Gray clouds and silver linings

This past week there have been several times where things have not gone as I had planned.  Last week at girls' club I made the mistake of leaving our Bible time discussion to the end of the morning, and the majority of the girls "conveniently" had to leave to get ready for school before we could have that talk.  To be honest, it was quite frustrating for me because I feel like I've had to fight a little bit with them as of late to have some serious time.  It's all well and good while we are baking together or doing a fun craft project, but some of them have been giving me some attitude when we pass out the Bibles.  And that is not to say that all of them are doing this; I have some VERY sweet girls who have great attitudes and want to read and learn about the Lord.  It's just those few that are outspoken and make it difficult for the rest.  Kind of like a first grade classroom with those few stinkers that can make any day a bad day with their poor attitudes.  
The silver lining came after almost all the girls had abruptly left and I noticed one of my sixth graders had stayed behind.  She was helping me clean up, and when I expressed to her that I was a little frustrated about everyone else leaving and not getting to share with them from the Word, she said that she and I could still talk about it together.  We ended up having a really great conversation about forgiveness and the value of being a part of a church congregation and the pressure she feels to protect her younger sister who doesn't always make great life choices.  It is encouraging to me to see girls like her share with me, and to know that they DO notice that I care about them and am available to talk about life and faith with them.  
This afternoon I had my English class with the high school boys, and I was expecting my normal 6 or 7 to show up.  Well, in part because of the heavy rain, and in part because of lack of transportation for a few of them, only 2 were able to make it.  But these two were able to ask me all kinds of questions about English and sentence structure; it turned out to be more like a 1 on 2 tutoring session.  It was encouraging to see their hunger for learning English and also the "light bulb" turn on when they understood a concept.  And more importantly than our English discussion was our discussion about faith and some hard life situations that we were able to have afterwards.  I felt like the Lord was able to use that situation of only the two of them showing up to and allow me to listen to some of His children who were really grappling with issues of faith.  It broke my heart to hear about some of the painful feelings and situations, but also encouraged me to know that these young men know God's love and that they are NOT alone to fight these battles. 
Please join me in continuing to pray for the community of Orowe in Los Guido where I work.  The Lord is doing some wonderful things in the lives of people there, but there is also so much pain and darkness.  It can be overwhelming and enough to want to throw up your hands and give up sometimes.  I am thankful for a sweet note that I received today, a reminder of why I do what I do: "Hi, how are you?  I want to thank you for all that you have helped me with in my homework.  I love you and you are very special to me.  These words come from my heart."  
On a completely different note, below are a few photos to show how my 30th birthday was celebrated.  It was a wonderful week of birthday fun! 

SI Costa Rica friend Diana and I, trying to stay dry in the rain!

Dinner at a yummy Spanish restaurant.  Complete with birthday tiaras. 

Roommate Cailah left fun notes for me all over the house.

Noisemakers with kids at the Centro

Wonderful banner filled with pictures of my sweet niece

Peacock from our trip to Zoo Ave

Getting wet exploring Zoo Ave.  We still had a wonderful time at this beautiful animal park.

Mexican food to celebrate both of our birthdays

30 fun filled facts and Spanish phrases learned over the past year...

On reflecting on the fact that I turn 30 this coming Tues, I thought it would be fun to write 30 things I have learned to say in Spanish and/or having to do with Costa Rican culture for your enjoyment today.  :)

