English as a Second Language

Me with two of our students, Nidya, Luz, and baby Soraya, Ash & Audra's daughter


Ash handing out graduation certificates


Alicia, posing for the camera, Federico and Hellen

I had the privilege of helping two of our dear friends, Ash and Audra McEuen teach English this trimester. They definitely did all of the planning work, which I am SO thankful for--I just needed to show up and do whatever they told me!

It was a great experience. The uniqueness of each of our cultures comes out in unexpected ways at times. I love it! Many times, they would be so busy talking, being loud, and just generally helping each other that we would need to practically scream to get their attention. One week, two of the ladies had a loud discussion over who got to sit closest to the white board. And you should have been there when they all chipped in to buy a birthday cake for Ash and he was sick that week and couldn't come! Last week, all of the students were delighted to receive their certificates of completion for the course.

I have to admit that I have reveled in the fact that for once I was doing the language correction and not being the one constantly corrected! : )

We met once a week at the AMCA house--a house for Christian ministry: for teams and/or individuals to stay in near the language school, for the English speaking youth group to meet on Saturday nights, for Bible studies in Spanish throughout the week, and for teaching ESL. The AMCA house is a busy place! Wednesday afternoons at 4 pm, we gathered there to have an hour of English instruction, then a time for coffee and cookies, a praise song in English, then a Bible study in Spanish. Then half an hour more of English instruction.

Since last week was the final week for this trimester, a Tico pastor came in to give a short sermon. It was wonderful! Several people gave their lives to Christ during the service.

I am already looking forward to helping out with this ministry again in the next trimester.



The students put their names on slips of paper in a cup, and Baby Soraya pulled out the name of the winner. The prize was a bilingual Bible.


One of my classmates at ILE, Angela Edwards, teaching the students a new song



The devotion/worship time of ESL at the AMCA House

A Wonderful Weekend

Last weekend, we had a great visit with Margaret and Dwight Carr, the president of BMDMI.  This was their first visit to Costa Rica and it was a special time for Tully and me, and for all the missionaries here with BMDMI.  There are currently nine of us with BMDMI in language school, the most at one time in the history of the mission.  We were all encouraged by Margaret and Dwight--in our time with them, we laughed a lot, played games, and ate some great food.  On Monday, before their flight left to return to Honduras, we took them for a quick tour of the school and they got to meet some of the teachers and staff of the school. It was a great time of fellowship!

Our Security

I talked to my aunt yesterday, and before we hung up, she asked me if we were safe. She said she worries about that sometimes. Honestly, security is always a concern here.

I remembered then what one of my professors told our class last semester about what it was like to grow up in San Jose, Costa Rica. She is my age and grew up riding her bike in the street, walking to the corner store by herself, all the normal things kids do. It was safe to walk around at night and the neighbors visited back and forth. She didn't remember when it changed. When she and her husband built their first house, she remembered looking at all the bars on the windows and the heavy gate outside and thinking, "This is great. We are so safe." That's when she realized that if there were a fire at the front of the house, they would die.





This is the door going into our house. There are no exterior door knobs, and all the bolts can make two complete revolutions to drive the bolt further into the wall.



Same door, going out of the house




We do not live in fear, but we definitely live with a heightened sense of awareness, of surroundings, of people, of strange cars, or cars or motorcycles speeding, of anything out of the ordinary. It is prudent to live that way, as it would be in any big city in the world.

Before we left last summer, one of Tully's former patients gave us some books written about Psalm 91, God's promise to us of His protection. When we received them, we did not realize how important that chapter of Scripture would become to us on the mission field. We have claimed it numerous times about many situations and have prayed it for our family and over our kids, even as they slept at night. More than any lock or gate could ever be, God is our security.

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling--
even the LORD, who is my refuge--
then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels
concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your
foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

I do know that there are many Christians who are the victims of crimes and other bad things. These verses, in fact, assure us that there will be times of trouble. There is also a flip side, however, in that we really have no idea how many times throughout our days and nights God saves us and/or protects us from something or someone. I praise Him for His tender care and protection and want to be no place else but under His wings and covered by His feathers, finding refuge.

Monte Verde, Costa Rica and Arcoirises

The old fashioned way of hauling in coffee beans from the field--except this time hauling boys.



















Coffee beans, fresh from the shell


We have experienced a cloud forest--a tropical rainforest in the mountains. It was beautiful, and much colder than we were used to. We were told we were on the continental divide and receiving rain from the Caribbean side and sun from the Pacific side. Along with the rain and sun came the most beautiful rainbows I have ever seen. We could see where they touched the ground on both sides, we were above them in some cases, overlooking valleys, and we even saw several double rainbows. What an awesome Creator we have to have made rainbows, called arcoirises in español!


Sweet Gabriel at the coffee plantation



Cutting sugar cane




Learning about plantains, bananas, and sugar cane


Making candy from the sugar cane

Pura Vida. . .

There is a saying here in Costa Rica, "Pura Vida." It means "pure life." We've been told it's really only said in Costa Rica, it's sort of a national motto. We've heard it everywhere here--from taxi drivers, locals on the street, venders, and some of our teachers say it. It's usually in a harried moment, when you are asking directions, or feel a little stressed about something, or are thanking someone for something, or you're apologizing for something. You see this huge smile light up their faces and then they say, "Pura Vida." Like all is well, no problem, no worries.

