Friday, February 22, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
begin.
Hard to believe it's been almost a week since I've been here! This week has been mostly learning my way around on the public bus system, getting to know my host family and hanging out with the amazing Costa Rica Young Life team that is already here! I start the intensive session of language school on Monday morning. It's always more fun when you can see what I've been doing via pictures so here you go...
The second night we were here, we got to attend the 32nd Vida Joven anniversary celebration...which was, of course, neon themed. It was just like I was at AC Flora Techno Club...minus the part where everyone there was Costa Rican and spoke Spanish. But all the gringas (pictured below) still danced our hearts out.
The next adventure was attending my first tico (Costa Rican) birthday party with my host family. Dona Olga (my host mom) basically put me in the car with her brother and niece and sent me off to the birthday party down the street, where I knew not a sole! Luckily, Dona Olga and July (my host mom and sister) showed up about an hour later. Needless to say, there was lots of smiling and nodding on my part. Thankfully, I was prepared for a loud, crazy family...since I come from one myself! Large family parties are the norm in the Salley/Juk family, so it wasn't too overwhelming (minus the rapid Spanish part).
On Tuesday, Jen and I ventured into downtown San Jose with a list of about 10 places we had to find. No map. No explanation. We just had to go for it. So we spent about 3 hours in the city just wondering around. We ate lunch, went to the market...basically just kind of soaked it all in!
One of the girls on the Costa Rica Young Life team, Elena, had her parents here for the week. So Tuesday night, we went over to their hotel apartment where they made a delicious dinner for all of us! It was muy rica (very delicious) and this was our view...so it wasn't a bad way to end the day!
So all in all, so far so good! Jessie, Alex, Elena, Tiffany and Sarah (all on the Costa Rica Young Life team) have been WONDERFUL hosts, taking very good care of Jen and I. I'll write again soon, when some more fun things have happened :)
xoxo
The second night we were here, we got to attend the 32nd Vida Joven anniversary celebration...which was, of course, neon themed. It was just like I was at AC Flora Techno Club...minus the part where everyone there was Costa Rican and spoke Spanish. But all the gringas (pictured below) still danced our hearts out.
The next adventure was attending my first tico (Costa Rican) birthday party with my host family. Dona Olga (my host mom) basically put me in the car with her brother and niece and sent me off to the birthday party down the street, where I knew not a sole! Luckily, Dona Olga and July (my host mom and sister) showed up about an hour later. Needless to say, there was lots of smiling and nodding on my part. Thankfully, I was prepared for a loud, crazy family...since I come from one myself! Large family parties are the norm in the Salley/Juk family, so it wasn't too overwhelming (minus the rapid Spanish part).
 |
| Me and my host mom, Dona Olga! |
 |
| My host sister July, to the right and their cousins on the left. |
 |
| More girl cousins :) |
 |
| We got caramel frappuccinos from the Gran Hotel. |
 |
| Because every city needs a giant statue of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. |
 |
| A touch of America for lunch...Pizza Hut! |
 |
| Learned how to balance things on our heads. |
 |
| And waiting for the bus after our 3 hour scavenger hunt was over. |
So all in all, so far so good! Jessie, Alex, Elena, Tiffany and Sarah (all on the Costa Rica Young Life team) have been WONDERFUL hosts, taking very good care of Jen and I. I'll write again soon, when some more fun things have happened :)
xoxo
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
leaving.
Well, the time has come. It's now or never. Reckoning day. Do or die.
just keep breathing.
I've just said all my good-byes. Well, all my "see you laters". I've packed my bags - all 5 of them...under 50 pounds each, I might add. Pretty proud of that. I've made it to the airport, checked in and through security seamlessly. It's almost like people were praying for me! :) I am now sitting in the Charlotte airport waiting to board my flight to Costa Rica. I've gone through quite the range of emotions this week. These past two weeks. And it's still hard to believe that this day is finally here. Sometimes I wonder if this new life will ever sink in.
But here we go! Onto the next adventure. One of my friends showed me this quote by the ever famous Winnie the Pooh. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”And isn't that the truth? How sweet it is to know that I am so completely supported by so many people in this new journey. I have felt nothing but love from all my friends, families and supporters back at home - and to you I say, thank you. You will never know how your kind words have affected me these last couple of weeks. What a gift.