1) If all else fails and you don't know how to answer a question in Spanish, just say "pura vida."  It's the country's national phrase meaning "pure life" or "it's all good" or "all right!" among other things.
2) You don't say "I like her" or "I like him" in Spanish, unless you LIKE them like in a romantic sense.  "Me gusta a el" means "I want to have a relationship with him" so you have to say "Me cae bien a el" if you want to express the sentiment of "he's a nice person, I like him."  You can get yourself into a lot of trouble going around saying "Me gusta (insert name here)" about multiple males, haha.
3) "molestar" means "to bother" in English, rather than the more strong definition of "molest" in English.  Don't be disturbed if someone uses the word "molestar" in Spanish, it's very different than it's English cognate.
4) If you do not shower every morning, you are looked down upon.  My students will tell us that they need to leave tutoring early so they can go home and shower, and the other kids think they are gross that they left the house without showering.
5) A person being described as "macho" or "macha" in CR culture is a lighter haired and lighter skinned person.  I get called macha regularly.
6) We have identified that there are 18 different "honks" used by drivers in Costa Rica.  Some are to say hi, some to say get moving, some to avoid accidents, and some just used by taxi drivers it would seem.
7) A "soda" here has nothing to do with a carbonated beverage but is the name of a local restaurant usually serving typical, Costa Rican food.
8) The most typical response to say "you're welcome" to someone is "con mucho gusto."  Literally translated, "it gives me great pleasure."  Whether or not that's what the person actually intends when they say con mucho gusto or not, I like the way it sounds.  
9) A typical plate ordered at a restaurant is called a "casado," which literally means "married person."  Interesting, right?
10) It is perfectly acceptable to pull off to the shoulder of a road, freeway, etc, and put on your hazards and just "park" there for an undetermined amount of time.  I may have done that yesterday while waiting for a friend who lived off the main road to come hop in my car.  
11) "Upe!" is what is yelled by a visitor to let a person know that you are outside of their gate and would like them to come out and talk to you/let you in. 
12) Something that I have had to get over being grossed out about is the following phrase: "Estoy orinando."  Literally, in my head, that translates as "I am peeing" but it is meant to mean "I really need to go to the bathroom."
13) The air kiss, or "besito" is a common greeting and way to say goodbye to people of both genders and of all ages.
14) Taco Bell at the Desampa mall on Mondays sells 4 crunchy tacos for 1,000 colones (about $2). 
15) Celine Dion is loved by the Costa Rican people.  Every other time I go into the grocery store or ride on a public bus I hear "My Heart Will Go On" playing.  Not an exaggeration.
16) Spanglish is a common language spoken and used- examples:
17) A "watchy man" is the name of the parking lot attendant who you pay to watch your car.
18) We make coffee in a "cofie maykir" (I tried to spell it out phonetically how it is said)
19) I have heard several dogs being called "poopy" which is how you would say the word puppy with a Spanish accent.  It makes me laugh real hard.
20) If there is an object that I don't know the Spanish name of, I call it a "chunche" which loosely means "thing."  I use that one a lot.
21) Cafecito is the name for the time and occasion (usually in the late afternoon) of having coffee and some sort of delicious bread treat with friends and family.
22) "Gringo" is a word used to refer to foreigners, mostly those from the States.  I was asked when more "gringos" were coming to the Tutoring Center, and when I told them that I am a gringa and I'm here every day, they told me "well, but you're part Tica!"  Made me smile.
23) If someone is being a cheapskate about something or is someone who doesn't share, they can be referred to as "codo," which means elbow in English.  Sometimes the word codo might not be used but a tapping of the elbow will happen to indicate that that person is stingy.
24) A combination of mayonnaise and ketchup is used to dip fries in, to smoother taquitos with, etc. I usually choose to not use this condiment combination, just my personal choice.
25) Green mangoes are often sold sliced up and served with chili sauce, salt, lime, etc.  My roommie, Caliah, loves to buy them at every opportunity she can.
26) "Si Dios quiere" is a phrase commonly used.  It translates, "If God wants," and is used to say that a person will be there or do something, as long as God permits.  I love the idea of making our plans but knowing that God ultimately could change them or have a different plan.
27) Cilantro, onion, and garlic are staples of most Costa Rican meals.  I love to cook with all of them.
28) Because most houses have tile floors rather than carpet, "house shoes" are worn most of the time.  Flip flops that Californians wear all over the place are generally only worn as house shoes here.
29) "Adios" is not just to say goodbye, but can be used to say hello to someone when passing them on the street.
30) Most of the year, bringing an umbrella with you whenever you leave the house is a must because you just never know when that cloud above you will burst!

If you are still reading, thank you for indulging me in my 30 fun filled facts that I have come to know and love about this wonderful country of Costa Rica. 

Chile! Tomate! Aguacate!

