Into Marvelous Light

I have been out of San José for a little over two weeks now, and my heart longs to go back. Don't worry, an update on what I've been doing for the final part of my adventure is still coming. But for now, I'm going to show you my city and my people here. Because I want you to fall in love with them as much as I have. Ready? Awesome. [[Side note: my laptop charger did this cute thing a couple nights ago where it decided to spark out and not work. So all updates hereafter will come from my cell phone. Apologies in advance for any technological glitches/uber-short posts. It's really hard to gauge from such a tiny lil screen.]] Okay. City Life. Kaldi is a coffee shop about a 15-minute walk from where I had classes for the first two and a half months of the adventure. I think I've posted about it before, but I spent so much time there I figured it deserved another appearance. It was perfect for doing homework, skyping, or just taking a break from the rest of the ...

Ya regreso. I’m back. And I’m sorry. On the really off chance that you read this thing religiously, I have been mala gente. [[a bad person]] The thing about life here is that is goes so fast. I spent two weeks in Nicaragua/wandering Costa Rica for fall break, and then I came back, blinked, and realized three more weeks had passed me by. Allow me to summarize just a tad [[this is where I get really long-winded so buckle up, folks]] :: **For pictures from my whole Costa Rica experience, wait til I get home and then head on over to Facebook. There will be an album full of things I never posted. :) ** Nicaragua Okay, was Nicaragua really over a month ago? What have I been doing with my life? Quick overview of the lovely country they call Nicaragua: I packed two weeks of my life into one backpack. So my initial feelings toward Nicaragua were... hesitant at best. The heat in Nicaragua, my friends, is stifling. I re-wore articles of clothing...

Hola de nuevo, mundo. I've completed the first part of my study abroad experience, which is equal parts heartbreaking and exciting for me. It also means it's time for another update. My time in Costa Rica is essentially split into four parts (as far as I can tell). They are as follows: 1) Perspectives Class on Latin America/Spanish Grammar Classes 2) Study Trip to Nicaragua 3) Latin American Studies Class/Spanish Conversation Classes 4) Community Immersion in Rural Costa Rica [[There are other things happening besides just these, but the skin-and-bones breakdown is more or less that.]] On Friday, I gave a final presentation and took a final exam in order to check (1) off. Which, let me tell you, is very exciting. Next up is ten days in Nicaragua, where I'll learn about the country and then spend a few days living in a Nicaraguan community with the people there. I've fallen in love with San José and the little comfort zone I've established here, so it'...

I have SO MUCH to say. And like I said a few days ago, not nearly enough space for all of it. I promise I'm going to do better with telling you about my adventures and the places Jesus has met me here. But for now, I'm sitting in the uncomfortable. And I want to share it with you, because discomfort is always, always, always the point at which growth occurs. So. Here goes. After just four weeks in Costa Rica, I'm realizing how little of the world I know. How much it's going to cost me to know it more. How much I'm really willing to sacrifice to do what I say I want to do. I'm learning about perspectives I've never considered, points of view I've never analyzed. All because I live in my own world, used to seeing God in my own ways, existing on my own terms. Everything I know, I've created. Based on what I've been taught and what I've been given. But this world--this new experience I'm living every day--is full of new truths th...

¡Hola, mundo! I'm a little over three weeks into my Latin American Adventure, so I figured (since we've officially reached the point at which I've been here for more consecutive days than I've ever been at Grace) it was time for an update. I'll keep you informed on my adventures with all posts that begin with "Update." I'll also throw in a few "Thoughts" here and there (first one coming soon!) about some of the hard stuff I'm wrestling with and learning. Feel free to read one type and ignore the other, read both, or just straight ignore both. It's fine. (I guess.) (kidding, we're all cool here folks.) Anyway. I'm living in San José, Costa Rica. Pictured below. Is this actually my life? I'm not sure.  THERE ARE REAL MOUNTAINS actually they're volcanoes. neat, huh? a couple days ago, a volcano a few hours away from us erupted, so now there's ash in all the places where people  didn't clo...