Today my team and I fly out to Guatemala! We will be in Guatemala for two weeks and will complete two project trips. During the first week we will be in a village called Nebaj in the Ixil region of Guatemala. While in Nebaj we will partner with Agros foundation to design a training center where local rural people will be trained with various skills. Agros is a cool organization that partners with rural subsistence farmers. Check out their website at (www.agros.org)! Agros is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty for rural families in Central America and Mexico by enabling landless communities to achieve land ownership and economic stability. We will be meeting several volunteer design professionals from the States today in Guatemala City and then travel together for 7 hours to the village of Nebaj.
During the second week we will be in Guatemala City where we will partner with a local orphanage called Casa Bernabe. Here we will meet up with a different group of design professional volunteers. Our objective is to design a new structure that will be utilized as a primary school for the orphanage.
Both of these project trips are very exciting and will be a great opportunity to see God's hand at work around the world and provide a valuable service to these local ministries! Please keep us in your prayers! Pray for save travels, health, that we would have good relationships and be a blessing to the local ministries, and that we would complete an appropriate design in a timely manner. Thank you so much for your prayers!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Tico Rodeo!
This week we got the opportunity to go to a Tico style Rodeo. The next town (Palmares) is currently having a big carnival type event with rides, food, fun, and bull riding! Tickets to get into the rodeo cost 4000 colones (about 8 dollars). You can purchase discount tickets for only 1500 colones but the catch is that you have to stand down in the bull ring... and take your chances with the wild bulls! Don't worry mom..... I am pretty cheap but I opted for the expensive seats! There were a surprisingly large number of crazy people though that decided to take their chances.... all men of course! Haha....
The bull riding was pretty impressive! There were a couple traditionalists but there were a couple riders that rode with no hands and backwards! My favorite part was the horses and riders that lassoed the bulls after the ride! So cool. The most entertaining.... and nerve-racking part was when they let a large water buffalo named 'Ricky Martin' run around the ring... chasing all of those men in the cheap seats! It was crazy! There were some seriously close calls but no one got seriously injured. However, toward the end of the night... one guy was running from one of the small bulls after its rider got thrown off.... he was running as fast as he could and managed to scale the fence before the bulls jagged horns connected with his bee-hind. BUT the animal's horns managed to catch the bottom of his pant leg as he scaled the fence and he was pulled down by the bull and dragged around about half of the ring until he got loose! It was scary to watch! But the guy got up... without any serious injuries! .... except to his ego and his pants that were completely ripped apart!
Wow... now that's a rodeo! Can't image anything like that happing in the States! I hope to get some pics up soon! Love you all!
The bull riding was pretty impressive! There were a couple traditionalists but there were a couple riders that rode with no hands and backwards! My favorite part was the horses and riders that lassoed the bulls after the ride! So cool. The most entertaining.... and nerve-racking part was when they let a large water buffalo named 'Ricky Martin' run around the ring... chasing all of those men in the cheap seats! It was crazy! There were some seriously close calls but no one got seriously injured. However, toward the end of the night... one guy was running from one of the small bulls after its rider got thrown off.... he was running as fast as he could and managed to scale the fence before the bulls jagged horns connected with his bee-hind. BUT the animal's horns managed to catch the bottom of his pant leg as he scaled the fence and he was pulled down by the bull and dragged around about half of the ring until he got loose! It was scary to watch! But the guy got up... without any serious injuries! .... except to his ego and his pants that were completely ripped apart!
Wow... now that's a rodeo! Can't image anything like that happing in the States! I hope to get some pics up soon! Love you all!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Mi Familia Tica
Here in Costa Rica I live with a host family. The family situation is very different than that which I expected... but it is great! I was told that I would be living with a single mom and a two-year-old. However, I in fact live with a mom and a dad with two kids and the sister of the wife. The mom and dad's names are Lucy and Walner. They have a 13 year old son named Christopher and a 2 year old son named Walner Jr. Lucy's sister's name is Flor.
Lucy and Walner own a used car sales business in San Jose (about 1 hour away from our town - Atenas). They work at the shop all day and then Lucy goes to class in San Jose in the evenings. They are gone every week day from about 7am to 10pm. Flor stays home with the kids all day and takes care of business around the house. It seems like a very good system... and everyone seems very happy.