Oh how much I enjoy a Saturday with nothing that I am obligated to do!  And praise Jesus, this morning my body actually let me sleep in until 9, which is not very common.  I will take it!  Something that I enjoy doing when I have a precious free Saturday like today is go to the feria, or the farmer's market, to buy produce for Cailah and me to enjoy.  But a trip to the feria is so much more than just purchasing produce, and I thought I'd highlight some of the reasons why I love going to the feria:

• It is only a 10-minute walk from my home, and on breezy mornings like this one, it is a great way to get out and take in the beauty of the day.
• The feria is a wonderful cultural experience where I get to practice my Spanish with strangers and continue to reinforce my knowledge of the names for common and more exotic fruits and vegetables.
• I get called "mi reina" (my queen), "machita" (light haired/blond girl) and on occasion, "princessa" (princess) by the men and women selling their produce.  Normally I do not really appreciate these names said to me, but I don't mind it when I'm talking to a fruit vendor for some reason.  It's better than "muchacha" (young lady), which just sounds so formal. :)
• I will typically see a neighbor or a fellow gym attender when I go, and this morning was no exception when I saw the sweet lawyer who is a friend of mine.  He also is probably only five feet tall, so it always makes me smile a bit to stand next to him and chat.
• I get a lot for my money!  Below is a picture of what I bought for 5 mil (about $10)

  

  I'm pretty sure I'm the only one shopping with Disneyland bags...

  
  

  

  YUMMY!!

  • And perhaps my favorite reason to go to the feria, really, my excuse for going, is to buy a homemade tortilla de queso (cheese tortilla).  They are SOOOOO good.  I'd almost make the twenty minute round trip walk just to get one. :)

    

    When I pair it with avocado, natilla (sour cream type condiment popular here), fresh mango, and coffee, I am just as happy as a clam.

  
  
  
  
  The feria is very much a part of the local culture, and for that reason I try to go when I can.  It is fun to see little old ladies with their little shopping carts that they drag behind them, and to see children helping their parents with their purchases.  You can also buy goldfish for pets, blankets, freshly squeezed fruit juice, and a whole assortment of cheese and meats.  Too bad I'm limited to my two Disneyland bags and what I can carry for the ten minute walk back. 

  

  The inside of the feria in Por Venir, Desamparados

We are family

Family, by definition, is the people with whom you share a blood relation.  I am so fortunate and blessed to have been born into a wonderful, silly, and God loving family.  The Frantz family is my biggest support system for my living and working in Costa Rica, although I know they miss me a lot.  And I miss them everyday as well.  I got to spend last week with my family and friends in California, and it was a wonderful time that made leaving again quite bittersweet.  My sweet niece Kate will be nine months older by the time I see her again, which means she will be running around and babbling to everyone.  Thankfully, there is this great invention called the Internet that makes communicating with each other in real time quite easy.  

But lately I have been learning about other families that I am a part of that I was NOT born in to.  This past month I had a situation that I needed help from one of my co-workers for, and knew that he had gone out of his way, above and beyond, to be of help to me.  I thanked him profusely at the time and then also later on when I sent him a text to thank him again.  He told me that "we are your family here, Tara" and "con mucho gusto."  That really hit me hard, knowing that my friends on my staff think of me in that way and have my back when I need it.   

Going to both Nicaragua and Guatemala last month and spending time with the Students International staff there was also confirming that I'm part of a bigger family of people who love the Lord and are interesting in serving and working with communities in Latin America and also with students from the States.  Although we live in different cultures, have different ministry sites, and speak with different Spanish slang and phrases, it was so refreshing and encouraging to my heart to get to see a bit of what SI looks like there.

I think the Lord knew what He was doing when He created family.


 

Our wonderful hosts in Guatemala and the SI directors there

Some of my favorite kids, children of co-workers Diego and Cindy

My SI Costa Rica staff and dear friends

All the Frantz ladies celebrating Spring birthdays together last week!

Livin' out of a suitcase (on the road again!)

