Day 193.

Picture time!


This is where I work -- we've seen a sudden splurge in girls attending the Institute since the government tests are around the corner, but we try to explain that showing up one month before the exam isn't gonna help a whole lot.
Marielos (the woman in front) is the director of the school program.


Nazareth, my 16-year-old math star who started having contractions on Thursday.


Wendy, the two-year-old sister-in-law of one of my students. She is deathly afraid of all animals and if you just say the word "monkey" she will hop up on any large surface (chair, desk, table) and shriek. I've seen this from experience.


My host folks! Marcos and Beatriz (who I just started calling Mamí).


My host sister Raquel, host mom, and me. No one can figure out how to use my camera so if I want a picture with me in it, I gotta find a mirror.


The happy couple -- Laura y Mauricio.


:)

Day 192.

Today, I...

saw an incredible work of art toiled over for hours by its creator, revealing a masterpiece that could take your breath away...also known as the wedding cake my host mom made for my sister's wedding tomorrow.

missed Mila.

realized I am going to miss meeting people on the bus and realizing that we are a lot closer than I thought (I have met a woman who's husband grew up in Mt. Vernon and a man who's wife grew up on Lopez Island).

learned a lot about make-up that I didn't know. With the wedding and all tomorrow, my other host sister Raquel decided to give me a crash course in the ways of latina womanhood.

smiled when I thought about my darling grandmother celebrating another year on God's green earth. As part of lent, I have began writing a series of "Love Letters", one to a different person each night. I wrote this on February 17th, Ash Wednesday:

--Hannah

PS This is for you too Grandma.

Day 191.

Today, I...

saw turtle eggs for sale. Yup.

missed running out on the basketball court to excited fans, anxious parents, and a whole 32 minutes of possibilities.

realized I am going to miss Laura, my host sister who is getting married on Saturday. I know she'll still swing by from time to time, but I'm going to experience the same hole in our home that now exists in the house I grew up in.

learned that "mosquito" literally means "little fly". However, the word "mosquito" in Spanish does NOT mean the little bug that likes to feast on flesh. That's zancudo. I love how English steals words and still screws them up.

smiled when Megan, another short-termer, shared this nugget of truth at our Thursday night Bible study: God has only shown us a handful of his glorious attributes. There are so many more that we have yet to experience, so many that do not exist in this world. There are things better than beauty, than grace, even better than forgiveness and love. And we're going to see them first-hand.

--Hannah

Day 189

Today I...

saw one of my students flipping through an ancient encyclopedia. I asked her what she was looking for, what class she needed help with. "Oh no," she responded, "I just like looking." A part of me snickered inside, but then I thought about the hours I spend on stumblupon.com, just flipping through pages on a screen rather than in a book. So I sat down and joined her.

missed being in places that regularly have toilet paper.

realized I am going to miss not wearing shorts all the time. It's been in the high 80's / low 90's all week.

learned just how "Pura Vida" life is here. A pretty hefty grass fire started to snake its way along the property today out in Carpio, and the directors just watched, praying that the flames would pass by the gate. They did.

smiled when I found a darling dress for my sister's wedding on Saturday! I went to a "Ropa Americana" store, literally tranlsated "American Clothing." What it really means is "Thrift Store".

--Hannah

Day 188.

Well it seems I haven't posted in nearly a week...sorry about that folks.

To be quite honest, not a lot of post-worthy things have been going down. While I was in Nicaragua I made the mindless mistake of drinking the water (it was almost as if I was in 100+ degree temperatures with severe sunburn or something), thus resulting in an incredibly upset stomach for the last week and a half. My host mom thinks part of it is because I'm stressed/anxious/upset...because I haven't been on facebook.

I wanna say that's a sure sign that I'm addicted.

Not to mention I had my first facebook dream last night (something I got regularly when I gave it up last year). It's interesting though -- living the facebook-less life was so much harder a year ago, and I saw all my friends every day at school. Here, I haven't seen most of the people I contact on fb in over six months, but I haven't been going through the withdrawals (yes I just used that word) that I did during the last lent season.

Speaking of lent, I have been reading my parents' copy of "Bread and Wine" every day. Man that stuff is fulfilling.

In completely unrelated news, Relevant magazine released an incredible online radio station. Listen.

Well, that's all I got after a long day of a couple imodium (thank you Kathy!), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, my bed, and Schindler's List.

-Hannah

PS Updated my other blog. Please send me reasons why you love your life at lovelifebecause@gmail.com. :)

Day 183.