I haven't much else to say at this point in the game. And so I will leave you with this.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9
xoxo
just keep breathing.
I've just said all my good-byes. Well, all my "see you laters". I've packed my bags - all 5 of them...under 50 pounds each, I might add. Pretty proud of that. I've made it to the airport, checked in and through security seamlessly. It's almost like people were praying for me! :) I am now sitting in the Charlotte airport waiting to board my flight to Costa Rica. I've gone through quite the range of emotions this week. These past two weeks. And it's still hard to believe that this day is finally here. Sometimes I wonder if this new life will ever sink in.
But here we go! Onto the next adventure. One of my friends showed me this quote by the ever famous Winnie the Pooh. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”And isn't that the truth? How sweet it is to know that I am so completely supported by so many people in this new journey. I have felt nothing but love from all my friends, families and supporters back at home - and to you I say, thank you. You will never know how your kind words have affected me these last couple of weeks. What a gift.
I haven't much else to say at this point in the game. And so I will leave you with this.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9
xoxo
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Ten.
Ten. The number of days I have left of this life I have made in South Carolina. What??
Last week I bought a ONE WAY plane ticket to San Jose, Costa Rica. There I will be attending language school for anywhere from 6-10 months, depending on how well I pick up on Spanish. I'll be living with a Costa Rican family while I'm there. Thankfully, my teammate Jen will be coming with me! We are on the same flight from Charlotte to CR. There are 5 other girls on YL staff in CR (2 full time, 3 interns), so I will get to get a taste of International School ministry before I officially move to Nica.
On some days, the days where I can just barely begin to wrap my mind around the reality of leaving, there is a looming sadness/nervousness. Sad to be leaving so many friends and family in Columbia and nervous about the next phase in life.
But most days, I just feel excited! Ever since I got back from that faithful summer in the Dominican Republic where the Lord completely wrecked what I thought were my hopes and dreams and created new ones, I have felt this constant pull. A pull away from the life that has made me so comfortable for so many years. It's almost as if for the past year and half, I feel I do not belong here. In the States, that is. Like my life is purposed for something completely different. Like my heart is completely reconstructed to desire new things. Like my eyes were changed see things in a new perspective. And so, I'm excited! I am excited to see what the Lord will bring in these upcoming days, months, years. To feel, see, experience, ponder things in a new way.
It reminds me of Isaiah 43. God is telling His sinful people that He has bought them, redeemed them and protected them. He declares them as witnesses of His great name. He tells them how He will bring them out of bondage. He tells what that He knows of their sins and goes on in chapter 44 to still shower them in blessings. But in the midst of all that, He says "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." (v. 19).
God is always up to something, isn't He? And I can't wait to find out what it is.
Last week I bought a ONE WAY plane ticket to San Jose, Costa Rica. There I will be attending language school for anywhere from 6-10 months, depending on how well I pick up on Spanish. I'll be living with a Costa Rican family while I'm there. Thankfully, my teammate Jen will be coming with me! We are on the same flight from Charlotte to CR. There are 5 other girls on YL staff in CR (2 full time, 3 interns), so I will get to get a taste of International School ministry before I officially move to Nica.
On some days, the days where I can just barely begin to wrap my mind around the reality of leaving, there is a looming sadness/nervousness. Sad to be leaving so many friends and family in Columbia and nervous about the next phase in life.
But most days, I just feel excited! Ever since I got back from that faithful summer in the Dominican Republic where the Lord completely wrecked what I thought were my hopes and dreams and created new ones, I have felt this constant pull. A pull away from the life that has made me so comfortable for so many years. It's almost as if for the past year and half, I feel I do not belong here. In the States, that is. Like my life is purposed for something completely different. Like my heart is completely reconstructed to desire new things. Like my eyes were changed see things in a new perspective. And so, I'm excited! I am excited to see what the Lord will bring in these upcoming days, months, years. To feel, see, experience, ponder things in a new way.
It reminds me of Isaiah 43. God is telling His sinful people that He has bought them, redeemed them and protected them. He declares them as witnesses of His great name. He tells them how He will bring them out of bondage. He tells what that He knows of their sins and goes on in chapter 44 to still shower them in blessings. But in the midst of all that, He says "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." (v. 19).
God is always up to something, isn't He? And I can't wait to find out what it is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)