I think this weekend may have been the best one I've had in Costa Rica so far. This is probably because I really just needed a break after last week. It was fabulous to have two whole days with nothing to worry about. I spent a fair amount of time on my thesis paper, but because I already did the outline and talked to Don Antonio so much about my topic, writing it went pretty smoothly. I'm pretty much done with it, which feels like a great victory!
This morning we went to my host family's Catholic church and I really liked it. The Catholic churches seem more alive here than the ones I've been to in the States, and I'm grateful that my church experiences here haven't lived up to my dreadful expectations of sitting in the heat for hours on end listening to a dry priest....don't ask where that expectation came from, because I've never actually experienced that in a Latin American church...its just what came to mind for some reason. Anyway, after church I played “My International Bank” with Kevin and Melany. It was pretty much the same a Monopoly, only neither one of my host siblings understood how to play, so we all had loads of money and there was no end to the game in sight when I quit to work on my paper.
After lunch I was feeling a little tired and discouraged because I never know what to say or how to say it. I wish I could just step out and guess. My host family is incredibly gracious and they're always good at explaining things when I ask, so I don't understand why its so hard sometimes. Either way, I was in need of some quiet rest, so I took a little while to myself in my room and just read and prayed. It was good to be broken at the foot of the cross again and to be reminded that God is with me always.
We had another rosary praying this afternoon. This time it was in honor of 8 months since my host mom's father's death. It was a bit of a smaller crowd and the prayer time went really quickly and was followed by some yummy food and joking around. Again, Kevin entertained us all with his impressions (this time of his aunt's dancing), and it was a lot of fun. When everyone left I played some cards and other games with Kevin and Melany and then showed them every picture on my computer. They loved trying to type things and listening to my Michael Jackson music.
I can't believe I'm about 1/3 of the way done with my time abroad! So much has happened already and I've learned loads, yet it seems like time is flying. I'm sad to only have a few more weeks with this host family and nervous for what Nicaragua will bring, but I just can't wait to see what more God will bring me. He is so incredibly faithful, and I'm so grateful that He has been working all of these experiences to bring me closer to Him. ¡Hasta Mañana!
No comments:
Post a Comment