Slideshow

This is a video the youth group in Monteverde (specifically, Isaac) made for me right before I left Costa Rica. They played it in church and I cried the whole time. Leaving all my friends, students, and adopted families was one of the hardest things I've ever done.
If you have been wanting to see a highlight of my year, take a look. =]

The end

This is it. I'm no longer in Monteverde. I'm in San Jose with my long time family friends. My flight leaves a 3 pm, which means I need to be at the airport by 1 pm. For breakfast, there will be Gallo Pinto for the last time...

These last few days have been really hard. I had to say my goodbyes, pack, give tests and I managed to get sick. Luckily I didn't get really sick until yesterday so I got to enjoy my time with friends.

I'm going to miss everyone. EVERYONE! I already miss my students. Many tears were shed saying goodbye to my family. The hardest part was saying goodbye to Sofia. I had her in my arms and we were just hugging. She started crying and I could feel her little body shudder with each sob. That's what really did me in. I hope Kindria gets skype soon!

Thanks to all who read my blog and prayed for me!!! It really meant a lot to me.

I hope to see you soon. In under 24 hours, I'll be on American soil!!!

Paz, amor y pura vida!

Que pereza

One of the most common phrases used by my students is "que pereza" which means "how boring" or "I'm tired of this." As frustrating as this can be to hear when you're a teacher, I totally relate right now. I wish I didn't, but I do.
I'm finding it hard to find the balance between getting ready to go home and still be present here at school. I've lost a bit of my focus. It's not even that I'm bored or tired of this exactly, I'm just tired. Whatever the case, I refuse to let it diminish my quality of work even if my pereza (laziness) forces me to stay up all night to finish the review sheets that are oh so vital to the students' success in the exams we will have next week. Even though I'm tired and ready to see my family and friends back home, I'm going to kick myself until I finish. I will not let my laziness be an enabler of a bad test grade.

Johnson & Johnson

This is an actual conversation I had last week (in Spanish, but I'm translating it for your convenience).


"Your last name is Johnson? Johnson, like shampoo?"
'Well, yes, but no.'
"Oh. Ok Andrea Obama."

Uh...I'm not sure how we got from shampoo to Obama...but God Bless America! 
I suppose I should have seen it coming. There is something fundamentally "American" about the last name, Johnson. 
Whatever the case, it made me laugh.

Ginger-Garlic-Lemon Kick!

I'm not exactly sure what to call this concoction, so we'll just call it witch's brew. It's amazing. It's surprisingly tasty! It can probably cure anything you have that is respiratory related. I was inspired by my wonderful friend Jacinta, who has cured innumerable people through the use of her own version of this drink. I'm not exactly sure how she makes hers, because she only made it for me once, but I know the ingredients she uses so I went from there. I decided to make mine more like a tea. I like tea a bunch and I thought that it'd be nice to have something I could drink throughout the day. Here's my recipe:

Witch's Brew

Ingredients:

3-4 cups water
1 inch section of fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 teaspoons of crushed cayenne pepper (not powder, unless you wanna die)
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey

Process:

1. Dump water into a cauldron and turn up the heat.

2. While water is coming to a boil, grate the ginger and garlic into the water.

3. Bring water and ginger to a boil and then let it simmer 3-5 minutes (by simmer I mean gently boil)

4. Bring water, garlic, and ginger back up to a happy boil and throw in the cayenne.

5. Bring down the heat and let it all simmer for 3-5 minutes.

6. Take the concoction off the heat and dump in the lemon juice and honey.

7. Stir and strain into a thermos or whatever.

8. Drink and enjoy better health.

Everything

I can't tell you how many times I've shared this with the world, but I think it's sharing again. I just can't get over how powerful this is.

Letters

I love letters. I really do. I've sent so many while I've been here. It's major progress for me. My mom used to bribe me and/or take away privileges to get me to write thank-you notes. I enjoy writing them now. I think the key is good stationary. Here, I have a great excuse to use postcards. I love using postcards. I may make my own postcards when I get back. There's just something about them that feels so familiar...It's like you're right there with the person. You get to see what they see.

But there's also this other kind of letter. It's called a fundraising letter. I plan to send out around 150 letters. Maybe more. I have 40 ready to go into the mail right now. Fundraising letters are tricky. You never want to sound desperate, even if you are. You want to capture the attention, give reasons for supporting, leave a way out if the person doesn't want to contribute, and this must be accomplished in one page. No more, otherwise you will bore your reader. No less, or the reader will assume it's not worth their time. Psychology, folks.

