolls as figures in the church and discussed what the true meaning of worship is), and a great Black Gospel choir to round out the day. Needless to say, two days after our concert, I am still hoarse! I have never felt so loved and encouraged in my life- people actually referred to me as a member of the Limonese community! In addition, there were a lot of people there who had been in the Limon Music Institute back in July, so many of them knew me already. It was like a family reunion…only in Spanish! Add to that the fact that Roman didn’t hesitate to join in once he arrived, and you can see how I’d be incredibly joyful after the experience.
Speaking of my Spanish, it is really coming along! I can converse with almost anyone, although my vocabulary is still quite small. This week I had the blessing of meeting the young girls that live in my neighborhood- Genevieve, Jennifer, Tiffany, and Carolina- and they come to the house most evenings to talk to me and Roman and ask questions. They don’t speak English, except for Genevieve, so I have really busted out my Spanish skills. Today I took Roman, who is also learning his first bit of Spanish, to the bank. It was thrilling to be able to be his translator! I’d never have thought I could do it before today- I even found myself speaking in Spanish without having to think it through first! The night before last, I even dreamt that I was back home and could only speak in Spanish- no English! At one point, while I was speaking to one of my many “Spanish Only” friends at the workshop, one of the clinicians from New York even told me that she thought I was from Limon!
At any rate, this week has been a blessing and I can’t say enough how much it means to have Roman here with me. With his arrival I gain a fair bit of freedom, as well as a friend and confidante. He is so very generous with his time and talent, and- when it comes to me, anyway- his patience. I’m glad it is he who has come to work with me, because he is just the right type of person to encourage me and at the same time keep me firmly rooted in reality. I think it will prove to be a good partnership.
This week is the first week of lessons, and so far no one has remembered that we were meeting, so perhaps next week will be full of encouraging tales from those one-on-one encounters. At any rate, we should have internet in the house by then. If so, it may be then that I post the last three or four blog entries, because Heaven knows it’s been awhile! Thanks for hanging with me despite the delays, and please post comments- I have been told that people read this here blog, but I myself can see no evidence! Let me know you’re out there! Leave me a comment or send an email so that I know you’re following me. J
Alleluia! not as orphans are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us,
faith believes, nor questions how;
Though the cloud from sight received Him
when the forty days were o’er
Shall our hearts forget His promise,
“I am with you evermore”?
--William Dix, 1867
Every week I spend here is another week that my love for this city and its people grows. I can’t believe I’m writing that- making it an actual statement, but it’s true. The past week seems to have just flown by in terms of length, but when I look back on it, it was filled with interesting adventures.
First of all, we finally made the decision to get the internet. I’m thrilled about this because it means that I won’t have to haul my aging laptop all over Limon just to call home for fifteen minutes. However, in true Costa Rican style, it takes the company 22 days to install it. Despite all of that, it made for an interesting trip into town. The electric company here is the primary source of utilities for the people in the country. It’s like having Duke Power or Nashville Electric Supply in control of your very existence. Our phones are run by ICE (the name is an anagram, but people pronounce it “ee-say”), our lights, the internet, and even our cell phones. There isn’t a Sprint or T-Mobile provider- it all goes through ICE.
The ICE building is only second in importance to the hospital, which is its next door neighbor in a very high-end neighborhood called Vista Del Mar. The name has meaning- Vista Del Mar means “view of the sea” in English, and these doctors and lawyers are fortunate enough to have the ocean in their well-manicured backyards, and with it exclusive access to the boat launches ferrying passengers to and from Isla Uvita- the island just half a mile into the sea from the Limon coastline. ICE is just ten feet from the waterfront.
When we entered the building I was reminded of going to the Department of Motor Vehicles back home in North Carolina- they assign you a number based on the type of service needed, and you all wait together in a huge waiting room until someone calls “C52” or “Bingo,” whichever comes first. We waited for a million years. After an eon or so, the security guard, probably feeling bad for us, came over and asked Sara if she had her Gold Card. Apparently when you turn 65 in Costa Rica, the Social Security folks (yes, they have that here) give you a gold card that says you’re old and no longer have to pay for government services. That means free medical treatment, medications, bus rides, reduced rates on utilities, and the right to cut in front of anyone already in line at any Government office. Well, Sara is not 65 yet, so we had to keep waiting. Finally, we were called (2 hours later) and we had no sooner given the woman our phone number when she asked “Who is Joseph?” Apparently Sara’s utilities are in her son’s name. And he lives an hour away. And the lady at the counter just shook her head, printed off some power-of-attorney forms, and sent us back on our ways.
