I have realized, when reading my posts, that some of my grammer and spelling does not show my years of schooling:). I'm sorry for this. I promise I had some good teachers! Here's a fun fact for you though: when you are in the process of learning a new language, the grammer and spelling of your native tongue begins to "disappear," for lack of a better term. My friends and I have noticed we have started to make up words that are a mix of English and Spanish when we cannot find the word we want in either language! It has been the cause of many laughs, that's for sure. So I'll be trying to improve, I just ask for you patience:).

I'm really enjoying my classes, especially Gramatica. I wish I could have that class all day! And the teacher has found a new nick-name for me that no one has ever used before: Anita. :) I like it. This is something many adults will do with someone's name. It's a way of saying "sweetheart," or "darling"or some such thing while still using their name.

I'm very ready for school to start. Just going to language school, doing homework, getting groceries, etc. is feeling a lot like limbo. Other than learning a language, it feels like I'm not doing anything else worthwhile right now, and I hate that feeling. Meredith and I are both anxious and ready for our kids to come back to school so we can start working:).

Our worship team led music for the first time at chapel this morning, and it was fun! Our sound guy said we blended very well, that no one stood out but you could here everyone:) Our vocals are both mainly harmony singers, so the leader had me get hooked up to a mike so I could sing the melody, mostly when it goes out of their range:) So I was playing and singing, and it was fun. Thankfully most of my mistakes were covered up by the other noise;) But truly, it was really nice to be able to do that again, I hadn't realized how much I had missed it.

My new classes are going well. We played Bingo in Lenguage yesterday, which was really fun (of course, I won 3 times...). And we're trying to convince our Fonetica teacher to let us play Scrabble. We'll see how it goes:) So far I haven't been overwhelmed with homework, but I'm sure it will come. My Gramatica teacher is teaching us how to pray in Spanish, and that's how we begin our day--with prayer. It's really neat. And my homework in Fonetica today was to some stuff with a Psalm, so I chose Psalm 46. That's something I really love about being out of "normal" schools--I am allowed to talk about Christianity, work on it, pray, etc. It's very freeing and comforting, especially when in a setting that can cause so much stress!:)

There's going to be a Women's Retreat in February and I'm really looking forward to it. We're going to a resort not far from San Jose which is supposed to be beautiful. And our Easter break is a whole week and happens to coincide with the end of my 90 day tourist visa, which means I'll be going either to Panama or Hondurus for that week! Crazy, huh?

Meredith went back to Texas on Sunday and will be back Wednesday. It's been really weird being alone again, but also nice in a way. Although I'll be glad when she's back, that's for sure, it just gets a little too quiet in the evenings! And I found out Saturday that my cat, Iggy, died that day. He was old and not well, so it was no suprise, and he was "only" a cat, but still, he was mine so it wasn't the first thing I wanted to hear from home that day:) But the Tatum's have a cat here, so it's all good I suppose.

Nothing much else to mention (I think!). Colegio starts in a couple weeks and I'm really excited to see the kids again. And I think I'm going to the movies tomorrow with Andrea--the teacher I worked with last year. And I should go before I start rambling:)

Paz!

So the other day, Meredith and I were taking the bus home. After we got off the first bus to wait for the second, I realized I had left my rain jacket on the bus...not good. So I ran after it, crossed traffic, and ran on to the bus, telling the bus driver, "Un momento!" and running down the aisle to get my jacket and get off the bus before it started moving again. All of this amidst the chuckling of those still on the bus:) I'm sure I was quite a sight for them!

Then yesterday, we finally had two men come and look at our washing machine. They work at Colegio Metodista. Now, we've been without a properly working washing machine since October, and all they keep doing is reattaching the feet. So they did that again yesterday. But I made them stay to see what the machine does when it gets to the spin cycle--that is, it becomes possesed and walks around the room! So they saw it, and we're glad of that since I imagine they thought we were just picky gringas. In any case, one man said that his at home does that, so it's not a big deal. His solution? Put furniture around it so it doesn't walk around! Ai caramba! We eventually communicated to them both that washing machines are NOT supposed to act like that, that ours has been for months (hence us not using it), and they said they'd call the company on Monday, which means (most likely) next Friday. So hopefully, it will be fixed before March:)

I was able to practice the piano yesterday, and it felt sooooo good to do so! While I was practicing, I felt the building shake and heard a strange rumbling. It was a lot like how I imagined a bomb going off in reality, only much less noisy and destructive. Then it happened again, and I realized it was an earthquake. There had been one that registered at 5.0 about 25 kilometers southeast of Jaco Beach (which distance-wise isn't far from us), and we had felt it. It was much stronger than the little tremors I have felt before, including this very morning. So while the actual quake was not destructive, certainly not here in the city, it was still really weird. It's easy to see why ancient cultures believed in gods and creatures beneath the earth. Even when thinking of the whole physics and science of it, it still just weirds me out when it happens!

I have been moved up 2 levels at language school, and I feel like it's a much better fit now. I can still follow along, but things will be moving more quickly (which is good) and it's enough of a challenge for me, for which I am grateful. On the other hand, me new classmates just don't laugh as much as my old ones, and so there are very few jokes and eveything is so serious. But oh well, I'd rather have a challenge and learn more, so there you go!

