The whole weekend was a very great experience - though it was some very long bus rides.. and it took 3 hours each time we tried to cross the boarder. But the actual conference was very good. First some facts: The conference was held in Managua, Nicaragua. Our Members from the ITC were Juan Francisco Mora from Costa Rica and Rachel N'degwa (I'm sorry, I don't know how to spell her name) from Kenya. I believe there were about 23 countries from Central America and the Carribean attending and, I think I've been told, about 1,500 people present and the conference was translated into three languages. And again, the experience was great. I was so amazed with the focus. I've never been to a conference that was so focused on a single purpose - it made it very unified. Which is soo interesting. With so many different countries and peoples and even languages - not everyone could communicate (easily) with each other, this is the conference I will remember for it's feeling of unity and purpose. Much more so than even ones I've been to in the States. And, unexpected - everything was on time! fancy that :). The first day were mostly talks by our ITC members. And they were great, though I admit I had trouble undrstanding Rachel's. The reason is because I listened to everything in Spanish. Juan spoke in Spanish and he was very clear and easy to understand. Rachel, on the other hand, spoke in English, so we listened to the spanish translation which was acutally much harder for me. I'm not sure why, maybe it's because of the pauses and the not consistent speed of the translator. I should have picked up a device to listen to the English but I never got around to it. Still, they were both very inspiring. It was a great blend of, of course, praise for what has been accomplished, but nonetheless a call to action - but without creating any sense of guilt or shame for not having already stepped up. It wasn't a time to look at the past - the goal, the focus is the future.. so we look at the present, evaluate and plan for the future.
I think the conference was especially good for the 6 members of my community who attended the conference as well. I know at least two of them really didn't like it for the crowds - I'm sure none of them have been among so many people before... crowded conference halls are very different to our lovely little community in the rainforest. But I also know that every one was inspired at the conference. Yesterday we actually had a meeting to plan for activities - and guess what they decided to do - go to Alto Conte (about 2 hours up) and have a teaching campaign! They are going go and teach the Faith using Conozcamos (Anna's Presentation). So, they planned a time when they could come and practice using Conozcamos and then they're gonna go teach. And, so many more people are now involved in the Children's classes and Pre-youth group (I'm having to get over my little bit of ownership I felt for my classes and let others in - how great is that?!).
And, for me personally, it was a lot of fun to see so many of the people I met in Colombia back in July. We only missed our friends from Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela. But it was still great - though we really didn't have a lot of time to just sit and chat - like I said, it was a focused conference. Plus, the place was so packed that it was hard to find anyone in the short breaks we did have. But the last night we stayed until late and I got my visiting in - as well as a little impromptu dancing started by the Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic youth. What better way to end a conference? -especially latin american style.. some of the people down here can really dance!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
raincheck
hey everyone... I know I told a lot of people that I was going to write about the weekend (the 41 Conference for the Central American and Carriebean countries) but I didn't really get a good chance to sit down and get it done. I plan to still write a bit about it but it'll have to be saved for another day. ciao
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tomorrow starts...
our trip to Managua, Nicaragua. We arrived to San Jose a day before the other of our community members because we had business, of various kinds, to attend to before continuing on to Nicaragua. Some needed to go to banks, others had things to get at supermarkets and I, I am finally reunited with all of my things! I packed only one suitcase to come live for a year.. but within one month I had a bag of things in Progresso, I had a bag at the Baha'i Institute outside of San Jose, I had a bag at the national office in San Jose, and I had some things with me in Colombia. Just in time, I have the very things I wanted to have in case there was an event like the one I'm going to. :) Unfortunately I believe I have a ways to go before I learn to be detached from my things.
But one thing I always knew - I have a rather love/hate relationship with technology. I love it because of all the things one can do with it (I'm mainly talking computers and internet here) but I hate it because so often, I can't. Take today, for instance. I have a few hours where I thought I would be checking email and facebook and catching up with friends and family (who I haven't had a chance to contact in ANY way for almost a full month and I miss it) and email won't work and neither will facebook. Sad day. But at least I have gotten to read up on people's blogs... and I can write one to sort of feel like I'm comunicating a little with my people.
