First Days in Costa Rica

Sofia, Luis, and I

I've been in Costa Rica for nearly two weeks now! The time has passed very quickly, but so many new experiences have been packed into my days, that it seems nearly impossible to believe that it has been only two weeks. Somehow, during this short amount of time, this place has become a new home; I have established multiple friendships; I've learned a myriad of new Spanish words and phrases; I've begun to figure out the public transportation system; I've explored the downtown, danced with my Tico sisters and brother, witnessed the birth of a puppy...my goodness, the list goes on.

I arrived in San Jose after nightfall, so my first impressions of Costa Rica were based not on the scenery but on the people. And the people made a very favorable impression indeed. I think that had I arrived in a foreign country a few years ago, not knowing a single person, and gone directly to meet the national family with whom I would be living and conversing with only in Spanish...I would have been scared out of my mind. But through the experiences of the past few years--studying in Lithuania, working in Yosemite, CA, living and teaching in Honduras--God had prepared me for this new challenge, and I felt incredibly calm and even excited to meet my Tico family. I didn't know quite what to expect, but I was from the very beginning impressed by the kindness and generosity of my host parents. My living situation is a blessing from God and really everything that I hoped for. Although my family lives simply, they live joyfully and care very much for one another. Leo and Marivel have three children: Carolina (8 years old), Sofia (6) and Luis Andres (4). Marivel's nephew is also living with us for a short time, and he is the only one who speaks any English. In addition to the people, we have two dogs and a few hens (and unfortunately, quite a few ants and cockroaches).

A typical weekday begins for me with a run at the nearby polideportivo and then desayuno: cornflakes, bread, and coffee. (I don't think that anyone else eats cereal, but they've had enough students to realize that gringos don't usually eat rice and beans for breakfast.) Classes begin at 7:30 for me, and the walk to the Spanish Language Institute take about 15 minutes. Unfortunately, I have to cross two busy streets which are under road construction, and this is probably my least favorite part of the day.

My first class is fonetica: Spanish phonics. Last week we began with the alphabet and have since moved on to pronouncing long lists of vowel and consonant combinations. Next week, we're supposed to bring in a mirror, so we can observe the placement of the tongue and lips as we say letters and words. Oh my. Some days I feel like poor Eliza in My Fair Lady, pronouncing all those words time after time for the insufferable linguist, Henry Higgens. But I realize that the pronunciation is important and will greatly improve my reading and speaking fluency. (After all, it is rather frustrating when your 8 year old sister laughs at the way you pronounce a word. Ah well, a lesson in humility.)

My second class is conversation, and it's my favorite. The professor is excellent, and we spend nearly the entire time speaking with one another about designated topics such as education, transportation, health, etc. New vocabulary is learned within this context, and we pick up grammar concepts and proper forms of expression, as he hears and corrects our errors. Because there are only five people in the class and we are all on about the same level of Spanish, it provides lots of time for speaking--and learning. Every Wednesday we have oral presentations, so last Wednesday we all had to retell the parable of the sower from Matthew 13 and then teach our classmates how to do something: for example, draw a caricature or make a pizza.

Between these classes and the last two, we have chapel on Tuesday and Thursday and a break on the other days. My last classes are both grammar. We've moved quickly through a review of nouns, adjectives, and the present tense, because all of us are already familiar with these concepts. I will admit, however, that the review of irregular verbs on Friday moved a bit quickly for me. Yes, I understand the patterns for conjugation, but I don't know the definitions of many of the verbs on the long list! I have studying to do.

Classes finish at 1:00, and I typically go home for almuerzo. The kids usually have school in the morning too, so they are often home when I arrive. Lunch is almost always rice and black beans in some form or another. During the afternoon, I do homework, go to the park, visit friends, or spend time with my Tico brother and sisters. Playing barbies, racing on the street in front of the house, spinning a top, and annoying the dogs are fairly common activities. We eat dinner around 7:00 (rice and beans again with sometimes eggs or a salad or chorizo.) In the evenings I usually talk with Leo and Marivel. Our discussions have ranged from topics of the differences between the Catholic and evangelical churches in Costa Rica to the economy to weather to (today) the story of how Leo and Marivel met and began dating. (That conversation included, of course, advice about what I should look for in a man.) Probably my most challenging conversation so far (from a Spanish viewpoint) was a discussion with Marivel's sister of her work as a neo-natal nurse and then the challenges that attention deficit disorder presents to parents and teachers. (How do you satisfyingly answer the question, "What would you do with ADD students in your classroom" with a very limited knowledge of Spanish? I felt a bit ill-equipped.)

Sometimes I catch myself thinking that I should be doing something "more important," and I have to remind myself that this is exactly what I am here to do: love people and immerse myself in Spanish. As a North American and a task-oriented person, I too often focus on using time efficiently and not on nurturing relationships. And I do believe that I should be a good steward of my time, but this often means using my time to invest in people. This is what we see Jesus doing throughout his ministry: spending time with his disciples, sharing meals together, listening to problems, caring for the sick and unloved, and perhaps most importantly, going off alone to quite places to talk with his Father.

My time in Costa Rica is teaching me to cherish opportunities to love people and fall more deeply in love with my Savior. At what other time in my life will my main responsibility be to learn language--essentially to listen and talk with people? What a blessing it is to walk in the shoes of other people for a while, to live with a Tico family; to be a recipient of their kindness and generosity and to love deeply in return; to learn from accomplished and caring individuals who have made teaching Spanish to Christian missionaries their profession and ministry; to form friendships with like-minded individuals who also have a heart for Jesus and the nations; to worship God with my Costa Rican brothers and sisters; to join in ministry to the physically and spiritually needy individuals within San Jose...the opportunities abound and the blessings overflow. I look forward to what the following months bring.