Well, when Sara decided to make the trip out to get the paperwork signed, another great Moravian lady here in town, Ninfa, called and picked me up to go get a cell phone. This was a huge breakthrough! I really needed that phone! Here in Costa Rica, they have just sold out of cell phone lines, so I couldn’t get a line of my own- Ninfa’s mother was happy to sublet her phone to me. Afterwards, Ninfa and I went on a miniature shopping spree. Ninfa knows everyone, and everyone knows her. We browsed in every shop- she is much like me in that sometimes we just want to go just to see what’s new, not to buy. Of course she introduced me to E-cono, which is like Dollar General but bigger and cheaper, and I ended up with a new pair of sunglasses and a pair of flip flops. She also introduced me to the Costa Rican smoothie.
Smoothies here are quite different from the US. They’re called Batidos, and they’re really just fruit. You can order them with milk or with water and they basically just toss in a variety of fruits and vegetable to your liking, you can add honey or frozen yogurt, but at a steep price. Then they blend them and pour it all in a cup. No pre-sweetened fruit juices here, folks, just the fruit fresh from the market that day and tossed into the blender or juicer. At first I didn’t think it was sweet enough, but it has grown on me and now I prefer them, especially as breakfast on Saturday mornings before I go to teach the kids class. (Which I still dread teaching.)
From the smoothie shop, it was off to class. This past Wednesday was the registration cut off for the trimester, so I was assured that the students I saw this week would be the students I could count on. I only had one new person, and she arrived early so that we could play catch up. Then something strange happened. As we were reviewing more students came in and started taking notes- these weren’t new students. But as they began to contribute to the review I had begun, I realized that they needed a refresher from the past two weeks as well. So that’s what we did- I gave a crash course in all that had been taught so far. They were more competent than they thought, but they were insecure and begged for more review. So we went back.
I did this in both classes, which was great- by the end they really felt competent and ready to go forward, I wrapped up the class back at the point where I had ended the previous Friday- with understanding the basic elements of music and then dedicating half an hour to listening to various examples of each element. I played everything from Bach to African music, and they ate it up. Several times I played music for them and noticed that many were crying. It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced that with anyone. When class was over no one would leave. One student even commented that she couldn’t believe that the class was already over and wished it would go on for hours. And no one moved.
It’s hard to imagine what they were thinking sitting there- I can only assume that they were hoping I’d just pick back up and go on with the class, but they waited hopefully until I had packed the CD player away and moved the board into storage. I have never experienced anything like that in my life- I think it might have been the pinnacle of my teaching career… I had a full class of adults hanging on my every word.
I don’t know what is going to happen here, but I feel like that silence was the calm before the storm- and in this case I don’t mean a storm in the negative sense. I mean a time of great revival is coming to the Limonese. These students are really learning, and may even catch just a little spark to inspire them to spread the passion along. At any rate, I know now- in a very profound way- that I have been able to provide the same kind of memory for them that my own father created for me when he put that old tape of the William Tell Overture in the old truck’s tape player- the kind of memory that helps a true love of music set in and take hold. I am going to be a part of their musical history. What a joy. What a responsibility…
First of all, we finally made the decision to get the internet. I’m thrilled about this because it means that I won’t have to haul my aging laptop all over Limon just to call home for fifteen minutes. However, in true Costa Rican style, it takes the company 22 days to install it. Despite all of that, it made for an interesting trip into town. The electric company here is the primary source of utilities for the people in the country. It’s like having Duke Power or Nashville Electric Supply in control of your very existence. Our phones are run by ICE (the name is an anagram, but people pronounce it “ee-say”), our lights, the internet, and even our cell phones. There isn’t a Sprint or T-Mobile provider- it all goes through ICE.
