Monday, March 17, 2014
Some more pictures
We arrived in Morgantown on Saturday evening. Here are some pictures of our travels. There will likely be a few more posts as we share what we learned from our classes.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Last Day Thoughts
After getting over the initial shock of being in a different country, I have been focusing more on ways Costa Rica and the U.S. are the same. But there are still a lot of differences that strike me as interesting.
First, the driving is somewhat terrifying. There are little to no road rules. Cars pack into the tightest spots you can imagine. Buses fly past a car stopped in the middle of the lane by driving into the next one. This evening, we almost saw a car get hit by a train because the car sat on train tracks while we were stuck in traffic. The strangest part to me is the fact that I have not witnessed fifty accidents so far. As different from the driving rules we have in the U.S. as it is, it does seem to work for the people here. I must say, despite the sheer terror I felt the first time we pulled in front of another car to switch lanes, I am more used to it and am thankful for how quickly we get through the traffic.
Second, is the food. Rice and beans at almost every meal. The food and seasonings used here are delicious! Pinto gallo is the most common breakfast food, and it is a combination of rice and beans. I am not much of a breakfast person, but pairing pinto gallo with a homegrown banana has made me want to eat every morning. Fresh fruit juice, often made from a combination of different fruits, also accompanies each meal.
The most obvious difference is the language. I have never cared about learning Spanish until this week. In sixth grade, everyone was required to take Spanish for side weeks, but in seventh grade I wanted to do band instead of take Spanish all year. I have been learning some new phrases, which is good, but it makes me wish that I had stuck with a language in high school and college. I took two years of French in high school, yet I somehow know more Spanish than French. My two semesters of Italian from my freshman year of college have been fairly helpful since you can oftentimes translate between the two, but I would love to have been able to join in on conversations with the speakers we've had without a translator. I am truly starting to understand just how common the Spanish language really is.
Another difference is the wildlife. The animals here switch between beautiful and terrifying, just like they do in any other country. On Wednesday, a couple members of the Methodist group on a mission trip here got stung very badly by Africanized bees very close to where we had been working the day before. Yikes. Luckily the two that were stung are okay. At the same time, however, we were in the rainforest seeing the beautiful birds, butterflies, and even a couple capuchin monkeys. Dogs freely roam the streets. In fact, they also freely roam the beaches and a restaurant we ate dinner at. There is nothing like laying on the beach only to have a dog run up for you to scratch it's belly, or to be eating dinner and see a happy golden retriever strolling around, weaving in and out of the dancers there for entertainment. The amount of fruit bushes and trees you comes cross is also wonderful. Here at the Latin American Biblical University, there are banana trees and lemon trees. Walking along the street a little bit ago, there was an avacado tree peeking out from behind the fence in front of someone's house.
The last major difference I've noticed are the houses. The first thing you notice is how brightly they are painted. I love it! Teals, greens, oranges, reds, yellows, and purples are splashed on the walls, roofs, and fences. The fences are also very different from what you'd find in the U.S. Due to the threat of petty theft, they stand very tall, and it is common to find barbed wire at the top. Looking past the fences, however, you find beautiful small front yards with flowers, fountains, benches, and trees. I have been told that the backyards are bigger and even more beautiful, but I have not seen one for myself.
Just as an update, we are about to start our last lecture for the week. After dinner, we will be reflecting back on the week with worship and communion. Then we plan on wasting time until our ride gets here bright and early (actually not so bright) at 3:15 am. Our flight leaves San Josè at 6:40 am, and we will fly to Miami, then to Charlotte, then finally back to Pittsburgh. I'm sure we will all have lots of pictures coming soon!
Puravida!
Morgan
First, the driving is somewhat terrifying. There are little to no road rules. Cars pack into the tightest spots you can imagine. Buses fly past a car stopped in the middle of the lane by driving into the next one. This evening, we almost saw a car get hit by a train because the car sat on train tracks while we were stuck in traffic. The strangest part to me is the fact that I have not witnessed fifty accidents so far. As different from the driving rules we have in the U.S. as it is, it does seem to work for the people here. I must say, despite the sheer terror I felt the first time we pulled in front of another car to switch lanes, I am more used to it and am thankful for how quickly we get through the traffic.
