Desrae, a volunteer from Montana, and I at the Hot Spring Gardens.

I love these flowers

Taya and I in the gardens

La Fortuna parque central, catholic church with volcan Arenal in the background.

La Fortuna Waterfall was beautiful

The water was cold but the bottom was sandy.

Eating Gallo Pinto (very typical breakfast) at the bus stop to La Fortuna.

Photos of our trip to La Fortuna

Our 5 hour bus ride to La Fortuna. I'm sooo thankful we had seats even if sweaty bodies were leaning all over us.

Marzo

I can't believe its March already! Time has flown by. I've been super busy teaching. This week is holidays. Its called Semana Santa which literally translated means Holy Week. Less literally translated. Easter Week. My friend Taya (from Washington) is here visiting. She came in Thursday night.
One of men from the Thunder bay group had decided to stay to help with maintenance around the school after his churches group left and he was going back Thursday so I was able to get a ride with him and a couple of teachers who where dropping him off. However we (Des and I) had to wait several hours for Taya's flight so we found a soda (small restaurant) acr0ss from the airport to wait at.
When Taya came in we took the bus down town and then walked to the Guadalupe stop and took the bus home. Walking through down town San Jose with luggage was not a fun experience for me but I'm sure it was a great welcoming, shocking experience for Taya. At least she has a story to tell. Friday I gave exams in all my classes. I know I'm such a nice teacher. I tried to explain how much nicer it is of me to give the exam right before semana instead of right after . . . they don't understand.
Saturday until today we went to Arenal, the third most active volcano in the world. Although it was clear enough to see the top we didn't see any lava we did see lots of smoke. The entire time we were there we didn't feel any tremors or hear any rumbling and then tonight after we were back from Arenal we were watching a movie at the Greens and we felt a tremor. Crazy.
We hiked to the La Fortuna waterfall and swam by it. We also went to the hot springs. It was a beautiful landscape. Pictures coming soon.
I have the rest of the week off although I have a pile of exams to grade and plans and activities to write.
I'll try to upload pictures tomorrow.
Love, Theresa

No siento bein

I'm feeling better although not one hundred percent yet. I'm going to try to take it easy this weekend but I have a lot to get caught up on. Thanks for your prayers.

My Apartment

My "foyer"


Part of my kitchen area the other part is outside . . .

My shower ducha

El Bano

my beautiful squeaky wood bed.



My extra guest cot . . hint hint**

Week 5 aka 2 more weeks until semana Santa

I sent out an update letter yesterday by email. If you did not recieve that letter and would like to be on my mailing list please let me know.

This is going to be short because I am sick. There is a group here right now from Providence College. I started feeling sick on Friday but pushed myself to keep going. Saturday night I came down with a fever and have been sick. Today I am missing school because I am too sick to sit up for very long. I have a stomach ache and all the things that go with that, body aches, head ache, and fever. I had hoped to be well enough to teach today but now I'm hoping for tomorrow . . . prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks, Theresa

Good Week

I've had a great week but I'm so exhausted. There is just so many new things to process. Working at the school this week was definitly more fun then productive but I felt really comfortable with the teachers.
There is an 19 year old girl from Montana volunteering here also so I spend a lot of time with her. She was also here last year for 4 months so shes been showing me around a little.
Last night I went to a movie which was sooo fun! We saw 27 Dresses and it was in English with Spanish subtitles. The audience was so much more animated then in the states. The cost was less than $4.00
Tonight I went to Jovenes (Youth Group) it was probably the most awkward I felt since I've been here. It was so much spanish and so fast and so overwhelming!

Wish list

I also need a power bar and extension cord!

My Wish List

Two options for sending me things:

Both involve getting things to my mom and then she will get them to the people coming down.

If you get whatever to her now, it can come with a group from California on the 23 but it has to be there the weekend before.

Second a friend of mine (Taya) is coming March 13 and she will be able to bring somethings.

Here are a few of the things I have a need/want for, most of course my mom can take care but if you have these items to donate . . . :

- a small flashlight to put on my key chain, only one that uses AAA or possibly AA batteries, I have a batteries.

-USB key drive, I need one so that I can make worksheets, letters, and exams on my laptop and print them at the school. (No interenet on the school computers or I would email files.) Most of the teachers have them but they are more expensive here.

-small and medium plastic containers w/ lids just a few. Everything here needs to have a lid on it. Only if you have it and aren't using otherwise I can buy some here.

-a dish drying rack, only if you have an old one you don't need anymore. I can buy it here.

-silverware just a couple of each piece doesn't matter if they match, don't buy it only if you have a few mismatched to get rid of. I can buy it here.

-votive size candle holders (1-3) Don't need to match, nothing else does. :)

-ziplock bags quart size and gallon size.

-clothespins

-Venus replaceble razor blades

-shampoo and conditioner I think my mom knows what I like but it doesn't really matter. CHECK -Thanks Mom :)

-American Candy- for students and me. (lollipops w/o gum, licorice)

Give to my mom or email me for her address.

Address and Phone in Costa Rica

Since so many people have asked me for my address here is the story,
My address is:


Apdo 2070-2100
San Jose, Costa Rica


Anything bigger than a business envelope I will have to pay duty on!!!! So only send me regular size envelopes! Ocassionally I should be able to get the address of someone coming from the states and packages will be able to be sent to someone in the states to be sent down. I don't have a phone here. My mom has emergency numbers of the Green's. My skype name is "theresacr" if you have skype and want to add me I'd love to talk to you!

Dumptruck delivering more rocks for the rock retaining wall. Notice the wall. We were so excited about how far we had got. This wall represents 2 months of work.

And this is the wall a few minutes after the truck dumped the load of rocks. I could have just told the story but it's better with pictures. It fell alltogether with a thump, we all watched it fall and afterwards it was silent. So discouraging I could feel my heart and stomach drop. So discouraging for those of us who have only been working on it for a few days but I can't imagine how it is for the Costa Rican crew whose worked on it from day one. Behind the wall or rather under the wall are several tools and waterbottles since it was one of the few "safe" shady places. Groups immediately congregated to talk about the disaster I was amazed by the witness, the resounding sentiment was gracias a Dios Thanks be to God that no one was taking a break in the shade, going for a walk down to the creek, getting a drink, or going after a tool. Fifteen minutes before many of us were working on the wall passing rocks up to people in the cages filling them with rocks. We were frustrated because we didn't have any work to do because the wrong wire had been sent. People were on there way back to the site with the right wire when the wall fell in a few minutes we would have been back up on the wall. This happened about 2:30 and after coffee break I know no one wanted to tackle the job ahead but they did! People started cutting open cages. Moving piles of stones and throwing stones up on to the higher ground. With 30 people working at least the Costa Rican crew knows they don't have to tackle this alone. We can be so thankfull it fell now and not in a couple months when students could have been on their way down to where the soccer field will be. And we know that we are not alone either and God is always with us. Someone mentioned in a prayer yesterday, Nehemiah and rebuilding of the wall. And I remembered how the book of Nehemiah talks about different people built different parts of the wall. We still have several groups coming in the next couple of weeks and each church group will work on a different part of the wall. God frustrated the plots of evil people wanting to attack them but the people worked with all there hearts.Praises: No injuries, the guys finished a concrete wall, safe travel for so many groups, I'm learning my way around, I used the washing machine and I didn't break it, I need a bank account but I'm suppose to be here 6 months first but since I visited last April and have that stamp in my passport I should be able to get an account right away, the wittness of the North Americans when the wall did fall. Petitions: conversations between work teams and cr crew, continued safety on the work site, teachers, the Green's, encouragement, that rebuilding might go quickly.

The view looking down at the school from the road.

For the last two days I've gone up to work at the highschool construction site. Yesterday I got the books that I will be using and so today I'm going to begin looking through those. I plan to go up to the site later today. This is the view from the top looking down at the new building.

Sanding and painting inside the school.

There are work groups here from MI and MN right now. On group is staying at the construction site and the other at elementary school.

I'm Here

Hello! Just wanted to let everyone know I'm here! Friday night I stayed up until the wee hours super-ultra-compact-packing and then got up still in the wee hours of the morning to head to Sea-Tac. My Mom, Joseph, and Elisa brought me to the airport. (Thanks mom for not making me ride the bus! I love you!) I had a super long day of traveling with lots of time sitting on runways and a 4 hour layover between flights but otherwise an uneventful trip. On the first flight I sat next to a hispanic gentleman from Ferndale and practiced my Spanish . . . and watch Meet the Robertsons (I loved it.) I was in the front row of economy class and had lots of room to stretch out my legs. On the second flight the middle seat was empty so I had a little stretch room again. Its amazing what a difference that empty seat makes! I watched Garfield Gets Real. A really stupid movie in my opinion. I was picked up at the airport by a member of the church with a sign saying my name and brought to my apartment. I was exhausted but couldn't sleep until my landlord showed me how to get everything works and where the light switches are, on the oposite wall from where you walk in. A very dangerous place for them to be in the dark when you have suit cases and junk all over your floor. All my toes are fine . . . now! And of course I received a very detailed tutorial on how to lock the gate. There is a work group here from Edgerton, MN right now so I spent most of the day today with them. Yesterday I unpacked and got some groceries and caught up on sleep. Joseph, I used my rice cooker and made way to much but at least I didn't (can't) burn it. What a great Christmas gift from my little brother. There are two Three Reformed churches here that the Green's work with. I chose to go to the smaller church plant "up the hill." I ate lunch with the work group at the church, I did some exploring around the neighborhood, toured the school, toured the building the use for printing Reformed Spanish materials, and then played cards for at least 5 hours. It was a very busy day but some how I can't sleep so here I am again, up in the wee hours of the morning. Tomorrow I plan to do some more unpacking, settling, exploring and get some materials from school. I also need to set up a bank account this week.I was so nervouse Friday coming here. Normally when I travel I can relax after I catch my connection but its hard when you don't know whose picking you up or even where you are sleeping for sure that night! Everything has gone so well and I couldn't be more thankfull!
Here are a few of my praises:I love my apartment and will get pictures up soon. I can pick up wireless aconnection from somewhere! My shower really gets hot! The Greens have been so welcoming. With all the groups that come down I'll get to meet reformed people from all over the U.S. and Canada.
Petitions: Getting to know my way around on foot and by bus in a new place is itimidating, remembering all the people I'm going to meet in the next couple weeks, SPANISH, Rev. Green's publishing work, all the teachers as they prepare for the approaching year, safe travel for the work groups and they come and go.