Quick List of my Life:

1) Lent started today.
2) That means I'm not using facebook until April 4.
3) Some doctor friends who met here six years ago (and are coincidentally from Seattle) are back for the week working at the clinic in Carpio. It's been amazing to compare how our families have changed and how Carpio has grown.
4) I also saw Giovanni, a young man who didn't remember me from six years ago but grinned when I told him I was Jeff's daughter.
5) Today I ate a syrupy fig.
6) And a sweet potato candy.
7) The dry season is in full swing and where I work in Carpio has water a good 27% of the time.
8) Tomorrow I'm teaching "This is the Air I Breathe" to my girls.
9) My sunburn is peeling off my back in sheets.
10) One of my host uncles asked me if I had ever tried turtle. He was serious.

--Hannah

Day 181.

Today, I...

saw my host mom's face light up as she received news that her brother who has been battling pancreas cancer will be getting his last chemotherapy treatment on Friday. Miracles really do happen!

missed San Juan del Sur...Alanna and I had an amazing time in Nicaragua and although we spent four and a half hours waiting at the border on the way back, it was all worth it.

realized I am going to miss all the time I spend blogging.

learned that McDonald's now has Guayabita McFlurries! Guayabitas are an incredible Costa Rican candy: chocolate with guava filled centers.

smiled as I pulled my ukulele out of my backpack and saw my students get excited.

--Hannah

Day 179.

Today, I...

saw a lot of our little hostel room. Alanna and I spent the day laying in front of our fan, taking turns reading and using the internet (she doesn't have internet in her house and I'm giving up facebook for lent).

missed my own bed.

realized I am going to miss all the time I spend with Alanna. We've known each other since we were 5 and have always been good friends for one week at a time (we go to Family Camp together every summer), but here we are buds week in and week out. We've shared everything -- stories, frustrations, even beds. We're sisters now.

learned how thin the walls are of this hostel...right now the casino next to us is having some sort of anniversary party. Alanna and I have been looking through the cracks of our wooden walls to see the band roughly four feet away from our beds.

smiled as Alanna and I sat on the swaying bridge after sunset, taking one last long look at the ocean and singing Disney songs that we couldn't remember.

--Hannah

Day 178.

Today, I...

saw how sunburnt Alanna and I are! Oops!

missed exploring beaches with my little brothers. So I did it on my own.

realized I am going to miss how cheap the food is here. For $3 I can get a huge slice of watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, a banana, a cheese/veggie/ham omelet, two slices of toast and a smoothie. Try and beat that McDonald's dollar menu.

learned that I'm not growing up as fast as I thought.

smiled as I enjoyed a scrumptious oatmeal popsicle. My fav.

--Hannah

Day 176 -- Traveling to Nicaragua!

Today, I...

saw about 30 wind turbines surrounding Lake Nicaragua -- those things are a lot bigger in person than in newspaper articles. Investing in alternative energy sources: one huge way Nicaragua has changed since I was here six years ago.

missed going on trips with my family.

realized I am going to miss foreign money.

learned how tranquila -- tranquil -- San Juan del Sur is. The lazy beach town is incredibly chill. And hot. And glorious.

smiled when I made a new friend! Alanna and I decided to split a taxi to San Juan del Sur from our bus stop in Rivas with a woman named Robin who is currently living in Costa Rica. She has been back and forth between CR and the states (she was born in Chicago and went to Northwestern! I was wearing my DePaul shirt and we instantly conected) for the last ten years, WWOOFing at a chocolate farm amongst other things; now she´s co-managing a Bed and Breakfast in San José while trying to start an all natural soap business. The three of us found a hostel and she´s staying in the room next to ours.

It´s going to be a great five days.

--Hannah

Day 175.

Today I...

saw a boy proudly boasting a High School Musical backpack. Elementary students start school again tomorrow -- I bet he's gonna have a great first day.

missed basketball. Heavily.

realized that I am going to miss all the time I spend imagining how wonderful my future will be.

learned that Sarah Moses-Winyard is one of the most gifted writers I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Plus she's dear to my heart.

smiled as I looked at my Nicaragua bus ticket! Because of my visa, I have to leave the country every three months. Tomorrow Alanna and I take off for a five day excursion to the beach on the Pacific side of Nicaragua. Can't wait.

--Hannah

Day 174.

Today, I...

saw a young woman learning to drive stick shift and failing miserably. Made me realize what I'm going to be doing in three months time.

missed camping.

realized I am going to miss my host mom's delicious home made soup she makes! My favorite part is the yucca root -- kinda like potato, except the size of someone's thigh.

learned that my girls aren't have bad at singing. I brought in my uke today after watching an inspirational video my friend Connie sent me following a woman who changed children's lives armed only with a pennywhistle and ukulele. Anyways, we sang tranlsated versions of "In the Secret" and "Who Am I?" and it was a smashing success. Definitely going to play some more music in the near future.

smiled when I watched some of my old video stuff...Rachel and Eli, basketball banquets, VBS, DATE MADE! Man. That got me pumped to put together my final hurkin' documentary project for this trip.