I usually eat breakfast and dinner with my host family... but I usually eat alone in the mornings because everyone else has either already left for work or is still in bed. The food is very good! Breakfast typically consists of pinto (rice, black beans, and seasonings) and either some type of meat or an egg. I am enjoying the food and haven't found anything that I don't like, but I can see the beans and rice getting a little old.
I really enjoy the kids. Christopher is really nice and fun to hang out with. He is learning english and loves to ask me questions about life in America. I am also really enjoying spending time with the little one. He is so cute... and only screams when he is really tired. He loves to show me all of his toys and we have lots of fun playing with dinosaurs and cars.
After work I return to the house and hang out with Flor and the boys. We typically watch TV and play with Jr's toys. When mom and dad get home they eat dinner, watch TV, and we usually all go to bed around 11pm.
Living with a Tico family is good, especially to practice spanish. However, it is a little difficult since I am so shy. I want to do my part around the house but I don't know how to go about it. Flor is very gracious and always doing so much for me. She will never ask me to do any kind of chores, but I might just have to start doing some soon. I do think that she appreciated me playing with Jr even though I don't really do much to help take care of him.
Life is good. Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I learn to love my family and as my team and I prepare to head to Guatemala in a couple days.
Lucy and Walner own a used car sales business in San Jose (about 1 hour away from our town - Atenas). They work at the shop all day and then Lucy goes to class in San Jose in the evenings. They are gone every week day from about 7am to 10pm. Flor stays home with the kids all day and takes care of business around the house. It seems like a very good system... and everyone seems very happy.
I usually eat breakfast and dinner with my host family... but I usually eat alone in the mornings because everyone else has either already left for work or is still in bed. The food is very good! Breakfast typically consists of pinto (rice, black beans, and seasonings) and either some type of meat or an egg. I am enjoying the food and haven't found anything that I don't like, but I can see the beans and rice getting a little old.
I really enjoy the kids. Christopher is really nice and fun to hang out with. He is learning english and loves to ask me questions about life in America. I am also really enjoying spending time with the little one. He is so cute... and only screams when he is really tired. He loves to show me all of his toys and we have lots of fun playing with dinosaurs and cars.
After work I return to the house and hang out with Flor and the boys. We typically watch TV and play with Jr's toys. When mom and dad get home they eat dinner, watch TV, and we usually all go to bed around 11pm.
Living with a Tico family is good, especially to practice spanish. However, it is a little difficult since I am so shy. I want to do my part around the house but I don't know how to go about it. Flor is very gracious and always doing so much for me. She will never ask me to do any kind of chores, but I might just have to start doing some soon. I do think that she appreciated me playing with Jr even though I don't really do much to help take care of him.
Life is good. Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I learn to love my family and as my team and I prepare to head to Guatemala in a couple days.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Getting Orientated!
I am finishing up orientation week in Colorado Springs in preparation for my internship in Costa Rica. It has been an incredible week of fellowship and inspiration. It is so great to meet people from all over the world that share the same passion for serving the nations... with their design skills!
In small groups we are reading through the book of Joshua. It is an incredible book of encouragement as we prepare for the journey ahead.
"Be strong and courageous . Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
I am ready to enter the mission field with strength and courage, knowing that the Lord will always be at my side. He gives me authority and power to do His work. What an incredible God I serve.
Prayer Requests:
*Safe travels to Costa Rica (Saturday)
*Peace and Courage as I enter the mission field
*Discipline to be immersed in God's Word
*Peace and Courage as I enter the mission field
*Discipline to be immersed in God's Word
*Meeting and getting to know my host family in Costa Rica
*Unity within eMi Costa Rica team
The eMi Costa Rica Interns: Josh, Ali, Steph, Brad
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
I graduated! Time to grow up? ...nah!
On December 21st I officially graduated from the University of Colorado! I have my bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and passed my CRAZY 8-hr exam so I am now considered an 'Engineer in Training'. Let the training begin!
Thank you to all of you for your love and encouragement over the last few years! You really made a huge difference in my life and helped me to survive college!
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