Well, other than these pieces of news, I don't have much else to mention. I would ask that everyone keep my room mate, Meredith, in your prayers. She got some bad news from home about a friend's family and is hoping to go up this coming week for a few days.

I hope everyone back in the states are doing well and having decent weather, it's been downright pleasant here!:)

Paz

Also, the Tatum family has a blog of their own, so if you would like to check it out, here it is:
http://www.missioncostarica.com/

We went to a new church on Sunday that isn't far from the language school. It was fun, but it was also 2 1/2 hours long...but there was some fun stuff. They had some guests who are missionaries in Israel. We heard their testimonies and one man has made CD's that are in Hebrew and Spanish, so of course I got some:) I really enjoy them so far. Then we went and watched the Cowboys lose at another student's house. So we had fun on Sunday:) And I actually cleaned house on Saturday! That's very strange for me. I'm still not sure what came over me, but maybe it will happen again some day.

I've signed up to be on one of the worship teams, playing piano. Our first chapel time to lead is next week. I'm looking forward to practicing piano and making music with others. The students lead each chapel and different people will speak. I'm anxious to here some of the teachers give their testimonies, because they truly feel that they are called to help us missionaries, and that's just cool to me:) And I'm trying to get another friend here at the language school to join our team cuz she can harmonize quite well, so we'll see.

I'll try and get some pictures of Colegio Metodista up soon, but until then God bless!

The weather yesterday and today has been absolutely beautiful! Sunny with the occasional cloud and then an amazing sunset behind the mountains that we get to see from the apartment on top of a hill. And it's about time, I'm ready for some sun!

I've been doing a lot of reading, and now I've started Twilight, but in spanish, in hope that it will help me think more in spanish:) I'm surprised at how much I do understand, but that may be that I've read the book a few too many times! But in any case, I think it will be very beneficial to me, don't you?

Colegio Metodista starts school on Feb. 12 (or around that date, not too sure yet), and I'm looking forward to seeing my kids again. I've missed them. And hopefully Monday we'll be able to get our washing machine fixed! We've been using the Tatum's for a while now (they are our saviors!) so it will be nice to save them money finally!

Meredith and I have been hanging stuff up on our walls, and things are slowly starting to feel kind of like home. It's a wonderful feeling. Of course, it helps when you eat pancakes and sausage for breakfast:)

That's about all for now I think. Language school is going well, just need to buy/find a voice recorder by Monday (which means I need to hurry!).

Adios!

Language school is going well so far, then again, it´s only day 2. I´m really enjoying it though. It´s so nice to hear Spanish and to be able to understand it so far! I´m also hoping that I will be able to practice the piano some during the chapel time when we don´t have chapel. Until Colegio Metodista starts school again, all I have to work on is my own schooling. Having homework again is a little strange, but at least it´s better than being out of the habit for 30+ years. Once kids are back in school though, we will be doing some tutoring after school (it will take a while for us to get back there), which we are both looking forward to.

The weather lately has been cold and rainy and misty and windy, which is weird right now for me. But on the other hand, we´ve seen some awesome rainbows the last few days! Big and close, you almost think you can touch them!

The Tatum´s have ¨Will´s car¨ right now and so are able to drive to school and the store, and they take us around too, which is really nice. So for now, we don´t have to take the bus to school. Will should be back by February though, which means we will be back on that hour long bus ride, but we are all looking forward to having him return.

Many of us here are more than concerned for those in Haiti right now. We were not affected in any way by the earthquake, in case you were wondering. While we have our share of earthquakes here, most are not so extreme and/or fatal. I have experienced some small ones, or maybe they were tremors from one in Panama, and it´s a really weird experience. I hope I will never have to see the devastation of one like that of last January or of Haiti´s.

Now I believe another needs the computer I´m using at the language school, so for now I must say hasta luego!

Anna

Well, I had a good flight back to Costa Rica and a nice homecoming--the apartment is just like we left it and the Tatum family as welcoming as always. Meredith (my room mate) and I are now in Orientation at the language school we are really looking forward to learning Spanicsh so we can get back to the Methodist School and teaching again.

I had a really nice Christmas and New year with my family and got to see many friends and visit with everyone. I even got to celbrate my birthday with my family on New Year's Eve! (My birthday was Friday.) Even though I did not do any formal support-raising, I was gifted anyway by many friends. Several made sure I had money to use and others said they would send more anyway. And I cannot tell how many more are adding to that with their prayers. I would not be in such good spiritual, emotion, and yes, financial conditoin if it were not for the many prayers so many lift up onmy behalf. Thank you!!!

So, I know I'm starting the blogging thing a little late (I've been here three months already!), but here are a few pictures to give you and idea of what I've been up to and have to look forward to once again.
Manuel Antonio (beach on the Pacific side)

black sand beach in Puerto Viejo (Carribbean side)


damage done in the mountains after a major earthquake in Jan. 2009


sunset at Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio Nation Park


monkey-Manuel Antonio National Park

Voclan Poas









Lake near Volcan Poas

waterfall at La Paz Waterfall Gardens