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

A Day of Metamorphosis

We are in Costa Rica! It's our weekend - no class, yet alarm clocks were going off at 5:00 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. departure with no idea where we were going. Talk about "in God we trust." The only thing we knew was that it was going to be warm to hot (and it was). It was after we were on the bus, seated with sleepy eyes, pillows and backpacks in hand, that we learned we were going to the Butterfly Farm and Britt Coffee Plantation.

At the Butterfly Farm, we were introduced to various kinds of butterflies: the Owl, Blue Monarch, Morpho, and others. Check out Susan holding the Halloween butterfly. However, my favorite story was about the butterflies mating. Did you know that in the butterfly Bible, it is the female who finds the "good thing." And, it is not just any husband, but it is the "par excellence" husband. They mate and produce 100 (50 male and 50 female) eggs.

May I offer you a cup of coffee, and it is not Juan Valdez! It's Britt! We tasted so many kinds of coffee today - seed and brewed - that we are still jumping up and down. Check out the bag of coffee David was looking to buy and Holly making a coffee toast to the newly weds.

Pat Turner-Olds

Off to the Mountain Poas

The day started with experiencing the splendor of God! At the top of the volcano we were in a "cloud forest" and we were in the cloud. Unfortunately because of the cloud we couldn't see the volcano's crater! We were truly wet and blessed as we experienced God in nature.

We then went to lunch at a local restaurant where the food was great, especially the homemade milk shakes!!!!

The afternoon lecture was given by Dr. Francisco Mena. He articulated that in

Base Community Bible Studies life comes before theology. He pointed out that the sacred and the secular are one. He showed that the starting point of Latin theology is with who we are. Then we move to listen to what the text says to God's people. He spoke to the challenge of liberation of the poor. The lecture was profound and inspiring.

Buenos noches,

David

The Courage to Be Aware

How do we grow in our awareness of the 'others' in our lives? By growing in our awareness of ourselves, so that we may bring more of ourselves to relationship with others. This simple principle is not so simple, as we are discovering day by day, as we hear and learn of the lives of our sisters and brothers whose lives are often hidden and whose voices are often silenced.

Today, Erin Reed Cooper led us to understand the profound way in which our Asian-American sisters and brothers experience scripture. By listening for the 'silent voices' in scripture and in our culture, we grow in our awareness of the ways in which we silence others, often unconsciously. Erin urged us to bring the text close to us and to our own experiences, rather than at a safe and reflective arms distance. As we shared ways in which we found ourselves in the silent voices of Genesis 34, our awareness of ourselves and our awareness of other voices grew.

It takes courage to take the road of self-awareness. Some of the discoveries are painful and some are joyful. Vickie Dieth launched our day of discovery and celebration with a playful devotion, filled with dance, affirmation and joy. We discover in our playing and in our praying a deep joy in our similarities and our differences and in being together.

We also celebrated Holly's and Kathy's birthdays today, complete with cake and Happy Birthday in English and Spanish. Tomorrow.....our weekend begins with a trip to the national volcano and the rain forest. Until then...good night.

Susan

Monday's Musings

This morning we connected with family and friends in Atlanta and Greenville to see pictures of SNOW SNOW SNOW! Monday and Tuesday are snow days at Columbia Seminary. Why are we in class???

A tropical visitor to our hilltop retreat was this blue-crested mot-mot! Thank you Vickie and Erin for this amazing photo.



Class this morning was a rich experience which was worth missing a snow day. Susan led us in an exploration of African-American biblical interpretation. The Holy Spirit was present as we studied scripture passages related to "There is a Balm in Gilead" and "Ain't Dat Good News." And we sang! It was a sacred time.

Evelyn

Backwards Sunday

It seemed odd to begin Sunday with class and end the day with worship, but that's how day 3 was for us. Our day began with devotions by Holly Inglis and then Norma Calvo-Cascante instructed us in the role of the historical-critical method of biblical interpretation for Anglo/North Atlantic individuals. The discussion was rich and insightful as always.

This afternoon, we left the Pastoral Center to travel into San Jose for a bit of necessary shopping; sweaters, socks, etc to keep us warm in the cool mountain temperatures. Then we travelled on to the Escazu Christian Fellowship, an English-speaking, interdenominational congregation. Our group added significantly to the number of worshippers and we were warmly welcomed. Some of us even met folks from our home states.

We returned home to a delicious dinner and then returned to preparing for tomorrow's class, skypeing family at home and listening to the sounds of the night birds outside

the windows.

The beauty of Costa Rica is only surpassed by the joy of being with some members of our cohort and the thoughts of those who are unable to be with us here. Buenos noches!

Holly Inglis

Finding our rhythm

Today was our 2nd full day of class and "Me Day," as Daniel put it. Evelyn began our morning with a walking devotional and we discovered this retreat center is bigger than we thought. In class, we shared the sermons and Bible studies we brought with us. We discovered we are not only educators but preachers, too. This established our personal context and our foundation. Tomorrow we go forth to explore the varied ethnicities we came together to study.

The afternoon was spent skype-ing with family, working on upcoming presentations and catching up. A group of us ventured forth from the security of the Centro Pastoral to walk down the street and explore a little of the area around us. Across the street is a small shop that sells the essentials - milk, bread, candy, and (most importantly) Diet Coke.

Dinnertime found us around another fire in the common room started by our resident miracle worker and fire woman, Susan. Everything is so damp here that it has been challenging to coax a fire out of the wood and matches left for us. Dinner and conversation by the fire is turning out to be a highlight of the day and almost 2 hours later some of us still find ourselves sitting in front of the flames. Out of the window of the common room we can see those city lights twinkling in the valley. We are most definitely seeing and hearing God in this place.

Who ruined the ruins?

First day of class is behind us and it was a great one! Our trusty professor, Daniel, led us through an exploration of ethnicity, interpretation, and lots of words we don't understand, but we're still hopeful that he thinks we know what we're talking about.

After class, we ventured down the mountain to visit Basilica de la Negrita, Costa Rica's most sacred space. It's their version of a "thin place," where heaven and earth meet. Folks come here to be blessed and healed. Then it was off to visit the ruined ruins of Cartago, Costa Rica's old

capital city.

It's chilly tonight and we enjoyed dinner by the fireplace. David's working diligently to learn a few words in Spanish each day and we're all wondering how our clothes will still fit after two weeks of home cooking and pastries. The service here is muy bueno!

~Buenos noches, amigos!

Vickie

We're here! We're here!

We have all safely arrived in Costa Rica. We just finished a delicious dinner at the Pastoral Center, "The Sheepfold." We have breathtaking views from our rooms of green mountains and twinkling lights. We are looking forward to doing some more catching up (some of us may need to do a little bit of reading as well, and starting our first class tomorrow morning. After class tomorrow we will be taking a trip to the old ruined capitol city.
We have found one "HOT SPOT" (just happens to be Vickie and my room, extrapolate what you will from that!) where we can get online.
I am going to share a few shots that I took coming in today. One is the view from the balcony, the other we are exchanging US Dollars for CR Colones. Enjoy!
Blessings!
Erin

The Adventure Begins...

You've reached the blog of the D. Ed. Min. students of Columbia Theological Seminary who are about to embark on a travel seminar to Costa Rica. The class will study "Ethnic Biblical Interpretation" and will be taught by Professor Daniel Bonilla Rios. We will try to post our adventures and learning periodically here during our two weeks on the road. Check back for more news and stories.