Home Sweet Home

All of us have now returned safely home. We hope you enjoyed reading the blog. I stayed two extra days to do some touristy things in Costa Rica. On the way to the rain forest yesterday, our tour guide, Kenny, asked each of us to tell what we liked best about Costa Rica. I said, "the people." The country is beautiful, but the people are some of the most gracious I have ever met from Dona Sandra and her crew who prepared such wonderful meals for us to Donald and Gabriela, who were more than our drivers to Daniel and Norma, who gave so much of their time to the class and the local logistics. Even my taxi driver this morning, played Johann Strauss all the way to the airport and conducted the orchestra as he drove.

I can't wait to return in the future.

Vaya con Dios!

Kathy

Una última noche

Erin: Vickie, how you gonna get all that stuff into your suitcase?
Vickie: I don't think it's gonna fit.
Erin: What do you think you'll leave behind?
Vickie: Maybe this coffee, my half empty Coke. Do you want it?
Erin: I got one at the MiniMiniMini Mart.
Vickie: I gotta throw some of this out so I can get the Mot-Mot in.
Erin: Here, I'll leave my 10 pairs of shoes. On second thought, you leave YOUR shoes. Juan Jose will miss the smell if you don't.
Vickie: Maybe Chuck will let you get a rooster when you get home. A little something to remember this experience.
Erin: Vickie?
Vickie: Yes, Erin?
Erin: Vickie, you gonna miss me as much as I'm gonna miss the roosters?
Vickie: Probably even more.
Erin: Vickie?
Vickie: WHAT?!
Erin: What was your favorite thing about Costa Rica?
Vickie: Seriously?
Erin: Yeah.
Vickie: Laughing til I cried... on the bus... in class... at dinner... in our room...
Erin: At least you only laughed until you cried.
Vickie: Erin? What was your favorite thing about Costa Rica?
Erin: Huh? Sorry. I wasn't listening. I'm almost 3 stars on level 2 of Angry Birds.
Vickie: I said what was your favorite thing?
Erin: I loved that I got to stay with my cohort-- I miss that when we have class in Atlanta. I loved taking walks through the garden here at the Sheepfold. I loved that we were brave enough to ride the bus. In the dark. All by our big-girl selves. But ya know what?
Vickie: What?
Erin: I feel changed.
Vickie:How so?
Erin: I feel like having shared this experience together -- that we have all learned how we're all a part of God's Ethnicity.
Vickie: The KIN-dom.
Erin: Yeah.
Vickie: I'm pretty sure that'll fit in my suitcase just fine. Thanks be to God.
Erin: Word, mi mujarista favorita.

Last Things

It's so hard to believe that today was our last day of class...and what a day it was. Daniel invited us to consider what a Christian ethnicity might look like. Characteristics like taking risks, loyalty to God and to fellow humans, doing what is fair and just for your neighbor, joy, having our eyes wide open, listening and hospitality were among many we gleaned from our conversations and learning together. Secondly, we considered how a Christian ethnicity might interpret the Bible. We were each touched personally and spiritually by Daniel's inspiring leadership and his reminder that the entire task of Biblical interpretation must be begun in prayer, surrounded in prayer and carried out in prayer. AMEN.

After a moving concluding communion, led by Daniel and interpreted in sign language by Erin, we took off for an afternoon in San Jose; people watching, shopping lite, eating ice cream (again) at Pop's, touring the National Theater. More shopping and touristing tomorrow.


Tonight, around a fire, we shared popcorn and pictures of our amazing Costa Rican adventure. Our hearts are full as we turn our thoughts toward home and returning to our ministry contexts. Throughout the week our hearts have also been with our cohort friends who were not able to be with us here: Leslie, Heather, Wayland (and of course Rodger). To all our families.....hold on - we'll be home soon - transformed and with our eyes open!
Holly

A Liberating Day

Monday was our final presentation: Latin American Biblical Interpretation. Gina and Evelyn led us in reflecting on our experiences of living and worshiping in this cultural context. They gave us the historical, economic, and religious

background for the development of liberation theology--Latin America's contribution to the long evolution of theological reflection. We have all learned so much by taking the point of view of an ethnicity which is not our own.

