Language School Graduation

On Friday, December 12, we had our graduation ceremony, which was entirely in Spanish. The school has a graduation ceremony at the end of each trimester.  It doesn't matter if you have attended for 1 Trimester, 2 Trimesters, or 3 Trimesters, if you are leaving the school you are allowed to be a part of the ceremony.

The graduation ceremony was really nice.  The first part of the ceremony was the flag march: the flag of each country of ministry was brought in by one of the students serving in that country.  These are the different countries that this group of students will be going to: Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Paraguay, Mexico, Peru, Panama, and El Salvador. (hopefully I didn't forget any).

With the Ecuador flag

Almost ready to get our names called

Our grand entrance

After we all were introduced, the Director of the school gave a welcome followed by one of the teachers sharing memories of the graduating students.

Then, one of the graduating students gave a speech about his memories and experiences at the school and living with a Tica (Costa Rican) family.  This was followed by a pastor from a local church giving a message and a challenge to the students as we go to our countries of service.

Then it was time to get our diplomas and certificates. 

 
Finally, we had a closing prayer, which was very special.  One of the teachers led the prayer and asked all the other teachers present to make a circle around the graduating students. 

After the ceremony, there was a time of refreshments - nachos and brownies! Great way to end the morning.

It was such a blessing for us to be students at this Christ-centered school.  Each teacher values what they do and considers it a ministry to teach Spanish to missionaries. 

Interesting Fruits

The tropical climate of Costa Rica produces some great tasting and interesting looking fruits. Hannah and I aren't picky eaters so we enjoy trying new things, no matter what it looks like.

This is called "Guaba":

Inside the "shell" are perfectly placed white pieces of fruit, each sitting in it's own slot.  The white part is the "meat" of the fruit, which is what you eat.  It is kind of smooth and kind of fuzzy, and it is sweet.

Inside the white part is a smooth, hard, black seed.
 

The other night I realized that this fruit is spelled "guaba", not "guava".  We were with some friends and one of them showed us a "guava" that he had bought from the fruit market in the morning. Hannah and I said that we had bought "guava" before, but it didn't look like what he was holding.  I did a Google search for "guava" and the only thing that came up were pictures of what he was holding.  We were confused.  Finally, I did a Google search of "Costa Rican fruit" and found a picture that looked like the fruit we had eaten, and the caption read "guaba".  Mystery solved.  When we bought the "guaba" from a fruit stand, we heard the vendor say "guava".  The thing is, the "b" and the "v" in Spanish are pronounced exactly the same by native Spanish speakers.  Although we have been taught this, we didn't even consider that that's what was happening.


This is called "Granadilla" (aka Snot Fruit):

The fruit is about the size of an apple.  The outside is sort of firm and it kind of sounds hollow.

You can open the fruit with your hands or cut it open, or as Hannah does, drop it on the floor.  Inside is a white covering (kind of "furry") filled with a "mucousy/liquidy" membrane with small black seeds.

You eat the seeds and the liquidy part - you probably couldn't separate them even if you wanted to.  It's crunchy and somewhat sweet.  We like them a lot.


This is called "Mamon", or "Mamon Chino":

These are about the size of a plum.  The outside has hair-like things sticking out; they are not sharp.

The fruit has a grape-like texture and is sweet.  Inside the meat of the fruit is a seed, which is about the size of an almond.  The seed is not to be eaten.

There are many fruits we like to eat here, but these are some of the most interesting-looking.

Culture Day Celebration

On Friday, October 10, we celebrated "Dia de Las Culturas" at school.  This is a day to celebrate and recognize all the different cultures, to pray for them, and to recognize that God loves all nations and desires all to come to Him.

Each first hour class was to select a country of the world and decorate a stand/table honoring the culture of the country.  Each stand was unique, using a variety of decorations, pictures, video, clothing, and food.

My class selected Ecuador.  Hannah and I don't actually have any Ecuador "stuff" here in Costa Rica so we had to borrow from teachers and from another couple (who is also heading to Ecuador after language school).

Our class schedule was modified to allow time for the special activities.  We first gathered in the gym to hear some details about culture day and watch some students (young and old) represent regions and countries of the world.  

After the time in the gym, we walked the hallways to check out the displays of the different countries.  Here are a few:

Chile

Panama

Colombia

Bolivia

Nicaragua

Estados Unidos

Honduras

Israel

Afterwards, we went to the Chapel and had a time of prayer.  It was a fun morning and a great reminder to celebrate our differences and to be in prayer for all nations.

Volcan Poas and La Paz Waterfall Garden

On Thursday, August 28 (Happy Birthday, Mom) Hannah and I visited Volcan Poas (volcano) and La Paz Waterfall Garden.  We took the trip with friends from the language school.  We booked the trip with Ronnie, a guide/chofer that many students at the language school use for transportation needs.

We left around 6:30 AM and made our way to Volcan Poas. We arrived at about 8:30.  

The walk from the parking lot to the crater is about 1/2 a mile and it is very scenic.

On our way back from the crater I saw a map showing the name of the path: "Camino de sombrillas pobres", which means "Path of poor umbrellas".  Pictured below is us under the "umbrella".  These giant leaves are actually used as umbrellas.

There were many of these plants along the side of the path.

This time of year it's hit or miss on seeing the crater, fortunately we had a fairly clear morning and we could see it.  Really neat to see!

We left the volcano and headed toward La Paz Waterfall Gardens - about a 30 minute drive.  La Paz is a beautiful place with animals and 5 waterfalls.  Animal exhibits include birds, frogs, snakes, monkeys, and butterflies.  The staff is great and they let you interact with the animals when possible.

The flowers were left over from a wedding, good thing for us!

You can see 3 waterfalls in this picture.  The smaller one to the right is called "Escondida" ("Hidden").

We had a great time seeing both of these places and we would definitely recommend them if you ever visit Costa Rica.