Pura Vida

Well, I thought it was time to send out a little update on my life in Costa Rica.
Pura Vida=common response to "How are you?"  Literal translation=pure life.

So what have I been up to?

Made "Pineapple Salsa" with McCall for our families.  By the way, it's made without tomatoes.  Super tasty!  Especially with fresh, local pineapple and strawberries..Mmm.

Felt 2 more tremors (little mini earthquakes).  Always a weird phenomena.

2 days without running water.  Also began the streak of 4 days without any rain-must be a record for the rainy season!

Had 4 friends from LASP (classmates) over to my Tico house for cookie-dough, fudge brownies, and card games.  Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 

Finished today ALL classwork for the first part of my time here.  We discussed red button issues in Latin America and listened to several speakers from American Missionaries, to the US Embassy, to a Nicaraguan living in poverty, to a Costa Rican musician.  To hear their perspectives on particular topics was very enlightening.  Words that are in my vocabulary that I know can actually understand:

• Capitalism
• Socialism
• Communism
• Marxism
• Neo-Liberalism
• Colonialism
• Neo-Colonialism
• Free Trade
• CAFTA/TLC
• Mixed Economy
• Fascism
• Structural Adjustment
• World Bank
• International Monetary Fund
• World Trade Organization
• Poverty according to the economy is defined by living on less than $2 a day.  Seriously!?!
• US Foreign Policy
• Meritta Plan
• Plan Columbia
• Privatization
• I.C.E.
• Liberation Theology
• Sandinista
• The list goes on....

The "Core Seminar" class finished with a 10 page position paper in Spanish.  I signed up for Ecotourism and learned a lot.  Ever have any questions let me know.  I may just have to write another blog about a few things I've learned. Also had my oral exam today for Spanish classes-the final project.

I've developed a little cold over the past 2 days.  While I feel much better, please pray that I am feeling much better soon because our group leaves for Nicaragua on Monday.

Nicaragua--what will I be doing there?  At this point, all I know is that after a few days together as a group there, we will be living in villages with Nicaraguans for 6 days.  Definitely will be living in impoverished conditions.  Each student lives with their own family, but there are 4 or 5 students and a staff member in each village.  As far as I know we are just doing life with them.  I'm excited to experience something completely different!  We'll return on October 21st, after those 11 days, and then have Fall Break, when I'll be heading to Manuel Antonio National Park/Beach for a nice long week. But until then...

Prayer Requests:
Health--especially while in Nicaragua.
Attitude--to stay positive while in Nicaragua so that I can be a blessing to them.
Open heart and mind--to accept all that the Nicaraguans will teach me.

Until I'm back from Nicaragua...this may be all.  Thanks for all your prayers!