This afternoon we had the privilege of visiting Patricia and Jose, Norma's sister and brother-in-law. They are pastors whose ministry combines pastoral counseling and spiritual direction. Stories of healing and renewal were inspiring, as was the peaceful beauty of the center's hillside setting. Our parting circle of prayer will remain a blessing for all.

Evelyn

Amazing Grace - Amazing Day!

Yahoo! Everyone is well again! We were especially excited to have Erin return to the land of the living today.

We began our Sunday by worshipping with a Spanish-speaking Pentecostal congregation in Tres Rios. After the service we were treated to a beautiful spread of fresh fruit, pastries, and hot coffee as we conversed with the associate pastor (through Daniel's translation) about his ministry and his congregation. This evening we ventured back into town for informal worship and Bible study at the Latin American Biblical Institute. Singing Spanish hymns, including Amazing Grace, was a

highlight.

The two worship services were our official learning experiences for the day. However, Holly and I embarked on an afternoon adventure that we

will remember for a long time to come. We were invited into the home of Donald, our bus driver, and his wife, Gabriella, who live just across the street from the retreat center. Donald and Gabriella welcomed us with a tour of the house they are building together that has the most amazing view of the valley. They then took us out back to visit the neighbors' chickens and cows, including a very frisky, young calf.

Finally, Gabriella taught us how to make "real" tortillas. Sharing the

warm tortillas and hot coffee at their kitchen table was truly a sacramental event. Our cohort's time in Costa Rica is growing short, yet our deep affection for this beautiful country and her people is expanding way beyond what we dreamed possible.

Buenos Noches,

Susan

People and Adventure

We are back in cyberspace after a brief interruption from a faulty internet connection. I'm pleased to report that all those who have been ill are on the mend and that we had the full complement of persons at dinner last evening.

Yesterday we turned our attention to the companion ethnicity in which we are embedded--Hispanic biblical hermeneutics. For purposes of this class we parsed the difference between Hispanic and Latino/a as those who speak Spanish living in the United States, thus Hispanic-Americans. We learned from Vickie and Pat that these brothers and sisters live in the hyphen with one foot in both their cultures of origin and mainstream American culture. We explored the economic struggle of migrant farm workers and the reforms that corresponded to the Civil Rights movement in their history. In essence this hermeneutic looks at the powerful and the powerless in the Bible and explores where God is in this struggle with a view to the future hope that is ours in Christ. We ended our session by crafting crosses that explored this hermeneutic.

In the afternoon, several of us went on an adventure, getting on the bus towards San Jose and agreeing to disembark when we saw something interesting out the window. Where did we end up? At a small shopping mall, of course! We explored the little stores including a stationary store selling scrap booking supplies, a toy store, a small grocery store, and ending our time with Pop's Ice Cream--a real treat. Then we got back on the bus and headed to the Pastoral Center, doing the happy dance when we got off at the right stop. It's the small adventures and risk taking that make us smile.

Someone else will blog later (internet willing) about our church visits today, as we are preparing to experience all Spanish services today! Adios for now!

Kathy

Ladies Day

Today was "ladies' day" with Holly teaching us about Feminist, Womanist and Mujerista hermeneutics. We had plenty to consider as she posted art depicting the feminine in varied cultures. She even dressed for the part, as you can see. All week long we've looked through different lenses examining how different ethnicities interpret the Bible. Today we donned purple lenses. Ask Holly about that one.

The fire in the common room was lit earlier than usual as the rain came mid-morning and hung around all day. In the late afternoon, three of us ventured out to the panaderia (bakery) down the hill from the Centro Pastoral, our home sweet home. It was all downhill there and all uphill back which made it feel like half a mile there and 3 miles back. That's okay. We worked off those pastries.

The little grocery store across the street is getting all our business - bread, Cokes, cough drops, antihistamine, and avocados. What a grocery list, huh?

Yes, the cough drops and antihistamine are for our "under the weather" friends - Erin, David, Evelyn, Kathy and Vickie. Everybody is in a different stage of wellness. The wonderful ladies who prepare our food brought us soup for lunch. They said it was the perfect cure for "what ails ya." It sure did put a smile on our faces. Maybe the soup and the prayers will bring some healing in the mountains of Costa Rica.

So, with the sound of the rain and the smell of the fire, we say, "buenos noches."

Gina