Good Night/Bad Night

Last night we had the happy circumstance that BOTH of our girls were invited to (different) slumber parties. So we were very excited that we would have an evening to go out for dinner. We had been wanting to go to a restaurant that our friends, Terry and Lori Everson, had recommended from their visit here in February. So, we hopped on the bus to downtown San Jose and when we got off we had a few blocks to walk to the restaurant. At one of the intersections we were walking across the street at a green light, when I got sideswiped by a LARGE bus. Thank God, the bus stopped after I was knocked down to the ground, with only scrapes and a twisted ankle. John and I had perceived that the bus was going straight, when in reality it was only swinging wide to make the turn.

Although I was a bit shaken, we headed to this Asian fusion restaurant where we had a very nice meal. At the end of the meal, an Asian woman approached our table and asked if I had played a concert at Escazu Country Day School with my daughters! It turned out that she and her husband own the restaurant and that their daughters attend Country Day. She told us that her older daughter (who is 13) was on the verge of quitting the violin when she saw our girls perform and has changed her tune! So it was a happy end to a night that had a rough start.

Needless to say that our thankfulness is that I wasn’t hurt worse, and if you think of it, please pray for our continued safety while living in a city where pedestrians have to be on constant guard.

Sad Day

Today is a sad day for us as one of our friends, Debra, is returning to the US for cancer surgery and treatment. She started school the same time that we did and, like us was a “Special Student” (those of us not with a mission agency), so we felt a bond with her in that regard. Also, last semester she was the leader of the worship team that I (Amy) was on. The diagnosis was completely out of the blue last week after she had emergency surgery for a ruptured cyst. The fact that this cancerous cyst ruptured is not good news. Her sister is a student here too (and brother-in-law, plus 5 nieces and nephews), so she is leaving behind a lot support. Her faith is strong, but please keep her in your prayers.

Costa Rican Birthday Party

We were very happy that our whole family was invited to a birthday for a tica (the term that Costa Rican’s use for their nationality). It was for the daughter of one of my first trimester teachers who is about the same age as Abigail. It was a delightful afternoon and fun to see how ticos celebrate birthdays – pretty much the same way we do, except that there is ALWAYS a piñata. And they do work it out that the birthday girl gets to crack it open. There were quite a few games, including pin the tail on the donkey, and some more that I hadn’t seen before – all very cute. Abigail has since gone to another tica party – this time a slumber party for another 2nd grade student at school. She had a good time and of course, enjoyed bringing home candy from the piñata!

New Puppies!

We have had the excitement of experiencing the birth of a large litter of puppies!! Happily, it wasn’t at OUR house, but at our friends, the Pittman’s, who live only a short block away. We enjoyed seeing the whole process of dog breeding from that very nice distance! The mother dog (also Abby!!) is very sweet and has been a great mother. She is a black lab and has chocolate lab in her pedigree. She was bred with a chocolate lab, and as you can see from the photos of the 10(!!!) puppies that she had quite a lot of chocolate pups. They are more valuable than the blacks, so the Pittman’s were happy. The puppies are mostly gone – at last count there were three left, but we were very grateful that the Pittman’s let us come over to see them as often as we liked!

For more photos click on this link:
http://lafamiliamacy.shutterfly.com/action/?a=8CbM3DNm0bMn4&notag=1

Escazu

Last Decemeber our friends Bob and Barbara Nesbitt spent a few weeks living in a little casita on the other side of San Jose in an area called Escazu.  They invited us to come out for dinner and we had a lovely time enjoying the fresh air at their house and our hike up a hill overlooking the central valley.  The road in the photos is actually used by vehicles and a man we met there said an 80 year old woman lived at the top of the hill and drives up it regularly.  

On a completely different note, the girls were invited to perform at the Escazu Country Day School, which is a US style private school.  Their violin teacher, Mercedes Rodriguez, teaches lessons there and wanted the girls to perform half of the first movement of the Bach Double Violin Concerto.  She also asked me to speak to the parents about our experience with the Suzuki method. The concert was at the end of February and it was a success.

If you want to see pictures, check the Escazu album at the internet address below. Unfortunately, we are having problems inserting a link here, so until we figure that out you'll have to paste the address into your browser manually.
http://lafamiliamacy.shutterfly.com

Second Trimester

Its hard to believe that we are more than half-way finished our second trimester, and therefore more than half-way finished our year in Costa Rica! This trimester we each have two classes - a 2 hour grammar class and a 2 hour language/conversation class.  In our language class we have a weekly theme for which we have to do Bible studies, interviews with people in the community, various cultural activities, as well as general discussions around the theme.  The themes have included sicknesses & home remedies, fiestas, hobbies, and work life in Costa Rica.

The girls have had some changes in school.  The second grade was split into two classes so Abigail has a new teacher and a smaller class. She still misses being in class with all of her friends, but she seems to be enjoying herself. Arianna's class has several new girls whose parents also attend the language school, which has enabled her to make quite a few new friendships.  Her teacher continues to be the school's favorite teacher, as well as the basketball, track, and cheerleading coach.  We are very excited about their progress in spanish, as they seem to be comprehending quite a bit and also able to communicate more in spanish as the weeks go by.

Dead computer

The last time we tried to update our blog our computer died right in the middle of our efforts. That was 3 weeks ago!  It has been hard to access a computer with enough time to sit down and work on a blog. This weekend some of our fellow students are at the beach and were gracious enough to lend us their computer.  So, we have a computer to use for the entire weekend!  We'll try to work on a few more weblog entries to update everyone on the last couple of months while we still have the computer this weekend.

We have ordered a new computer, but that won't arrive for another couple of weeks. We're sorry that we've been out of touch with so many of you, but once our new computer arrives we'll try to do a better job of keeping you up-to-date.