Speaking of communicating, let's do a little:
The last month has been very busy, and therefore, great. We had a "capacitacion" (basically an intensive weekend of Ruhi) in Progresso near the end of December. A family who lives in El Salvador traveled down, with some friends (some of whom served in Haifa recently and know some of you guys), to help out. Of course, how else can one prepare for a capacitacion without going to the beach first? So, that's what we decided to do, then we had the capacitacion and it all went well. People from all over the area came to study books. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun. Plus, I forgot to say, Laila and Paul and his wife Lorena came so I know it has been nice for Anne and Parviz to visit with their children.
Then came new year's eve. It was a happy day because Don Jesus's family all came back up to live in their home (this is the family of Adrian, who had gotten bitten by a snake) and they invited us up to celebrate. They had a few fireworks and they fed us sooo much food. It was quite funny because everyone was soo full. It was just a very happy time.
Then, Laura and Linda and I took a trip to Rio Claro to visit the family of a good friend who is from that area. If you walk over and through the mountains it takes about 3 or 4 hours, from what I understand. But we instead chose to walk down to Conte, take a bus to Rio Claro (the very touristy place where there is apparently one of, or maybe the, longest wave in the world.. so a lot of surfers come there). From there we walk about 1 1/2 or 2 hours straight up to get there. It's a beautiful walk with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean, and the bay and the peninsula to one side, and all lush green mountains and valleys on the other... but it goes straight up, and then straight down, and then up more, and then down, and then up again and even more, and then down and then you get close and you go up again, and back down. But it was a good weekend. We gave a children's class, and had a devotional and mostly just sat around talking and being friends. Good times. But, poor guy, on the way back to Progresso we decided to spend about an hour or two, while we waited for the bus, in the ocean - and he got stung/stabbed by a stingray. He said it was the worse pain of his life. He got stung/cut open on the bottom of his foot and for an hour he sat literaly shaking from the pain that kept climbing up his leg. This, by the way folks, is a man who grew up in the jungle of the Costa Rican rainforest with a machete in his hand. We're talking hard core. I was actually quite worried because we really didn't know what had stung him and we didn't know if it might possibly be fatal - and it was worse because there really isn't any hospital for miles and miles around and the only clinic that we know of is closed on Sunday. Luckily it's just something that just simply hurts. Oh, after our bus ride to Conte, he walked back up the mountain to his home in Progresso to rest. These people really sometimes amaze me.
Yesterday and the day before I went with Don Jesus to his bean field and picked new beans... and then sat around for two days straight and shelled them all. And in the meantime I've been continuing with my pre-youth and children's classes. Oh, and in other news, Dona Elia tells me that perhaps when I return from Nicaragua my Guaymi dress might be ready. :).
So, hopefully when we return from Managua the internet and computer will be working better and I'll have a chance to catch up with everyone. And who knows what I'll be wanting to write about here after the Conference?
But one thing I always knew - I have a rather love/hate relationship with technology. I love it because of all the things one can do with it (I'm mainly talking computers and internet here) but I hate it because so often, I can't. Take today, for instance. I have a few hours where I thought I would be checking email and facebook and catching up with friends and family (who I haven't had a chance to contact in ANY way for almost a full month and I miss it) and email won't work and neither will facebook. Sad day. But at least I have gotten to read up on people's blogs... and I can write one to sort of feel like I'm comunicating a little with my people.
Speaking of communicating, let's do a little:
The last month has been very busy, and therefore, great. We had a "capacitacion" (basically an intensive weekend of Ruhi) in Progresso near the end of December. A family who lives in El Salvador traveled down, with some friends (some of whom served in Haifa recently and know some of you guys), to help out. Of course, how else can one prepare for a capacitacion without going to the beach first? So, that's what we decided to do, then we had the capacitacion and it all went well. People from all over the area came to study books. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun. Plus, I forgot to say, Laila and Paul and his wife Lorena came so I know it has been nice for Anne and Parviz to visit with their children.
