Marcelina is an elderly woman in our branch who is incapacitated. She has two adult sons who live with her in a very small and run-down home that they rent each month. She receives a small pension and one of her sons is able to work, but the money is not enough to support them. They rely on the church to make ends meet. Below you can see some photos of her home. Continue reading A House for Marcelina
Housing
It just occurred to me that I've never shared much about our housing situation and the semi miraculous circumstances that brought us to where we are. Continue reading Housing
Missionary Update
The work continues to go forth (albeit slower than I'd like). The missionaries continue to work hard and are having some success. We've had a total of 6 convert baptisms thus far in 2010.
Elder Torres was finally transferred after 7 months here in Puriscal. He was replaced by a brand new missionary from Colorado. However, after only about a week here, it was decided that he would be better off with an American companion who could help him learn the language. We then got Elder Zuniga from Honduras, who has been in the country for 2 months.
Lawsons’ Visit
The Lawsons came to visit us for 10 days starting on March 26th, and ending on April 5th. It was really good to see them and spend some time showing them around the country. They also brought us some American candy and other supplies that are hard to come by here, which was much appreciated. Continue reading Lawsons’ Visit
Back to school
It was a very difficult decision, but we finally decided that Matthew and Elisabeth should attend the regular public school here in Puriscal. Our main objective is for them to learn Spanish. We finally got all the required paperwork from the States and obtained the needed certificates from the local authorities. On Monday we presented all of this to the director of the local school we chose, not knowing if he would accept it or ask for something more. He did accept the paperwork and so Tuesday was their first day of school. Continue reading Back to school
Fishing Nicaraguan Style
We went sailing today. As we returned to the dock, there were a bunch of fishermen who were apparently fishing for Pelicans! Continue reading Fishing Nicaraguan Style
One day two police shakedowns…
We really didn't have anything planned for this trip, other than going sailing with the owners of the B&B where we are staying. Since there were problems with the sail boat, it was decided to go sailing on Saturday. So we asked what there was to see and got a list of several places we could drive to. Continue reading One day two police shakedowns…
Trip to Nicaragua
There is actually a new law in CR that allows you to pay $100 per person to get an extension to your tourist visa. This law was enacted (no doubt) because the ticos realized that every 3 months their "resident tourists" are leaving their country for 3 days and spending their money somewhere else. Anyway, I thought rather than spend that money for a stamp, why not go somewhere fun instead? So here we are in Nicaragua! Not one of the best decisions I've ever made… Continue reading Trip to Nicaragua
English Class
Tonight marked the first English class for the branch. Rebekah is teaching it. We meet on Wednesday nights at 5:30 PM for one hour. We will have lessons for at least as long as Rebekah is here (early April) and perhaps longer if I decide to take over for her. As it is now, I am just the assistant to help her communicate with the non-English speaking students. Continue reading English Class
Where does the time go?
I can't believe how fast time is rushing by. In one day we will have been here for 5 months! That is almost half way through the year. We have pretty much come to the conclusion that when the year is up we will in fact be heading home. I'm sure grandma will be happy to here that. Anyway, I really need to be more consistent about writing. Continue reading Where does the time go?