Buenos dias!

Buenos dias!

I realized later that my last post highlighted some of my struggles I’m having here, and it sounded like I’m hating it. That’s not true! Even though I’m homesick, there are still many things I like about being here. There are things that are wonderful , and I want to make sure I mention some of those too!

First of all, the weather here is amazing. It is just beautiful! It is probably like 70s during the day and 60s at night. The Ticos keep saying how it is so cold here right now, but I really love the weather! It is definitely going to heat up more, as this is the beginning of their summer. They also said this is unusually cold right now. I also really do like my family. They are very kind and easy to understand. I feel like I  can be fairly honest with them and they won’t be offended (this is not the case with all latino families). I am feeling more and more comfortable with them, and I am enjoying them. My father is really a jokster, and they always wait to see if I get what he is saying, as everything is in Spanish. I’ve caught him doing this several times, and it is almost a way of testing how well I know Spanish! I think it is also a good sign that they are comfortable enough with me to tease me. In fact, last night at supper he gave me a high five because I had a good comeback for him after he tried to trick me. It was one of the best high-fives I’ve ever received.  :)

So as you can see, there are things that I really like, and as I mentioned earlier, there are things that I am having more of a hard time adjusting too. This does not at all mean that those things are bad, it just means they are different than I am used too. Therefore, it takes time, an open mind, and a lot of patience.

Some of you are probably wondering how the language barrier is going! Well, actually, I thank God so much for how well it is going. My ability to speak in Spanish is not where I want it to be, but I really thank God that this is not a huge barrier for me when communicating with others, especially my host family. I am able to ask questions, and they really do understand what I’m saying most of the time. This is a huge blessing because there are students who do not know much Spanish at all, and I know that is a really difficult struggle to not be able to communicate basic things. Several people have told me that I am good at Spanish (understanding and speaking), and they are all encouraging when I try to speak it. The philosophy here is to just jump in and try it. So I’m learning to apply that to my Spanish as well. Instead of worrying about saying it all right, I just start talking and see what comes out. Nonetheless, I am very excited to learn more Spanish in class in the next few weeks so my Spanish improves. There are still a lot of times when I get lost in conversation when the people talk among themselves. They can really get to talking fast when they forget I’m trying to listen!  

Another huge issue is the food. All the students and staff here will tell you that this is one of the biggest issues for us students. They give you soo much food, and you are expected to eat it all. it is incredibly offensive to throw away food. Food is seen as a valued commodity, and it is to be enjoyed. Food is also a bridge between us and the Ticos, so we are expected to really engage in this well. The difficult thing is that they give us soo much food, and you eat several times a day. They also drink very little water.

Another thing that I am struggling with is that there is no plan a lot of times :) In fact, I have no idea what time to tell people to be on Skype because I never know what we will be doing. For the most part, I’m okay with not knowing what we are going to do. However, I wish I at least knew a time to tell my family when I could Skype with them, as I have not done this yet.

Overall, I’m still homesick, still overwhelmed, but functioning well. :) Please pray that God gives me himself and that I continue to adjust to life in Costa Rica. Thank you all!