Then came new year's eve. It was a happy day because Don Jesus's family all came back up to live in their home (this is the family of Adrian, who had gotten bitten by a snake) and they invited us up to celebrate. They had a few fireworks and they fed us sooo much food. It was quite funny because everyone was soo full. It was just a very happy time.
Then, Laura and Linda and I took a trip to Rio Claro to visit the family of a good friend who is from that area. If you walk over and through the mountains it takes about 3 or 4 hours, from what I understand. But we instead chose to walk down to Conte, take a bus to Rio Claro (the very touristy place where there is apparently one of, or maybe the, longest wave in the world.. so a lot of surfers come there). From there we walk about 1 1/2 or 2 hours straight up to get there. It's a beautiful walk with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean, and the bay and the peninsula to one side, and all lush green mountains and valleys on the other... but it goes straight up, and then straight down, and then up more, and then down, and then up again and even more, and then down and then you get close and you go up again, and back down. But it was a good weekend. We gave a children's class, and had a devotional and mostly just sat around talking and being friends. Good times. But, poor guy, on the way back to Progresso we decided to spend about an hour or two, while we waited for the bus, in the ocean - and he got stung/stabbed by a stingray. He said it was the worse pain of his life. He got stung/cut open on the bottom of his foot and for an hour he sat literaly shaking from the pain that kept climbing up his leg. This, by the way folks, is a man who grew up in the jungle of the Costa Rican rainforest with a machete in his hand. We're talking hard core. I was actually quite worried because we really didn't know what had stung him and we didn't know if it might possibly be fatal - and it was worse because there really isn't any hospital for miles and miles around and the only clinic that we know of is closed on Sunday. Luckily it's just something that just simply hurts. Oh, after our bus ride to Conte, he walked back up the mountain to his home in Progresso to rest. These people really sometimes amaze me.
Yesterday and the day before I went with Don Jesus to his bean field and picked new beans... and then sat around for two days straight and shelled them all. And in the meantime I've been continuing with my pre-youth and children's classes. Oh, and in other news, Dona Elia tells me that perhaps when I return from Nicaragua my Guaymi dress might be ready. :).
So, hopefully when we return from Managua the internet and computer will be working better and I'll have a chance to catch up with everyone. And who knows what I'll be wanting to write about here after the Conference?
Saturday, December 20, 2008
My Birthday Day
Hey everyone! Thanks to all for the birthday wishes - it's always so nice to remember friends and family on special days. I just found out that my mother and two sisters will come to visit me in March - Yay!! What a good present. Oh, the other present I gave myself was an amazing farmer's tan.. you guys wouldn't believe it. And I've always one - usually from soccer - but I assure you, this one takes the cake. We went to the beach with some friends on Wednesday, but it's a local beach and not one for tourists so actual swimsuits are not acceptable.. so we go in with our scrub pants and t-shirts.
By the way, Adrian, from my last post, seems like he will, with time, be fine. He has started walking again and so hopefully there will not even be a lasting limp.
Linda, sitting next to me, is quite excited with a certain possibility for her future and would like to share with everyone that she could be going back, instead of to Iceland, to Denmark. Oh, the possibilities.
Speaking of possibilities, the date I set for when I would start thinking of my future is coming up in about a week and a half. Oh, scary. If anyone has any suggestions let me know. I think at the moment that I want to find a job before I go back to get a masters... but that's thinking about it all too much. I still have a week and a half to simply enjoy the present.. so that's what I'm going to do! Love to all!
By the way, Adrian, from my last post, seems like he will, with time, be fine. He has started walking again and so hopefully there will not even be a lasting limp.
Linda, sitting next to me, is quite excited with a certain possibility for her future and would like to share with everyone that she could be going back, instead of to Iceland, to Denmark. Oh, the possibilities.
