Happy 95th day, Latin America!

Yes, it´s true...this is my 95th day since I left home in January, and that means I have just about two weeks before I´m home again.....just a little over one week here in Grecia. I´m at a friend´s host home right now, because all the girls in our group were here for a slumber party that her family threw for us. I just wanted to fill in a few more details about my life here right now.....

My family is younger this time rather than my older family of adults in San Jose. I have two little sisters, Mariana just turned 9 yesterday, and Melissa turned 5 last week (that was a fun birthday party!) Then I also have a THREE MONTH OLD baby brother named Lisandro, but he´s in sort of a foster system thing through the church and isn´t biologically part of the family. We don´t really know how long he´ll be part of the family yet either, but I´m sure glad he´s a part of it while I´m here. My parents are cool: my mom works at home all day so she can be home with the kids (and now take me to the church on Monday and Tuesday for Spanish class), and my dad works in construction. When we´re all home, it´s pretty much just TV watching and chilling in the living room.....if we leave it´s usually to go visit family- which there´s a TON of, so that´s fun too.

Wednesday-Friday, I work in a nearby elementary school. During lunch, I wash dishes in the cafeteria (character-building work for sure, but the school only has about 100 kids!), and then I´m in a 1st/2nd grade classroom "helping" the teacher....she doesn´t really know what to have me help her with.....but it´s definitely fun getting the experience in the Latin American realm of education! :) (I´m learning all the command words, like: sit down, settle down, quite down, eat your food, bring me this, that, etc! :) I´m loving it here, but I do kinda have sort of a lump in my chest at the same time knowing that I´m SO close to coming home. We decided last night that it´s a good/normal thing, because we HAVE been out of the country for 95 days. But, we also decided that it´s good we´re in a place that we all love so much feeling this way....if we were anywhere else, we´d probably be miserable, and the time would be passing sooooo slowly! :)

So, there´s my life in a nutshell! I probably won´t update again until I´m back home unless something big happens! :) But, if not.......until the 29th! Geez, that´s in like, 13 days! Whoa! :)

Isolation!

Hey folks! I wanted to quickly let you all know that I'm alive and doing great here in Grecia....but I don't have Internet at my house, and I'm limited to a brief time at the church. So, don't worry about me, and I'll still be connected, just not on so much of a regular basis...please consider the time lapse if you need me for something. Either way....we're down to about 30 days left! Love you all! Luego! :)

En Casa Otra Vez!

Well folks, I've just returned from my last jaunt through Latin America! I am back from Cuba safe and sound, and the next time I leave Costa Rica I'll be headed for the US of A....and that's only FOUR WEEKS away! Man, things feel like they're winding down...but I kinda feel like that's ok. It's not like I WANT to leave (especially San Jose- I just found out that Michael and Brenda are leaving for the weekend, so I won't even really get to say goodbye to them! :( ); but while we were in Cuba, I also felt more like I'm ready to really take what I've learned this semester, and make a difference back in my "real life" in the States. I'm really interested to find out how I'm going to fit back into the life I left behind, when I don't feel like I'm quite the same shape, myself. Sure, I'm still me, and it's still my same life- it has been continuing this whole time- but I'm not really sure how I should think about going back. However, Molly (my RA who did the program last year) gave me the great advice to not think about going back.....I'll accept that! :) At least until I'm there....and we have a bit of time OUT of Latin America before we actually have to be back IN the States. That's why we have the debrief in Miami for a day and some change. Anyway....I'm always looking to the future...

Maegan, one thing at a time!!! I've started coming to appreciate the hindrance of seeing the "then" at the sake of the "now". My whole college career has been about planning this year to get to this year to get to this semester, from this summer to this summer, and now going into senior year soon....well, we all know about those questions. And I had been starting to feel the pressure, especially with all these new opportunities, options, and interests that I've gained in such a short time here; but in just as short of a time, I've spun it around, or rather it's been a team effort. I honestly feel a God-given peace about His plans for me- and sure, everyone says that...I've said it before without really meaning it...but I think it's finally clicking for me. Maybe in this case, it would be "un-clicking"? :) I'm not sure! Either way...leave it to Latin America to be God's way of teaching me the meaning of tranquila :) Or maybe, could it simply be, something not Johnson? I'm just saying, it crossed my mind...and this is MY blog, so....ok :) My next news will be from Grecia, Costa Rica. Please forgive a possible lapse in the accustomed communication: I'm not sure what my Internet accommodations will be with my adjustment. :) Until then, besitos para todos! :)

2 Days 'til Cuba!

Wow, how time flies! I apologize for being out of touch for the last two weeks, but that's basically testament to what my life was like here! :) We hit the ground running after our "spring break," because within these past 9 days, we completed 3 whole credits more of college stuff...at least I think; I'm not entirely sure how the grading works yet. And along with that, we finished up our last bit of our Spanish classes with a final oral presentation on Thursday and a "graduation" yesterday (I got a certificate and everything!). It's been a lot of work, especially while trying to balance out spending time with my family too- who are totally the coolest...I'm having so much fun with them!!- but now we're on to the next step....