The ICE building is only second in importance to the hospital, which is its next door neighbor in a very high-end neighborhood called Vista Del Mar. The name has meaning- Vista Del Mar means “view of the sea” in English, and these doctors and lawyers are fortunate enough to have the ocean in their well-manicured backyards, and with it exclusive access to the boat launches ferrying passengers to and from Isla Uvita- the island just half a mile into the sea from the Limon coastline. ICE is just ten feet from the waterfront.
When we entered the building I was reminded of going to the Department of Motor Vehicles back home in North Carolina- they assign you a number based on the type of service needed, and you all wait together in a huge waiting room until someone calls “C52” or “Bingo,” whichever comes first. We waited for a million years. After an eon or so, the security guard, probably feeling bad for us, came over and asked Sara if she had her Gold Card. Apparently when you turn 65 in Costa Rica, the Social Security folks (yes, they have that here) give you a gold card that says you’re old and no longer have to pay for government services. That means free medical treatment, medications, bus rides, reduced rates on utilities, and the right to cut in front of anyone already in line at any Government office. Well, Sara is not 65 yet, so we had to keep waiting. Finally, we were called (2 hours later) and we had no sooner given the woman our phone number when she asked “Who is Joseph?” Apparently Sara’s utilities are in her son’s name. And he lives an hour away. And the lady at the counter just shook her head, printed off some power-of-attorney forms, and sent us back on our ways.
Well, when Sara decided to make the trip out to get the paperwork signed, another great Moravian lady here in town, Ninfa, called and picked me up to go get a cell phone. This was a huge breakthrough! I really needed that phone! Here in Costa Rica, they have just sold out of cell phone lines, so I couldn’t get a line of my own- Ninfa’s mother was happy to sublet her phone to me. Afterwards, Ninfa and I went on a miniature shopping spree. Ninfa knows everyone, and everyone knows her. We browsed in every shop- she is much like me in that sometimes we just want to go just to see what’s new, not to buy. Of course she introduced me to E-cono, which is like Dollar General but bigger and cheaper, and I ended up with a new pair of sunglasses and a pair of flip flops. She also introduced me to the Costa Rican smoothie.
Smoothies here are quite different from the US. They’re called Batidos, and they’re really just fruit. You can order them with milk or with water and they basically just toss in a variety of fruits and vegetable to your liking, you can add honey or frozen yogurt, but at a steep price. Then they blend them and pour it all in a cup. No pre-sweetened fruit juices here, folks, just the fruit fresh from the market that day and tossed into the blender or juicer. At first I didn’t think it was sweet enough, but it has grown on me and now I prefer them, especially as breakfast on Saturday mornings before I go to teach the kids class. (Which I still dread teaching.)
From the smoothie shop, it was off to class. This past Wednesday was the registration cut off for the trimester, so I was assured that the students I saw this week would be the students I could count on. I only had one new person, and she arrived early so that we could play catch up. Then something strange happened. As we were reviewing more students came in and started taking notes- these weren’t new students. But as they began to contribute to the review I had begun, I realized that they needed a refresher from the past two weeks as well. So that’s what we did- I gave a crash course in all that had been taught so far. They were more competent than they thought, but they were insecure and begged for more review. So we went back.
I did this in both classes, which was great- by the end they really felt competent and ready to go forward, I wrapped up the class back at the point where I had ended the previous Friday- with understanding the basic elements of music and then dedicating half an hour to listening to various examples of each element. I played everything from Bach to African music, and they ate it up. Several times I played music for them and noticed that many were crying. It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced that with anyone. When class was over no one would leave. One student even commented that she couldn’t believe that the class was already over and wished it would go on for hours. And no one moved.
It’s hard to imagine what they were thinking sitting there- I can only assume that they were hoping I’d just pick back up and go on with the class, but they waited hopefully until I had packed the CD player away and moved the board into storage. I have never experienced anything like that in my life- I think it might have been the pinnacle of my teaching career… I had a full class of adults hanging on my every word.
