January 23, 2001

Classes

Our classes began Tuesday, January 9th.  We were both placed in beginner intermediate level classes.  This means we have 2 hours of conversation and 2 hours of grammar daily.  There is NO English spoken in any of our classes.  We have separate conversation classes, but we are in the same class for grammar.  

Classes begin at 7:30 AM and end at 1:15 PM.  We have 2 breaks, each 1 hour.  On Tuesday and Thursdays we have chapel.  With this being a language school for missionaries, there are LOTS of preachers here.  We get a good Baptist sermon twice a week! And it's in English!  It's about a 10-15 minute walk to class.  After 2 weeks of classes, we know a little Spanish, are losing our English, and are confidently bi-illiterate!  We have small classes - discussion class is with 4 students per teacher and grammar is with 8 students per teacher.  This gives the teachers a lot of time to give each of us personal attention.  

We  began phonetics tutoring this week.  This class is just with the 2 of us, 2 days a week for an hour.  The differences in the vowel and consonant pronunciations are difficult for us.  Beginner-beginners (as opposed to intermediate-beginners like us) have only 1 hour of conversation and have an hour of phonetics built into their schedule.   So on Wednesdays and Thursdays, we have 5 hours of Spanish - plus 3 or 4 hours of  homework.  We a fellow student once said - "why can't we study math or geography sometime?!"

Personal Notes

We just wanted to mention a few interesting personal observations.  Shopping - what an ordeal!  Today we went to a feria (outside market with vendors selling fruits and vegetables) that was huge.  We bought 1500 colones ($6.00) worth of food, and it was just about more than we could carry.  This included potatoes, pineapple, plantains, onions, squash, tomatoes, lettuce, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, fresh cilantro, lettuce, star fruit, garlic, celery, and more.  The only problem with fresh fruits & veggies is that when we get home, we have to soak them all (yes including those you will peel or cook) in a solution of bleach and water for 20 minutes to kill the bacteria.  Then rinse, dry, and put away.  This adds 1/2 day to your shopping trip.

Another note is about how special this past week has been at school.  The school hosted an International Missionary Congress, with missionaries from Korea serving in Spanish speaking countries.  Our key note speaker was David Ross, a missionary from the US who served in Korea for 30 years.  He started YWAM in Korea in 1970.  We can't say enough about how inspiring his messages were to us.  We had the opportunity to hear him Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  He spoke of the challenges of language learning, opportunities of ministry in foreign countries, and the importance of being servants for Christ in all that we do. Praise God for servants like David and his willingness to share with us.

Paseos

Buses!!  In Costa Rica, as in most of Central America, you spend a lot of time on busses.  We could use a bus system back home like the one they have here - you can get anywhere you need to go.  They may be crowded, but they are everywhere (how many people can fit on a bus? ALWAYS one more!!).  Unlike the buses in Honduras, you don't have to share the buses in San Jose with chickens.

There is one downside to riding the busses - you have to be careful for thieves.  Ed's book bag was stolen on a trip last week to the Poas Volcano.  We knew better, but let our guard down for a few moments.  He put the bag on the luggage shelf above the seat, and someone took it.  It had Linda's digital camera in it (along with our binoculars for bird watching and two coats) - so we are using a scanner to put photos into the web page.  Linda has wanted a new camera for a while, but was reluctant since we had one - so now maybe she will get a newer one!  Maybe my cross will bless the thief - we have prayed for him to be forgiven and that he may come to know Christ.  One lesson we have learned, put a cross and a Spanish tract in all your belongings!  It may lead the Holy Spirit to touch someone.  As Lauren Helveston, says "don't hold onto anything too tight, so it won't hurt your fingers when you loose it".  The day was still a success with lots of good fellowship with other students from our school.

Good things about buses - they take you to wonderful places!!  After three busy weeks of getting started in school, hectic classes, and intense grammar drills we decided to go on a short trip (a "paseo" in Spanish).  We left Saturday morning (1/20/01) on a four hour bus ride to the Caribbean coastal town of Cahuita.  A small, laid back village of a few hundred people with beautiful beaches and great Creole food.  It rained off and on throughout the weekend (rainy season on the coast lasts through mid-February), but we had a very relaxing time.  Eight hours on a bus also allowed for good study time with our 100 new irregular verbs!

Cahuita is a great place to go on a budget.  Bus fare is $8 each (round trip), the room at Jenny's Cabins are $20 per night, located about 30 feet form the waves.  It even comes with mosquito netting, but no hot water.  The beach to the north is black sand from the coral, and to the south is white sand.  The white sand stretches for miles through the Cahuita National Park.

We came back Sunday afternoon to a pile of homework, but were refreshed and ready for another week!

    Postcard from Cahuita, Costa Rica showing the corral beach

     (Photo credit - Jean Mercier 1998)