--Hannah

PS Gonna put a little plug in for my other blog -- ilovemylifebecause.blogspot.com. Check it out and please send me reasons why you love your life at lovelifebecause@gmail.com.

Day 173.

Today were the Costa Rican presidential elections. Let me give you a quick summary of the candidates:

Otto:
Known for: Being handsome.


Otton:
Known for: Almost winning last time.

Laura:
Known for: being part of the party that is currently in office, wearing solid color blouses, and handing out free bags of concrete in Carpio. And building houses in other poor areas. The only questionable part is that no one knows where the money is coming from to fund these projects (plus most of the people she helps are illegals and can't vote anyways).

Fishman:

Known for: slightly resembling a fish and the fact that his logo looks like a fish eye. He's also the one who kept referring to himself as "the least bad". Poor guy.

So my host mom, brother, and two sisters left to work the polls at 5 in the morning and got back at 11. When all was said and done, Laura dominated with 47% of the popular vote (you had to get at least 40% to win), Otton got 25%, Otto got 20%, and Fishman got 3%.

In other words, Costa Rica just got its first female president! Quite the move in an incredibly machismo culture.

--Hannah

PS My host sister said that the best part of the elections being over was that she "wouldn't receive spam texts from each candidate".

PPS Two weeks ago all four of the main candidates agreed to take a lie detector test on national television. Only two of them showed up.

Day 169.

Why we do what we do.

Day 168.

Love.

If I write blog entries that make people weep and angels clap, but don't have love, I am just another forwarded email, something else posted on a wall.

If I lead others to God, answer all of life's deepest questions, and believe like Shane Claiborne does, but don't have love, I'm worthless.

If I return home with an empty suitcase and contract lice in the name of Jesus, but do it without love, I haven't changed.

Love understands, love gives.

It never gets jealous, it never brags, never puffs out its chest.

It's not sarcastic, it's not arrogant, it doesn't know how to keep score.

Love can't find a reason to hate, but will always tell the truth.

It always keeps you under its wing,

always believes what you say,

always has faith in what you can do,

always presses on.

Love never gives up.

There are some amazing sermons, but they will be forgotten.

There are some awesome lyrics, but they will slip from my memory.

There are so many people who have discovered so much, but some one will come along and discover more.

The truth is we only give 10% (if that), 1/7 of our week, one gap year at a time.

When wholeness comes,

all the separate parts will get swallowed up.

When I was little, I used little words, thought little thoughts, and used lots of little excuses.

When I got big, I grew up.

Today we look at life like a fragmented reflection on a muddy pond...

Tomorrow we will finally lift our heads and behold the beauty.

Right now we snatch God's glory in bits and pieces -- soon we will take it all in at once;

we will fathom the Maker as the Maker fathomed us.

Even after the world is long gone, these three will stick around:

faith, hope, and love.

You better look out for love.

--Hannah

Day 167.

Today, I...

saw something wiggle in my comb as I got ready for the day...lice! It turns out I picked up the critters at camp and they just hatched (yes, hatched. Forget eggs, I have full-blown CREATURES in my head) about a week ago, when I thought my head itched because of a sunburnt scalp. After a some what awkward encounter at the pharmacy -- Me: Do you have any lice treatment? Clerk: For a child or an adult? Me: An adult.... -- my host mom lovingly poured searing chemicals onto my head, burning anything that had life. Including my skin cells. All in all though, it was quite the experience and I wanna say those guys are gone for good.

missed NFFTY, that Nation Film Festival for Talented Youth. If you're in the Seattle area April 29-May 3 (one day before I return!), try and get to some screenings. I can promise you won't be disappointed.

realized I am going to miss all the time I spend by myself here. In these last five months I've learned the difference between being alone and being lonely and how you can have one without the other.

learned that Gustavo (the director of the New Horizons sports ministry for boys) spent six months in Spain working with gypsies as a missionary and also grew up in a place very much like Carpio. He told Alanna and I this over his home-made Chalupas while upstairs his iMac slept soundly next to his two-month-old son, Samuel.

smiled a huge smile when Nazareth, a new girl who joined my math class today after not attending the first six weeks, really contributed to the group and was answering questions that my other students were stumbling over. She just turned 16 in November, has a lot of promise when it comes to the government math exam in April, and loves the names Jeremy and Emily. She's also eight months pregnant.

--Hannah