I don’t know what is going to happen here, but I feel like that silence was the calm before the storm- and in this case I don’t mean a storm in the negative sense. I mean a time of great revival is coming to the Limonese. These students are really learning, and may even catch just a little spark to inspire them to spread the passion along. At any rate, I know now- in a very profound way- that I have been able to provide the same kind of memory for them that my own father created for me when he put that old tape of the William Tell Overture in the old truck’s tape player- the kind of memory that helps a true love of music set in and take hold. I am going to be a part of their musical history. What a joy. What a responsibility…
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus,
but to trust and obey.
John H. Sammis, 1846-1919
This has been an exciting week! God is so good- sometimes it’s hard to believe. Remember last week, when I was worried about the schedule I was expected to keep for the children and adults? Well, after our meeting this week it’s resolved! I finally have a plan that works…and what’s more, it’s exciting to see the products of just one week of work coming to fruition. The school has me excited- let me tell you why.
First of all, the scheduling issue. The board decided to have all children in a class together from 10-12 on Saturday. That means that all of the children get the education at the same time- a real blessing for me as the only teacher. That means I only have to teach them once during each week…which probably sounds like I don’t want to teach them at all…and that is very true.
I’m not trying to say that I don’t like children- it doesn’t have anything to do with that- but I appreciate music on a much more cerebral level than most children can understand. I like the process of learning about reading music. I like to teach music reading. I like to talk about harmony, modulations, compound meter… these things just fly right over their heads. The adults, on the other hand, can think outside the box. You can explain a concept and ask them to apply it with very little prior instruction. They follow directions better, they don’t ask irrelevant questions, they are physically capable of more, and they use the bathroom far less frequently. Altogether more suitable conditions. On top of that, they are so interested in learning a concept that they don’t mind doing something silly to grasp it.
I am reminded of when I taught violin lessons back in Tennessee and I had an 8 year old student who had never played before. We worked very hard to read music because it was her primary desire. This little girl was very serious and wanted to know WHY things were the way they were; learning Twinkle wasn’t enough- this girl wanted to read music from the very beginning. This girl’s mother was a Pastor, and was very involved in her daughter’s lessons. Often I would come up with some kind of strange way to teach a concept to this girl, and her mother would do it right along with us. By the end of my time at that program I had a student who could read anything in book one- after just a year- and her mother who could read it right along with her. Her mother didn’t care that I was using silly games and songs to teach her daughter- she joined in because she wanted to learn too. This is why I love adults.
That means that I need prayers to help me with planning well for the children, although I hope that Roman will be willing to take that class when he arrives. I really need the inspiration to be creative and energetic when I work with the kids, and to be engaging. I am teaching children from age 5 to 12, and most don’t speak English very well, if at all. It’s a struggle to plan something that isn’t too easy for the older kids, and isn’t too hard for the younger ones. Plus, we never know how many children to expect. Today’s class was decent- about 13 or so kids from 6 to 14, and most of them participated when we were singing and listening. I still felt like it was very hard to fill two hours for kids who really aren’t that interested in learning details. We sang a few songs and then learned about the basics of music. I hope I can flesh this out more.
As for the adults- things are really moving along! We’ve already learned about the clefs, notes of the staff, octaves, and key signatures. From that point we introduced melodic dictation and some vocal exercises. Using a scale that we sang on numbers, they were able to write Mary Had a Little Lamb. We practiced doing different songs in different keys, and then I sent them home to write a piece of music on their own- based on established rules I had laid out: 1) must be in a key other C Major, 2) Must follow the rules of whatever time signature you choose, and 3) must begin or end on the tonic. The results were incredible- we had hymns and children’s songs dutifully composed by memory. They were so proud of their work- and me in theirs! From Sister Herta’s “Take My Life” all the way to Miss Perdita’s quaint variation on “This is the Day,” I was shocked by what they had absorbed already. Doing this project proved to me that they understood what we were learning clearly.
From melodic dictation we moved into sight reading. I was skeptical at first- I thought it would take weeks for us to even latch on to the idea behind it, but I should’ve known that they’d surprise me. I started by introducing the skill of audiation- being able to hear a song in your head when you see it on paper. We revisited our C Major scale on numbers and practiced jumping around from interval to interval. Then I taught them the technical terms for the basic intervals in music and the trick tunes we use to remember them. They latched right on, and by the end of the class I was writing songs on the board and they were telling me what they were without hearing or singing them. It was COOL.
