Life after language school

Paul and Bridget in the mountains of Costa Rica.

Muchas gracias to all of you who prayed and gave to Paul’s flight training fund last month.  He continues to prepare for his practical flight test for a "commercial" rating in Costa Rica. 

We are so happy to share the wonderful news that our daughter, Joy, and her suitor, Patrick McMurchy, recently announced their engagement.  They are planning a January 18 wedding in Corvallis, Oregon.  In about six weeks, Lord willing, we will be traveling to Oregon and celebrating Christmas and a wedding with our children.  We hope to see some of our family and friends as there is time.  During our return trip we will visit friends, Matt and Heidi Giles, in Texas.

Patrick and Joy, happy and in love.

Since finishing language school in August, life has changed for me (Bridget).  Paul and I get up at 6:00 am and have breakfast and devotions.  Then I go walking with a girlfriend or to a free Zumba class at the public gymnasium in our neighborhood.  After a quick shower, I start on the housework.  Every day I do a load of laundry and hang it to dry in the covered laundry room.  I call it my solar dryer. :>)  When the weather is sunny and breezy, it dries in a day.  During rainy season when the humidity is about 90%, it can take up to 3 days to dry our sheets.  After I start the laundry, I sweep the tile floors of our walkway and 400 sq. ft. apartment.  In this tropical climate we live with the windows open and the dust constantly blows in from the street.  Keeping up with the floors is important because clean floors are the sign of a “good housekeeper” in the culture of Costa Rica. 

Ladies' Bible study and many new friends.

On Tuesdays I go to an English speaking Bible study for Latin and North American women.  It has been a good way to get acquainted with woman, many of whom live in our neighborhood. Other days I do my weekly chores (ironing, changing sheets, mopping, baking…).  One or two days a week Paul and I walk to the store or the farmer’s market for groceries.  Since we don’t have a car, he helps me carry everything home.  When we return, I wash all the fruits and veggies, cut them up for storage and cook all the meat.  Then I make our main meal for lunch.  I mostly cook from scratch because many locally grown fruits and vegetables are available year round.  My favorite Costa Rican recipe is Olla de Carne (Pot of Meat).  It is a soup with beef, carrots, corn on the cob, yams, onion, garlic, sweet red peppers, potatoes, yucca, and cheyote all simmered in a beef broth.  Yucca and cheyote are both starchy vegetables like potatoes that are commonly eaten here.  I serve the soup with bread from the bakery across the street (it can be dangerous to a gal’s waistline to smell all those yummy breads and pastries) and a green salad.  In the afternoons it usually rains “cows and horses” so I study at home or work on the computer.

My Spanish is still a work in progress and some dear ladies are volunteering to practice with me every week.  Monday night Tatiana stops by our house on her way home from work.  She talks totally in Spanish with Paul and me over a cup of tea.  This week we looked at a map and photos of her hometown in Columbia.  Wednesday our landlady, Desiree, often invites me over for cafecito (afternoon coffee and cookies) from 3 to 6 pm.  She practices English, I practice Spanish and then we play a couple of games of Qwirkle.  Thursday I visit Rosalia, my friend from Venezuela, and we work on her English and my Spanish for a couple of hours. 

Saturday I meet with my friend Laura in the park from 10 am to 1 pm to practice English and Spanish, but for me it is much more a lesson in culture. Laura is a Tica (a woman from Costa Rica) and has lived in San Francisco de Dos Rios all her life.  She recently graduated from university and works for a utility company.  She is a Christian and answers my many questions about life in Costa Rica.  When I want to go somewhere, she will draw me a map with all the landmarks and bus stops I need to plan my route.  She is also good at explaining situations to me, like the time a friend invited Paul and me over for dinner.  After dinner she asked if I wanted to take the leftovers home and I said yes, thinking she would give me a little and keep the rest for herself.  Instead, she boxed it all up and sent it home with me.  I was bewildered and felt guilty, like I was being selfish.  I asked Laura if that was normal and she said, that when the hostess prepares dinner, she expects her guests will either eat it all or take all the leftovers home.  She explained that Ticos are generous that way. 

The Lord has been so kind to give me many wonderful women to spend time with on this adventure.  They are each gracious and encouraging.  I am thankful for family and friends at home who have done the same. 

Please be praying for God to:

Equip Paul for his practical flight test.

Prepare Joy and Patrick for their marriage.

Enable Bridget to communicate in Spanish as a preschool Sunday school class helper and as a guest speaker for a girls’ Bible study.

Direct our time (Dec 14 to Jan 20) in Oregon and Texas (Jan 20-23)