Second, is the food. Rice and beans at almost every meal. The food and seasonings used here are delicious! Pinto gallo is the most common breakfast food, and it is a combination of rice and beans. I am not much of a breakfast person, but pairing pinto gallo with a homegrown banana has made me want to eat every morning. Fresh fruit juice, often made from a combination of different fruits, also accompanies each meal.
The most obvious difference is the language. I have never cared about learning Spanish until this week. In sixth grade, everyone was required to take Spanish for side weeks, but in seventh grade I wanted to do band instead of take Spanish all year. I have been learning some new phrases, which is good, but it makes me wish that I had stuck with a language in high school and college. I took two years of French in high school, yet I somehow know more Spanish than French. My two semesters of Italian from my freshman year of college have been fairly helpful since you can oftentimes translate between the two, but I would love to have been able to join in on conversations with the speakers we've had without a translator. I am truly starting to understand just how common the Spanish language really is.
Another difference is the wildlife. The animals here switch between beautiful and terrifying, just like they do in any other country. On Wednesday, a couple members of the Methodist group on a mission trip here got stung very badly by Africanized bees very close to where we had been working the day before. Yikes. Luckily the two that were stung are okay. At the same time, however, we were in the rainforest seeing the beautiful birds, butterflies, and even a couple capuchin monkeys. Dogs freely roam the streets. In fact, they also freely roam the beaches and a restaurant we ate dinner at. There is nothing like laying on the beach only to have a dog run up for you to scratch it's belly, or to be eating dinner and see a happy golden retriever strolling around, weaving in and out of the dancers there for entertainment. The amount of fruit bushes and trees you comes cross is also wonderful. Here at the Latin American Biblical University, there are banana trees and lemon trees. Walking along the street a little bit ago, there was an avacado tree peeking out from behind the fence in front of someone's house.
The last major difference I've noticed are the houses. The first thing you notice is how brightly they are painted. I love it! Teals, greens, oranges, reds, yellows, and purples are splashed on the walls, roofs, and fences. The fences are also very different from what you'd find in the U.S. Due to the threat of petty theft, they stand very tall, and it is common to find barbed wire at the top. Looking past the fences, however, you find beautiful small front yards with flowers, fountains, benches, and trees. I have been told that the backyards are bigger and even more beautiful, but I have not seen one for myself.
Just as an update, we are about to start our last lecture for the week. After dinner, we will be reflecting back on the week with worship and communion. Then we plan on wasting time until our ride gets here bright and early (actually not so bright) at 3:15 am. Our flight leaves San Josè at 6:40 am, and we will fly to Miami, then to Charlotte, then finally back to Pittsburgh. I'm sure we will all have lots of pictures coming soon!
Puravida!
Morgan
Let Peace Prevail
We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.
Thomas Merton
Today we participated in a devotion that focused on the
peace pole found in the center of campus at UBILA. The pole has “May Peace Prevail on All the
Earth” on four sides in four languages representing the four corners of the
world. There are over 10,000 peace poles
throughout the world including a peace pole at Har Megiddo in Israel a site known for wars throughout biblical times because of its strategic location on trade and transportation routes in the area. Tel Megiddo is an excavation site with about 26 layers of communities buried on top of each other and where the term Armageddon is derived based on the memories and stories of the wars that took place at the site.We were asked to think about what peace means in our lives and how it is lived out by hearing scripture passages from James and Galatians on peace and a quote from Thomas Merton on Peace.
James 3
13 Are any of you wise and understanding? Show that your
actions are good with a humble lifestyle that comes from wisdom. 14 However, if
you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, then stop bragging
and living in ways that deny the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes
down from above. Instead, it is from the earth, natural and demonic. 16
Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and
everything that is evil. 17 What of the wisdom from above? First, it is pure,
and then peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good actions, fair,
and genuine. 18 Those who make peace sow the seeds of justice by their peaceful
acts.