Then, to top it all off, we started harmonizing. I used the age old tricks of singing scales and getting each section to hold their note, then pointing to each section and having them change up or down as I pointed. This builds vocal independence- if people aren’t used to singing in harmony, this is a good way to trick them into discovering how to do it. We, as a group of 8, were able to sing a complete progression in four-part harmony: I-IV-I-V-I. Sister Herta actually cried because of how beautiful it was. I think I can make a choir with my most dedicated students. We’ll see- that has NEVER been my strong point.
Outside of the exciting world of the school, this week was filled with freedom and excitement. I went, as promised, to Carnivalito. It wasn’t much to talk about- a few rides scattered here and there, but I’d never been to the Market when the vendors were out- that was unbelievable! There were necklaces, shoes, earrings, sunglasses, windchimes, hand knitted hats and pocketbooks, handmade mirrors painted in brilliant colors, and all sorts of fantastically useless chismes, or gadgets in English. My favorite thing to see, though, was the wide array of handmade furniture and home décor.
They had beautiful handmade rocking chairs, beds, stools, cabinets, and dressers all made from beautiful hardwoods and stained in gorgeous hues. The makers were carving and finishing pieces right in the middle of the market…and these are no flimsy pieces of thrown together workmanship. These are substantially large and heavy pieces- well-made and priced inexpensively. They also sold little knickknacks that they had carved and painted while sitting in their booths- brilliant mobiles of scarlet macaws, hand carved bunches of bright yellow bananas, even hanging vignettes of village life. Each was painted in colors I could only imagine. This country is definitely the place for artists.
Beyond visiting Carnivalito, it was just good to get out and go where I wanted for a change. It seems like I never get to do the things I want when I’m in town, and I really just wanted to explore the many shops and vendors along the seaside. On Thursday- the day I went to Carnivalito- I explored the city with my friend Latoya. Latoya is awesome. We have gone on some type of trip together every week since I arrived, and we plan on doing a lot more. She is hilarious, and we mesh well. Anyhow, Latoya showed me all of the hidden treasures of seaside Limon- where to buy cheap shoes and clothes imported from Brazil, the best unknown restaurants… anything you could ever want to know.
Friday I went to town again- this time alone, just to window shop and do whatever I pleased. It was great- I bought my first pair of Brazilian shoes, which are valued here because they are very high heeled and very funky looking but are very comfortable to wear for heavy-duty walking. They’re great and squishy, too. I had fresh churros from a roadside vendor, and ate at the equivalent of Burger King here- Pollo Campero, where they only serve chicken, fries, rice, beans, and plantains…go figure. When I reached home, Sara had prepared the scandalous sea turtle for dinner.
Sea turtles are endangered here, but until a year or so ago they could be hunted for a short season each year. Now people have grown accustomed to it and they buy and sell it on the black market. Our turtle was a gift from a neighbor, so I felt a little bit better about it. Turtle meat looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s spongy and deep red, with holes all over …and reminds me of those pictures they used to show us in health class of the livers with cirrhosis. As for its taste, it’s delicious. The meat is tender and tastes like beef, only much greasier. They dice everything up- tripe, liver, meat- and cook it like pot roast… and you’d probably never guess it wasn’t high quality beef if no one told you. On the other hand, if you’re sensitive to greasy foods like I am, it will make you sicker than anything else you’ve ever eaten. I’m glad I tried it, but I’m not anxious to have it again.
Of course, my problems with the turtle could have stemmed from my visit to Limon’s aquarium with Latoya. The aquarium is a hallway filled with 10-gallon tanks and plastic wading pools. It’s free, of course, because it’s in a hallway, but they have a surprising set of animals. In one tank are fish from the local rivers. They’re boring looking. Another tank has fish from the Asian coral reef, another from Australia, another from Micronesia, and the last with fishies from our own local coral reef. They are so lovely! Of course, they also had the super-poisonous Lion fish on display, and a few sharks caught just outside the city.
