So let's go back to December! I last updated my blog about a week before I left to go back to the states for Christmas, but that week was packed full of blessings! Here are a few pictures of all of the fun!
It started with the long process of tamale making!!
First some friends cut down the leaves to wrap the tamales, so we fired the leaves....
Cut the leaves...
Made the mix and put in on the leaf.....
Wrapped the tamale...
and finally, cooked the tamale! I have some pictures of my family eating the tamales, but we'll get to those when I get to my Georgia pictures!
The week continued with lots and lots of foods! The people of Costa Rica know how to eat at Christmas time...and I LOVE it! Everything was so delicious. I am trying to get lots of recipes so I can try to do some of this when I come home, but I know it will never be like what my friends and family here can make...WOW!
This is for real! Yum! :)
Pati! This is a little spicy but still amazing!
Leccy and I making chicken for our last night together before my trip back to Georgia. I wanted to cook something for my Costa Rican family before I went home!
I also was able to spend time with all my students one last time before the holidays. The students in Limon drew the short stick though because we actually had classes there. Because I only see them twice a month we continued to have classes, but my students in Alajuela had a party with food (of course) and a white elephant gift exchange! We had so much fun!
Limon class
Alajuela Class
The play
The song and dance
Although my last week before going home was super packed it was so much fun. God has really put so many loving, caring people into my path here, and I am so grateful for each of them. It has made such a difference in my ministry here to have people here and in the states that give such encouragement and support, and I couldn't be doing what I am doing now without you all! So thank you!!
Back in Georgia things were amazing! This time I really made it a point to not make a to do list of things that I needed to get done while I was home but instead relax and just spend time with my family. I loved it! Mom and I made 5 blankets while I was home to give to some of the people here, and that was perfect because we were able to spend so much time together just sitting and talking or watching movies! I really LOVE my momma and daddy! They are amazing people, and I am SO super blessed to have such great parents! They are so wonderful that they had a second Thanksgiving dinner just for me! (I'm not really sure that it was just for me. I think that they just wanted an excuse to eat more yummy food, but I'm gonna say it was just for me!) We had lots of family over and then after that we took out the party food and had friends come over...all in one day! My aunt Kathy made chicken salad...she makes the best chicken salad ever, but you won't see that in any of the pictures because it was in the back of the fridge hiding!!! :)
I also was able to go caroling with the church and to the Santa Supper, something that I don't think we have missed since we have been members of the church. I was also able to spend some time with some of my closest friends on the last few days that I was there. Some were unexpected visits, but all really just warmed my heart. I love my friends! I have some of the best for sure.
Because I was flying standby I wasn't quite sure what day I was going back home, but it worked out perfectly because I actually ended up leaving the day after I thought I was going to, so the last day was completely open to hang out with my family and say goodbye to one of the most amazing men I have even known, Mr. J.W. Benefield.
Here are some of my Georgia pictures:
Mama Faye eating tamales with Lizano Sauce and Logan eating Tamales with Ketchup! :)
Mama Faye, Dad, Me, Logan and Mom in front of our Christmas tree
Caroling
Our first annual Taylor makes carrot cake while all others eat and play on their phones! This is a new family tradition that my cousin Staci wanted to start...it looks like it worked out well for them huh!?
Our Thanksgiving meal
The Thanksgiving food!!! Casserole!
Jess, Addy, and Me
Debra working on moving out the Thanksgiving food and moving in the party food!
Mama Faye, Kelly, Paul and Me
My cousins, sister and me with Santa
So maybe now it is a little more clear why the blog has taken so long to post. haha! I have been spending so much time taking pictures that I haven't been able to post them all! But wait...there are more!
I have been back in Costa Rica for 3 weeks now, and the Lord has really started this year off full of blessings! I was able be with my family until the very last minute to still come here and spend New Years with the church in Limon. They had a four hour service full of skits, prayer, sermon, singing and food! It was a fantastic way to bring in the new year. I have never been so NOT tired at midnight!
The choir singing in the New Year!
One of the many hilarious skits!
The Sermon
The Congregation with tables set up for the food
New Years day we spent the entire day with Jonathan's family and some family friends at the pool. I actually got sunburned on New Years Day! Crazy! Again, the holidays here kind of center around food, so of course New Years would not be New Years without a lot of delicious treats! We ate ALL DAY LONG!
Carrot Cake with Costa Rican ingredients!
More yummy meat!
The family by the pool
After the New Years celebrations in Limon I came back to Alajuela for a few days to spend time with my friends and family here. We went to the beach, bowling and to see the new James Bond movie, and then it was back to Limon.
Leccy, Wendi, Me and Cournae
Courtnae and I trading socks and shoes...I forgot mine! haha!
While back in Limon, we were able to visit a banana farm where they make Del Monte bananas and had lots of fun there. I also went fishing in a way that I have never fished before. I mean I am no professional, but I think I have gone fishing probably 10 times in my life, but this time we went to a bridge with only a string and a hook and sat on the side of the bridge for hours. Although I didn't catch anything Jonathan's dad caught a few that they ate for dinner that night! They smelled delicious...well after they were cooked that is!
These are the bananas that have been picked moving on this pully system through the forest
The trees with the bananas that haven't been picked
And this is my riding on the pulley system for the bananas! Weeee!
"Fishing" but all I caught was a big tree branch
So I moved to Costa Rica and got all country! haha! I went fishing with only string and I milked a cow!!! I never dreamed of milking a cow, but Jonathan's uncle has a farm with cows and they wanted to make some cheese so they needed to go milk the cow and asked if I wanted to try! I will confess...I am awful, but it was so much fun to try something new! I will never forget that experience! While I was there I also ate some guanabana for those of you from the Bethesda Mission Team I thought you would appreciate that!
Notice...there is nothing coming out! haha!
The cheese that we made from the milk
Guanabana...nuff said
In my vacation time here I also went sledding! I know you are probably thinking I am crazy, and in part you are correct because this really wasn't the smartest thing I have ever done, but there is a park in San Jose where you can rent a sled (a cut trash can) and sled down this big hill on the grass or dirt. I chose the dirt because I was more afraid of the grass where I could not see the holes and ditches. I obviously didn't take into account the more painful landing that could take place on the dirt, but I made it out with a little strawberry and some red potion that the lady renting out the sleds rubbed on my arm! haha!
Oh what fun!
Oh what pain! haha!
This week we started "back to school" with a review of everything that we have learned so far. I think it was probably just as fun for me to make the review as for them to do it! The board was full of questions and pictures and next week we will be playing games with the concepts that still proved to be challenging.
I think everyone is happy to be back and learning and I am so excited about what the next 5 months is going to bring! The Lord has truly been blessing me in amazing ways over the last 3 weeks especially. I can't wait to see what all He is going to reveal this year. If the next 11 months of 2012 are as spirit-filled and enlightening as the first month we are in for a powerful year! I believe God has great plans for each of us and I am so thankful that you are helping me to follow His plan for me and to discover what the next step in that plan will be! I love you all so much! Thank you for everything!!