I feel like I need to explain myself and why I'm doing all this traveling in the month of March.  The assumption is that "missionaries" such as myself don't have a lot of money and we all know that traveling to other countries is not cheap.  And yet, in the month of March, I will have been to Nicaragua, Guatemala, and California.  Well, I DON'T have a lot of money, but do have a pretty cool job that involves trips sometimes and also have some generous parents who want to celebrate birthdays and Easter with me there.

The Nicaragua trip was really great and served a few purposes- it allowed the Fresno Pacific semester students to renew their tourists visas, it gave us a chance to serve with SI-Nicaragua, and it allowed me to get to know these college students better on this mini missions trip/spiritual retreat.  While I was in Nicaragua, Jose was manning the Tutoring Center, so studying went on without me there.:) We had a fantastic time and I was so blessed to be able to spend time with the SI-Nicaragua staff that I had met last year at my 3-week conference in Colorado.  And we were so fortunate to have wonderful weather and not the dreaded heat we had been warned about.  Below are some photos from our time in Nicaragua:

The entire FPU group with "The Potter".  He did a wonderful job of transforming a lump of clay into a beautiful piece of art, talking about how God does the same thing with each of His children.

Kneading the clay to be ready to shape it

Spinning the pot while reading in the Bible about the Potter and the clay

Beautiful finished pieces

View of Granada, Nicaragua and Lake Nicaragua

Not great lighting but some of the girls on top of the bell tower in Granada

Lake Nicaragua and a volcano in the background

Having dinner together

Tomorrow evening I fly to Antigua, Guatemala for the weekend.  When I went to California over Christmas, I had a horrible time getting home, which resulted in a voucher from Taca Airlines for a future flight.  When I got the invitation to go to our friend Nick's wedding in Guatemala, I decided I would cash in that voucher and go!  I'm really looking forward to seeing another part of Central America and celebrate this wedding with some of my friends from Costa Rica and also friends in Guatemala.  Another cool thing is that we have a sister SI site in Guatemala so I am going to be staying with some staff members there.  

And on Palm Sunday, I will be flying to California!  My parents decided that since my 30th birthday will be in May and right in the middle of our busy team season, they wanted to fly me home to celebrate it early over Semana Santa (Easter Vacation) because I have that time off.  We will also get to celebrate my niece's birthday and Easter all together.  I'm really looking forward to seeing my family and some of my dear friends again very soon!

Traveling is exhausting but always worth it and I'm thankful for my own March Madness and all that it has included (and has in store for the next few weeks!)

Everyone's got a story to tell

This week has been quite trying for me.  My wonderful work partner, Jose, got married last Saturday and has been on his honeymoon this week, which means I've been at the Tutoring Center on my own.  I realized how much I appreciate having someone else there to bounce ideas off of, share in the responsibilities (and discipline), and also to help me explain myself when I'm not able to find the words to use in Spanish.  I also made the mistake of allowing too many kids in during our tutoring sessions because I have a hard time turning kids away.  The truth is, I cannot manage 12 students who are all working on different homework/practices in Spanish and need to have things explained to them and work revised.  I am not Wonder Woman.  That being said, I also learned this week that the Lord supplies my needs when I breathe out those short "Help me," or "Jesus!" prayers, such as I did this week.  

In spite of a crazy week, I feel like God is teaching me more about His people and His heart through some of the stories that people shared with me or that I was a part of this week.  At church this week we were reading about Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis, but looking more intently at Abraham's servant and the emphasis he placed on a daily, ongoing relationship with the God of Abraham as demonstrated by the way he prayed to the Lord about everything.  One of the high school boys from the community where I work was sharing with me that his "normal" is that his father moved out when he was young and that his mother has had a string of boyfriends since then.  When I asked him if it is hard for him to see his mom with men that aren't his father, he responded that it is just the way it is here and he doesn't think of it as anything strange.  Wednesday night we had an evening discussing poverty and what the Bible has to say about it with our semester students.  It's challenging and also encouraging to know a bit of God's heart on this subject and as Christians we have quite a responsibility to care for the body of Christ.  And there was the conversation we had in girls' club on Friday about sexual purity, wanting to make different choices than their mothers and family members before them, and other similar topics.  Such wisdom from these young girls, and I just want to take them all home and protect them from this sinful world.  