I hope my letter is good. I plan on spamming the world with it. In fact, yours may be in the mail within the week.

If I don't send one to you, it's probably because I don't have your address. I'm not kidding when I say I'm sending it to everyone. Spammmmm!!!!! But the good kind. It's to support a good cause.

Actually, I'm going to put my letter right here. Just in case you don't get a letter and you feel moved to contribute.

Here goes!

Dear (Handwritten name goes here)

I have been given an exciting opportunity to be a servant and a minister this year. Through the Student Missions program at Walla Walla University, I have spent the last 7 months (and will spend the following months until June) as a volunteer teacher at Centro Educativo Adventista de Monteverde in Costa Rica.

My last 7 months have been a great adventure and there is more to come. I arrived in the middle of the school year and a new one is underway. We have a new principal and I am the only remaining volunteer from the last school year. The school requests the aid of volunteers not only to help teach English but also because the Adventist community is very small. There are few Adventist teachers but despite the small community, we have been presented with a unique and wonderful opportunity.

Our Adventist school is the only Christian school in the area of Monteverde. This makes it very appealing not only because of the good education we offer, but also because of our beautiful values. More than 80% of our students are not Adventists. This is an amazing opportunity to develop relationships and spread the love of God to our students and to their families as well. 

I would like to ask you for prayer support. First, I need prayer for myself: my continued safety in my new home. Also, that God will continue to prepare the hearts of the students, their families, and the community. I know that God will use me to be His ambassador while I am here. God has given me this opportunity to share the gospel both by example and through relationships. Secondly, I need prayer that I can raise money to help the school and its students. I aim to raise $10,000 dollars. Please consider being on my prayer team for these needs.

I want you to know that the school did not ask me to send out these letters, but because I am part of the teaching team, I know the school’s needs and am acting accordingly. The money raised will be used for 2 main causes. First, a roofing project that was started last year but was never finished. The second, and in my opinion, the most important cause, is to give financial aid to students. There are many families, whom I know personally, that desperately wish to send their children to our school. Because of the high cost-of-living due to tourism, they struggle to make ends meet and paying for a private education is not an option. We never want to turn children away from our school, but without payment, we have no choice. Tuition is roughly $1300 for a year ($110/month for 11 months). It breaks my heart that these children do not have the means to receive a Christian education and it is something I want to help change.

I appreciate your willingness to invest in this ministry. I hope to raise the money by June 2012, before I leave, but a gift at any time would be great. If you decide to make a donation, your gift will be tax-deductible. Please write any checks to the Chico SDA Church and label it Monteverde Adventist School. 

Thank you for your prayer support and possible financial support as well.

Many blessings,

(My beautiful signature goes here)

The actual letter is not in italics and I included an addressed envelope to the Chico SDA Church. Being out of the country, I couldn't get US postage so I figured an already addressed envelope was the least I could do. A little nudge, so to speak.

Chico SDA Church

1877 Hooker Oak Ave. 

Chico, CA 95926

Moments

In case you hadn't heard, life is made a of moments. Here's some of my favorites from this week.

Two of the rowdy 5th grade boys stayed a whole half hour after school and painted ducks with water colors while I cleaned the classroom. We listened to Mozart the whole time and they didn't complain once.

One of the new 4th graders (who has only known me 11 days) saw me in the internet cafe and walked back and forth in front of the window waving for about 2 minutes.

My little sister struck up a rather deep conversation (for a 4 year-old) and asked me why people should be nice to each other. That night when I got home, she crawled in bed with me and she fell asleep hugging me.

Esteban, my 3 year-old Kinder developed a remarkable love for having me read to him in English. I went over to his house today and he made me read to him for 10 minutes.

Daniel, our new 2 year-old Kinder, didn't cry when his mom left the Kinder room. I think that's pretty remarkable for day 2.

Andrea's Easy Enchiladas

My wonderful parents brought me enchilada sauce when they came to visit and I finally put some of it to use today.