In those plastic wading pools, though, are turtles from all over the city. There are miniature box turtles, longneck turtles, and some others I can’t remember…but the best was the sea turtle. He had a whole pool to himself, and you could come right up and touch him, but there he was- a real live sea turtle, injured from a fishing net, swimming around with two missing legs in a swimming pool in a hallway in downtown Limon. You can see why I was torn about eating his cousin. But…that’s okay. This experience is all about finding a new life- seeing how someone else lives and challenging myself. And that’s what I’m continuing to do, one day at a time.
First of all, the scheduling issue. The board decided to have all children in a class together from 10-12 on Saturday. That means that all of the children get the education at the same time- a real blessing for me as the only teacher. That means I only have to teach them once during each week…which probably sounds like I don’t want to teach them at all…and that is very true.
I’m not trying to say that I don’t like children- it doesn’t have anything to do with that- but I appreciate music on a much more cerebral level than most children can understand. I like the process of learning about reading music. I like to teach music reading. I like to talk about harmony, modulations, compound meter… these things just fly right over their heads. The adults, on the other hand, can think outside the box. You can explain a concept and ask them to apply it with very little prior instruction. They follow directions better, they don’t ask irrelevant questions, they are physically capable of more, and they use the bathroom far less frequently. Altogether more suitable conditions. On top of that, they are so interested in learning a concept that they don’t mind doing something silly to grasp it.
I am reminded of when I taught violin lessons back in Tennessee and I had an 8 year old student who had never played before. We worked very hard to read music because it was her primary desire. This little girl was very serious and wanted to know WHY things were the way they were; learning Twinkle wasn’t enough- this girl wanted to read music from the very beginning. This girl’s mother was a Pastor, and was very involved in her daughter’s lessons. Often I would come up with some kind of strange way to teach a concept to this girl, and her mother would do it right along with us. By the end of my time at that program I had a student who could read anything in book one- after just a year- and her mother who could read it right along with her. Her mother didn’t care that I was using silly games and songs to teach her daughter- she joined in because she wanted to learn too. This is why I love adults.
That means that I need prayers to help me with planning well for the children, although I hope that Roman will be willing to take that class when he arrives. I really need the inspiration to be creative and energetic when I work with the kids, and to be engaging. I am teaching children from age 5 to 12, and most don’t speak English very well, if at all. It’s a struggle to plan something that isn’t too easy for the older kids, and isn’t too hard for the younger ones. Plus, we never know how many children to expect. Today’s class was decent- about 13 or so kids from 6 to 14, and most of them participated when we were singing and listening. I still felt like it was very hard to fill two hours for kids who really aren’t that interested in learning details. We sang a few songs and then learned about the basics of music. I hope I can flesh this out more.
As for the adults- things are really moving along! We’ve already learned about the clefs, notes of the staff, octaves, and key signatures. From that point we introduced melodic dictation and some vocal exercises. Using a scale that we sang on numbers, they were able to write Mary Had a Little Lamb. We practiced doing different songs in different keys, and then I sent them home to write a piece of music on their own- based on established rules I had laid out: 1) must be in a key other C Major, 2) Must follow the rules of whatever time signature you choose, and 3) must begin or end on the tonic. The results were incredible- we had hymns and children’s songs dutifully composed by memory. They were so proud of their work- and me in theirs! From Sister Herta’s “Take My Life” all the way to Miss Perdita’s quaint variation on “This is the Day,” I was shocked by what they had absorbed already. Doing this project proved to me that they understood what we were learning clearly.
From melodic dictation we moved into sight reading. I was skeptical at first- I thought it would take weeks for us to even latch on to the idea behind it, but I should’ve known that they’d surprise me. I started by introducing the skill of audiation- being able to hear a song in your head when you see it on paper. We revisited our C Major scale on numbers and practiced jumping around from interval to interval. Then I taught them the technical terms for the basic intervals in music and the trick tunes we use to remember them. They latched right on, and by the end of the class I was writing songs on the board and they were telling me what they were without hearing or singing them. It was COOL.
Then, to top it all off, we started harmonizing. I used the age old tricks of singing scales and getting each section to hold their note, then pointing to each section and having them change up or down as I pointed. This builds vocal independence- if people aren’t used to singing in harmony, this is a good way to trick them into discovering how to do it. We, as a group of 8, were able to sing a complete progression in four-part harmony: I-IV-I-V-I. Sister Herta actually cried because of how beautiful it was. I think I can make a choir with my most dedicated students. We’ll see- that has NEVER been my strong point.