This morning, it hit me that this is what I have. My life in Christ is pura vida. Being a wife to Tully and a mom to seven precious children is pura vida. Our life here and this opportunity to study and learn to share with others the good news of Christ is pura vida. The hilariousness that God would call a couple who are all set with their children and life in America to a foreign country for His Name's sake is pura vida. It's good stuff. I love it!

We need to start our walk to school between 7:00 and 7:15 am.

This morning, 6:35 am--I'm showered, dressed, have done the girls' hair, and am helping Luke, Timothy, and Trey review their espanol for a huge test today and tomorrow (today is oral, tomorrow written). They only have two exams in their Spanish classes, these at midterm, and the final in December.

As they are eating breakfast, I'm picking up dirty clothes and taking them to the laundry room, straightening up, answering questions, taking lunches to the stroller--this is a job because the girls tend to want to go and get stuff out if we put them in the stroller one second too soon. Then we have to go around and look for wherever they left it or replace what got eaten.

Dawn: "Okay, Luke, what is "to sing?" Elijah, did you get your blanket and put it in your backpack?"

Trey: "Cantar."

Dawn to Trey: "Are you Luke? I asked Luke. Luke, what is "to go down?"

Elijah: "Yes, ma'am." (from somewhere way off--it occurs to me that I haven't seen him in the last few minutes to make sure he's dressed and has shoes.)

Dawn: "Elijah, have you dressed and brushed your teeth?"

Luke: "Bejar."

Timothy: "No, that's something else, it's subrir."

Dawn to Timothy: "Are you Luke? Subrir is to go up, BAjar is to go down."

Luke: "Okay, ask me another one."

Dawn: "Okay, count by 10s to 60 for me. Did everyone get their water bottles and umbrellas?

Skip to 6:55--

Dawn: "Tully, should I call for a taxi?" (for Trey to get to school with his hurt knee.) Meanwhile, the girls come in, one with shirt and no pants, the other with pants and no shirt, one with shoes, the other without, but they've had breakfast already. Yay!

I called for the taxi--it was pouring rain, so everyone else in San Jose was ALSO calling for a taxi--no answer there. A few minutes later, thank you, Lord, the rain let up, and Tully started off with Trey, Elijah, and Luke, walking towards school to get a taxi. (One of the boys' friend's mom picked them up before they got very far.)

I got the girls completely dressed and loaded into the stroller, with the rain cover on it, and . . .

7:15 a.m. off we went for another day of language school.

Pura Vida!

Last Friday Night

We are very thankful to our wonderful big sister, Lynda Gregg, for finding the perfect house for our family, and for Dr. Carlos and his lovely wife Maureen for renting it to us. In fact, I would love it if we could pick the house up and move it to Honduras when we go. I'll take some pictures soon and blog about the house some more. It's open and light and airy with room for a crowd.

Anyway, we had some people over last weekend for pizza and games. The pizza tasted pretty much just like American pizza--AND it came from Domino's. : )

WHEW! We're Ready for the Beach!

Over the last two weeks, we have:

Sold many things (see other post)

Received typhoid immunizations--one pill taken every other day for four doses--either an hour before we ate or two hours after (and I had to get a Hepatitus B immunization)

paperwork for student visas in order--back from Costa Rica Consulate in Atlanta

met with an attorney to give my brother POA to act on our behalf in
various scenarios

met with our financial guy re: retirement account and kids' college accounts

had fabulous send-off party with family and friends

filled out insurance forms and sent them to the mission agency

spoke at four church services

bought some suitcases and army bags for packing

emptied our attic and went through all the stuff

had bloodwork for Anna done three times

had one doctor's appt. for Anna

played with lots of friends

swam in the pool most days

played games at night/prayed together/sang songs

made two trips to the library for books for the kids

bought things for our house in Costa Rica through our "big sister," Lynda Gregg. She has sent us virtual garage sale lists from students who are leaving!

80% of Monthly Support Goal Reached!

First of all, I am so pleased to say that, on our monthly support pledges, we have reached 80%! AMAZING! We are once again humbled by God's provision. Only, three short weeks ago we were announcing that we had reached 66%. We have almost half of our start up costs.

This past week, I have been in contact with the language school that we will attend in Costa Rica. We will be there for one year while we master the language. Ha! Or, actually, while our kids master the language. : ) Missionaries have told us that Tully and I will definitely be able to speak and understand the language when we leave language school, but we will probably sound (in Spanish) more like elementary school children rather than college educated adults. Present and past tense, future tense, sure, but it will take living in the culture and speaking it all the time to really develop and be comfortable with the different tenses. Since hearing that, I have become much more aware of all of the different tenses we use in everyday conversation. YIKES!! These same missionaries have told us that the best things for learning a language are a big sense of humor and a small sense of self. Sounds like great advice to me--now if I can just remember that when the going gets tough in language school. . .

Anyway, each year at this time, I plan out our school year for the next year--not lesson plans, but what subject/curriculum for each child and what activities each will participate in. I also order all of the books we will need--it's one of my favorite things to do.

This year--what do I do?? If we start language school in August, do I order books or use the ones the school down there provides for the children? And if we start in January, how do we mesh half of a year of what I want the children to do with half of a year of what the teachers will teach them in language school?

When I contacted the language school, the principal assured me that they are accustomed to working with children who come from homeschool, public school, and private school backgrounds. At the time we register, we will work on determining what exactly they will need in the way of classes and books, and if we start language school in January, we can send their current books and lesson plans with them. Hallelujah! One thing crossed off of the list that floats around in my mind! : )