And so we begin. The photo tutorial of Andrea's Easy Enchiladas. But first, some history.
I am a halfsican, in case you didn't know. And in case you don't know what that means, it means that I'm half Mexican. My mother grew up making enchiladas, the real deal, where you dip the tortilla in sauce, throw it in hot oil and stuff it with cheese. However amazing these taste, it's a lot of work and so my mom invented* a short cut that I learned before I even went to school. Yeah, they're that simple. So when I was six, my school was making a recipe book and my mom entered the recipe as Andrea's Easy Enchiladas. She used my name (remember, I was only six) to stress how delightfully easy they are to make.
*I use the term invented, loosely. I'm sure others have done it, I just haven't seen it.

Now for the tutorial. This is for making individual enchiladas. Maybe one day I'll give you a tutorial for the original, which is a bake-version, but I don't have the original recipe or an oven here in the blessed highlands of Monteverde. So if you want to try the bake-version, read this recipe and adapt. Deal? Deal.

Tools:
- A plate
- A can opener
- A spoon
- A microwave
- A fork
(do you see how easy I'm making this for you?)

Ingredients:
- Enchilada sauce (if you wanna get all fancy, try making your own, but I use it from a can. A 10 oz can will be more than sufficient for one person)
- Corn tortillas (3 for one enchilada)
- Cheese (not sure about the measurements. Maybe like, 1/2 cup? I like the shredded cheese blend, but basically, anything that melts well will suffice)

Ingredients and Tools. Minus the microwave.
You know what that looks like, right?

Step 1: Sauce your plate. Sauce it, ever-so-slightly, bigger than the tortilla.

Step 2: Layer 1- Place your tortilla, sauce your tortilla and hit it with cheese.

Step 3: Add 2 more layers of tortilla, sauce and cheese.

Step 4: Nuke it. About 1 1/2 minutes should do it. 

Tips:
- Taste your sauce before you use it. If you don't like the flavor, tweak it. If it's too spicy, add some tomato sauce (no, not spaghetti sauce, silly!)
- Don't skimp on sauce. There are few things sadder than a dry enchilada. Don't drown it either. Enchiladas are not good swimmers. Find a happy medium.
- Layer your cheese evenly. It's frustrating to have no cheese on the edge and then get too much goo in the middle.
- You are not required to make an enchilada with 3 layers. You can do just 2 or you can do 50! Have fun. Btw, if you make an enchilada with 50 layers, please take a picture and show me. I'd love to see that!
- Let the last sprinkle of cheese be more for garnish than for taste. Trust me, you probably put too much in the middle layers anyway.
- The sauce WILL splatter when you microwave it. I suggest you cover it.

The end. Try it. Enjoy it.

Soon

Let me make one thing clear (if I haven't already). I LOVE it here. But anyone who's been away from friends and family for an extended amount of time will understand that even if you love where you are, it's still perfectly reasonable to miss the folks back home. For that simple reason I made this countdown today. That and I'm sick. It came out of nowhere, which is really annoying. Yesterday, I was fine and then I just started coughing in the middle of the night. Super lame. Anyway, now you know, and I know, how long I'm here for. Just for funzies. It's sooner than you think!

A tea-light candle

A tea-light candle

that had once been new,

lay crushed, forgotten.

Rescue: overdue.

Wick: non-existent.

Wax: badly scorched.

Judging by shape, it

had clearly been smashed.

A candle like this, 

ugly, abandoned,

is easily trashed.

So why was it saved?

The reason is simple;

A candle gives light.

Wick and wax matter,

not scent or the size.

Candles are equal 

when the lights go dim.

Darkness is strong but

light pierces the grim.

AJ

Hummingbirds

Another post of pictures. This is near the Monteverde Reserve. There's this little cafe that has about 6 hummingbird feeders. It's amazing. An Olingo makes frequent visits to get a drink of the sugar water.

Christmas Break with the parentals

We're going to keep this simple. San Jose to Monteverde to Playa Pan de Azucar to Arenal and back to San Jose. Pictures are in chronological order. Enjoy.

At a rest stop on the way to Monteverde

My Costa Rican Family
L-R: Sofia, Kindria, Aileen, Me

Canopy Tour

We bought these lemon flavored peanuts...

Ficus

Monteverde Cheese Factory

Towards the Atlantic

Towards the Pacific

Playa Pan de Azucar

Arenal

It is literally this hard to take a picture of a Morpho with its wings open

Unless it's dead

Market in San Jose
150 colones or 30 cents for this delightful pipa

Best accident ever

Coffee