When I think about all the conversations I have with students from age 6 all the way to age 26+, it's no wonder I feel mentally and emotionally exhausted sometimes!  Working with people is hard and always will be hard because of the investment it requires.  But it is worth it.  It is so exciting to see those "light bulbs" click on or to hear that person open up to you who hadn't done so before.  And just like being a teacher in the States, I know that my time with each "student" that I work with is limited, and at the end of the day, they go to their home and I am not there to have influence.  It broke my heart to know where some of my Malaga students were going home to in Fowler, CA, and it breaks my heart knowing what goes on or who isn't going to eat that night in Los Guido, Costa Rica.  But that is why I want to love them and show them Jesus when I can, when I have them.  That's my responsibility and I have to trust that God is bigger than me and Students International and can and will work in their hearts and lives as well.  He doesn't need us at all.  He could do it all on His own, as one of my FPU friends said on Wednesday night.  But He asks us to join in.  Thank you, Lord.  Thank you that you want us/me, even though we are broken people.

Cailah, Emily, and our favorite little guy Joab at Jose's wedding

The happy couple

The ladies of SI-Costa Rica: Cailah, Emily, Tracey, Cindy and Tara

The rooster that kept wandering around during the reception.  We said it looked like he had feather Ugs on his legs. :)

Wanna know what I've been doing with my time?!

Rather than write out a regular post, I'm gonna highlight what my past week looked like.  It was pretty packed!

Monday: Staff meeting in the morning with all of our SI-Costa Rica staff.  Prayer time, worship, discussion of the "lost" parables that Jesus speaks about, and then our business meeting.  Lunch with Cailah and intern friend Emily.  Chat with a friend in California and then prep time for the week.  Dance class at the gym, dinner, and then bedtime!

Tuesday: Met up with the semester students before work to show them how to walk to the bus stop and then rode the bus to Los Guido and the tutoring center together.  Sports site and Tutoring Center site all together for lunch.  Rode bus home with them all.  Went out to dinner with some new friends I met at church (yippee!) and had a wonderful time.

Wednesday: Normal day at the tutoring center, I taught an art lesson using heart stencils, crayons, and watercolors.  Took semester students home in my car today.  Came home, cleaned up our house a bit and made brownies.  Made some really yummy pad Thai for dinner.  :)  Semester students came over after dinner for Bible study and hang out time.  Drove two rounds of students home around 9:00 and then called it a day.

Thursday: Before work prayer time with my co-worker ladies.  A blessing to be able to do that together.  Drove semester students to work with me.  Pipe exploded during "recess" time and our intern William had to go buy glue to fix it.  Art time again in the afternoon.  I stayed at the Centro and did last minute planning for my English class.  5-6:15pm class with nine 18ish year old boys.  They joked with me a lot so I think we are making some headway in our friendships.  Watched some tv after dinner and went to bed.  EXHAUSTING day!

Friday: Girls' club at the Centro, we made muffins and talked about Esther and where true beauty comes from.  Every seat in the Centro full during lunch with Sports, Micro finance and Tutoring all together.  Small group there for library time and got to love on some sweet little boys.  Had one of my English students call me and ask if we can study next week during lunch time for an English test he is going to have at school.  Crashed for a few hours after work, dance class at the gym, watched (and sang along to) The Phantom of the Opera with Cailah.

Saturday: Planned on sleeping in but my body thought otherwise.  Pretty relaxing day including going to the Farmer's Market, writing a blog post :), catching up with some friends in the States, and maybe going to a $5 movie tonight.

Not all weeks look like that, but it's not all that abnormal.  Makes me realize my need to depend on the Lord for my strength everyday and take one day at a time.  And after walking to the bus stop and taking the bus to work on Tuesday, I was reminded again how thankful I am for the car that I have.  Pray for me as my mind sometimes is spinning in what I need to be planning for and focusing on at the moment.  I like the business but also want to take care of myself.

Here are some pictures of an excursion I went on last Saturday with the semester students to the Volcano Irazu and the beautiful Orosi Valley lookout: