speaking peace

This weekend we got the chance to go on a group trip to the poorest province of Costa Rica, Limon. The history of Limon is a sad one filled with racism and inequalites, but in our visit there was one place that didn´t seem so dampered by it´s surrounding conditions.

It was that catholic church. On Sunday half of us went to a service that I was anticipating to be dry, empty, and boring. Yet it ended up being the complete opposite of all of those. It was suprisingly refreshing. The service undoubtedly had the flow of mass, but there was a depth and significance to it. The singers were all singing in their own key, but it didn´t matter because they were worshipping. Everything that was done was cnetered around scripture, and we even got to sing Oh, how I love Jesus. I think my favorite part of the service has to be the ‘say hello to your neighbor time’ (you know that time when everyone in church turns around to greet each other). Well they took this time to speak peace to everyone. So literally every one in the service (granted it was only 30 people) greeted eachother with the work peace.

There was something special about that. Maybe we should start speaking peace to others more often.

night out with Austin and Annie

I´m an introvert. Big groups, especially when I don´t know the people, can drain me if they go on for long periods of time. So coming to Costa Rica with 47 strangers has been a bit draining during this first few weeks.

But this past Thursday was absolutely refreshing. After our Spanish class in the afternoon, I knew I needed some time to chill before going home, so I started walking around San José. There I ran into Austin and Annie, two LASP students who go to Gordon. So it soon became the three of us trying to escape for a while and enjoy a night out on the town.

It was just what I needed. Annie and Austin are great, and I´m excited to get to know them more.

million dollar question, Palmares pt. 2

Out of the 43 students in the LASP this semester, I’m the only one who’s actually been to Costa Rica before. The last time I was here was in 2002 with a group of students from my church. It was one of those trips where you learn some random drama to convey the story of Jesus and go around the country talking to people and what not—drive by evangelism.

In the short time that we’ve been here we’ve already come across one of these drive by evangelism groups—once in the streets of San José and then more recently at Palmares. They’re method is to go around handing out $1,000,000 dollar bill look-alikes with a track about the “million dollar question” printed on the back. And they don’t hold back—its fire, brimstone, and all.

As I’ve been seeing this groups and familiar places from six years ago, it’s been a bit weird to think that I was one of those groups who came to Costa Rica to do the same thing (minus the whole fire and brimstone threatening, hopefully). So lately I’ve been thinking about the North American church’s approach to missions. More specifically short term missions, since I’ve had the chance to go on many trips and especially since I will be leading short term missions trips for high school students this summer.

I don’t think I’ve ever been much of a fan of this type of drive by evangelism, even on the trips that I have been on with the church—it’s just made me uneasy. I remember going to an unnamed Christian conference for high school students about evangelism and walking out of several of the session. So this thought has been bouncing around in my head for a while. We’re going to these places on mission trips without trying to understand the culture or what would best serve the people. Rather we’re good at coming up with a quick’n’easy—you’re in, share the gospel, and are out—type of trip. We see it as our mission to share or even bring Jesus to these people—and it’s all going to happen in 3 days.

While these short term evangelistic mission trips bug me a bit, what has been more difficult to think about is that I know this exact type of trip has played a significant role in my life in setting me on the direction that I’m heading. I can’t say that they’re a bad thing. Then I remembered the most recent trip to Jordan. I wouldn’t really call it a mission trip. Yes, we had a mission, but it wasn’t so much to share Jesus, but rather to listen to the stories of refugees and how Jesus is at work in Jordan.

So as I’ve been thinking about my mission trip experiences, leading short term trips this summer, and writing a paper on globalization in missions, I think I’m starting to come to some half-thought conclusions. What if we started looking at our mission trips as listening trips? What if we began to acknowledge and be honest that in a two week trip, we are generally not going to convert the country (hey, not saying it couldn’t happen, but…)? I think there’s something special and important first about story and second about listening.

Maybe more people would be interested in us if we were to first listen to them.

But then again, that’s just a half-thought.

torro, torro, Palmares pt. 1

This weekend a group of about 15 of us got to go to Palmares. Palmares is the biggest festival of the year in all of Costa Rica and is a pretty big deal. So we signed up to go, not quite knowing what to expect other than being told that we would get to see a bull fight. After the three hour bus ride there we divided up into smaller groups to explore the festival and town.

As we walked about, we quickly learned that it wasn’t quite the festival that we were expecting. Yes, there were things like carnival rides, little tents selling random things, and the greasiest of food that you can imagine, but one thing seemed to be missing—tons of people. Seeing all of the huge tent-like structures with massive stages, lights, and all the works, we concluded that Palmares was the summer party scene. It was a pretty funny place to be for a bunch of gringo Christian students. So we spent the morning and early afternoon wondering around and what not.

By 3 o’clock it was time for what we really came for—the bull fight. We had no idea what to expect, and I know I was nervous about what I was about to see. Sitting in the stadium you could soak in the energy and excitement of everyone there. The men started to flood onto the arena floor. Sooner than later the bull was release and it was hilarious. Costa Rican bull fighting isn’t really bull fighting—it’s more like 50 men in circular arena trying to run from this bull. For the most part no one got hit. But still there were a few, and I (along with the rest of my female counter parts) could barely watch (note—it really wasn’t that violent, the bull would hit them and the other men would help get the bull away from the man who was hit). This lasted in many variations for three hours.

By the time we left the arena, it was early evening and we soon discovered a bit of why people come to Palmares. The smell of beer was everywhere and music was blaring from all the various clubs. So we wondered around for another hour. This time we stood out even more—gringos, fully clothed, sober (I’ll finish my thoughts on this in another post). Then it was time to take the bus back to San José, and eventually home, making for one very long day.

typical week

So perhaps you’re wondering what a typical day here in Costa Rica looks like for a LASP student. Well, let me give you the run down:

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
5:30am—wake up and go for a run
6ish—get ready for the day
6:45—help mom make breakfast and eat
7:45—head out to the bus stop to catch a ride on the 8am bus into San José
9:00—arrive in San José
Free time until 12:15pm to find a place to use the internet, buy something if needed, do homework
12:15pm—catch a bus to Curribat
1:00—Spanish class at ICADS till 4:30
4:45— Mondays—PWS (praise and worship service) coordinators meeting at TCBY
Wednesdays—PWS at ICADS
Fridays—time to hang out with friends in San José, Curribat, or where ever
5:45—catch a bus back into San José
6:15—another bus to get back home in El Carmen de Guadalupe
8:00ish—arrive home after a many times 2 hour bus ride
8:15 & after—eat dinner, hang out with sisters if possible, do homework
10-11ish—bedtime

Tuesdays, Thursdays
5:45am—wake up
6:30—help mom make breakfast and eat
7:15—catch a bus headed towards San José
7:45—get off the bus close to the LASP offices
8:00—start Core Seminar base
12pm—finish Core Seminar, eat lunch, and a bit of time to talk with friends or meet with faculty
1:10—find a group of 4 people to grab a taxi with over to ICADS
1:30—Spanish class at ICADS
4:45—take the bus back to San José or go to the internet cafe across the street
Eventually take another bus back to Carmen, eat dinner, do homework, etc.
10-11ish—go to bed absolutely exhausted

this is for class!?

Goodnight, am I in the right study abroad program! My classes are amazing! Granted, right now I only have two classes, but I’m enjoying them both. The class other than my Spanish class is what we call core seminar. It’s the only time that all 43 of the LASP students are together.

The purpose of the Core Seminar is Latin American Studies, but it’s great because we’re getting it through the lens of the kingdom of God (or at least that the way I see it). We get to discuss and learn more about things like US foreign policy, the history that has lead Latin & South America to the place that it is in, the effects of globalization, poverty, inequality, the effects of colonialism and neocolonialism, sustainable development, social movements, and the church. On top of that it’s not just being taught to us by gringo professors, but also by locals.

I cannot wait!

what they won't tell you

After just 6 days here in Costa Rica it's cleat that there are certain things that you will never hear about in any Spanish education. So here’s a list of just a few of the many things that they won’t tell you in your high school or college Spanish class:

• You should stop using the “tu” (you) form when you’re talking with people. The reality is your Spanish is probably so horrible that you should always use the “usted” (formal you) form, because you’ll be needed to show respect to everyone.
• They won’t teach you how to not get ripped off by a taxi driver who will (1) round up the cost of your trip or (2) take the long way since you don’t know your way around town.
• Remember all the words you learn for street, avenue, different directions, etc.? You can forget them, because they’re not important. You will only need to be able to recognize and know significant landmarks to get around. Don’t even try asking someone what street you’re on.
• It’s better to try to communicate rather than focusing on having perfect grammar.
• When in doubt just start talking in Spanish about anything…that way, though people will still know and think you’re a gringo, they will know that you know at least a little something making you less likely to be taken advantage of.
• Always say hello to everyone; it’s rude not to.
• When you hear the word “soque” when you’re in the showing it does not mean to spend more time soaking up the water. It means “hurry up!” (I had a friend who had to learn this one her first morning).
• Whenever there is anything good just say “que linda.” It will cover all bases—how cute, lovely, pretty, awesome…everything.
• Always compliment, even if all you can say is “que rico, que bueno.”
• Become a good actor, because hand gestures are always helpful!
• Just keep talking. It’s better to talk and say nothing of importance than not talk at all.
  

There you have it; just a handful of the things that you won’t learn in Spanish class.

Warning—this does not mean you should not take Spanish classes or that they are not useful!