Outside of the exciting world of the school, this week was filled with freedom and excitement. I went, as promised, to Carnivalito. It wasn’t much to talk about- a few rides scattered here and there, but I’d never been to the Market when the vendors were out- that was unbelievable! There were necklaces, shoes, earrings, sunglasses, windchimes, hand knitted hats and pocketbooks, handmade mirrors painted in brilliant colors, and all sorts of fantastically useless chismes, or gadgets in English. My favorite thing to see, though, was the wide array of handmade furniture and home décor.
They had beautiful handmade rocking chairs, beds, stools, cabinets, and dressers all made from beautiful hardwoods and stained in gorgeous hues. The makers were carving and finishing pieces right in the middle of the market…and these are no flimsy pieces of thrown together workmanship. These are substantially large and heavy pieces- well-made and priced inexpensively. They also sold little knickknacks that they had carved and painted while sitting in their booths- brilliant mobiles of scarlet macaws, hand carved bunches of bright yellow bananas, even hanging vignettes of village life. Each was painted in colors I could only imagine. This country is definitely the place for artists.
Beyond visiting Carnivalito, it was just good to get out and go where I wanted for a change. It seems like I never get to do the things I want when I’m in town, and I really just wanted to explore the many shops and vendors along the seaside. On Thursday- the day I went to Carnivalito- I explored the city with my friend Latoya. Latoya is awesome. We have gone on some type of trip together every week since I arrived, and we plan on doing a lot more. She is hilarious, and we mesh well. Anyhow, Latoya showed me all of the hidden treasures of seaside Limon- where to buy cheap shoes and clothes imported from Brazil, the best unknown restaurants… anything you could ever want to know.
Friday I went to town again- this time alone, just to window shop and do whatever I pleased. It was great- I bought my first pair of Brazilian shoes, which are valued here because they are very high heeled and very funky looking but are very comfortable to wear for heavy-duty walking. They’re great and squishy, too. I had fresh churros from a roadside vendor, and ate at the equivalent of Burger King here- Pollo Campero, where they only serve chicken, fries, rice, beans, and plantains…go figure. When I reached home, Sara had prepared the scandalous sea turtle for dinner.
Sea turtles are endangered here, but until a year or so ago they could be hunted for a short season each year. Now people have grown accustomed to it and they buy and sell it on the black market. Our turtle was a gift from a neighbor, so I felt a little bit better about it. Turtle meat looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s spongy and deep red, with holes all over …and reminds me of those pictures they used to show us in health class of the livers with cirrhosis. As for its taste, it’s delicious. The meat is tender and tastes like beef, only much greasier. They dice everything up- tripe, liver, meat- and cook it like pot roast… and you’d probably never guess it wasn’t high quality beef if no one told you. On the other hand, if you’re sensitive to greasy foods like I am, it will make you sicker than anything else you’ve ever eaten. I’m glad I tried it, but I’m not anxious to have it again.
Of course, my problems with the turtle could have stemmed from my visit to Limon’s aquarium with Latoya. The aquarium is a hallway filled with 10-gallon tanks and plastic wading pools. It’s free, of course, because it’s in a hallway, but they have a surprising set of animals. In one tank are fish from the local rivers. They’re boring looking. Another tank has fish from the Asian coral reef, another from Australia, another from Micronesia, and the last with fishies from our own local coral reef. They are so lovely! Of course, they also had the super-poisonous Lion fish on display, and a few sharks caught just outside the city.
In those plastic wading pools, though, are turtles from all over the city. There are miniature box turtles, longneck turtles, and some others I can’t remember…but the best was the sea turtle. He had a whole pool to himself, and you could come right up and touch him, but there he was- a real live sea turtle, injured from a fishing net, swimming around with two missing legs in a swimming pool in a hallway in downtown Limon. You can see why I was torn about eating his cousin. But…that’s okay. This experience is all about finding a new life- seeing how someone else lives and challenging myself. And that’s what I’m continuing to do, one day at a time.
At any rate, I’ve got some good stories to tell my grandkids
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