Speaking of possibilities, the date I set for when I would start thinking of my future is coming up in about a week and a half. Oh, scary. If anyone has any suggestions let me know. I think at the moment that I want to find a job before I go back to get a masters... but that's thinking about it all too much. I still have a week and a half to simply enjoy the present.. so that's what I'm going to do! Love to all!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Long past time
Here in Costa Rica it is starting to be summer. It rains only once in every few days and even then usually only for a short time and not in large quantities.. usually. I actually walked down the mountain today without sinking into any mud (which is also good because I didn't wear my boots). And we started at 4:30 this morning walking by the light of the moon (and some flashlights) - just thought I'd throw that in, too.
We are gearing up for a busy next few months. Every day it seems we get more and more demands on our time and services - which is soo great. We have started another 3 English class and quite a few more pre-youth and children's classes. And our Enrichment Center building is almost completed! Just a few more walls to put up and we will have a great place a little apart to study and have classes and keep all of our materials together. And it's on such a beautiful hill with a great view. In addition to proper classes, I have somehow been unofficially designated the math tutor (it's great but also soo frustrating! and not to mention trying to figure out math in spanish!) as well as for other subjects and for Ruhi books (often there are people who need to finish a few sections of a book or need to catch up to a point where they can continue with someone else). So, in large part, this is how I have spent my time the last few weeks - especially with the tutoring as the term of the school came to an end and everyone was studying for their exams. It was a successful term here in these schools - everyone in the colegio (high school) passed and all of the students in the 6th grade are graduating on the 20th!
A few days later (23rd or something) we are having visitors from El Salvador and while they are here we are having a "capacitacion" an intensive weekend of Ruhi. That will be an interesting experience - hosting 20 people to sleep and then cooking for more like 60+ for two meals a day. As a matter of fact, I'm bring up a large (large) load of groceries up with me in an effort to lighten the load a little bit for our trip up with everyone.
Unfortunately I do have some very sad news. A very very dear boy, Adrian, got bitten by a terciopelo (fer-de-lance) snake a few weeks ago. He was rushed as quickly as possible down the mountain to the nearest hospital but even going with all speed it took many many hours to reach any antivenom - much too long. He has been in the hospital for weeks now and we have had little news. He has been stable ever since we heard of the bite (it happened while we were in San Jose last time and didn't learn of it till days later when we returned) and a few days ago we learned that he has had an operation... though we don't know what kind. We heard that Don Jesus (the father) and Adrian were in good spirits so I hope that it wasn't an amputation. He should be coming back from the hospital soon. I have missed having him around - he was one of my very first friends here.
We are gearing up for a busy next few months. Every day it seems we get more and more demands on our time and services - which is soo great. We have started another 3 English class and quite a few more pre-youth and children's classes. And our Enrichment Center building is almost completed! Just a few more walls to put up and we will have a great place a little apart to study and have classes and keep all of our materials together. And it's on such a beautiful hill with a great view. In addition to proper classes, I have somehow been unofficially designated the math tutor (it's great but also soo frustrating! and not to mention trying to figure out math in spanish!) as well as for other subjects and for Ruhi books (often there are people who need to finish a few sections of a book or need to catch up to a point where they can continue with someone else). So, in large part, this is how I have spent my time the last few weeks - especially with the tutoring as the term of the school came to an end and everyone was studying for their exams. It was a successful term here in these schools - everyone in the colegio (high school) passed and all of the students in the 6th grade are graduating on the 20th!
A few days later (23rd or something) we are having visitors from El Salvador and while they are here we are having a "capacitacion" an intensive weekend of Ruhi. That will be an interesting experience - hosting 20 people to sleep and then cooking for more like 60+ for two meals a day. As a matter of fact, I'm bring up a large (large) load of groceries up with me in an effort to lighten the load a little bit for our trip up with everyone.
Unfortunately I do have some very sad news. A very very dear boy, Adrian, got bitten by a terciopelo (fer-de-lance) snake a few weeks ago. He was rushed as quickly as possible down the mountain to the nearest hospital but even going with all speed it took many many hours to reach any antivenom - much too long. He has been in the hospital for weeks now and we have had little news. He has been stable ever since we heard of the bite (it happened while we were in San Jose last time and didn't learn of it till days later when we returned) and a few days ago we learned that he has had an operation... though we don't know what kind. We heard that Don Jesus (the father) and Adrian were in good spirits so I hope that it wasn't an amputation. He should be coming back from the hospital soon. I have missed having him around - he was one of my very first friends here.
