Well, as I sit here typing this, I am soaked from about the waist down. This morning was probably the sunniest (most sunny? I know...I'm the English teacher) start to a day I've had since I've been here. Hardly a cloud in the sky as our group of 5 volunteers left the office in San Pedro to catch a bus to meet up with the rest of our group outside the McDonalds in the Pedestrian Walkway of San Jose. Even though it was warm, I was glad to be a little sweaty as last week was so cold and rainy. And by cold, I mean high 60s.
We continued walking the 10 city blocks to our next bus. Once aboard, I talked with some of the new volunteers about my time here - things to do, things to avoid, places I've stayed, hostels and weekend trips I would recommend, etc. Forty minutes later, we arrived in Carpio. Two of the boys we see every day were waiting to walk us to the church building. Normally the pastor meets us, but he wasn't there yesterday, and the boys told us he wasn't there today either. I found out later talking to a couple of the women there that he wouldn't be there for the rest of the week, which is really sad because I won't get to say goodbye to that sweet old man! :(
This week, the kids are back in school. The last two weeks they had been on vacaction (similar to our 2 week off during Christmas because this is their winter...they get three months off during their summer/our winter). During the last two weeks, the building was always packed with volunteers and kids ranging in age from 2-15. But yesterday, there were more volunteers than kids. Today, however, there were a few more kids, so I quickly grabbed some of the worksheets I had copied off on family member terms and sat down at a table with some of the kids and jumped into a lesson. Fortunately, the kids were eager to learn. A lot of the kids come just to play, which is totally fine because part of the intent of us being there is to provide an alternative to kids just being on the streets all day. But I love it when I can grab a few that are interested in learning something English and teaching them and playing games and coming up with stuff on the spot.
So after about 45 minutes, we had gone over family terms on notecards that they could take home and then the worksheet, which was identifying people in a family tree. They were all eager to have me grade them, and of course they all got a star, a smiley face, and a "100%"...they were very insistent about the 100%. :)
It's been very fun speaking in Spanish with them. I've even gotten to translate back and forth a bit between the volunteers who know very little Spanish and the kids who have questions for them. I'm hoping to take my camera tomorrow to snap a few shots of the kids and of Carpio.
On our way home, a few of us decided to do some souvenier shopping in a couple of the markets. We got inside the first one and started browsing and perusing our options when the monsoon hit. The rain here is so different than in Portland. Before I came, when I heard that it was the rainy season here and that it was recommended we need an umbrella, I thought to myself, "Psh...I'm from Portland, I can handle some rain." But I'm soooooo glad I did bring one (not that I couldn't have bought one from the 20 venders that I pass every day). It didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon, so we decided to brave the downpour. We tried to jump over the puddles and rivers that were forming in the streets as lightning flashed and thunder boomed around us. In the first 10 seconds, my capris were wet from the knees down, and by the time we made it back to the busses (we decided to forego until tomorrow the other market), I was soaked from the waist down. Fortunately, Costa Ricans know how to prepare for the rain as the things that I had purchased had been vaccum-sealed in plastic! :)
The weather here ranges to the extremes throughout the day. Yesterday it was beautiful and sunny in the morning, downpouring for a couple hours in the afternoon, warm and pleasant as I walked and rode the bus home, and then last night we had one of the most intense thunder and lightning storms I've ever been in. Lightning would flash for several seconds and then seconds later, there may as well have been bombs dropping. And I thought Portland weather was skitzofrenic.
My time here has gone so quickly. Only two more days here and with the kiddos and then back home. What a wonderful experience it has been - I feel like God has been so gracious in so many ways. So many little things that could have been an issue that God spared me from having to deal with...I'm truly grateful. It has been so much fun experiencing a culture that is very different from ours. When I start to get homesick or miss "normal life", I try to remind myself that I may never have this opportunity again, so to soak it in as much as I can. Even if I am sick of having rice and beans for every single meal. :)
Thanks for reading and for praying. Can't wait to share more stories with you in person! :)
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