A day in the life of a CISA student

Por la mañana: 

I've made it my morning routine to get up at 5:30 am (a very typical time to wake up here since the sun is SUPER bright and it really feels like 9am) Macha cooks breakfast for me and we both sit at the kitchen table and enjoy a cup of coffee.  Before my grandfather Tata died, he use to read this daily devotional booklet in spanish every day, and sometimes we would read it together.  Well I'll never forget that he and I read the devotional on the page dated "July 12''  It was the last thing he and I did together as on July 13th he passed away.  Well I brought that book with me and each morning I read a page out loud to Macha to practice my reading in Spanish.  I love to hear her say "Amen or gloria Dios" every time after I finish reading.  God has been using this time to truly speak to me.  Although I don't normally understand what the devotional says, I still read the scripture that comes with it.  I am writing the scripture in my journal in English and Spanish and trying to memorize some scripture in Spanish.  They have truly spoken to me.  On my first morning here, the scripture that I read brought me to tears...

Jeremiah 31:3-4 

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ''I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.  I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, Oh Virgin Israel.  Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.

A time of reflection and healing on the front porch

Bill followed me ALL the way to Costa Rica!

After my morning routine, I walk down the steep hill from Macha's house to the bus stop.  Today I had someone very special keep me company! . . .

The road leading up to my house/ Bus stop

The road leading to school

La vaca flaca, mi nuevo amiga!

She just kept posing for me!

What a natural! She made it easy ;)

Por la tárde...

After arriving to school, we are in class from 8-10 and then we take "un recreo" break.  Then back to class until 12pm.  My brother and I usually stay in school to do homework and study for another 3-4 hours. We have such a blast in class. We are always laughing about SOMETHING.  Especially the words we are learning that sound like bad words in English.  Today I learned  ''Esta molestandome"  which sounds like molest, but it means he/she is annoying me! lol   Then there is another word that is commonly used here that means cowardly... but in MY culture that same word in Spanish is MUY  MAL! Therefore, I refuse to type it! lol

This is our classroom.  Outside that window is an INCREDIBLE view of mountains! It can be distracting sometimes! Ps. I look cross-eyed in this picture for some reason lol

Por la noche...

So yesterday since my brother and I had to walk home in the rain, of course he decided to be extremely resourceful with "una bolsa plático''  and made a poncho out of a garbage bag LOL

Eduardo, attempting to put on his new poncho

Well, being a girl and sometimes self-conscious , I said to my brother "Eduardo, people are going to think we're crazy!"  he replied, "Noo, people wear ponchos here all the time,'' and I responded, ''yeah, but not made out of garbage bags!''  Needless to say, I was thankful for them since it was chilly out and the rain was kind of cold.  But just as I suspected as we were walking to the bus stop, these two school boys were passing us and one looked at us and then looked at his friend and said ''Que es estos?''  LOL

So today when I told Macha the story she proceeded to show me how to make a raincoat or rainhat out of a plastic bag LOL...

 

She is hilarious!

This is what I generally come home to :) Macha cooking. Here she is making "queque" cake from scratch!