Monday morning, bright and early (6:30 am), our group of the 13 literature students head for Cuba! I'm sooooo excited about our trip, because we're going to be doing/seeing pretty much everything that's possible within our 10 days: museums, dances, performances; talking to artists, writers, poets...I'm not even exactly sure what's on the schedule! And of course, along with that is a lot more reading and journaling and reflecting that we're responsible for. Whew, it's gonna be great...literally a once-in-a-life-time opportunity, but it's gonna be a lot too! :) And then? When we get back on the 25 of March, I'll have two days here with my family in San Jose, but then it's off to another part of Costa Rica: Grecia. That's where I'll spend my last four weeks before heading back to the States...yeah, it's almost kinda over! It's weird to think about it...but obviously there's a lot to come in that short time!

I know this is kind of a short update, but I'm gonna go find something to eat and give my computer a break...she's been working hard lately too! :) Michael and Brenda should be home soon, and then off to youth worship at the church! :) Man, it's going to be hard to leave here! Last night I was out with Michael and Brenda and two other couples from the church. We went BOWLING, then ate at Pizza Hut, and played Wii Sports....until 2:30 in the morning! How cool is that? Anyway, same deal goes with Cuba as in Nicaragua...no communication (obviously...it's Cuba), so don't worry....I'll be in touch when I get back! I love you all! :)

Orjullo y Prejucio

My title for this post is "Pride and Prejudice", for the sole reason that I am watching that movie with Brenda as I type...A little taste of Jane Austen is just what the doctor ordered! :) Anyway...I took the opportunity to add my Los Santos pictures to my album...here's the link again:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035173&id=1004910161&l=12a5b6f0e5

And I forgot that I took a brief video of the waterfall, so it's a LITTLE more like actually being there! :)



Hope you enjoy them all...and in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy my last bit of our "spring break" with Brenda, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy before I go back to classes tomorrow morning bright and early! By the way...happy March, everyone! Pura Vida! :)

Eres Todopoderoso

Whew, alright.....I'm finally back in one place for awhile! The group got safely back to San Jose on Thursday after a CRAZY full day of traveling from Nicaragua, with about 3 hours spent trying to cross the border! (that's a fun story) And then I was back in my house at about 6 last night after my jaunt into the rainforest with 5 other students. It's nice to finally have a chance to settle down somewhere again, but I loved all of it!

It's kinda hard for me to talk about Nicaragua, or really even describe how much I enjoyed the experience, because there was so much more to it than just enjoying the experience...but I just don't really have the words! :) All I know is that while I was there, once I had left, and even now as more time passes, the thought of never seeing them again just isn't acceptable. I have to go back......and that's about it! :) I should have pictures to share soon!

And the rainforest?! Wow, that's also an experience that can't be described fairly! Sure, I have pictures from that too, but there's way more about touching it, smelling it, feeling it, hearing it, and yes, even tasting it, in addition to seeing it...but those type of pictures don't exist...yet! :) We were totally tourists, being driven around with our cameras clicking and being babysitted by Jonathan our tour guide- but we got to climb trees, jump from trees, swing from tree to tree, and hike among the trees like probably no other tour would :) The business is called Santos Tours, which started out, literally, as a final project for Jonathan and his business partner, Carlos, to finish their college degrees six years ago. It's different for several reasons, but mainly because it's designed specifically to put money back into supporting the local community...we stayed in a local hotel, ate in local restaurants, and followed a local on our hike through the forest; so we were able to interact with real people during our whole trip! They are truly interested in helping the people make a living, not just putting the money back into their pockets! Anyway, I was really impressed, and totally recommend them to anyone who really wants to experience the country of Costa Rica...and for a great price! I'm also interested in taking a group back to do one of the community building projects that they offer.....yeah, these guys are so cool! :)

So here I am, Sunday afternoon, watching the last of the Olympics that I can (the US hockey men are losing to Canada right now). Church this morning was great...it was the first time I was able to actually sing along with ALL of the songs- it's a pretty big deal, let me tell you! I kinda don't feel like a total alien anymore- a lot of the people in the church recognize me now, so we're able to greet each other like I've been there forever....or at least like normal people. :) And the sermon was really good too, which is even more significant because I KNEW it was a good sermon! :) So we're getting there, little by little, but little by little I also realize that it's going to be even harder for me to leave...especially if the chunk of my heart left in Nicaragua is any indication! Two more weeks here, then another backpack excursion, and I have to say goodbye to my first Tica family. Bah, how sad...I can't think about it yet! Watch for more pictures, but that's all for now. Dios les bendiga! :)

Sobre Nombre

Hey everyone! I'm still in Nicaragua, but I wanted to write at least this much because I could. Our whole student group is back together at a hostel in Granada after our homestay experience. We're having a group de-brief type of discussion thing in the morning and then a group activity in the afternoon, but then we're back to San Jose on Thurday morning! Our leaders told us not to exaggerate our experience in our communities so the "people at home" don't worry, so I don't have much more to say other than that I am alive and well, except for a tiny tiny cold thing, I think, that I picked up in my last couple of days there.....and as always, but now more than ever, in complete awe of the human spirit, and the rest of creation in general......God did good work here, which is obviously an over-simplification, but it's interesting how living a simple life for a while smacks you in the face with the simple facts of life that too many of us forget too often.... Period. Smiley face [because I can't make one on this keyboard....it speaks Spanish]