Friday, November 14, 2008
How to Describe Perfection?
So, our trip to Panama exceeded all expectations. By a lot. To be honest, I did not have high hopes. I thought trying to find all transportation would be a huge hassel, we would all be tired, it would rain, we would stay in dingy places - I thought all the worst was coming. Wrong. It turns out it couldn't be easier - somehow it was all a piece of cake. Buses and taxis right there when we needed them - and when they weren't the people at where we were staying (Both the Purple House in David and Boca Brava) called taxis and arranged everything for us. People are so nice!
The Purple House was fun - internet! and talking to people from all around and shower and sleep. And everything Purple down to my (complimentary) coffee cup in the morning. Best of all, of course, was getting to our destination - the island of Boca Brava (don't ask me why it's called that). Soooo beautiful!! We take a water taxi to the island and go up the steps from the dock to our home for a day. None of us had exact change for the boat taxi, so the man working there said he would pay the man for us and just put it on our tab. We then had breakfast and amazing fruit drinks with milk (my favorite was papaya!). Then we decide to go on a day trip with snorkling. Lets just fill up the day right? Well, our boat taxi friend takes us to an amazingly beautiful beach on an island - it's only us and a couple from England and a girl from Germany who decided to join us. It's absolutely stunning. I can't wait for Laura and Komron to share their pictures!! So, we spend all day on this beach, in the water, climbing the rocks, exploring the forest - eating our packed lunch! Everything just so relaxed and wonderful.
Then we come back to our island and shower and have dinner. After a very tastey dinner with the breeze blowing, the music gets louder and they start dancing.. and we join in!! Oh, I haven't danced for such a long time. Then we all went out and sat on the dock for some good old bonding time. This morning was even more relaxed. We woke up, had some breakfast, and walked to another empty beach. This time, instead of playing with each other, we all chose our own spot - I read, others listened to music or explored. And we headed back to the boarder. And, this may not really be important, but to stay on this Island - room and all meals (5), less than $30.
Okay, time to go - I'll try and put up pictures sometime soon.
Life is good :)
The Purple House was fun - internet! and talking to people from all around and shower and sleep. And everything Purple down to my (complimentary) coffee cup in the morning. Best of all, of course, was getting to our destination - the island of Boca Brava (don't ask me why it's called that). Soooo beautiful!! We take a water taxi to the island and go up the steps from the dock to our home for a day. None of us had exact change for the boat taxi, so the man working there said he would pay the man for us and just put it on our tab. We then had breakfast and amazing fruit drinks with milk (my favorite was papaya!). Then we decide to go on a day trip with snorkling. Lets just fill up the day right? Well, our boat taxi friend takes us to an amazingly beautiful beach on an island - it's only us and a couple from England and a girl from Germany who decided to join us. It's absolutely stunning. I can't wait for Laura and Komron to share their pictures!! So, we spend all day on this beach, in the water, climbing the rocks, exploring the forest - eating our packed lunch! Everything just so relaxed and wonderful.
Then we come back to our island and shower and have dinner. After a very tastey dinner with the breeze blowing, the music gets louder and they start dancing.. and we join in!! Oh, I haven't danced for such a long time. Then we all went out and sat on the dock for some good old bonding time. This morning was even more relaxed. We woke up, had some breakfast, and walked to another empty beach. This time, instead of playing with each other, we all chose our own spot - I read, others listened to music or explored. And we headed back to the boarder. And, this may not really be important, but to stay on this Island - room and all meals (5), less than $30.
Okay, time to go - I'll try and put up pictures sometime soon.
Life is good :)
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Para Didi
Rachel, I don't know how I did this but I omitted a part of my story that would give you particular pleasure: In David, I am staying at a hostel called - guess what - The Purple House. And yes the house is actually purple, inside and out. Just about everything inside it is purple as well. Down to the fans and the bunkbeds. Cups, towels, all knick-knacks. Purple. :).
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