Galatians 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.
There is no law against things like this. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified self with its passions and its desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit. 26
Let’s not become arrogant, make each other angry, or be jealous of each other.
Thursday, March 13
We shifted from painters and tourists to students today taking
classes with professors. We took classes
in Converging Histories of Central America – looking at both the history of the
church in Latin and Central America and the role of Presbyterians in the
area. Our second morning class was on
the Fight for a Secular State: Women’s
Reproductive Rights in Costa Rica. We
had a break for lunch and a quick trip to the artisan market to pick up some
gifts for family and friends. In the
afternoon, we took a class on Liberation Theology.
Today (Friday) we will be taking classes on Latin American
Bible Study and GeoPolitics, and Human Trafficking/Sex
Trade.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Group pics
Here are a couple of pictures after conversations with students and after our Liberation theology class to prove we are alive and WELL. The first picture is from our theology class and includes our host and UBL professor Karla Koll and professor of theology, Genilma Boehler who taught our class. The second picture includes our group, the group from Arizona, two UBL students, our missionary hosts Margie (UMC) and Karla.
Excursion day
On Wednesday we took an excursion to the Carrara National park a transitional tropical forest where two types of forest intersect, rain forest and dry tropical forest. We were led in a tour by Ken Miller and a Freddie a tour guide from the forest. We were able to see first hand the bio-diversity of Costa Rica.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Different Culture
Three days ago, we attended a worship service at National Basilica, a Catholic church in Cartega, San Josè. Even though we went on Sunday, I have been reflecting on it ever since.
Before we went, I had to admit I was wondering how much I could get out of a service that was entirely spoken in Spanish (especially considering the most I got out of those six weeks of Spanish in middle school were "hola," "gracias," and the basic colors.) The second I saw the building, however, all worries disappeared. The church was a huge grey and white building with large columns, angel statues guarding the top, and wide open doors all the way around the building.
People poured from every door and out onto the courtyard in front of the church. We made our way over and stood in the entrance to the back of the church.
As stunning as the outside was, the inside was even more amazing. Every time I turned my head, I found twelve new intricate details to catch my attention. The upbeat modern music reflected the congregation that seemed to mostly consist of young families.
We stood in the back until the service before ours was over. We walked in to find pews as soon as other people started leaving, but the seats were already filling again. Our group ended up in two different pews.
Thanks to a little experience attending Catholic mass with my dad's family, I could tell what was going on during most of the service. In a way, hearing the Spanish-speaking voice over a microphone was soothing, even if I didn't know what he was saying. The church was so large, I could barely even see the priest, but this also gave me the ability to take in more and more details while Karla, one of our hosts, would occasionally point out certain aspects of the service.
One of the most touching points was towards the beginning of the service. We sat in a pew to the right of the center aisle. Karla nudged me and pointed to the aisle on our right. Dozens of people were on their knees, slowly making their way up the long aisle to the front of the chapel. I looked across the church to the aisle on the left, and saw even more people doing the same thing. I recognized this as an act of repentance, and it was amazing. These people, young and old, were demonstrating such a beautiful act of faith and love for God. It was so different from the religion I was brought up in, it really made an impact.
After the service, we headed outside and followed the crowd around to the back of the church, where a line was forming to tour certain artifacts related to the church and its history. According to the story, the church was built around a stone on which a statue was found by a young indian girl. After trying several times to take the statue home, it would always return to the stone on which she first found it. After the third try, she took the statue to a priest, who mostly ignored the story but kept the statue. The next day, the statue returned to its stone. The priest took it home again and locked it away, but the next day it was gone. Recognizing the supernatural qualities of the statue, he called other priests to discuss, and they decided that since the statue couldn't be moved, they would instead build a church around the statue.
The first thing we cane across were cabinets full of charms that were shaped like humans, animals, and various body parts. Each charm represented a person or animal who had been healed on the site of the church. For example, if the charm was a heart, the person had heart trouble that was healed. Again, this struck me because it seemed so different from the religion I know. There must have been thousands of charms, each representing a person who felt their life was changed thanks to the grace of God.
Another spot that stood out to me was a section of wall that had a small garden in front of it. The wall was in three layers, each one extending further than the last. Each layer had a different date, representing the years the church was remodeled. Every time, they would keep this section of the wall intact to show the various layers. The very last thing we came across was the original stone and statue, an amazing representation of the faith that this church was founded upon.
I never thought I would have gotten so much out of a service that I couldn't understand a word of. Instead, this experience was in one of the top five most amazing things I have ever witnessed. Part of my reasoning for coming to Costa Rica was to experience another culture and see a different way of life, and I achieved this the very first day here. I look forward to seeing what else I learn when our lectures start on Thursday!
Puravida!
Morgan
Before we went, I had to admit I was wondering how much I could get out of a service that was entirely spoken in Spanish (especially considering the most I got out of those six weeks of Spanish in middle school were "hola," "gracias," and the basic colors.) The second I saw the building, however, all worries disappeared. The church was a huge grey and white building with large columns, angel statues guarding the top, and wide open doors all the way around the building.
People poured from every door and out onto the courtyard in front of the church. We made our way over and stood in the entrance to the back of the church.
As stunning as the outside was, the inside was even more amazing. Every time I turned my head, I found twelve new intricate details to catch my attention. The upbeat modern music reflected the congregation that seemed to mostly consist of young families.
We stood in the back until the service before ours was over. We walked in to find pews as soon as other people started leaving, but the seats were already filling again. Our group ended up in two different pews.
Thanks to a little experience attending Catholic mass with my dad's family, I could tell what was going on during most of the service. In a way, hearing the Spanish-speaking voice over a microphone was soothing, even if I didn't know what he was saying. The church was so large, I could barely even see the priest, but this also gave me the ability to take in more and more details while Karla, one of our hosts, would occasionally point out certain aspects of the service.
One of the most touching points was towards the beginning of the service. We sat in a pew to the right of the center aisle. Karla nudged me and pointed to the aisle on our right. Dozens of people were on their knees, slowly making their way up the long aisle to the front of the chapel. I looked across the church to the aisle on the left, and saw even more people doing the same thing. I recognized this as an act of repentance, and it was amazing. These people, young and old, were demonstrating such a beautiful act of faith and love for God. It was so different from the religion I was brought up in, it really made an impact.
After the service, we headed outside and followed the crowd around to the back of the church, where a line was forming to tour certain artifacts related to the church and its history. According to the story, the church was built around a stone on which a statue was found by a young indian girl. After trying several times to take the statue home, it would always return to the stone on which she first found it. After the third try, she took the statue to a priest, who mostly ignored the story but kept the statue. The next day, the statue returned to its stone. The priest took it home again and locked it away, but the next day it was gone. Recognizing the supernatural qualities of the statue, he called other priests to discuss, and they decided that since the statue couldn't be moved, they would instead build a church around the statue.
The first thing we cane across were cabinets full of charms that were shaped like humans, animals, and various body parts. Each charm represented a person or animal who had been healed on the site of the church. For example, if the charm was a heart, the person had heart trouble that was healed. Again, this struck me because it seemed so different from the religion I know. There must have been thousands of charms, each representing a person who felt their life was changed thanks to the grace of God.
Another spot that stood out to me was a section of wall that had a small garden in front of it. The wall was in three layers, each one extending further than the last. Each layer had a different date, representing the years the church was remodeled. Every time, they would keep this section of the wall intact to show the various layers. The very last thing we came across was the original stone and statue, an amazing representation of the faith that this church was founded upon.
I never thought I would have gotten so much out of a service that I couldn't understand a word of. Instead, this experience was in one of the top five most amazing things I have ever witnessed. Part of my reasoning for coming to Costa Rica was to experience another culture and see a different way of life, and I achieved this the very first day here. I look forward to seeing what else I learn when our lectures start on Thursday!
Puravida!
Morgan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)